Crystal Cave (Arthurian Saga Series #1)

Stewart's realization of the Arthurian Legend becomes my standard of reference

Mary Stewart was known to me for her romantic thrillers, such as "The Moon Spinners," but "The Crystal Cave" is on another plane of excellence in comparison. For anyone with an interest in historical fiction, Arthurian fantasy or excellent prose, you should read this book, the first installment of a series of novels.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Great

Great

1 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

A wonderful take on a classic story

I'm not usually into all that king Arthur, Merlin, knights, yadda yadda, but I love this book. It's thoughtprovoking, exciting, and provides a new take on a classic story. Many books about this subject are filled with a language that can bore the reader to tears, this author makes the story easily accessible and entertaining.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

The Best

Of all the books I have (and I have hundreds), this is my all-time favorite book. I'd lent it out years ago and lost it, but my husband gave it to me for Christmas. It's one of the best gifts I've ever gotten.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Mary Stewart, Merlin and King Arthur

The first time I read Mary Stewart's books, about Merlin and King Arthur, too many years ago to count, I fell in love with them. Mary Stewart does a wonderful job explaining the Arthurian Saga. You feel like you are actually there watching every thing evolve.

If you like, even a little bit, the saga of Merlin and Arthur you have to read these books. Mary Stewart will make a believer of you.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

By far my favorite book!

I love this book. It keeps you going and you can't get enough of it! I HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT!

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Excellent story from start to finish

Just a great book that kept my attention held strong without overdoing the story, so that it made Merlin truly seem very human and humble, despite his obvious gifts of foresight and astonishing intellectual feats. Great storytelling which plays on your emotions and gets you to truly feel as though you come to know, and associate yourself with Merlin. I would recommend it for any reader looking for a good book.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Enjoyed every minute of it!

I read this book many years ago, and I loved it. I took it back a while back, and loved it even more. Now I read it again recently, and still find it most enjoyable. A book about Merlin, brilliant!

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Awesome fantasy/mildly historical novel!

For those of us with even a smidgen of interest in the Arthurian tales, Merlin, fantasy, or Romanticism (as stated in a review below), this book is GREAT. It affords you an opportunity to peek in on the life of Merlin (which is very intriguing, might I add), but also adds some basic historical events of the time, relating it to the pre-Arthurian tales. I picked up this book on clearance, so it's not normally something that I would read, but once I started, I couldn't stop. For those of you who are wondering if it's a bit long, it gets much more enticing at the end (I finished the last 1/4 of the book in roughly 2 hours, since I couldn't put it down!) The history is fantastic, the description beautiful, and the characters VERY well-developed. An excellent read overall!

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Great Introduction to Romanticism

Mary Stewart, usually without the reader's knowing it, gives him/her a taste of Romanticism without the use of outdated language that would otherwise trip him/her up. A lot of the essentials of the Romantic Period exemplified by Blake, Coleridge, Wordsworth, and Shelley are here: solitude with Nature, the importance of imagination, the concern with history, and so on are all here. Psychologists will recognize some Jungian stuff in this book as well. The Crystal Cave is a beautifully written book, and the place to begin if you want to gain access to the more archaic Romanticism of the late eighteenth to mid nineteenth centuries. On the other hand, after reading this book maybe you won't need to go there!

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

This book is great!!!

I don't see why people say this book is long. it went by fast for me and i am a SLOW reader. This book is a Master Piece and is a book that will take you back in time. It goes into wonderful detail of the ancient european land and people. It is history yet fantasy, which is why the reader is drawn into the book and has to read more. Even if you don't think merlin, King Uther, or any of the myth is real, this book will really make it seem like it all really happened in a world long ago. Anyone who is planning on reading these books, don't be fooled by people saying it is long, it goes by fast, and will hold your attion through the whole book, with battles, enchantment, and even love.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Merlin Casts His Spell

Since a child, I have been fascinated with King Arthur, and the characters in that world. I have read many different versions about King Arthur. I love this work, Merlin casts his spell, and leaves you hooked into his life and world. I love how Merlin is less magical and more human in this book. Stewart does a good job taking the legend of Camelot and tweaking it just right where it is still respectful to the legend, but a creation all of her own.

Good for High Schoolers

Assigned reading for English class.

0 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

A Must-Read

have you read the stories of Merlin and King Arthur? Oh, you don't know Arthur or Merlin until you read Mary Stewart's series giving us a much better idea of how things happend and why. The characters aren't just thrown in the book; they make the book with their very real-like characteristics and conversations. Nothing is fake in this series! I am jsut going into the second book, but this first one will definately make you want to read the others. Don't miss out on this because it is amazing and brings Arthur's legacy alive like no one else has!
In this first book, we are told the story from Merlin's point-of-view. We really get closer to him and understand how he became who he was for all of England. It is to my understanding that Merlin tells all of the stories from his point of view until the last one because *SPOILER* he dies and cannnot (obviously) tell the story any longer.
A great story; Arthur and Merlin fans won't be disappointed. Mordred is also put in this story, and follows what we believe is the closest to what really happened back them; Lancelot is not in the series since he is a mythical character anyhow.

Good

This book is interesting and I thought there was one part where i was surprised in a good way. A book always needs at least one surprising moment. It talks about Merlin's childhood, which is often untold, so I thought Mary Stewart was smart in that way. The following two are better though and more interesting.

Magically Brilliant

This beautifully structred adventure of how Merlin came to be is by far one of , if not, the most spectaculair novels I will, or have ever read. Mary Stewart brilliantly incorperates realistic surroundings such as Hedgestone and Old Brittany. I couldn't help but find myself being drawn even more into the story with every word I read. Who could resist such an awsome story!? My book expectations will never be the same after reading this masterpiece! It truely is a must have.

Good Story, too long

I really like the story a lot. My one problem: way too long for what the story was about. It is good that Mary Stewart can get into such detail and use imagery like she does, but for those of us who like short, fast books, it doesn't work. It still is a great book whether or not you like fantasy.

Long and SATISFYING

This book about Merlin is rich with details that are necessary to bring the story to life.(For those who don't like long novels, just be quiet and sit down.)Mary Stewart in this novel displays her talent in vivid descriptive writing, painting a beautiful portrait of the beginings of Merlin. Great piece of literary art!

Great piece!!

I normally wouldn't go for a book along the "fantasy" genre line, but this was great! I found it a good mix of history and a little action, without being overwhelming. It is a long, but good anyway.

slow at times but well-written

I had to read this book for English class and I first thought of how boring it would be to be forced to read 400 pages...but since I liked Pillars of the Earth, Lord of the Rings, and King Must Die, this novel was just as good. I do agree with how long this book is! Maybe it's because Stewart explains everything with detail or similie/metaphor. I had to have a lot of patience for this book. a lot. phew, im glad i finished it just in time for my report to be due.