---
product_id: 4686620
title: "The Merlin Trilogy Hardcover – December 1, 1980"
brand: "mary stewart"
price: "€ 64.79"
currency: EUR
in_stock: true
reviews_count: 11
url: https://www.desertcart.nl/products/4686620-the-merlin-trilogy-hardcover-december-1-1980
store_origin: NL
region: Netherlands
---

# The Merlin Trilogy Hardcover – December 1, 1980

**Brand:** mary stewart
**Price:** € 64.79
**Availability:** ✅ In Stock

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- **What is this?** The Merlin Trilogy Hardcover – December 1, 1980 by mary stewart
- **How much does it cost?** € 64.79 with free shipping
- **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship
- **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.nl](https://www.desertcart.nl/products/4686620-the-merlin-trilogy-hardcover-december-1-1980)

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- mary stewart enthusiasts

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## Description

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## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5.0 out of 5 stars







  
  
    A terrific way to acquire the set (story and edition details)
  

*by P***E on Reviewed in the United States on December 13, 2009*

I first devoured Mary Stewart's Merlin Trilogy as each of the three editions was published in hardcover, the final entry appearing in 1979. Now that I've acquired this Merlin tome, I've subsequently handed off the earlier individual books to a friend.A chief distinction regarding this nicely-bound William Morrow edition is that the entire trilogy is paginated as a single work, 919 pages in total. Also, Michigan artist Greg Hildebrandt (highly renowned for his superlative "Lord of the Rings" illustrations) is the responsible party for the terrific dust jacket art on this volume.At the outset of each tale, a map of England (and the appurtenant regions) illustrates the political borders (which change somewhat from one book to the next) where the allegories each transpire. Stewart has also included a synopsis of the actual Arthurian/Merlin legends (and an abbreviated bibliography of sorts) at the conclusion of each tale. One encounters an occasional typo in this complete edition but nothing very heinous or unrelenting.Mary Stewart's Merlin Trilogy is recounted through a first-person delivery, from Merlin's viewpoint. Here is a synopsis of the respective tales, avoiding spoilers to the utmost possible degree which I could achieve:"The Crystal Cave": The story here addresses the youth and young adulthood of the legendary wizard. Merlin's mother is a princess who refuses to reveal the identity of his father and, as one might suspect, this actuality drives Merlin towards becoming a bit reclusive subsequent to persistent teasing and torment by his youthful peers. But when Merlin encounters an old wizard who resides in a nearby magical cave, he becomes very enthusiastic about learning all the old Master's enchantments and it soon becomes clear that he additionally has a destiny to fulfill -- but early along in the tale, little does he realize that he will someday become the cousin, tutor, and mentor of a great King."The Hollow Hills": (Mary Stewart somehow managed to turn this entry into a page-turner which is very difficult to achieve with a "part two" of any three-part series.) The focus here is as much on young Arthur (from his birth to age 14) as it is on Merlin. Danger abounds for Arthur in this post-Roman era of English political turbulence so Merlin secures him away from the moment of his birth. He is ultimately raised in a normal home near the wilds of the English forest, far from the royal house of his father, King Uther. But the time arises when Arthur must be informed of his royal heritage, (during a great war where King Uther takes on an army of Saxon and Germanic invaders.) Arthur is the heir apparent to the throne but he faces many formidable competitors before his coronation can become an actuality. It is here that the legendary sword Caliburn (later romanticized to "Excalibur") is revealed to Arthur."The Last Enchantment": There are two converging stories here. The first focuses upon the late-period travels and activities of the renowned Enchanter and Arthur's mentor, Merlin. The second is, of course, an account of life and the numerous wars throughout post-Roman England and Wales under Arthurian rule. Both men run into dilemmas which, at first, typically seem irresolvable... but aided by Merlin's sage counsel, and additional aid coming from his new apprentice and other loyalists, most of these difficulties blossom with palatable resolutions chiefly unanticipated by the reader.Stewart's trilogy clearly punctuates that the day of magic and necromancy was drawing to a conclusion as Christianity became ever more prevalent throughout post-Roman England and Wales. This is a somewhat subdued approach to fantasy writing but still solidly grounded in the genre, so that's why I note that readers should not anticipate lots of hand magic and dragons - better to just settle in for some great allegorical escapism.I've already mention that Mary Stewart, (born in 1916 and now in her nineties!), completed the Merlin trilogy in 1979 -- but she has since also written 
  
The Wicked Day (The Arthurian Saga, Book 4)







  
  
     (1983) and 
  
The Prince and the Pilgrim (Classics of Arthurian Legend)







  
  
     (1995), each of which extends the Arthurian legendary tales.Each of these entries exists as an independent account but it's folly to not read the entire trilogy, in the order in which one is intended to read them. While the content of these books plays down the magical facet of Merlin's teeming abilities, (a feature which notably escalates the credibility of the various events), there is certainly more sorcery to be found in the final entry than one encounters in the preceding two works.Of course there are various loosely related "Merlin film" adaptations including 
  
Merlin (Special Edition)







  
  
    ;
  
Merlin's Apprentice







  
  
    ;
  
Excalibur







  
  
    , and: Disney's animated 
  
The Sword in the Stone (45th Anniversary Special Edition)







  
  
    . But I would steer almost anyone toward reading Stewart's written forms first.In summary, this semi-fantasy, semi-historical series garners my highest recommendation for an eclectic spectrum of readers. Mary Stewart's Merlin Trilogy manifests first-rate reading for adults as much or more than it does for young people. This lengthy account profiles English literature at its finest, subsequent to the respective eras of Kipling (
  
Puck of Pook's Hill (Illustrated Edition) (Dodo Press)







  
  
    ); Peake, (
  
The Gormenghast Novels







  
  
    ), and; Tolkien (
  
J.R.R. Tolkien Boxed Set (The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings)







  
  
    .)

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5.0 out of 5 stars







  
  
    Book merlin trilogy
  

*by J***S on Reviewed in the United States on December 29, 2023*

Book arrived in excellent condition in a timely fashion. JW

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5.0 out of 5 stars







  
  
    Mary Stewart is the best author
  

*by R***W on Reviewed in the United States on July 24, 2022*

I read all 3 many years ago and have never forgotten how wonderfully she weaves magic, poetry and history together to tell a story more from Merlyn’s POV. She is the only author of the Camelot fantasy to do that. I have read other Arthur stories but it is Merlyn who is magical, it is Merlyn on whom Arthur reliys, it is Merlyn who is of major interest. It is his story that I so much remember. There is a line at the beginning of The Last Enchantment that makes reading the first 2 books worthwhile. “ And the King of all Britain laid his head in Merlyns lap.”. The stories are enchanting and I guarantee you won’t forget the stories for many years to come. This trilogy was a birthday present from friends and I cannot wait for it to come. Thank you Richard and  Sheila,  Candy

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*Last updated: 2026-02-17*