Merlin Saga Bundle

After exploring the depths and beauties of Mary Stewart's work, I am certain that she should be regarded as a pure artistic genius. I've been pouring over these (The Crystal Cave, The Hollow Hills, The Last Enchantment, The Wicked Day) for the past few days, and I can't help but be readily consumed by these tales of old world romance and swirling intrigue. Not only does the story embrace the haunting realm of kingdoms and castles, but there is also an engaging human quality that only Ms. Stewart could have accomplished so poetically. The four tales are beautifully reconstructed to the digital realm with the prologue, epilogue, history behind the legend, and author notes as bonus features. The character of Emrys (or Merlin, as he is more commonly known) is so well-painted, his dimensional layers revealed through truly melodic circumstanes and the wisdom by his humble narrative prose. He alone deserves a thorough character study, as enthralling and complex as his personality is.

The story as a whole is a gorgeous representation of Mythical life, and all of its mysteries and intricacies. It also poses a delicate thesis on the relationship between the servant and his master. Due to the powerful parallels and situational drama that the legends present, I've been moved to a deeper place in my spirit than I could have imagined. These novels are far from conventional entertainment. There is a dark mystery and poetic light within these stories that captures your soul like a vivid dream. Stewart weaved these stories with pefect grace and detailed concern. The lines of complicated storytelling and masterful plotting eventually come together in truly mighty, climactic mountain of trembling beauty. Not to mention that this collection has been recreated flawlessly for the digital realm.

This is probably the finest depiction of the Arthurian saga ever written, so I was thrilled to see it available. Tragically, it was so poorly edited during its translation from its original format to e-book format that it is all but unreadable. If you have never before read this series, don't purchase it. 5+ stars to the original series, 1 to the "translation".

Mary Stewart's retelling of the Arthurian cycle is brilliant. Too bad this eBook version is such a digital mess. I'd buy it in a heartbeat if the publisher would at least fix the regular/bold font issue. It's really annoying how the text shifts in and out of bold -- this is not in the original. This is a major work of literature. Please get it right!