The Last Enchantment (Arthurian Saga #3)[April 13, 2024]

[Yanique, Thread Master]

This is a Buddy Read for The Last Enchantment by Mary Stewart starting on April 13, 2024.


Happy Reading!

[Nirkatze]

Thank you!

Arthurian Saga:
1. The Crystal Cave (Feb 13) [link]
2. The Hollow Hills (Mar 13) [link]
3. The Last Enchantment (Apr 13)
4. The Wicked Day (May 13) [link]

Published many years later, set many years later, but in the same world:
The Prince and the Pilgrim (July 28) [link]

audio: no library/subscription copies
ebook: no library/subscription copies
Let me know if y'all find any! These often pop up on sale too.

[Tabea]

While it hasn’t even been that long since I read the second book… I really really appreciate that Stewart basically put in a “previously on” masked as legend retelling 😂

[Felina]

Oooo I haven’t started yet but I’ll appreciate that as well.

[Nirkatze]

Tabea wrote: "While it hasn’t even been that long since I read the second book… I really really appreciate that Stewart basically put in a “previously on” masked as legend retelling 😂"

I love it when authors do something like that--and when they get inventive with it.

I'm a little shy of halfway at this point, through Book 2. I don't really feel like I have much to say at this point... just sort of floating through the story... though it's making me think that I'm not really that familiar with Arthur's story outside of a few milestones... (view spoiler)[Guinevere was barely even in the story at all, dead so soon... I know that she was a later, French addition to the Arthur tale, or she and Lancelot were, but I thought if she was included at all she'd've been included entire... but instead she's married and killed off.

Okay, wait... and yet another woman named Guinevere? Now I'm getting confused.

Also had no idea that Gawyn--or any of Arthur's knights--were his nephews by Morgause...

And the whole baby-killing episode... yikes... Makes me think of Herod and the slaughter of the innocents in the Bible... (hide spoiler)]

[Nirkatze]

Through Book 3--(view spoiler)[Ok, first, ew. I hate it when old dudes are dating little girls. Even though I knew this part of the story--that old Merlin was seduced by his apprentice young Nimue. But to see him old enough to father Arthur, who by now is old enough to have grown children, and to see her first as a child-boy... just ew.

I did like how her identity was revealed though. When the child "Minion" (Mignon?) first showed up, I was definitely thinking "ok, that's interesting... I didn't know Merlin had an apprentice before Nimue" and then she was Nimue.

I also like that Arthur already knew about Guinevere and her lover... and wanted her to be happy. A very post-modern approach...

I've been finding Merlin's POV a bit strange this book--he's an observer but not really active in anything. So it's almost like we're getting all of these stories third-hand. Barely talked to Guinevere, or the knights, very much on the fringes of Arthur's life. I'm not sure I like it. (hide spoiler)]

[Diana Stormblessed]

Totally wrote down the start date for this one wrong. Oops. Will start tonight.

[Nirkatze]

LOL :) All in its time.

Finished! I still really appreciate the historical section at the end of the end. It's so interesting to hear all of Stewart's research and explanations--(view spoiler)[like how she dismisses the malicious interpretation of Nimue as a sorceress who stole Merlin's powers, seeing it more logical that if such were the case, she would have been cast out by Arthur. So many of the twists have basis in record!

Stewart's interpretation of the tale feels like it smooths a lot of the parts that I dread in the retelling, like the betrayal of Guinevere and the seduction by Nimue. But I still feel a little adrift in the story--this is very solidly Merlin's story, and it feels weird not to be getting more of Arthur. (hide spoiler)]

[Felina]

I’m starting this one now.

[Diana Stormblessed]

I still haven’t really started. I started the copy I had only to realize it was the abridged version. So I put it down and am still waiting for the full version to come to me from the library. If I don’t get my audiobook in the next day or two I’ll just read the kindle version.

[Tabea]

Not sure if I’ve mentioned it in the thread for the previous book. But I sort of feel for Morgause. What she did was… beyond comprehension but I’d say it comes from a place of wanting power where women were not allowed “real” power - and knowing that you actually have kind of power. Merlin also speaks about witch magic with an undertone of such distaste and superiority. He dismissed Morgause’s attempt to learn from him immediately and even without a thought, maybe if he hadn’t she wouldn’t have turned dark/evil/whatever you call it.

[Felina]

Ahhh the best villains are always relatable. Whenever we watch movies with my son where the villain has a point, I always point it out to him. We may not agree with the actions people take but if we can understand how they got where they are we can move towards reconciliation. I want my son to have compassion for people who think differently than him. Often times, the push back one side gives is the impetus for the villainous behavior. In this case, had Merlin acted differently and tried to see Morgause’s base need, he may not have been so harsh with her and could have avoided what she would become.

[Tabea]

@Felina just my thoughts! I love how you teach your kid about this 🥰

[Felina]

I think people generally lack critical thinking skills. I don’t want to send my son off into the world without it. Start them young!

[Nirkatze]

Felina wrote: "I think people generally lack critical thinking skills. I don’t want to send my son off into the world without it. Start them young!"

Hear hear!

I both like and feel uncomfortable with how Stewart has treated female characters in this series... This entry especially brings a lot of that to the fore, (view spoiler)[with Morgause, Morgan, Guinevere, and Nimue all pushing the boundaries of their very strict stations in different ways... but Merlin's view of women in general remains pretty sexist (which is in tune with the times), even though he does have some growth in that area, it doesn't feel like enough. Which is as true for Merlin's time period as it is for the period in which the book was written, I suppose... this is what, 1970s? Could women even get credit cards in their own name at that point? (hide spoiler)]

[Felina]

I feel like Merlin’s treatment of women is getting better especially after what happened with Guinevere and the (view spoiler)[ kidnapping. Even him admitting to Arthur that he didn’t know women and therefore assume his vision was adultery. He talks about never really seeing women but understanding that they are ferried about by the whims of men. And that he understood that was a bad way to live. I’m a little more than half way but think he will come to like Guinevere very much. (hide spoiler)]

I just got to the part where he meets (book III (view spoiler)[) his new apprentice. The whole vision originally left me kinda scratching my head but to have it come full circle like it did was brilliant to me. (hide spoiler)]

I am really enjoying this story!

However, I can’t help but picture Arthur as Charlie Hunnam who played the character ins a Guy Ritchie movie which I quite liked but got pretty widely panned. Anyway, Charlie, to me, is next level fine so I was scratching my head a little (view spoiler)[ when we thought Guinevere had cheated on him cause I was like, who would ever cheat on Charlie? Then I had to remember that they are not the same. Charlie is not Arthur nor is he described to look like Charlie. That’s just a gift Guy gave me that lives rent free in my head. (hide spoiler)]

[Felina]

*shocked* (view spoiler)[ That hooker! (hide spoiler)]

I guess I was way wrong about that. 🫤

[Felina]

Awww Arthur is so sweet. 🥹

[Felina]

Where the hell is Lancelot?

[Nirkatze]

Felina wrote: "I feel like Merlin’s treatment of women is getting better especially after what happened with Guinevere and the [spoilers removed]

I just got to the part where he meets (book III [spoilers removed..."

That scene around Guinevere (view spoiler)[was also what made me think Merlin was getting better... especially when he paired it with a rumination on how women are so trapped in their roles... I can't help but want him to be still more though. (hide spoiler)]

Shocked! (view spoiler)[Totally forgot a scene with a hooker, lol. (hide spoiler)]

re: Lancelot--I don't think he'll show up... wasn't he a late French addition?

[Felina]

She does explain at the end the origins of all the portions of the story and explains that Lancelot wasn’t in the original story but is a popular character in the legends and used the other guy (can’t remember his name) to fill the role of Lancelot. Why not just use Lancelot?

Anyways, I finished it and I thought it was brilliant. I’ve really been enjoying this story.

[Nirkatze]

Ah, yeah, I thought she talked about that in the ending, but couldn't remember and didn't want to spoil it. ^^

I can see her not wanting to use the name Lancelot if the character doesn't have any other aspects of Lancelot except for the Guinevere connection. Lancelot comes with a lot of story baggage.

[Diana Stormblessed]

I’m still reading. This one just isn’t capturing my attention. I keep zoning. Like I love the story but the writing style just isn’t for me. I’m about half way through and pushing along.

[Nirkatze]

Are you eye-reading or listening, Diana? I think I'd have a harder time if I eye-read...

[Diana Stormblessed]

Nirkatze wrote: "Are you eye-reading or listening, Diana? I think I'd have a harder time if I eye-read..."

I’m listening. Still having a hard time of it. I feel like the author focuses on things that are irrelevant and no one cares about making the book needlessly long. Like there was a whole 5 minutes of a merchant trying to sell a pin to someone. It didn’t add to the environment, the character, or the plot. It was just boring fluff.

[Nirkatze]

LOL That's a good point... I forgot that scene...

[Ann-Marie]

I have been struggling with this one as well. It seems like there are more John of Trent and Edward of Ghent and also Robert of East Trent like I do not need to know who 95% of those people are, why are you listing them? So as a result I have been listening to a part then swapping to a different book or two then going to the next one.

[Felina]

LOL!

[Diana Stormblessed]

Ann-Marie wrote: "I have been struggling with this one as well. It seems like there are more John of Trent and Edward of Ghent and also Robert of East Trent like I do not need to know who 95% of those people are, wh..."

That's how I read it, too. I feel like she's purposefully putting in so so many mundane details to make the book longer. The interesting parts were interesting, but there were so many dull, unnecessary parts. I kept zoning out and at that point I'd swap to something else to get back into a reading groove.

[Ann-Marie]

I finished last night and this was definitely my least favorite so far. (view spoiler)[I found it slow and mopey for the most part. That whole thing with Merlin and his apprentice, I may have read it wrong but it was an ick for me. I agree that the book was longer than it had to be and I found myself often bored listening. (hide spoiler)]

[Diana Stormblessed]

Ann-Marie wrote: "I finished last night and this was definitely my least favorite so far. [spoilers removed]"

There’s so many much older men with much younger women. It’s all very ick.

[Ann-Marie]

Diana Stormblessed wrote: "Ann-Marie wrote: "I finished last night and this was definitely my least favorite so far. [spoilers removed]"

There’s so many much older men with much younger women. It’s all very ick."

Yeah, I guess I expected better from Merlin?

[Nirkatze]

Triple ditto y'all's conversation here... totally expected better... by the end of the book he was just a skeevy old man...