Product Description

The countryside of England and Wales in the Dark Ages forms an almost tangible background to this wonderfully and powerfully realised picture of an ancestral hero coming to manhood. The Hollow Hills is the brilliant portrayal of the young Arthur from his birth to accession to the throne of Britain. And behind and around him is the strong, yet vulnerable figure of Merlin who sees and knows so much but is powerless to prevent the strife and violence of his turbulent times.



The Hollow Hills was first published in 1973 and tells the story of Merlin's guardianship of Arthur. He leads Arthur to the sword that tests his claim to power and the crown.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #99181 in Books
• Published on: 1983-10-01
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 464 pages

Sunday Telegraph
'A real spell-binder'

Review
'A real spell-binder' (Sunday Telegraph )

'Compulsive reading . . . chases, battles, thrills and entertainment all the way' (Daily Mirror )

'A fascinating re-creation of the King Arthur legend' (Newsweek )

'It goes without saying that Mrs Stewart tells a marvellous story.' (The Times )

'Superb and lyrical.' (Washington Times )

Newsweek
'A fascinating re-creation of the King Arthur legend'

Customer Reviews

Compelling
This is the second book in the trilogy, and anyone who read the other two books first and didn't notice the events weren't in a logical chronological order must've had their eyes closed. It deals with the bit in between what everyone knows about Arthur's conception (and the deceipt therein) and the Camelot bit and the bad ending. The whole of the Arthurian legend is a myth built on a hint of a legend, and Mary Stewart weaves a rich and compelling tapestry from the few threads we have relating to this period of Merlin's and Arthur's lives. She openly confesses the story to be a work of the imagination, and continues to write with skill that allows you to taste and feel the relevant era. If you have the imagination to be immersed into her supposition, it won't matter whether this conforms with your preconceptions of the Arthurian legend or not. This is escapism that is so well written it feels like historical reality.

More Merlin Magic - I can't recommend it enough...
The Hollow Hills is the second book in Mary Stewart's Merlin Trilogy. Although it would undoubtedly stand alone itself, I would recommend starting with The Crystal Cave. This volume follows Merlin and Arthur from the future king's conception through to his coronation, and I thoroughly, thoroughly enjoyed reading it.

Stewart's style has Merlin telling the story as he remembers it, which allows her to gloss over or skip through time periods which are not wholly relevant to the plot. She does this with aplomb, giving us a brief spattering of anecdotes from Merlin's travels as Arthur, hidden away, grows up. Her second strength is in attempting to link the legends with historical facts - finding the real places to link to the stories which have entertained and entranced people for hundreds of years.

This doesn't mean she skimps on the magic, though, and Merlin as an enchanter, engineer, mathematician and general schemer is a believable and enjoyable hero.

This is not, however, a rip-roaring blockbuster of a book which will keep you glued to all the pages and constantly turning them. It is, however, a very comforting read which I look forward to when getting into bed every night. And that is something which I value very highly!

I read this when it first came out.....
....... and have been re-reading it at regular intervals ever since.

It's a truly magical book with a very impressive interpretation of the Merlin legend. It sounds genuine and believable.

Read the Trilogy and then read The Wicked Day. Impressive stuff from an impressive writer