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3.91 AVERAGE
3.91 AVERAGE
A favorite from Grade 5. Though, of the three Arthurian Series (I don't acknowledge the fourth...), this is my least favorite.
I haven't read this in a really long time, but it was mentioned and I remembered loving it decades ago. Adding it to my list of 're-read' books soon.
adventurous
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I was captivated by this book at first. I thought it was going to end up as possibly an all time favorite for a while but the 2nd half of the book was a bit of a let down for me. The whole plot of finding a way for Uther to sneak in and have an affair with a married woman was just a little underwhelming given how much of the book is dedicated to it. Perhaps the author is handcuffed by the source material on this but even so it could have been a much shorter portion of the book that left room for a more exciting ending. And maybe this is one of those trilogies that really is one large tale split into 3 but it still felt like a very meh ending to such a great opening.
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
I love historical fiction, but have not spent much time, if any, in the dark ages, so I was ready to explore the legend of Merlin and thoroughly enjoyed this, the first book. High adventure, engaging and endearing characters, wild landscapes and just a touch of magic. Thankfully, I have the next book right here.....
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Diverse cast of characters:
No
At some point in my youth, this was a consideration for my favorite read. I figured it deserved a revisit as I had no recollection of the story. More political than I expected, it's an interesting and not at all fantasical account of Merlins life before Arthur, and how he came to have such historical recognition. The recounting of battles bored me a bit, but Merlins cleverness kept me hooked.
It was a book I read when I was in middle school. It was a good book but I don't think it a fantasy. It more like a biography of a mythical character.
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I wanted to like this book more bc Welsh mythology is fun and cool but the plot dragged towards the end and I didn't find Merlin to be a particularly well rounded or developed narrator.
I'd been searching quite a while for a Merlin based fantasy that was worth immersing myself in, and picked this up on a whim. It ended up being so good, I didn't want it to end. A majority of fantasy I've tried to read has been full of completely un-relateable characters, with ridiculous names and horribly developed back stories. But Mary Stewart's writing really brings in all the qualities I learned to love in Tolkien. She takes Merlin, and every other character in the Arthurian saga, and makes them into real individuals for you. You really feel like you've watched Merlin grow from a boy and into the great wizard he was to become. I also liked that while he definitely had abilities, none of them were too far-fetched or kitschy, he simply let energy flow through him. Not to mention, being a history nerd, I really liked that she wove in all the different elements at that time--Briton, Saxon, Roman, Welsh, and developed a real culture. Ideas were changing, deities, rulers, and what she creates really feels like that is what happened, though she does point out that's not the case.
All in all, I was completely sucked in, and look forward to the rest of the series!
All in all, I was completely sucked in, and look forward to the rest of the series!