To say that I was unenthusiastic when I started reading the third book in Mary Stewart’s Merlin trilogy would not be an understatement. It is also true to state that I was largely unenthusiastic when I finished reading the book, too, proven by the fact that it’s taken me about two weeks to get around to writing this post about it.
Let me start by saying that there are definitely some things I like about The Last Enchantment – the writing is clear and engaging, for starters, and I continue to appreciate the deftness with which Stewart weaves legendary source material into a historical setting. She tackles all the major plot points that typically follow Arthur’s ascension to the throne: themassacre of the babies in a misguided and failed attempt to remove Mordred as a threat; the twelve major battles Arthur wins, including Badon; the two Guineveres; the kidnapping of the Queen by Melwas; the love affair between Guinevere and Lancelot/Bedwyr; the four sons of Morgause who are Arthur’s greatest knights (Gawain, etc.); Morgan le Fay’s attempt to steal Excalibur; and finally the “entrapment” of Merlin by the sorceress Nimue/Niniane.

That’s a lot of plot to try and fit in one novel, but most of it doesn’t directly involve Merlin – which is, ultimately, the biggest problem with the book. Imagine, if you would, if the first Star Wars movie had been focused on Obi-Wan Kenobi instead of Luke Skywalker, and you can begin to understand how the approach of telling a classic Hero’s Journey tale from the Mentor’s point of view just doesn’t work. We are just too far removed from the main characters to really be touched by the drama of it.

A stronger character arc for Merlin himself could have compensated for this, but the book fails to achieve that. When the story focuses on his personal trials and tribulations (instead of him guiding Arthur through his) there doesn’t seem to be any significant challenge or growth to his character – his period of madness in the forest, for example, doesn’t seem to highlight any personal defects, or cause him to change his course of action in the future. It’s just something that happens to him. His relationship with Niniane is only really compelling at the beginning, when she’s disguised as boy and the (knowledgeable) reader gets excited about what could have been a really interesting twist to the tale. But Stewart takes the conventional route (if having a 50+-year-old man fall passionately in love with an 18-year-old girl is conventional), and then pulls all the teeth out of Merlin’s betrayal and entombment by telling us that it never really happened. Yes, Niniane traps him in the crystal cave, but it’s only because she thought he was dead, and he gets out later, so everything is okay. Consequences: none.

I do have to say that one of the things I liked the most about the books was the relationship between Merlin and Arthur. When they are alone together, you can really feel strength of the relationship between them, and for me that’s key to engaging with a story. When the characters care about one another, I care about the characters. Unfortunately, there are too few of these scenes, and Merlin’s relationships with other characters don’t carry the same weight, coming off as flat and perfunctory instead.

Fortunately, the book ends with Merlin and Arthur together, so the book ends on a high note. Not only are we left with a warm feeling from observing the deep friendship between these two men, but Merlin tells the king, “I’ll be here when you come back” – which resonates with the whole “once and future king” legend in just the right way. And that’s the whole point in reading Arthurian fiction anyway, right?

Definitive, Unofficial Ranking of Arthurian Novels (that I’ve read):

1. The Crystal Cave, by Mary Stewart (1970, Book One of the Merlin Trilogy)
2. The Last Enchantment, by Mary Stewart (1979, Book Two of the Merlin Trilogy)
3. The Hollow Hills, by Mary Stewart (1973, Book Two of the Merlin Trilogy)

Photos by Julia Margaret Cameron, courtesy the Victoria & Albert Museum.

When I wrote up my review of The Crystal Cave, I said I had read the first two books in this Arthurian series by Mary Stewart years ago, but I think I may have been wrong. None of what I read in this second volume felt at all familiar to me (except in the general Arthurian sense), so I’m not sure I ever read it after all. Of course, it’s only been a short time since I finished it and it’s and is already fading from memory, so who knows?

The only  distinct impression I have after reading The Hollow Hills is that I really didn’t like Merlin at all. Since he’s the first person narrator it makes it difficult to enjoy the book as a whole. His self-righteous assurance that everything is going to happen exactly as it’s supposed to not only leeches any tension from the narrative, but it makes him rather unsympathetic as a character. He has no doubts, no conflict between his own desires and what his God wants him to do, nothing that makes him feel like a person instead of a divine tool. He never even expresses the least bit of discomfort at the near-legendary status he’s already achieved in his life. Confidence is sexy, sure, but he just comes across as an entitled prick, naturally deserving of the accolades and honors that come his way, even though (he freely admits) he really didn’t have anything to do with it, since he was just a tool for his God.

I actually cheered when Morgause seduced the young Arthur, right under Merlin’s nose, because it’s the only thing that happened that threw him for a loop. Poor Morgause. We’re not supposed to like her, I know, but I couldn’t help feeling empathetic towards her. She’s one of only two women in the book given a voice.* We first meet her at age 14, when she asks Merlin to teach her magic. His response is pretty much to pat her on the head and say, “Pretty young girls like you don’t need to learn magic, go make us some tea.” is it any wonder she goes “bad”? She wanted power and influence in her world, and since legitimate channels were refused her, she had to take some less savory routes to achieve it. It’s hard to get excited by a world view that automatically assumes that women who want power must be evil.

As a side note, this is the first literary version of the legend where I’ve seen Morgause and/or Morgan depicted as Uther’s children, instead of related to Ygraine (sisters or daughters). I had wondered where the two recent TV series came up with that idea!

Aside from not liking the main character, and the book’s lack of positive female characters, I didn’t actually hate it – I’m just not that enthusiastic about it. The writing is good enough, though the story is weaker than in the first book, largely because of the aforementioned lack of tension. It covers Arthur’s birth through his ascension to the throne. Arthur’s youth and education is not nearly as entertaining as it is in The Sword and the Stone (book or movie), unfortunately, but Arthur is likable enough. It does some interesting things with the historical and legendary sources, weaving in the tale of Macsen Wledig, and suggesting that the “fay folk” are actually the non-Romanized early Brits who hide in the hills and mountains (but not necessarily without magic). The actual discovery of the sword Caliburn (Excalibur) feels a bit contrived, as Merlin has to do a lot of maneuvering to set up events that will generate both the sword in the stone legend as well as the Lady of the Lake** origin story, while still preserving a historical sensibility for the event instead of something that is purely mythical or magical. I still like the blend of history and legend – I just wish the historical viewpoint was not so narrow-minded when it comes to women.

All in all, I’d say this was worth a read for someone interested in the literary Arthur, but it’s not something I can see myself coming back to read again in the future, and it wouldn’t win a space on my bookshelves. It’s just not that compelling.

Definitive, Unofficial Ranking of Arthurian Novels (that I’ve read):

1. The Crystal Cave, by Mary Stewart (1970, Book One of the Merlin Trilogy)
2. The Hollow Hills, by Mary Stewart (1973, Book Two of the Merlin Trilogy)

* The other is Merlin’s old nurse, and all she really does is praise him.
** Of course there is not actually a lady involved, because we couldn’t have that any powerful females in the story. There’s a grim bit where Merlin is cleaning up an old chapel, and as he is restoring many of the pagan icons that the previous caretaker had removed, he mentions that he’s glad a bloody, curved knife has been disposed of permanently, because nobody ever wants to invite the goddess’s presence into things.

I have just finished reading The Crystal Cave, by Mary Stewart. I haven’t read this particular iteration of the Arthurian saga for a long while – since my early teens I suspect, and I have to confess that I’m pretty sure I never read more than the first two books of the 4-book series.* Which is kind of crazy if you know me, and my long-lived adoration of all things Arthurian. The essay that got me into college was all about Merlin, for goodness sake, in answer to the “one person you’d like to meet” question. I don’t know why I never finished the Stewart books, or revisited them before now. All I can say is that I’m very glad I’ve picked them up again, as I have really enjoyed the first book and am looking forward to the rest.

For all my love of the Arthurian legend, it has been a long time since I’ve read any Arthurian books, and I can’t say precisely what prompted me to pick this up now, other then the general presence of Arthuriana in the air. It was a year ago that Parke Godwin** died, and Mary Stewart herself died just last month. And there’s been much discussion this past week about the author of what is probably the most influential work of Arthurian literature since The Sword in the Stone.*** And topping it all off, I’ve been watching the BBC series Merlin with my daughters.****

Let me tell you, it is really, really good to be back in Camelot. This story, along with Star Wars and the Chronicles of Narnia, lies at the foundation of all I love about stories, and my passion for mythic narrative in particular. Stewart’s books, with the careful balance of history and fantasy, and firm grounding in legendary material (it uses Geoffrey of Monmouth’s 12th century History of the British Kings as it’s primary source) is probably the perfect choice to reacquaint myself. It feels a bit like a homecoming.

In fact, I am feeling inspired to read a lot of Arthuriana right now, and have decided to produce a entirely definitive and entirely unofficial ranking of the best literary Arthurian novels, right here on this blog. (It’s not doing much otherwise, so why not?) As I progress, I’ll write a little about what I like and don’t like about each book, and how it compares to the legendary material, and I’m going to rank them in terms of personal preference. Here’s how the ranking stands right now:

Definitive, Unofficial Ranking of Arthurian Novels (that I’ve read):
#1: The Crystal Cave, by Mary Stewart (1970, Book One of the Merlin Trilogy)

(Okay, it’s gonna take some time to fill in the rest. I’m going off fresh readings, not what I remember from reading years ago.)

Specifically, what I like most about The Crystal Cave is that it closely follows the narrative source while giving it a firm historical grounding. (How accurate that history is may be up for debate, but it feels realistic enough for the average reader.) I really dislike versions that disregard the bones of the legend and instead construct their own narratives that just happen to use the characters and/or setting, but this book captures all the important events (so far): Merlin’s unknown father, his prophecy about the the red dragon and the white dragon, the erection of Stonehenge, and the deception that results in the conception of Arthur at Tintagel. Stewart interprets all these through a historical lens, but she doesn’t change them.

Stewart also injects in a significant mythic element, showing us a Merlin who is driven by the hand of the God (not specifically Christian), for purposes that aren’t always clear to him. Many of his feats that are attributed to magic are really the product of knowledge, engineering, and good luck, but his visions and prophecies are true, and he must often pay the consequences for acting on them. There is a definite sense of powers beyond the mortal realm at work.

What I don’t like is the lack of women of substantial character. There are four women of note in the book: Niniane, Merlin’s mother; Rowena, the Saxon wife of King Voritgern; Keri, a romantic interest for Merlin; and Ygraine, Arthur’s mother-to-be. Of these, Rowena doesn’t have a line of dialog, and Keri is only there to demonstrate that, for Merlin, girls are off-limits (the price for his powers, essentially). Niniane’s function seems to be primarily to keep Merlin’s father a secret – she doesn’t seem to have much influence on his character and once his reputation is secure she conveniently dies. Ygraine, of course, only comes in at the end, and while she is a reasonably interesting character, she never escapes from her role as Vessel of Prophecy. Her actions and choices have all been pre-determined. Of course, this is a big challenge for any Arthurian work – how do you create agency for characters whose fates are already established?

Overall, the book has good, solid writing, with first-person narration (by Merlin) that makes it very engaging. I like the character as presented, and even though I knew what was going to happen, I kept turning pages because I want to see how it affects him. That, really, is the essential point of any good story, isn’t it? Not what happens, but how it affects the people it happens to.

So, does anyone have recommendations for future Arthurian reads? What’s your favorite version of the legend?

* Wow, turns out there are 5 books – the last one came out in 1995.

** It’s been a long time since I’ve read them, but I remember thinking that his Arthurian books (Firelord, Beloved Exile, The Last Rainbow) were the best literary adaptions I’d read.

*** The Mists of Avalon, natch. I will leave you to google the current controversy if you’re not familiar with it already.

**** For all the liberties they take with the legendary material, it’s probably my favorite screen adaption to date.