Born the bastard son of a Welsh princess, Myridden Emrys -- or as he would later be known, Merlin -- leads a perilous childhood, haunted by por... read full description
reviews
Mar 25, 2008
L.J.
rated it: 
I actually read this book first when I was 11 or 12 and would have rated it a 5 with that self. When I was a girl I was lucky enough to be a tomboy and have male figures in my life who taught me the things I would later realize were traditionally "guy stuff". I remembered this book with a mystical fondness because I remember absolutely identifying with the character of Merlin and cast myself in the role of boy adventurer.
Unfortunately, I have to now temper that literal read More...
Unfortunately, I have to now temper that literal read More...
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Dec 13, 2008
Jackie
rated it: 
One of the best Authurian saga I've ever read.
It felt as if I were there watching the events unfold before my eyes.
It felt as if I were there watching the events unfold before my eyes.
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May 11, 2011
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
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Aug 16, 2007
Savannah Nicole
rated it:
I love Mary Stewart's work. She always mixes the right amount of supernatural and realism, and here is no exception.
Throw out your previous ideas of Merlin, Arthur, and Magic. Here's something a little more Organic. In her Arthurian Saga, Stewart mixes historical figures with figures of myth in a way that is pleasing to the historian's eye. I don't mean in a true historically accurate sense, but in a way that allows you to fall into the world. Details of what was left behind from More...
Throw out your previous ideas of Merlin, Arthur, and Magic. Here's something a little more Organic. In her Arthurian Saga, Stewart mixes historical figures with figures of myth in a way that is pleasing to the historian's eye. I don't mean in a true historically accurate sense, but in a way that allows you to fall into the world. Details of what was left behind from More...
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Jun 06, 2010
Krista the Krazy Kataloguer
rated it:
I read this for an 8th grade English oral book report. It was a great story, and the teacher was amazed that I was able to get explain the complicated plot to everyone so that they could understand it. I never went on to read the other 2 books in the series. I should reread this and then dig out the other two...
Dec 16, 2009
Wealhtheow
rated it:
The first, and one of the very few, books that has ever reconciled me to Arthurian myth. After slogging through hideous Victorian sentimental priggishness everywhere else, this is a breath of fresh and magical air into a tired story.
Aug 20, 2010
Risa
rated it:
For years I'd heard my mother talk of Mary Stewart. But it took me this long to finally pick one of her books up (I was admittedly bored and this was at hand) and read...and read...and read. I wish I'd read her stuff before. But, better late than never, they always say!
The book I happened to pick up was the first of her Merlin trilogy - The Crystal Cave.
Written from the perpective of the legendary Merlin, it traces his young life up to the point when he is instrumental in More...
The book I happened to pick up was the first of her Merlin trilogy - The Crystal Cave.
Written from the perpective of the legendary Merlin, it traces his young life up to the point when he is instrumental in More...
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Oct 03, 2011
Sarah Ryburn
rated it: 
my mother introduced me to these books. i'm a fool for arthurian legend, honestly. wrote a research paper on "celtic roots of arthurian legend" in high school- honestly, how does an eleventh grader come up with something like that? perhaps i had help. perhaps i must face the fact that i'm a total lit dweeb...
back to the topic, mary stewart's arthur legend retold. from merlin's perspective. he's the protagonist, he's the central figure of the saga as well as its narrator, an More...
back to the topic, mary stewart's arthur legend retold. from merlin's perspective. he's the protagonist, he's the central figure of the saga as well as its narrator, an More...
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Oct 08, 2011
Suzie
rated it:
I love this book. The Arthurian legend from Merlin's perspective. He was always the most interesting character of the legend anyway. Stewart takes him from being "the son of no man" and gives him an interesting childhood. I couldn't help but feel for his vulnerability. The mystery surrounding who Merlin was still intrigues.
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Dec 11, 2011
Debbiegordon
rated it:
I really enjoyed this book and recommend it for those who have read the stories of King Author and have only got a glimps of what Merlin the Wizard's roll was in Author's life and what was Merlin's life was like when he was a young child and how he grew up - the history behind the wizard you could say.
This first book starts out when Merlin is just a 6 year old boy known as Merlin the bastered. This book tells the tell of how Merlin grew up, what his mother was all about and how she ended More...
This first book starts out when Merlin is just a 6 year old boy known as Merlin the bastered. This book tells the tell of how Merlin grew up, what his mother was all about and how she ended More...
Aug 04, 2011
Il faut passer les premières pages où le récit à la première personne concentre tout ce que le récit à la première personne peut avoir de facile pour l'auteur et donc d'agaçant pour le lecteur.
Une fois l'histoire vraiment commencée la lecture se passe très bien, la prose se complexifie (le vocabulaire aussi...) et il n'y a plus qu'à se faire porter.
Quant à l'histoire elle-même, il est toujours plaisant de s'entendre raconter une légende, en particulier lorsque l'on croit la connaî More...
Une fois l'histoire vraiment commencée la lecture se passe très bien, la prose se complexifie (le vocabulaire aussi...) et il n'y a plus qu'à se faire porter.
Quant à l'histoire elle-même, il est toujours plaisant de s'entendre raconter une légende, en particulier lorsque l'on croit la connaî More...
Jul 28, 2011
Lindsey
rated it:
This book is fantastic. Mary Stewart obviously took the time to go through with a lot of researching of legends and so forth to form this saga. I never imagined there would be a book about King Arthur where I could be dying to know more. This saga is the reason I fell more in love with the stories of Camelot. Stewart brings forth a cast of familiar characters, and the adventure is very exciting. The story is told from Merlin's point of view, though in one of the stories the POV changes over
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Jul 10, 2011
Greta
rated it:
This is one of those books I have never forgotten. I'm drawn to the Arthur stories and I've read a few - the Once and Future King, just to name one. But this one is brilliant. Mary Stewart relates the whole Camelot tale from Merlin's point of view. It is set firmly in fifth century Britain, just after the Romans withdrew, which is what is now believed to be the most likely time for Arthur, not the French story with knights in shining armour.
After I'd read this book, I went back to res More...
After I'd read this book, I went back to res More...
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May 21, 2011
Jayden
rated it: 
I wish I could give this 3.5 stars. This was an interesting take on the early life of Merlin and the origins of Arthur. I appreciate Stewart's lovely descriptions of the scenery and the realism she gave to such a magical and mythical story. Elements of this book that I considered to be flaws might have had to do with the time in which it was written, and the way popular storytelling has changed somewhat. For me, the biggest flaw was the lack of a structured plot moving all the way through the bo
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Jul 02, 2010
A retelling of the Arthur legend based on Geoffrey on Monmouth's HISTORY OF THE KINGS OF BRITAIN.
From "Author's Note":
"Geoffrey's name is, to serious historians, mud. From his Oxford study in the twelfth century he produced a long, racy hotch-potch of 'history' from the Trojan War (where Brutus 'the King of the Britons' fought) to the seventh century AD, arranging his facts to suit his story, and when he got short of facts (which was on every page), inventing them out of More...
From "Author's Note":
"Geoffrey's name is, to serious historians, mud. From his Oxford study in the twelfth century he produced a long, racy hotch-potch of 'history' from the Trojan War (where Brutus 'the King of the Britons' fought) to the seventh century AD, arranging his facts to suit his story, and when he got short of facts (which was on every page), inventing them out of More...
Feb 09, 2010
Amanda
rated it:
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
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Sep 06, 2009
Phoebe
rated it:
It's clear, in The Crystal Cave that Mary Stewart owes quite a bit to the genre of fantasy--and I mean this here in both senses. Not only is her primary source material Geoffery of Monmouth's History of the Kings of Britain (and an excerpt, concerning the legend of Merlin, is included), but the language here is incredibly rich in terms of sensory details.
In debates about genre, and the worth of "genre" works, romance--and I mean here the type often assumed to be read and wr More...
In debates about genre, and the worth of "genre" works, romance--and I mean here the type often assumed to be read and wr More...
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Aug 03, 2010
Nancy
rated it:
Mary Stewart's first published novel - NINE COACHES WAITING - was my first introduction to gothic-type romance, and it was a very auspicious introduction indeed - in my opinion, she was the best writer of the genre, aside from the great Daphne Du Maurier. When Stewart's Arthurian trilogy (Crystal Cave is the first of the series) came out, I resisted reading it - I wanted the old Mary Stewart. Silly me.
THE CRYSTAL CAVE is a wonderfully imagined, beautifully written novel about the More...
THE CRYSTAL CAVE is a wonderfully imagined, beautifully written novel about the More...
May 26, 2011
Joseph
rated it:
One fascinating aspect of The Crystal Cave is that it is Merlin's story, told in his own voice. Stewart's prose is poetic and has a prettiness that may allow the casual reader to gloss the deeper currents in the book, but for me, the real subject of this book is Merlin's spiritual education. As a boy, Merlin is subject to sudden supernatural flashes of foresight; as he matures, he learns how to prepare for these insights, and how to trust his instincts about the future and act upon them in fai
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Oct 05, 2011
Matthew
rated it:
The song “This is War”, by 30 Seconds to Mars, is a short summary of what generally is in a war. The song depicts the typical characteristics of a war and common roles people take, most particularly in an epic, genocidal, and/or holy war. Examples of these “roles” are those who are honest, those who lie, pariahs, civilians, soldiers, victims, prophets, those who are good, those who are evil, refugees, martyrs, defenders, attackers, and messiahs. In The Crystal Cave, written by Mary Stewart, the
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May 23, 2011
Jay
rated it:
First and foremost, I loved Mary Stewart's writing style - simple, clean, elegant, and rich with subtle detail. However, I was not as fond of the plot or, sadly, the characters. The entire novel is Merlin's story, and I simply didn't find him engaging enough to become fully immersed in the settling and the world. I saw him as defined entirely by his intelligence and his magic; the only time I found him actually that interesting was his romantic mishaps, and those were short-lived episodes. Also,
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Jun 02, 2011
Marialyce
rated it:
I have always liked things "Arthurian" and this book certainly was able to put the early advent of Merlin into view. The times of Merlin as a young boy moving into adulthood, discovering his abilities, and finding his father were interestingly done. The author was able to write about him in a way in which he seemed vey human and not so much the wizard we have come to know from legends. She humanized a character we have come to know as something perhaps not human.
I enjoyed h More...
I enjoyed h More...
May 31, 2011
Kyle
rated it:
The Crystal Cave is the first book in Mary Stewart's "Merlin series". While I enjoyed the book, I didn't care for Stewart's interpretation of Merlin's "magical" abilities. The majority of things that people credit him with were due to his powers of observation, his excellent education, and early on, his ability to overhear other's converstations. I like to think of Merlin as being more mystical, instilled with unwordly powers to do things that helped Arthur out.
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Jan 28, 2012
Laurie
rated it:
Excellent writing. Both poetic and technical. Mary Stewart does a wonderful job of depicting the cultural conglomeration that was 5th century Britain: Gauls, Romans, Celts, Saxons, pagans, and Christians all living side by side. My only problem I had with this novel is that I personally had trouble relating to the tone of the novel. When one reads Tolkien's "The Lord of the Rings" there is a deep underlying morality present in the actions of the protagonists and the tone of the nov
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Sep 30, 2011
Jim
rated it:
I first read this back in the 70's & it was a favorite. Merlin tells his story from his boyhood. Read by Stephen Thorne, it's even better.
Merlin tells this tale in his old age, but usually the story moves along as if it were in the present. I liked that perspective, but it means you do have to listen closely at times. He glosses over much of his 'magic' at times, explains it at others, & that generally makes for a sense of mystery that would have otherwise have been lacking in More...
Merlin tells this tale in his old age, but usually the story moves along as if it were in the present. I liked that perspective, but it means you do have to listen closely at times. He glosses over much of his 'magic' at times, explains it at others, & that generally makes for a sense of mystery that would have otherwise have been lacking in More...
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Jan 29, 2012
P. J.
rated it:
The Best Arthurian Viewpoint
Most of us have watched a movie (or three), or read a book based on
the Arthurian saga. As a bit of a geek, I have always been fascinated
with the character of Merlin. Mary Stewart's trilogy — of
which The Crystal Cave is merely the first book — puts
Merlin front and center as the main character, showing events from his
point of view.
While some other versions of the saga tend to be slow moving at
times, that is
Oct 28, 2009
Landon
rated it:
Before I read this book I decided that I wanted to begin reading a series that incorporated a hint of magic and fantasy in a historical context. After researching online many different options, I fell upon the Arthurian Saga by Mary Stewart and decided to try and find it in paperback at the local bookstore. After reading the book, I decided that it was one of the more interesting titles I’d read in years, and mainly because of its attention to historical detail, as well as territorial sp More...
May 01, 2010
Terry (Ter05 TwiMoms/ MundieMoms)
rated it:
I first read this book in the 1970's and loved it. I re-read it recently and bought a hard cover copy as it is an all time favorite. Instead of being told from Arthur's standpoint or just told from an outside viewer, it is told in the first person by Merlin himself. It starts when he was a boy of seven and takes him through Arthur's birth. It examines just who Merlin might have been and delves into the idea that he was the bastard son of the Prince of Darkness condemned to death as a child -
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Mar 17, 2010
Jared
rated it:
I'm not really sure how to categorize this book/series. She did her research into the time period and the events that occurred, at least as much as possible. King Arthur and the events in these books occurred around 500 AD, so the factual accounts are a little thin. But I suppose it probably is historical fiction. I really enjoyed Stewart's writing. She has a way of describing things so well that you really get a vision for the scenes and people. Great story. Possibly a little slow, but t
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Dec 27, 2008
Lightreads
rated it:
First in her famous Merlin series. It's funny -- somehow I managed to miss this one until now, though I had a pretty solid grounding in genre classics. So I'm reading this and it's fine, whatever, interesting here and there, but mostly old hat. Until I realize that actually this is the prototype on which so much of the current canon is based, and from that lens it's really quite fascinating. I think my favorite element thus far is when she toys with this question of greatness. Merlin, after all,
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