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Binding: Hardcover
Dewey Decimal Number: 823.914
EAN: 9780688003470
ISBN: 0688003478
Label: Eos
Manufacturer: Eos
Number Of Items: 1
Book Pages: 928
Publication Date: 1980-12-01
Publisher: Eos
Product Release Date: 2004-09-07
Studio: Eos

The Crystal Cave
The Hollow Hills
The Last Enchantment

The prophetic voice of Merlin, the mysterious enchanter of Arthurian legend, has completeted his story. Written over a period of ten years, Mary Stewart's three best-selling novels now stand together in one volume -- the finest work of her distinguished career.

Hers is the most extended portrait in all literature of this compelling figure of Dark Age myth and history. Merlin, the protector and tutor of Arthur, has usually been protrayed as an old man. But The Crystal Cave begins the trilogy with the story fo his perilous childhood as the bastard son of a Welsh king's daughter and the secret discovery of the magic arts that will set him apart from other men.

With the birth of Arthur, Merlin's guardianship began and the ancient legend continues in The Hollow Hills with the dramatic immediacy that is Mary Stewart's special gift. Arthur grew to young manhood, ignorant of his royal parentage, in the deep and dangerous forests of fifth-century England and Wales, where no law was stable and fierce battle rages amongst the brooding mountains. When, in due course, Merlin guided him to the sword that tested his claim to power and the crown, Arthur became king by right, and soon Merlin, his adviser, was to emerge, however obscurely, as the architect of the first United Britain.

King Arthur plunged instantly into violent warfare against the Saxons. But in The Last Enchantment there are also more dangerous and subtle enemies ranged against him: Mortgause, half-sister and seductress of Arthur; their child, Mordred; the friends and kin who will betray him. Merlin's darkest prophecies were realized one by one, yet his bright vision of the future kingdom did prevail, and he foresaw the mystic power that would be at the King's service as long as Arthur lived.

The imaginative brilliance of the Merlin Trilogy completes the life and character of Merlin which are left untold in the early legends. At the end of each of the novels, Mary Stewart has set down the substance of the original legends and with it the sources of her own variations. Her portrait of Merlin is a new legend in itself.

Customer Rating:
Review Summary: Bicep-growing page-turner
Review: Give this book a hundred pages to get going, and you'll find yourself unable to put it down. Which could be a problem, given the tome's enormous size. Physical difficulties (weary eyes from the small print, soreness in the arms from trying to find comfortable ways to hold it) aside, the book rewards with its incredibly rich cast of characters. Stewart's research into and facility with the time period and world she wrote about is impressive, but her gift for making her characters live, for making the reader care could apply to any age.

Given the lengths to which Stewart goes in developing Merlin's pre-Arthur backstory (devoting hundreds of pages to it, in fact), this is the most complex Merlin I've ever encountered. And the focus on Merlin is achieved without being untrue to, or necessarily distorting the source material. The Merlin Trilogy is a must-read for anyone with an interest in Arthurian literature (and Stewart's accomplishment should be counted as an expansion, rather than simply an appropriation, of that tradition), and for all fans of fantasy.

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Customer Rating:
Review Summary: Merlin, Merlin....
Review: Mary Stewart writes no-nonsense romances like Thornyhold. But her best romances must be in the Merlin Trilogy - where myth, legends, visions and hopes are woven in a gossamer web that snares the imagination.

Stewart has brought Merlin to life, not as the all-powerful master magician/druid, but as an illegitimate princeling who becomes king-maker. Even so, he is made accessible - and very human.

Entrancing enchantment.

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Customer Rating:
Review Summary: The Arthurian Legend - from Merlin's perspective
Review: Mary Stewart's Merlin Trilogy is one of my all time favorite series of
books. I read them first when I was about 13 years old and have re-read them frequently since then. What I like is that Ms Stewart's focus is on
good story telling. These are the characters of the Arthur legend but she presents them as real people with likes, dislikes, strengths and flaws.
And unlike other Arthurian books (The Mists of Avalon comes to mind)Mary Stewart doesn't seem to have an underlying agenda that she is trying to prove. I also like the fact that these books focus on Merlin primarily.
In addition to this title which contains the first three books there is also a fourth title "The Wicked Day" which is published separately that is
excellent as well. If you are a fan of King Arthur stories or just good
fantasy writitng in general I recommend that you get this book.

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Customer Rating:
Review Summary: A fantastic trip into another era
Review: This collection is a treat for the imagination! Experience the immersion into a different life and world. The author has a great talent to transport you into the legend of Arthur and allow you to imagine what life would have been like then. It is a magnificent tale brought to life, that makes you long for more once the story is over. A thoroughly enjoyable read for all.

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Customer Rating:
Review Summary: Mary Stewart fan, loved the Merlin trilogy!!!1
Review: I fell in Love with this series. I became a Lancelot and Merlin addict after reading these books. I was so in love with Mordred as well. Enchanting. Life changing.
I will never sell my copies unless I replace them with new ones. I must have them in my house to pick up and read anytime! I Thank GOD I made the choice just to pick these books out one day at the book store not knowing I would soon be in love with the story and Mary Stewart's Merlin Trilogy.

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