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Merlin's Harp #1
Merlin's Harp
When I was yet a very young woman I threw my heart away. Ever since then I have lived heartless, or almost heartless, the way Humans think all Fey live.
Among the towering trees of magical Avalon, where humans dare not tread, lives Niviene, daughter of the Lady of the Lake. Her people, the Fey, are folk of the wood and avoid the violence and greed of man. But the strife of King Arthur's realm threatens even the peace of Avalon. And while Merlin the mage has been training Niviene as his apprentice, he now needs her help to thwart the chaos devouring Camelot. Niviene's special talents must help save a kingdom and discover the treachery of men and the beauty of love...
167 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 1, 1995
35 people are currently reading
1144 people want to read
About the author
Anne Eliot Crompton
22 books18 followersAnne Eliot Crompton was a critically acclaimed writer of fiction for children, teenagers, and adults. Many of her novels draw from legends and folktales. Three are based on Arthurian legends: Merlin’s Harp, Gawain and Lady Green, and Percival’s Angel. Crompton created new fictions out of old by concentrating on the perspectives and emotions of characters who are slightly removed from the traditional plots. Crompton raised Shetland and Welsh ponies on her farm in Chesterfield, MA, and wrote a series of horse stories for girls which focus on the emotional bonds between humans and animals. In The Sorcerer, she imagined the artistic development of a prehistoric cave painter.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 81 reviews
February 17, 2012
Wow. I can't believe all the haters in the review section here.
After some contemplation, I'm guessing that it's because the book was repackaged for the newer edition with a wholly inappropriate cover. The original ROC edition has a pretty lovely, Pre-Raphaelite-inspired cover by Don Maitz. The new edition has this cheesy, pink-glittery cover that makes it look like a cheap romance for 13-year-old girls.
You can't judge a book by its cover, but you can surely make certain that the wrong people read a book by its cover.
This book is not aimed at young teens. It is also NOT: confusing, hard-to-follow, full of 'flowery' or 'verbose' language, OR for people who have no clue about the Arthurian mythos.
Yes, the book's author absolutely expects that the reader is familiar with Arthurian legends, and that you will be able to recognize the elements of classic characters and events in hers. I don't think that's too much of a demand, considering the scores and scores of novels that have been written in this genre, and how much the Arthurian legends are part of the very underpinnings of Western society.
The language of the story is very simple and straightforward. There are occasional poems, often presented as lyrics to the ballads that Merlin sings. But the bulk of the novel is basic, uncomplicated prose, with a nod to the styles of fairy tales and legends. At times, it reminded me of Patricia McKillip. I do like McKillip better - but she's one of my most favorite authors.
The real success here is how Crompton brilliantly portrays events from the point of view of the 'Fey.' She makes the Fey real - portrays them as a believable people, with a convincing, well-rounded, but very, very foreign culture. And she does this without sacrificing their magic. (Other books I've read in the genre have made them just another tribe, feared, hated, and misunderstood - but Crompton does all this, AND keeps them truly fey.) Writing from the perspective of someone from a culture with a very different moral standard to the one we're used to can be challenging - but I feel that this book did it wonderfully. I felt that I came to understand Niviene. Sometimes her attitude shocked me, sometimes I agreed with her. But more importantly, the portrayal of her character led me to think of things from a perspective not my own - which is one of the main raisons d'être of fiction in general.
I'd recommend this book highly to anyone interested in quality mythic fiction, Arthurian legend and faerie lore. It's not a perfect book, but it's a beautiful, worthwhile one.
After some contemplation, I'm guessing that it's because the book was repackaged for the newer edition with a wholly inappropriate cover. The original ROC edition has a pretty lovely, Pre-Raphaelite-inspired cover by Don Maitz. The new edition has this cheesy, pink-glittery cover that makes it look like a cheap romance for 13-year-old girls.
You can't judge a book by its cover, but you can surely make certain that the wrong people read a book by its cover.
This book is not aimed at young teens. It is also NOT: confusing, hard-to-follow, full of 'flowery' or 'verbose' language, OR for people who have no clue about the Arthurian mythos.
Yes, the book's author absolutely expects that the reader is familiar with Arthurian legends, and that you will be able to recognize the elements of classic characters and events in hers. I don't think that's too much of a demand, considering the scores and scores of novels that have been written in this genre, and how much the Arthurian legends are part of the very underpinnings of Western society.
The language of the story is very simple and straightforward. There are occasional poems, often presented as lyrics to the ballads that Merlin sings. But the bulk of the novel is basic, uncomplicated prose, with a nod to the styles of fairy tales and legends. At times, it reminded me of Patricia McKillip. I do like McKillip better - but she's one of my most favorite authors.
The real success here is how Crompton brilliantly portrays events from the point of view of the 'Fey.' She makes the Fey real - portrays them as a believable people, with a convincing, well-rounded, but very, very foreign culture. And she does this without sacrificing their magic. (Other books I've read in the genre have made them just another tribe, feared, hated, and misunderstood - but Crompton does all this, AND keeps them truly fey.) Writing from the perspective of someone from a culture with a very different moral standard to the one we're used to can be challenging - but I feel that this book did it wonderfully. I felt that I came to understand Niviene. Sometimes her attitude shocked me, sometimes I agreed with her. But more importantly, the portrayal of her character led me to think of things from a perspective not my own - which is one of the main raisons d'être of fiction in general.
I'd recommend this book highly to anyone interested in quality mythic fiction, Arthurian legend and faerie lore. It's not a perfect book, but it's a beautiful, worthwhile one.
March 11, 2010
I don’t get offended by books often. Premarital sex, abstinence until marriage, drinking, backstabbing, pranking, people killing people, etc.—everything is good in my opinion as long as it’s written well and doesn’t sound like an agenda that is out of place within the fictional world. MERLIN’S HARP, however, is a mess of a novel, poorly organized and weakly characterized—unfortunate, because the writing is beautiful and the story held such promise.
For a generation that’s being bombarded with a multitude of sensations, experiences, and information left and right, we need stories that are far more organized—less ADD—than the lives we lead. The story of MERLIN’S HARP is exceedingly difficult to follow. It is almost impossible to tell without dedicating 110% of your brainpower to the task whether Nivienne is narrating something that’s occurring in the present or something that happened in her past—and if it is the latter, which part of her past it occurred, as, yes, she somehow attempts to provide us with multiple flashbacks at once. And it’s less than lack of chronology throughout the story as it is the fact that the flashbacks (or whatever we should call them) provide us with hardly any cohesive information about either the characters or the world in which the story is set.
Crompton’s fey are fairly dissimilar to humans: they’re heartless, free-spirited sexual beings. They would’ve provided an interesting contrast to human characteristics, had their lustful behavior been better developed. I have nothing against any kind of sex in fiction, but when characters are objectifying and rubbing up on one another left and right without first having been developed into characters whose lustful actions are justified, then I DO have a problem with that. MERLIN’S HARP is a very sensual read, but my difficulty in connecting to any of the characters, of understanding their motivations, makes it an awkward read at best.
Overall, I’m afraid MERLIN’S HARP is yet another example of a book that is being marketed to the wrong genre. Readers of adult fantasy may be better suited to appreciate its slow story, meandering plot, and sensual writing. YA fantasy fans, however, may find this book difficult to get through.
For a generation that’s being bombarded with a multitude of sensations, experiences, and information left and right, we need stories that are far more organized—less ADD—than the lives we lead. The story of MERLIN’S HARP is exceedingly difficult to follow. It is almost impossible to tell without dedicating 110% of your brainpower to the task whether Nivienne is narrating something that’s occurring in the present or something that happened in her past—and if it is the latter, which part of her past it occurred, as, yes, she somehow attempts to provide us with multiple flashbacks at once. And it’s less than lack of chronology throughout the story as it is the fact that the flashbacks (or whatever we should call them) provide us with hardly any cohesive information about either the characters or the world in which the story is set.
Crompton’s fey are fairly dissimilar to humans: they’re heartless, free-spirited sexual beings. They would’ve provided an interesting contrast to human characteristics, had their lustful behavior been better developed. I have nothing against any kind of sex in fiction, but when characters are objectifying and rubbing up on one another left and right without first having been developed into characters whose lustful actions are justified, then I DO have a problem with that. MERLIN’S HARP is a very sensual read, but my difficulty in connecting to any of the characters, of understanding their motivations, makes it an awkward read at best.
Overall, I’m afraid MERLIN’S HARP is yet another example of a book that is being marketed to the wrong genre. Readers of adult fantasy may be better suited to appreciate its slow story, meandering plot, and sensual writing. YA fantasy fans, however, may find this book difficult to get through.
June 13, 2013
This book is one of the best retellings of an Arthurian legend that I've ever read. It is beautifully written and satisfies the part of me that yearns for faithfulness while still giving the story a clever twist. The book tells the story of Niviene, the daughter of the Lady of the Lake, as she grows up among the wild Fey in the forest, and how the events of King Arthur's tale wreak havoc on her life. It puts an inventive spin on the story that still feels true to its essence, all the while creating unexpected layers to what you might think you know about folks like King Arthur, Merlin, Mordred, and Lancelot. The characters were complex and relatable and the ending was the perfect mix of tragedy and hopefulness. I have reread this book so many times that my original copy disintegrated, and it has done much to inform the kind of writer I, myself, would like to be.
March 21, 2010
Well this was, um . . . not good. Really, at all. I don't think it's ever taken me so long to read a book so short. Like wading through snow up to my hips. It's so overwrought and drowning in such flowery language that it's hard to connect to anything that's going on in the story. I often found myself having read a page without really reading it and only skimming it when I went back over it.
To Crompton's credit, she stuck very closely to faerie lore which is to her benefit but even greater to her disadvantage. Because she stuck so closely to the lore, I felt nothing for Nivienne. Faeries are traditionally heartless and don't emote as humans do. That certainly came through in the reading but at the same time it also made me not give a crap about Nivienne. And so help me if she said, "I, Nivienne," one more time, I was going to put my hand through the pages and slap her. I get it goes with the tone of the writing but it's overwritten so, to me, it was just annoying.
Plus Nivienne constantly refers to herself as brown. Maybe my eyes aren't working correctly but fish lips on the cover is a white girl. And can I say how much I hate it when people purposely push out their lips in a vain attempt to make them look fuller? The Olsen twins do it all the time. Makes me want to throw things at them and see if I can get them to stick.
But more to the story, the whole Saxon war I felt was glazed over. I was three quarters of the way through the book before I realized that we'd already moved beyond that. For me, the focus of the story wasn't quite right and what was being talked about was secondary to the greater problem going on in the background. The characters just kind of glided through their surroundings as if they were inconsequential and didn't matter to their greater scope of things. The urgency of the Saxon threat in the blurb is unfounded in the story and barely appears to make a dent in the consciousness of the characters.
It didn't help that the text was, within chapters, non-linear. Nivienne kept having these sort of flashbacks where she'd go off on tangents about what happened in her past because something in the present reminded her of it. It started to ebb towards the end but it was really prevalent in the beginning. I often found myself having to read back a few paragraphs because I'd realize that I had missed a time jump. Very jarring and interrupting. That's one of the motivating issues I had with getting into the story aside from not connecting with Nivienne.
The best part was the last few chapters where Arthur and Mordred got into it. It's really the only part that's not completely glossed over with insubstantial nothing. I think if that part of the story was more played up, not only would Nivenne have become a more well-rounded character, it would have made the story stronger. I got to see facets of Nivenne in those few scenes that were absent the entire story (presumably because of her Fey nature) that I really liked. But too little too late, really.
Overall, I really appreciate that Crompton kept so close to the lore even though it was detrimental to the success of the main character. I liked how she played with the King Arthur legend and made it her own. Other than that, I think the writing style is trying too hard and what story is there is drowned by it. The MC isn't human and thus I couldn't connect with her for 95% of the story because, for all intents and purposes, she remained emotionless. I think if the writing weren't so flowery and the story were told from someone else's perspective, or Nivienne was allowed to emote a little more, it could have been much better. As it stands, I couldn't rightly recommend this one. Read Le Morte d'Arthur. Much better.
My apologies to Paul at Sourcebooks.
To Crompton's credit, she stuck very closely to faerie lore which is to her benefit but even greater to her disadvantage. Because she stuck so closely to the lore, I felt nothing for Nivienne. Faeries are traditionally heartless and don't emote as humans do. That certainly came through in the reading but at the same time it also made me not give a crap about Nivienne. And so help me if she said, "I, Nivienne," one more time, I was going to put my hand through the pages and slap her. I get it goes with the tone of the writing but it's overwritten so, to me, it was just annoying.
Plus Nivienne constantly refers to herself as brown. Maybe my eyes aren't working correctly but fish lips on the cover is a white girl. And can I say how much I hate it when people purposely push out their lips in a vain attempt to make them look fuller? The Olsen twins do it all the time. Makes me want to throw things at them and see if I can get them to stick.
But more to the story, the whole Saxon war I felt was glazed over. I was three quarters of the way through the book before I realized that we'd already moved beyond that. For me, the focus of the story wasn't quite right and what was being talked about was secondary to the greater problem going on in the background. The characters just kind of glided through their surroundings as if they were inconsequential and didn't matter to their greater scope of things. The urgency of the Saxon threat in the blurb is unfounded in the story and barely appears to make a dent in the consciousness of the characters.
It didn't help that the text was, within chapters, non-linear. Nivienne kept having these sort of flashbacks where she'd go off on tangents about what happened in her past because something in the present reminded her of it. It started to ebb towards the end but it was really prevalent in the beginning. I often found myself having to read back a few paragraphs because I'd realize that I had missed a time jump. Very jarring and interrupting. That's one of the motivating issues I had with getting into the story aside from not connecting with Nivienne.
The best part was the last few chapters where Arthur and Mordred got into it. It's really the only part that's not completely glossed over with insubstantial nothing. I think if that part of the story was more played up, not only would Nivenne have become a more well-rounded character, it would have made the story stronger. I got to see facets of Nivenne in those few scenes that were absent the entire story (presumably because of her Fey nature) that I really liked. But too little too late, really.
Overall, I really appreciate that Crompton kept so close to the lore even though it was detrimental to the success of the main character. I liked how she played with the King Arthur legend and made it her own. Other than that, I think the writing style is trying too hard and what story is there is drowned by it. The MC isn't human and thus I couldn't connect with her for 95% of the story because, for all intents and purposes, she remained emotionless. I think if the writing weren't so flowery and the story were told from someone else's perspective, or Nivienne was allowed to emote a little more, it could have been much better. As it stands, I couldn't rightly recommend this one. Read Le Morte d'Arthur. Much better.
My apologies to Paul at Sourcebooks.
June 9, 2010
Reading Merlin's Harp, I realized something about novels that portray the interaction between the human world and Faerie. They usually don't tell the stories of fae folk in their own homeland. There are exceptions, of course, but authors tend to focus on faeries stuck in the human world, or humans encountering Faerie. I think I may know why that is. When writing about faeries living in Faerie, it's all too easy to have nothing happen.
Anne Eliot Crompton uses beautiful, if occasionally stilted, language to draw us into her take on Arthurian legend:
When I was yet a young woman I threw my heart away.
I fashioned a wee coracle of leaf and willow twig and reed, a coracle that sat in the hollow of my two palms. In this I placed my wounded, wretched heart, and I set it adrift on the rain-misted wavelets of the Fey river, and I watched it bob and whirl, sail and sink. Ever since I have lived heartless, or almost heartless, cold as spring rain, the way Humans think all Fey live. Humans I have known would be astounded to learn that I ever had a heart that leapt, brightened, fainted, quickened, warmed, embraced, froze or rejected, like their own.
The narrator is Niviene, daughter of the Lady of the Lake. In the ensuing chapters, Niviene endeavors to tell us how she came to the point of throwing her heart away. This ornate, image-rich prose continues, and Niviene meanders and digresses in her tale. She'll mention an old family friend, then backtrack and tell us all about how she came to meet him before going back to the main thread of her narrative.
By combining the flowery style with a narrative that is ever looping back on itself, Crompton conveys a sense of what Faerie is said to be like. It's beautiful and hypnotic, and time doesn't flow in Faerie the way it does in the human realm. The trouble is, it's *too* hypnotic. Lulling. Dreamlike. Reading Merlin's Harp made me sleepy. While falling into an enchanted slumber and waking on the cold hillside is very much in keeping with Faerie tradition, it doesn't help propel one through a novel.
It also doesn't help that not much happens in the first hundred pages or so, which is as far as I got before giving up. Roughly the first ninety pages are taken up with an interpretation of the Lady of Shalott tale, and a rather uninteresting one. The main problem is Gwenevere, who spends this entire sequence drugged and being toddled around like a doll. Sure, she's gorgeous, but can physical beauty alone account for the trouble she unwittingly causes here? I've seen sympathetic Gweneveres and unsympathetic ones, but all the best portrayals afford her some charisma that helps explain why she is so loved.
This is followed by a four-page sequence (I counted) in which Niviene gets pregnant and gives birth to a son, the son grows to the age of five, and then the son goes missing. All in four pages. That was when I decided to give up. If it takes ninety pages for a young boy to break a young girl's heart in favor of a pretty woman in a stupor, and four pages for a fetus to become a five-year-old, the pacing is just a little too strange for me, Faerie or no.
Merlin's Harp contains some lovely language and an interesting perspective on the Matter of Britain, but finally the pacing and the hypnotic effect were too much for me. I recommend it to fans of lush prose who have plenty of coffee on hand.
Anne Eliot Crompton uses beautiful, if occasionally stilted, language to draw us into her take on Arthurian legend:
When I was yet a young woman I threw my heart away.
I fashioned a wee coracle of leaf and willow twig and reed, a coracle that sat in the hollow of my two palms. In this I placed my wounded, wretched heart, and I set it adrift on the rain-misted wavelets of the Fey river, and I watched it bob and whirl, sail and sink. Ever since I have lived heartless, or almost heartless, cold as spring rain, the way Humans think all Fey live. Humans I have known would be astounded to learn that I ever had a heart that leapt, brightened, fainted, quickened, warmed, embraced, froze or rejected, like their own.
The narrator is Niviene, daughter of the Lady of the Lake. In the ensuing chapters, Niviene endeavors to tell us how she came to the point of throwing her heart away. This ornate, image-rich prose continues, and Niviene meanders and digresses in her tale. She'll mention an old family friend, then backtrack and tell us all about how she came to meet him before going back to the main thread of her narrative.
By combining the flowery style with a narrative that is ever looping back on itself, Crompton conveys a sense of what Faerie is said to be like. It's beautiful and hypnotic, and time doesn't flow in Faerie the way it does in the human realm. The trouble is, it's *too* hypnotic. Lulling. Dreamlike. Reading Merlin's Harp made me sleepy. While falling into an enchanted slumber and waking on the cold hillside is very much in keeping with Faerie tradition, it doesn't help propel one through a novel.
It also doesn't help that not much happens in the first hundred pages or so, which is as far as I got before giving up. Roughly the first ninety pages are taken up with an interpretation of the Lady of Shalott tale, and a rather uninteresting one. The main problem is Gwenevere, who spends this entire sequence drugged and being toddled around like a doll. Sure, she's gorgeous, but can physical beauty alone account for the trouble she unwittingly causes here? I've seen sympathetic Gweneveres and unsympathetic ones, but all the best portrayals afford her some charisma that helps explain why she is so loved.
This is followed by a four-page sequence (I counted) in which Niviene gets pregnant and gives birth to a son, the son grows to the age of five, and then the son goes missing. All in four pages. That was when I decided to give up. If it takes ninety pages for a young boy to break a young girl's heart in favor of a pretty woman in a stupor, and four pages for a fetus to become a five-year-old, the pacing is just a little too strange for me, Faerie or no.
Merlin's Harp contains some lovely language and an interesting perspective on the Matter of Britain, but finally the pacing and the hypnotic effect were too much for me. I recommend it to fans of lush prose who have plenty of coffee on hand.
May 5, 2010
Told from a female perspective, the legend of King Arthur, Merlin, and the infamous Morgan le Faye has never looked more magical. Brimming with fairy [Fey:] lore and myths of how Arthur’s misty history unfolds, Merlin’s Harp will satisfy any Arthurian fan or reader--teen or adult--alike.
What I liked most about Merlin’s Harp was the very detailed descriptions of the mythical Fey folk. The author wrote as if a real Fey girl witnessed the story of Avalon [Apple Island:]. Nivienne (pronounced similar to Vivienne) is a very passionate and dramatic character. She tells everything as it is and leaves absolutely nothing out. To create such a backdrop with details about legends, history, or Arthurian tales, you would have to do quite a bit of research....... and it really paid off.
The negative things I have to say about Merlin's Harp is that I kept getting the feeling the story was being rushed and it sometimes wandered of the main trail if you will. It was would slow way down, then it would speed up and would lose me completely. I kept having to go back and reread several important passages. The beginning of the book was rushed as well and there was so much stuff to "learn" about the Fey folk, that I felt a little overwhelmed by the details. Sometimes I felt kinda of silly reading about all this fairy stuff, but that is probably a fantasy newbie talking. Things like this may or may not turn off the reader. It just depends.
I had no idea that I would grow use to talk of auras and magic spells. As the story progressed, so did my attraction to the “magical” setting. There is also a modern genuinely about this novel that is unique. Some of the phrases Nivienne and the other characters say are not true to the middles ages, but I didn't notice it all that much and sometimes modern phrases are okay to throw in when it comes to young adults. Again, depends on what style you like. Personally, I could have handled any kind of medieval terminology--that's just me though.
As for key content factors I will mention the references to several sexual situations. Not a flower moon goes by without.......you get the picture. There are also a lot of talk of pagan rituals, witches, mages, and goddesses. Of course it wouldn’t be ancient medieval times without out stuff like that (or Arthurian myths for that matter), but just be sure you feel comfortable about reading things like that. There is a lot symbolism in Arthurian legends as well. Whether the author intends to add them or not, they are still branded in somewhere in the story: the sword, the round table, even Arthur himself.
Overall, Merlin’s Harp was an okay book, a little dark perhaps and rough at some points, but the fantasy theme of the novel was new to me and provided some sort of enjoyment. I think teens and adults would like reading this fictional account of King Arthur from a woman’s point of view. Fans of The Mists of Avalon would enjoy this novel as well. I would recommend to teen ages 15 and up.
Follow the tour to Today's Adventure!
|Genre: Fantasy, Arthurian|Age Group: YA, ages 15 to adult|
|Recommend?| Only to teens ages 15 and up
Win a copy of Merlin's Harp on my blog at booksandliteratureforteens.blogspot.com
What I liked most about Merlin’s Harp was the very detailed descriptions of the mythical Fey folk. The author wrote as if a real Fey girl witnessed the story of Avalon [Apple Island:]. Nivienne (pronounced similar to Vivienne) is a very passionate and dramatic character. She tells everything as it is and leaves absolutely nothing out. To create such a backdrop with details about legends, history, or Arthurian tales, you would have to do quite a bit of research....... and it really paid off.
The negative things I have to say about Merlin's Harp is that I kept getting the feeling the story was being rushed and it sometimes wandered of the main trail if you will. It was would slow way down, then it would speed up and would lose me completely. I kept having to go back and reread several important passages. The beginning of the book was rushed as well and there was so much stuff to "learn" about the Fey folk, that I felt a little overwhelmed by the details. Sometimes I felt kinda of silly reading about all this fairy stuff, but that is probably a fantasy newbie talking. Things like this may or may not turn off the reader. It just depends.
I had no idea that I would grow use to talk of auras and magic spells. As the story progressed, so did my attraction to the “magical” setting. There is also a modern genuinely about this novel that is unique. Some of the phrases Nivienne and the other characters say are not true to the middles ages, but I didn't notice it all that much and sometimes modern phrases are okay to throw in when it comes to young adults. Again, depends on what style you like. Personally, I could have handled any kind of medieval terminology--that's just me though.
As for key content factors I will mention the references to several sexual situations. Not a flower moon goes by without.......you get the picture. There are also a lot of talk of pagan rituals, witches, mages, and goddesses. Of course it wouldn’t be ancient medieval times without out stuff like that (or Arthurian myths for that matter), but just be sure you feel comfortable about reading things like that. There is a lot symbolism in Arthurian legends as well. Whether the author intends to add them or not, they are still branded in somewhere in the story: the sword, the round table, even Arthur himself.
Overall, Merlin’s Harp was an okay book, a little dark perhaps and rough at some points, but the fantasy theme of the novel was new to me and provided some sort of enjoyment. I think teens and adults would like reading this fictional account of King Arthur from a woman’s point of view. Fans of The Mists of Avalon would enjoy this novel as well. I would recommend to teen ages 15 and up.
Follow the tour to Today's Adventure!
|Genre: Fantasy, Arthurian|Age Group: YA, ages 15 to adult|
|Recommend?| Only to teens ages 15 and up
Win a copy of Merlin's Harp on my blog at booksandliteratureforteens.blogspot.com
October 3, 2013
I tried really hard to like Merlin's Harp. I was lured into buying it by its exquisite cover but readers be warned: the cover is a lot better than the writing within. Merlin's Harp does have good figurative language -sometimes bordering more on poetry than prose- and a potentially interesting concept going for it, but ultimately the book falls flat.
The story is narrated by Nivienne, daughter of the Lady of the Lake. Nivienne is a Fey mage, apprentice to the wizard Merlin. She is a powerful practitioner of magic and disdainful of all humans. But Nivienne's life is inextricably linked to the life of the human king Arthur. All the characters seemed flat and undeveloped. Even Nivienne, who tells the story, narrates in a way that distances her from the reader and actually tells us very little about what she's like.
The first half of the book meanders and is plot-less; the second half picks up a bit but has a very weak climax. There are some plot twists that add some flair to the story and Anne Eliot Crompton definitely has a way with words. Merlin's Harp as a whole fails to satisfy the reader with its plot and its characters. I'd recommend not wasting your money on this one.
The story is narrated by Nivienne, daughter of the Lady of the Lake. Nivienne is a Fey mage, apprentice to the wizard Merlin. She is a powerful practitioner of magic and disdainful of all humans. But Nivienne's life is inextricably linked to the life of the human king Arthur. All the characters seemed flat and undeveloped. Even Nivienne, who tells the story, narrates in a way that distances her from the reader and actually tells us very little about what she's like.
The first half of the book meanders and is plot-less; the second half picks up a bit but has a very weak climax. There are some plot twists that add some flair to the story and Anne Eliot Crompton definitely has a way with words. Merlin's Harp as a whole fails to satisfy the reader with its plot and its characters. I'd recommend not wasting your money on this one.
June 8, 2013
This is the Arthurian legend as you'd never seen it before. Nivienne, daughter of the Lady of the Lake, tells her story about her fey childhood on Apple Island (a place you'll recognize as Avalon) and how she becomes entangled with Arthur, the Once and Future King. If you want to read a challenging, original retelling of the story of King Arthur, by all means, read this book. But be warned that the author expects you to think and make connections on your own. If you're game, you'll be rewarded with a beautiful reading experience, one that reveals new layers the more you re-read the book. That, to me, is the sign of masterful writing.
January 29, 2010
As a librarian I tell my kids that if they don't like what they're reading in the first 100 pages to give it up. I had to invoke that rule with this book. Although Library Journal calls it a "lyrical retelling" of the Arthurian chronicles, the plot deviates so far from the myth as to be a completely different story. Some characters are familiar yet within the context of the story, flat and incongruous. The plot lacks a cohesive center and rambles (perhaps the lyrical retelling) aimlessly towards, I'm not sure what.
April 28, 2018
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April 2, 2010
Review
Niviene is fey and since Crompton stuck to the true nature and lore of fey, which I appreciated, she is mostly heartless and doesn't carry the same feelings and emotions as humans. This caused problems in not only her, but also some of the other fey characters, development. You see I believe it is our emotions and feelings as humans that allow for good character development in stories. However, I still liked the characters in Merlin's Harp fairly well, despite the fact that I couldn't relate to them. Of all the characters, I would probably have to say that Lugh was the most dynamic one.
I honestly didn't think I was going to make it through the first half of this book. There wasn't much of anything going on and the writing, though very beautifully written and authentic, was a bit confusing; it could get a little difficult for me to distinguish between past and present because of how the flashbacks were done. However, once I got beyond that, there was a lot more action, the pace quickened, and I grew used to the writing.
The ending wasn't anything spectacular but I liked it and felt it tied everything up well.
In the end, Merlin's Harp was a fairly enjoyable read once I was able to get through the first half. It was lyrical, enchanting, almost dreamy even. It is not a quick read, despite it's short length, and I suggest making sure you have plenty of time to spend on it before picking it up. Also, I can't help but question the decision to re-market this book to teens; the complicated writing and the story line make this book more of an acquired taste that I believe would be better enjoyed by adults. I'm not saying other teens wouldn't like it, just that there'd probably be far more adults who would. I would recommend Merlin's Harp to true fans of ancient faery lore and Arthurian Legend. I, myself, will probably read this again.
Niviene is fey and since Crompton stuck to the true nature and lore of fey, which I appreciated, she is mostly heartless and doesn't carry the same feelings and emotions as humans. This caused problems in not only her, but also some of the other fey characters, development. You see I believe it is our emotions and feelings as humans that allow for good character development in stories. However, I still liked the characters in Merlin's Harp fairly well, despite the fact that I couldn't relate to them. Of all the characters, I would probably have to say that Lugh was the most dynamic one.
I honestly didn't think I was going to make it through the first half of this book. There wasn't much of anything going on and the writing, though very beautifully written and authentic, was a bit confusing; it could get a little difficult for me to distinguish between past and present because of how the flashbacks were done. However, once I got beyond that, there was a lot more action, the pace quickened, and I grew used to the writing.
The ending wasn't anything spectacular but I liked it and felt it tied everything up well.
In the end, Merlin's Harp was a fairly enjoyable read once I was able to get through the first half. It was lyrical, enchanting, almost dreamy even. It is not a quick read, despite it's short length, and I suggest making sure you have plenty of time to spend on it before picking it up. Also, I can't help but question the decision to re-market this book to teens; the complicated writing and the story line make this book more of an acquired taste that I believe would be better enjoyed by adults. I'm not saying other teens wouldn't like it, just that there'd probably be far more adults who would. I would recommend Merlin's Harp to true fans of ancient faery lore and Arthurian Legend. I, myself, will probably read this again.
November 27, 2015
I have had this book to read for some time. I bought it for the Kindle when I first got my Kindle (years ago) and just finally got around to reading it. Some of the concepts in this book are interesting but overall it is poorly written and hard to follow.
Niviene has grown up on the island of Avalon; the Lady is her mother and she doesn’t know her father. Her youth is highlighted by visits from Merlin, a half fey sorcerer. As Niviene herself grows in power she learns more and more about the mastery of her magic. Then one day Merlin requests her assistance in dealing with King Arthur; Merlin is desperate to save the peace that is slowly unraveling.
This is a retelling of the tale of King Arthur but from the fey perspective and featuring fey characters. Some of the writing in this book is beautiful but it's very hard to follow. The author jumps back and forth between Niviene's past and present kind of willy nilly. It’s very hard to figure out if you are reading about what is happening now, what happened when Niviene was little, and what had happened in the near past.
I like that Crompton did this King Author retelling with a heavy emphasis on the Fey. I also enjoyed how Merlin and Niviene are a bit high-handed and super powerful but also have weaknesses and admit that they have made mistakes in their lives.
Unfortunately the poor layout of the plot and the jumping around in time made this a struggle to get through and really take away from what could have been an amazing King Arthur retelling.
Overall I won't be reading anymore of this series and wouldn't really recommend it. The plot and way it is written is just too convoluted and confusing. I would recommend checking out Here Lies Arthur by Philip Reeves for a better King Arthur tale retelling.
Niviene has grown up on the island of Avalon; the Lady is her mother and she doesn’t know her father. Her youth is highlighted by visits from Merlin, a half fey sorcerer. As Niviene herself grows in power she learns more and more about the mastery of her magic. Then one day Merlin requests her assistance in dealing with King Arthur; Merlin is desperate to save the peace that is slowly unraveling.
This is a retelling of the tale of King Arthur but from the fey perspective and featuring fey characters. Some of the writing in this book is beautiful but it's very hard to follow. The author jumps back and forth between Niviene's past and present kind of willy nilly. It’s very hard to figure out if you are reading about what is happening now, what happened when Niviene was little, and what had happened in the near past.
I like that Crompton did this King Author retelling with a heavy emphasis on the Fey. I also enjoyed how Merlin and Niviene are a bit high-handed and super powerful but also have weaknesses and admit that they have made mistakes in their lives.
Unfortunately the poor layout of the plot and the jumping around in time made this a struggle to get through and really take away from what could have been an amazing King Arthur retelling.
Overall I won't be reading anymore of this series and wouldn't really recommend it. The plot and way it is written is just too convoluted and confusing. I would recommend checking out Here Lies Arthur by Philip Reeves for a better King Arthur tale retelling.
September 29, 2014
I loved this re-imagining of the legend of King Arthur; It seems I'm one of few to enjoy it though I can't for the life of me understand why. I was very happy with how to the point it was, completely unlike The Mists Of Avalon which I finished reading only a few months ago. Telling this story from the point of view of one of the Fey from Avalon was a nice twist and really lightened the burden of detail the author had to work with as opposed to telling it from one of the main characters points of view, and it gave a new side to the story that was somewhat detached and unaffected by the chaos as a whole. It's almost like a light version of the classic tale, with all the necessary detail but without all of the courtly attachments and social niceties normally attended to in stories of this era.
Read
March 20, 2010Have you ever had a book that no matter how many times you started it you just couldn't for the life of you get into it? Well, that's what happened with me and Merlin's Harp, and because of that, I'm sorry to say that I don't have a review to share with you today of this book. Maybe someday I'll try to start it again, but for now it's just not the book for me.
Read
October 4, 2010After reading all the reviews and comments about this book on Goodreads, I think I may have to re-read this book. I seem to recall liking it and waiting for a sequel that never came out. I certainly don't remember the book being as bad as everyone is saying it is.
December 9, 2008
One of my very favorite books!!
November 9, 2010
A lovely retelling of the Arthurian tales through the point of view of the Fae.
July 9, 2011
Didn't care for the writing style of this one, and I've got too many other books to read, so I gave up on it about 50 or so pages in.
July 2, 2014
AMAZING! That's all I have to say.
Read
November 25, 2024Sorry to the haters, but this book was totally worth the reread. Though the Tinkerbell-like modern cover design makes it look like more of a middle-grade read, in reality it´s prime vintage Young Adult: the relatively short, extremely readable coming-of-age journey of a Fey woman in Arthurian Britain. Though not explicit, there´s a lot of sex, religion, and politics: in spite of the fairies and magic, it feels more like historical fiction than fantasy. In an era of supposed feminist retellings, Merlin´s Harp is definitely of its time: if there´s feminism in this book, it involves women "saving themselves" for the "Goddess" by renouncing sex in order to preserve their power. I don´t know much about Crompton´s religious life, but this book definitely raises up Christians as humbler and nobler than others, with most of Arthur´s redeeming qualities largely related to his faith. In one scene, he physically assaults the protagonist, before entreating her to sleep with him. The scene is written in such transcendent, flowery prose, invoking saints and angels, that I remember largely skimming over the violence at age 13, distracted Crompton´s surprisingly exciting descriptions of Medieval festivities that meld paganism and newer Christianity.
Despite its datedness, I think this book proves itself to be a predecessor of novels like Madeline Miller´s Circe in its ability to get inside the mind of inhuman, supposedly heartless or evil women and show their own perception of self, their own questioning of emotions. The Fey of Arthurian legend are supposed to be emotionless and cold compared to humans, but in Crompton´s representation they aren´t monsters, but rather beings with no sense of family or organized religion. And yet they are more human than they might think: at one point Merlin tells Niviene that one day, the different races of people and even fairies will meld together "like water from a jug."
If there´s anything I would have liked to see more of, it´s probably Crompton´s representation of Gwenevere. I would have liked to see a well-rounded, conflicted woman, but here we see her just as two-dimensional and vain as she comes across in Medieval literature, despite being surrounded by a plethora of flesh-and-blood characters. It almost felt like a weird kind of slut-shaming where Gwenevere served as an example of a woman who does not "save herself for the Goddess", instead losing all vestige of power and apparently, personality, by sleeping with multiple men.
Despite its datedness, I think this book proves itself to be a predecessor of novels like Madeline Miller´s Circe in its ability to get inside the mind of inhuman, supposedly heartless or evil women and show their own perception of self, their own questioning of emotions. The Fey of Arthurian legend are supposed to be emotionless and cold compared to humans, but in Crompton´s representation they aren´t monsters, but rather beings with no sense of family or organized religion. And yet they are more human than they might think: at one point Merlin tells Niviene that one day, the different races of people and even fairies will meld together "like water from a jug."
If there´s anything I would have liked to see more of, it´s probably Crompton´s representation of Gwenevere. I would have liked to see a well-rounded, conflicted woman, but here we see her just as two-dimensional and vain as she comes across in Medieval literature, despite being surrounded by a plethora of flesh-and-blood characters. It almost felt like a weird kind of slut-shaming where Gwenevere served as an example of a woman who does not "save herself for the Goddess", instead losing all vestige of power and apparently, personality, by sleeping with multiple men.
March 7, 2024
1 ⭐️
I was so disappointed with this novel.
Plot
Niviene, the mage Merlin's pupil and daughter of the Lady of the Lake, resides among the tall trees of the enchanted Avalon, a place where humans fear to set foot. Her people, the Fey, are inhabitants of the woods who shun human avarice and violence. However, even Avalon's tranquility is in danger due to the turmoil in King Arthur's realm, and Merlin needs his pupil to stop the madness that is engulfing Camelot. Niviene is forced to use her unique abilities to save a kingdom, learn about human deceit, and appreciate the beauty of love. Reprinted anew, this enigmatic love story is set to become a contemporary teen classic.
I was excited to read this book from Niviene's perspective, however, I didn't like it at all. This book didn't have a precise story. The timeline was a huge mess, sometimes I was confused if the main character was seeing the past or if she was in the present. Other times, I didn't know how much time passed between the chapters. The ending was super rushed and by the end, I was really unsatisfied.
Characters
The characters were really underdeveloped. I didn't like any of them and I couldn't connect with anyone. I feel like the author didn't flesh out them. Because of this, it was hard for me to care about them.
Writing
I don't think the writing was bad, but I can say it wasn't right for me. I think in this part it was more a me problem.
World-Building
I like how the author portrayed the fae in this book. However, the magic system was confused and the author didn't spend enough time explaining Arthur's struggle with the kingdom.
Romance
The romance between Niviene and Arthur came out of nowhere and the relationship between Lancelot and Gwenevere wasn't really developed as well. Besides, because I didn't like any of the characters, it was hard for me to care about the couples.
Final Thoughts
The premise of the novel was interesting. However, the characters and the relationship between them weren't flesh enough and the plot was all over the place and was, at times, confusing.
I was so disappointed with this novel.
Plot
Niviene, the mage Merlin's pupil and daughter of the Lady of the Lake, resides among the tall trees of the enchanted Avalon, a place where humans fear to set foot. Her people, the Fey, are inhabitants of the woods who shun human avarice and violence. However, even Avalon's tranquility is in danger due to the turmoil in King Arthur's realm, and Merlin needs his pupil to stop the madness that is engulfing Camelot. Niviene is forced to use her unique abilities to save a kingdom, learn about human deceit, and appreciate the beauty of love. Reprinted anew, this enigmatic love story is set to become a contemporary teen classic.
I was excited to read this book from Niviene's perspective, however, I didn't like it at all. This book didn't have a precise story. The timeline was a huge mess, sometimes I was confused if the main character was seeing the past or if she was in the present. Other times, I didn't know how much time passed between the chapters. The ending was super rushed and by the end, I was really unsatisfied.
Characters
The characters were really underdeveloped. I didn't like any of them and I couldn't connect with anyone. I feel like the author didn't flesh out them. Because of this, it was hard for me to care about them.
Writing
I don't think the writing was bad, but I can say it wasn't right for me. I think in this part it was more a me problem.
World-Building
I like how the author portrayed the fae in this book. However, the magic system was confused and the author didn't spend enough time explaining Arthur's struggle with the kingdom.
Romance
The romance between Niviene and Arthur came out of nowhere and the relationship between Lancelot and Gwenevere wasn't really developed as well. Besides, because I didn't like any of the characters, it was hard for me to care about the couples.
Final Thoughts
The premise of the novel was interesting. However, the characters and the relationship between them weren't flesh enough and the plot was all over the place and was, at times, confusing.
June 16, 2017
3.5 Stars
I had actually read this a while ago, and didn't remember doing so. I could remember as I read, but couldn't remember the way the book ended. Which tells me a lot about how I feel about the book. It is well-written, but in that classic style where the words mean as much if not more than the story, if that makes sense.
The telling of the story jumps around in time so for example, one moment she's in an orchard, talking to a monk, then there's action, and then you realize she's been telling the monk about the action. Very non-linear, and a bit of a challenge to follow, especially when listening to the story using a text-to-speech app. But that highlights the tone of the book - so much of the action doesn't happen actively inside the narrative. In other words, it's a lot of telling, not showing.
That being said, the story has a dreamy quality and the language is beautiful, and I love that it follows a woman's part of the Arthurian legend. I don't know if it should have been told any other way. I can't say I'm disappointed to have read it twice.
I had actually read this a while ago, and didn't remember doing so. I could remember as I read, but couldn't remember the way the book ended. Which tells me a lot about how I feel about the book. It is well-written, but in that classic style where the words mean as much if not more than the story, if that makes sense.
The telling of the story jumps around in time so for example, one moment she's in an orchard, talking to a monk, then there's action, and then you realize she's been telling the monk about the action. Very non-linear, and a bit of a challenge to follow, especially when listening to the story using a text-to-speech app. But that highlights the tone of the book - so much of the action doesn't happen actively inside the narrative. In other words, it's a lot of telling, not showing.
That being said, the story has a dreamy quality and the language is beautiful, and I love that it follows a woman's part of the Arthurian legend. I don't know if it should have been told any other way. I can't say I'm disappointed to have read it twice.
April 16, 2022
Despite mixed reviews, I'm really glad that I gave this book a chance, because I really enjoyed it! Perhaps the lower ratings come from the fact that the new covers make it seem as if it's YA fantasy, while in reality I would say it's a retelling of Arthurian legends better described as "adult" fantasy.
Like I said, I quite enjoyed this different take on the legends. The story is told from the POV of the fae character named Nivienne, but it was really intriguing and enjoyable as I tried to match each character with the ones I know from arthuriana (and I wasn't disappointed to find that I was correct!).
The plot moves slowly, spans quite a few years and doesn't have any twists and turns, but it was engaging enough for me. The author's take on the fey, the magic and the retelling was intriguing as I was reading. Admittedly, the story sometimes jumps in time and we also get a lot of Nivienne's thoughts and memories, but it was easy to follow for me.
I'm excited to read the rest of the trilogy!
Like I said, I quite enjoyed this different take on the legends. The story is told from the POV of the fae character named Nivienne, but it was really intriguing and enjoyable as I tried to match each character with the ones I know from arthuriana (and I wasn't disappointed to find that I was correct!).
The plot moves slowly, spans quite a few years and doesn't have any twists and turns, but it was engaging enough for me. The author's take on the fey, the magic and the retelling was intriguing as I was reading. Admittedly, the story sometimes jumps in time and we also get a lot of Nivienne's thoughts and memories, but it was easy to follow for me.
I'm excited to read the rest of the trilogy!
May 12, 2021
I guess you really do need to be familiar with all of the Arthurian legends to understand this book. I was hoping that she would go into more depth about the legend and not rely on background knowledge. I struggled with this book heavily. I don't think I understood a lot of what was happening. It was very pretty, and parts of it were wonderful; but I don't think I could tell you a word of what happened.
February 9, 2017
There are already so many different versions of the Arthurian legend, and I understand what this one was trying to do. The lyrical writing just wasn't strong enough to make this story effective. This version of the legend is told from the point of view of Niviene of the Fey. She isn't a very reliable narrator or compelling character in this version.
June 29, 2020
Really 3.5 stars. I loved the way the story comes from the fey aside of the tale. Yet, it was hard to stay with the tale because it bounced around so much. The story is told from the Fey Niviene and her part in The tale of Camelot. It explains more about the part Merlin played and so much more of the magical side.
June 26, 2020
I've had this book on my shelf for a long time. It's made it through many TBR declutters because it's looked so promising. Then I started to read it...and it sucks. It was so disappointing. Not engaging at all, the dialog was meh. It just wasn't fun.
November 28, 2020
Confusing. New story with old names, flavor. Surprises.
January 14, 2021
Good story, although quite sad/forlorn at parts. It was nice to read this story from a different perspective
May 11, 2021
3.5 stars
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