The Crystal Cave

Fifth century Britain is a country of chaos and division after the Roman withdrawal. This is the world of young Merlin, the illegitimate child of a South Wales princess who will not reveal to her son his father's true identity.

Yet Merlin is an extraordinary child, aware at the earliest age that he possesses a great natural gift - the Sight. Against a background of invasion and imprisonment, wars and conquest, Merlin emerges into manhood, and accepts his dramatic role in the New Beginning - the coming of King Arthur.

“Vivid, enthralling, absolutely first-class”

A deft colourful . . . re-creation of Merlin's early life - Sunday Times

- Daily Mail

Her style is simple yet vivid, displaying a love of words and the sounds they make, and her story is poetically imaginative - Daily Telegraph

Mary Stewart brilliantly recreates the Britain of the fifth century - Books And Bookmen

A fascinating story which lays a firm hold on the imagination - The Scotsman

Mary Stewart lightens the Dark Ages with legend, pure invention and a lively sense of history. - New York Times

Mary Stewart is one of our most successful novelists. Her first novel, MADAM WILL YOU TALK, was published in 1955. It was an immediate success and marked the beginning of a long and acclaimed writing career. All her novels have been bestsellers on both sides of the Atlantic. She was made a Doctor of Literature by Durham University in 2009.

This is what happened. I saw it, and it is a true tale . So begins the story of Merlin, born the illegitmate son of a Welsh princess in fifth century Britain, a world ravaged by war. Small and neglected, with his mother unwilling to reveal his father's identity, Merlin must disguise his intelligence - and hide his occasional ability to know things before they happen - in order to keep himself safe. One beautiful afternoon, while exploring the countryside near his home, Merlin stumbles across a cave filled with books and papers and hiding a room lined with crystals. It is the home of Galapas, who becomes Merlin's tutor and friend, and who teaches Merlin to understand the world around him... and to harness the power of the crystal cave to see the future. Merlin will rise to power and enter history - and legend - as advisor to King Arthur. But all stories must begin somewhere. And this is his. 'A deft, colourful recreation of Merlin's life' The Sunday Times

Fifth century Britain is a country of chaos and division after the Roman withdrawal. This is the world of young Merlin, the illegitimate child of a South Wales princess who will not reveal to her son his father's true identity.Yet Merlin is an extraordinary child, aware at the earliest age that he possesses a great natural gift - the Sight. Against a background of invasion and imprisonment, wars and conquest, Merlin emerges into manhood, and accepts his dramatic role in the New Beginning - the coming of King Arthur.

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