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Mad Merlin

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Mad Merlin

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Overview

In the tradition of The Mists of Avalon and Mythago Wood, J. Robert King weaves an epic tale of Avalon, Excalibur, the Once and Future king, and the magician Merlin as he draws on the ideas and writings of Joseph Campbell to shape and interpret the legendary Arthurian mythos.

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Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781466800816
Publisher:	Tor Publishing Group
Publication date:	08/13/2001
Series:	Mad Merlin , #1
Sold by:	Macmillan
Format:	eBook
Pages:	480
File size:	564 KB

About the Author

J. Robert King is an Origins Award-winning author for his gaming fiction. Mad Merlin is the first book of his Arthurian trilogy that also includes Lancelot Du Lethe and Le Morte D'Avalon. He lives in Burlington, Wisconsin.

J. Robert King is an Origins Award-winning author for his gaming fiction. Mad Merlin is the first book of his Arthurian trilogy that also includes Lancelot Du Lethe and Le Morte D'Avalon. He lives in Burlington, Wisconsin.

Read an Excerpt

Mad Merlin
BOOK ONE Madness

For Elias the infant King who saved mePrologueEveryone seems to know me. After fifteen hundred years, they remember me. Everyone knows Merlin. I am, of course, delighted.You're smiling in recognition, aren't you?There was a time when I didn't even know myself. I was mad. I was lost. The secret of my past was hidden even from me. To discover that secret, I walked an arduous and perilous road. I would not have survived that journey, except that I had a friend at my side, a young man everyone also knows.This is the story of how we found out who we were. This is the story of King Arthur and mad Merlin ... .Copyright © 2000 by J. Robert King

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Editorial Reviews

A prolific author of game-related fiction (Blood Hostages, etc.) gives a distinctive and often agreeable spin to the story of Camelot. Focusing his attention on Merlin rather than on the usual Arthur, King weaves his tale by combining bits of folklore and mythology with both sheer invention and historical fact. In this version (which begins before Arthur's birth), the wizard is actually the Roman god Jupiter--but, due to a curse, he can't remember who he is, and he can't tell reality from dreams. He knows, however, that there's a boy (Arthur) not yet born who can cure him. So Merlin arranges Arthur's conception and whisks him off to a distant kingdom. As Arthur grows into a man, Merlin does, indeed, regain his memory; along the way, the boy learns the art of kingship and prepares to claim his rightful place as the ruler of Britain. Much fighting--against King Lot, the Saxons, Wotan and nearly the whole Germanic pantheon--ensues. King's unconventional take will not please fans of more conservative Arthurian tales. Action fans, on the other hand, will thrill to his frequent and well-told accounts of battles, both material and magical. Creative plot twists abound--Guinevere, for example, turns out to be one of the Tuatha De Danaan, as well as Arthur's footholder (meaning their marriage must remain chaste). Other characters with a distinctive flavor round out the story. This novel will appeal to those who like their Arthurian tales on the zany side. (July) Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.|

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

From his involvement in the rise of Uther Pendragon and the birth of Arthur to the height of Camelot's power, the wizard Merlin labors under the curse of his destiny even as he seeks the truth of his identity. King's first nongaming fantasy relates the familiar tale of King Arthur as a background to his exploration of the enigmatic personality of Merlin. Drawing on ancient Norse, Celtic, and Roman myths, King crafts an unusual blend of history and legend that should appeal to fans of the Arthurian cycle. For most fantasy collections. Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.\

Library Journal

"A nicely written and engaging perspective on on the wizard's actual identity, the book's sad in spots, funny in other and a worthwhile read."—San Diego Union-Tribune

From the Publisher