The Last Enchantment

A long time ago, I read Mary Stewart's Merlin Trilogy, which consists of three books: The Crystal Cave, The Hollow Hills, and The Last Enchantment. I had last read the trilogy back in the mid-1980s, back when I was in high school. So, recently I turned back to these old favorites, and found myself enjoying the tale once again. Here's a brief background of the story, without spoiling it too much for potential readers. England is suffering under fractured leadership following the departure of the Romans, some time before. England is broken up into several small kingdoms, with a High King to hold them all together, and to try to repell the Saxon threat already encamped on the shores. Into this time, Merlin is born, the bastard child of a local princess. The trilogy tells the tale of his life. In the first book, Merlin is first a small boy in Wales, where he finds his tutor in magic and the gods and medicine, and is touched by the prophecy which will shape his whole life's work. He flees Wales, for his own protection, and his subsequent actions inexorably lead to the conception of a child: Arthur, the future High King. In the second book, Merlin is charged by both the High King, Uthur, and his god to keep Arthur in his care, and to train him for his coming challenges. The story closes with Arthur assuming the mantle of leadership, following the passing of Uthur. In the third book, Arthur and Merlin work to end the Saxon threat, found Camelot, and close with Merlin's final destiny, as he had long since foreseen...almost. The tale is told in the first person: Merlin. In this fashion, the story feels personal in a way that few other Arthurian fantasies ever have. Merlin, the character, is a sympathetic one: he has good in his heart, he looks after his mission in life with care and humility, and he certainly doesn't buy into this "Merlin the Enchanter" crap circulating about England...though he's not above using it to his benefit from time to time. The other characters in the story are also fleshed out with care...and the characters are certainly not one-dimensional or static. The storyline is clearly grounded in historical "facts", as much as possible. Clearly Mary Stewart put some time into research, before beginning the writing of this tale. The writing style is very descriptive. In some novels, the description is somewhat threadbare, willing the reader to fill in the look of the setting to some extent with their own imagination. It's a perfectly valid writing style, and I've enjoyed many books written with that style. Here, however, Mary Stewart has sought to ground us, again, in a historical setting, and she puts a lot of attention into describing the setting so as to help with that grounding process. It's very effective. So, with the close of the tale, I feel somewhat saddened. Merlin became like a friend. So, I encourage other readers to pick up the challenge, and read the Merlin Trilogy, so you can be touched in this way also.

I have just finished listening to the Chivers Audiobooks' recording of The Last Enchantment, read masterfully by Stephen Thorne. Mary Stewart's story is wonderfully written, but Stephen Thorne truly brings it to life. His reading drew me in from the start, and I knew I was enjoying the magic of a true storyteller. He brought the many characters and scenes completely and vividly to life. I know that years ago I read and enjoyed The Crystal Cave and The Hollow Hills, but I have the audio versions on order at the library so that I can enjoy Mr. Thorne's reading of them. In listening to Mr. Thorne read them, I know he'll bring a completely new dimension to the stories. I highly recommend both the book itself, which is beautifully written, and the wonderful reading of it by Mr. Thorne.

The first book was good, the second book was slow, but important to the series. I was somewhat weary to pick up this last book, one reason i wasn't sure what to expect and the other was actually that i was finally reaching the end and did i really want it to end??? I didn't. This book, the Last Enchantment was by far the best. The last three hundred pages kept you wondering, whats this mean? What will happen? it seemed like the story should end in some parts even though you saw that there was a hundred or fifty pages left and knew that there was more. You grow old with Merlin throughout this triology. Something you rarely do in other triologys, but here you do and it adds alot. 5 stars and more are deserved, did i mention the discriptions are absoulutly wonderfull and vivid???

This is a great book and concludes a fabulous triology. Stewart finds just the right balance of historical fiction and fantasy, creating a Merlin and King Arthur who are not as they really were but are has they might have been if we indulge a imagination just a little. The characters are real and compelling. And though all three books are accessible to young readers, the books are just as entertaining for adults. I can't say enough about this trilogy.

I have become a huge Mary Stewart fan after finished these three well-written books. This final book gives a great conclusion to an amazingly eloquent trilogy. I was so disappointed that it has come to and end and am ready to start the fourth book, The Wicked Day.