Arthurian Saga
5 primary works
Book 1
Book 2
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.
Book 3
Book 4
Mordred is the son of King Arthur, bastard child of his union with his half-sister Morgause. Prophesied by Merlin to kill Arthur, Mordred is stolen away from his mother and raised in secrecy by a kind couple on an isolated Orkney island in the hopes that he will defy his fate.
Mordred, known to history as a traitor and a murderer, is no villain, but a quick-witted young man, with hopes and dreams of his own. But try as he might, Mordred cannot escape Merlin's prophecy.
For his mother, Morgause, has plans of her own. She tracks her son down and takes him back, then feeds the flames of Mordred's ambition, setting into motion a chain of events that will go down in history - and legend - as father and son are finally forced to confront each other one last time: on the wicked day of destiny, when Arthur's final battle will be fought.
Mary Stewart's stunning Arthurian Saga began with The Crystal Cave, The Hollow Hills, The Last Enchantment and The Wicked Day. It concludes with The Prince & the Pilgrim.
Book 5