The Crystal Cave by Mary Stewart is a fantastic coming-of-age story about the famous wizard Merlin. As some of you may know, I've been slightly obsessed with the BBC One TV series Merlin. Okay, perhaps "slightly obsessed" is an understatement . . . I really, really like the TV show to the point that I talk about it a lot with my friends and family. In any case, I found out about The Crystal Cave from other fans and, funny enough, Colin Morgan, who plays Merlin. He'd recommended the book in an interview that I read online, and so I figured why not.
To be honest, I tried to imagine Stewart's Merlin to look like the TV show's Merlin—and really, who can blame me? Have you seen Colin Morgan? He is quite attractive, and then you get the added bonus of Arthur, played by James Bradley, who's handsome as well.
Well, It didn't quite work out as planned, but it was fun trying. Stewart's Merlin is less about actual magic and more about being a seer, a definite twist on the story. The novel is filled with so much imagery that it was easy to imagine yourself in that time and discover the United Kingdom from a different perspective. Written over thirty years ago, this book is a thought-provoking read. At times, it can be humorous but for the most part it's a coming-of-age tale about how a young Merlin grows to fame before he becomes Arthur's adviser.
I really enjoyed this book. It's a different take on Arthurian legend and really incorporates the geography of old legends. It made me wish that I knew more about Britain than I really do.
