Merlin: The Old Magic - Part 1 (Merlin, 1) - Softcover

Mallory, James

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0446607665 ISBN 13: 9780446607667

Publisher: Aspect, 1999

Synopsis

A TIMELESS EPIC, A NEW CLASSIC FOR ALL AGES -- MERLIN

"Once upon a time...no, no, that's not the way to start. You'll think this is a fairy tale. And it isn't".

In the terrible years of tyrants and invaders, England's surviving pagans cry out for help to their deity -- and Mab, Queen of the Faery realms, creates for them a champion.

Merlin. Half human, half Magic; raised in the love of his foster mother, Ambrosia, trained in sorcery by the gnome Frick, destined by Mab to lead England back to the Old Ways. But Mab, once beloved, has grown selfish and cruel, so Merlin turns against her.

And their war of magic will change the world.

About this title

Review

Merlin Part I: The Old Magic is the first of a three-part novelization of the very successful Hallmark Entertainment Merlin miniseries starring Sam Neill, Miranda Richardson, Isabella Rossellini, and Martin Short.

Author James Mallory has long been fascinated with the Arthurian legends and their historical development, and he greatly expands upon the TV series, adding material derived from the original Celtic mythology, together with further invention of his own. Characters not seen in the televised series include Herne The Hunter and Idath, Lord of the Wild Hunt. Mallory also provides a foundation for the later Grail Quest, which the miniseries left offscreen.

The Roman Legions are abandoning Britain, and Christianity is spreading through the land. Mab, Queen of the Old Ways, is determined to fight the new religion, first by placing her hopes in the tyrant King Vortigen and then by creating the part-man, part-elemental Merlin. As a youth, Merlin falls in love with the Lady Nimue, but as Mab's evil grows he vows to oppose her and the Old Magic.

This is an off-beat version of the early part of an oft-told tale. It works best as an introduction to the Arthurian saga for those who loved the Merlin miniseries, or for young adults unfamiliar with the legends. Adult readers, or those who know the original stories, will perhaps find more satisfying other retellings such as The Pendragon Cycle by Stephen Lawhead or Rosalind Miles's Guenevere series. --Gary S. Dalkin, Amazon.co.uk

From Library Journal

Born of magic as a vehicle for Queen Mab's desire to restore a dying paganism to the lands of Britain, Merlin grows up in the care of a foster mother until Mab comes to claim him for her own. Based on the TV miniseries Merlin, Mallory's novelization stands alone as an accomplished retelling of the beginning of the Arthurian legend. A good choice for large fantasy collections.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: Aspect
• Publication date: 1999
• ISBN 10: 0446607665
• ISBN 13: 9780446607667
• Binding: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 288