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Review Summaries
"The Crystal Cave by Mary Stewart, the first of a series, is about Merlin the Wizard's childhood and a little after that. Merlin is born in Maridunum, Britain. His mother is the daughter of the king of part of Wales. No one knows where or who his father is, except for Merlin's mother, who won't tell anyone. Merlin's grandfather is allied with the High King of Greater Britain. In the story Merlin runs from his home in fear of being killed by his uncle and to-be king Camlach. He flees to Less Britain and there finds out who his father is, and what his purpose in life is, wizard and confidante to the British kings. He can manipulate people with or without magic and lives a solitary life. Merlin only occasionally uses his magical talents, and could not predict when he could use them. He more often uses physics and optics to achieve his stunts and illusions, not unlike Hank in Mark Twain's Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court."
Rebecca, Resident Mary Stewart Scholar
"The first book in Mary Stewart's "Merlin Trilogy," this exciting and intimate story details Merlin's young life, his early education, his father, meeting Uther Pendragon, and helping sire Arthur, later High King of all Britain.
"Merlin grows and matures throughout this book. He is a child at first searching for a purpose of life, not likeing the one he's living. He wants to know his real father. He will later becomme known as Merlin the Magician. People will fear him and some will praise him. He leaves his home after a certain death, by setting fire to the palce in honor of his friend/servent. He knows he has a gift from the Goddess, the gift of sight. He doesn't know how to control it and to call on it until later in the book. He does meet his father, who he loves and honors highly. A great war does happen in the book. It involves Merlin's father fighting for his rightful position as the High King of Britain. Merlin has minor enemies if any. He helps with father by spying and he is very good at reading people's minds. He always searches things in order to find understandings in his visions. He finds his new identity when he meets his father. He has an innner struggle with himself about who he really is and what the Gods want him to tell and what not to tell. His family relations in the beginning are not very good. In fact his uncle even tries to poison him! His main two teachers about his powers are the man frfomm the Crystal Cave and himself.
"
Kathleen Lingenfelter, Resident Mary Stewart Scholar
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Overall Review
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Plot
Composition of Book Descript. of chases or violence - 13.3% planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 23.3% Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 36.7% Descript. of society, phenomena (tech), places - 26.7%
Tone of book
- suspenseful (sophisticated fear)
FANTASY or SCIENCE FICTION?
- King Arthur
Coming of age
Yes
Youngster becomes
- a powerful magician
Is this an adult or child's book?
- Adult or Young Adult Book
Family relations
Yes
Main Character
Identity:
- Male
Profession/status:
- mage/magician
Age:
- a teen
Has magical/special powers?
Yes
Magical/mental powers of main character:
- fire/lightning/weather cntrl
- can see into the future
- healing
How sensitive is this character?
- sensitive to others' feelings
Intelligence
- Very much smarter than other characters
Physique
- average physique
Main Adversary
Identity:
- none
Setting
Terrain
- Mountains
- Forests
Earth setting:
- during "Tolkien" (fairytime) times
Takes place on Earth?
Yes
Style
Person?
- mostly 1st
Accounts of torture and death?
- generic/vague references to death/punishment
Sex in book?
Yes
How much dialogue?
- roughly even amounts of descript and dialog
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