Number of books 3 | ||
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Mary Stewart's Merlin Trilogy refers to the first three of Mary Stewart's quintet of Arthurian novels. It consists of:
They were published under this title in an omnibus volume in 1980 by William Morrow and Company.
The other two novels in the quintet are:
The Crystal Cave is a re-telling from Merlin's point of view of his childhood and youth up to the time of Arthur's conception. The Hollow Hills is Merlin's recounting of Arthur's birth and boyhood until he is made king. The Last Enchantment is the story of Arthur's kingship as told by Merlin. The Wicked Day is a re-telling of the story from Mordred's point of view.
In Stewart's obituary, The New York Times described her as an "author of romantic thrillers who jumped genres in her 50s to create an internationally best-selling trilogy of Merlin books, reimagining the Arthurian legend from a sorcerer’s point of view," and said, "Reading Geoffrey of Monmouth's History of the Kings of Britain, she was inspired to retell the story of King Arthur as seen by Merlin, the king's adviser and house magician. The trilogy introduced her work to a new generation and, in many cases, to male readers for the first time. ... The books, set in the fifth century, were praised for their unusual blend of fantasy and historical detail."