The Hollow Hills

Rating:
Summary: The story is enchantingly told by a great writer.
Review: The story of the Authurian legends are twisted with the creativity of Mary Stewart's imagination to create this enchanting telling of Merlin and his very own Aurthur. Stewart creates a fictional character named Ralph that the childhood of today's day and age can relate to. You follow Merlin's conquest through his trouble's and his trimphs until the very end of the book. It is suspenseful until the end, but doesn't give up then. It keeps you reading until the very last word. The only dislike that I have come to with this book is the fact that it is slow to get in to, but aren't the best understood books tht way? You must have a basis for what you are reading even if you haven't read the rest of the saga. (The first book) as I hadn't when I sat down to enjoy this well told story.

Rating:
Summary: A bit long, but hang in there!
Review: This book, from the beginning was a bit scary. I say scary in the fact that it is a very thick book. I did not let that stop me, and a beautiful story unfolded before me. It is true that this story has a slow beginning, but if you hang in there you won't want to put the book down. The setting, the characters, the whole meat of this book is will draw you the reader so into the book that you will find it hard to put the book down. I personally love fantasy books. If you don't, after this one maybe you'll reconsider. Basically we get to watch how merlin handles the task of raising the soon to be king Arthur. There are many tasks and obstacles that merlin and his apprentice must overcome. It comes to an action-packed conclusion that you should not miss. Take my word for it and read thisa book. Like I said, it starts off slow but it will go 90mph as soon as you reach the second part of the book.

Rating:
Summary: Vividly beautiful
Review: This book, part of an Artherian trilogy centered around Merlin, is a detailed description of the raising of young Arthur and Merlin's prime. Don't read this book if you don't like slow, pleasurable reading, because it is definately not for everyone. I am sad that people have insulted this series because of being forced to read it. I hope it will not discourage others from exploring the magic that Mary Stuart made when she wrote these books. Enjoy!

Rating:
Summary: The Sword in the Stone, only different...
Review: This is the middle story in Mary Stewart's Merlin Trilogy and, while it is good, it is impossible to say that it is as good as The Crystal Cave. Perhaps this is just because that not much happens in this part of the Arthurian saga. The events in this story concern what happens to young Arthur before coming king - in other words, it covers the same ground as The Sword in the Stone, but it is less fun.

The action picks up with Merlin taking the newborn Arthur away from his parents, Uther and Ygraine, at Tintagel. He then deposits him with Sir Ector and goes off on a trip to Europe. The main invention of this novel is how Mary Stewart comes up with a different version of the Excalibur story (here referred to as Caliburn). In a manner of speaking, Arthur does take the sword from the stone, but not in the way you'd expect.

This book made me want to read the next one - perhaps because I know in the next one, more things will actually happen. This episode is kind of laid back and inert.