Reviews (1)

Good foundation for kids' fitness
This book is well-written, and approaches yoga at a good level for kids.

The authors have selected a good variety of movements, and presented them in a format that make them accessible to kids. There is a mixture of easy and not-so-easy positions, and instructions for how to start simple and get more advanced as the child progresses.

There is also ample instruction for the adult who is overseeing their practice. I haven't had a lot of exposure to yoga myself, but I got enough information from the book that (with a little preparatory work on my part) I felt confident in knowing how to get them in the right position while watching out for any problems.

(Note to the sharp-eyed: No, I'm not related to the author) ... Read more

Reviews (4)

The journey of Ludo and the Star Horse
I like this book because a horse is in the story and I like horses.This story is about a guy named Ludo. He is on a jorney with his horse.They go through woods,rivers and many more places.They go into trouble with other animals but they survive.
This book takes place in the woods,river and the zodiac.The name ''zodiac'' is the title that in the ancient world was given to an imaginary belt or track in the sky,which lies along the path of the sun.All planets lie within this belt.
I would recommend this book to people 8-12 that like to read about horses.Older people might think it's for younger kid.

Delightful tale of a horse, a boy, and a magical adventure
Amongst Ludo's people, there's a special breed of horse chosen to draw the chariot of the sun.Ludo's horse is getting old, and one day, it breaks out of its barn.Ludo follows his horse and stays by his side through adventures and perils as they encounter personifications of the 12 Zodiac signs on the way to a meeting with Destiny.

A charming story, I read it as a child, a teenager, and an adult, and I've enjoyed it each and every time.

Highly Entertaining Throughout
This book took me on an adventurous ride throgh time with many unexpected twists.This was a delightful book. I enjoyed it greatly. Mary Stewart added a magical touch to this magnificant novel.-New York Times

Highly Entertaining Throughout
This book took me on an adventurous ride throgh time with many unexpected twists.This was a delightful book. I enjoyed it greatly. Mary Stewart added a magical touch to this magnificant novel.-New York Times ... Read more

Book Description

Two children picnicking with their parents in Wolf Wood are sent back into the world of the fourteenth century to rescue a kindly werewolf from a terrible fate. Illustrated with half-tones.
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Reviews (14)

A Walk in Wolf Wood
I really liked the book A Walk in Wolf Wood because it was a good easy read.Although it was easy to read it was not a boring book.I love books that take place in the Middle Ages like this one.It is full of enchantments and friendships.Parts of this book reminded me of Harry Potter books.This book kept me on my toes to find out what would happen next.There was always a new twist or turn when I thought that I had it figured out.The end was great, not one of those that let you down.

A Walk in Wolf Wood
When I started to read this book, it wasn't counfusing, but it was, diferent... I liked it, as far as "two kids, cought in the mid evil time, that has a friend that turns in to a evil beast of terror, in the night.." It's a good plot, it just doesn't suite me. But every person has they're opinions. Any way, so I would have to say this book is for any one who is an adventurest person.

No offence, but i couldn't really get into this book. But that doesn't mean you can't! It's a good book. Read it, see if you like it. And if you don't, hey, at least you tried. And if you do like it. hey, cool, good for you.

So like i said before, every one has they're own opinions, I'm just telling you mine. I'm sorry if this didn't help you alot, or at all. But, you know, at least I tried.

"Wood" is great fun
"A Walk in Wolf Wood" is one of the lesser-known works of Mary Stewart, famed for her Merlin trilogy. It's an enjoyable short fantasy, with good heroes and an original plotline focusing on betrayal, time-travel, werewolves, and a royal intrigue that sucks in two modern children.

John and Margaret are on a family picnic with their parents, who doze off and allow the kids to go wandering in the woods. When they see a man dressed in sumptuous clothes from the Middle-Ages, naturally they are intrigued. As they follow him, they find a golden pendant, the tracks of a wolf, and a ramshackle cottage where the man is sleeping.

The man, they find, is a nobleman named Mardian who was betrayed by a sorcerer, in an effort to alienate him from his lord and friend Duke Otho. Mardian was transformed into a werewolf -- man by day, wolf by night -- and is hunted by the Duke's men. Mardian's main goal, however, is to save Otho and his son Crispin from Almeric's plots and sorcery. But he can't go near the castle. So John and Margaret agree to infiltrate the castle and try to defeat Almeric -- a task which proves much more difficult than they had thought.

Mary Stewart writes a simply-plotted but enjoyable story, with an interesting storyline and a quick pace. Her third-person writing style makes it a little difficult to get into the heads of the lead characters, but they are still very engaging. Her descriptions of the castle, the forest, and the people around Margaret and John are detailed without being too much so. And her handling of such worn ideas as werewolves and time-travel are deft and cliche-less.

Margaret and John are the now-classic British-kids-on-vacation, who stumble onto something strange and get sucked into an adventure. They're moderately smart, a little confused, and quite willing to go along with whatever strange things are going on. Mardian is a quiet, tragic type who is determined to
fix the situation in the castle, while Almeric is simply pure evil. Prince Crispin is a good supporter to the two leads, though not quite as interesting as they are.

This is an enjoyable fantasy for all ages, with good plotting and a classic pair of lead characters. "Walk" goes plenty of places, all of them interesting.

A Walk in Wolf Wood
The book was recieved in a timely manner and was in exellent condition for a used book. I would recommend this seller's selection to anyone.

Walk in Wolf Wood
I only paid .98 and the book was in excellent condition and was recieved in a timely matter. As a matter of fact I ordered four books at the same time from different sellers and this one came first, three days later. I would recommend this seller's books to anyone if the others are as good of condition as this one. ... Read more

Book Description

A trick of coloring...Her walk...The way she smiled. If Mary Grey looked so much like the missing heiress, why should she not be an heiress? To the lonely young woman living in a dreary furnished room, faced with an uncertain future, the impersonation offered intriguing possibilities.

And so plain Mary Grey became the glamorous Annabel Winslow. But she did not live happily ever after. In fact, she almost did not live at all. Because someone wanted Annabel missing...permanently. ... Read more

Reviews (12)

I just couldn't put it down!
The Ivy Tree was the first book that I had even read by Mary Stewart. Let alone I read it for my British Literature class. It was great. The suspense just about killed me at the end. I just kept on turning the pages. She describes the scene and the characters so well that I felt like I was right there. It was a great book! I definitely recommend it!

One of the best Mary Stewarts!
Every year, I reread my collection of Mary Stewart paperbacks, and every year, The Ivy Tree gets me excited and nervous, with squeals of delight, and chills up my spine. This book is amazing. It never fails to enchant me, and I love all the characters in the book-- from Annabel to Mary to Adam. Mary Stewart is definitely the Queen of romantic suspense. A must read!

Loved this book for 20 years
I've loved this book since I discovered it in a pile of dusty paperworks at our summer cottage, 20 years ago. I can't even tell you how many times I've read and re-read it. As I get older, I see the story from different eyes, but never fail to be intruigued by it. Its such a wonderful twist, I highly recommend it. I guess I won't pay the $.. they are trying to charge for the audio version, but I think I'll replace my old paperback, since its falling apart from so much reading.

An Intricately Plotted Literary Thriller
For those of you who enjoy straight-out romance, or the Nora Roberts brand of a little suspense thrown in with a lot of romance, Mary Stewart is not the author for you. Stewart requires indepth reading, her plots are intricate, her characterizations strong. She is incomparable; her words are literature. Although descriptions abound, there is not any graphically detailed sex, so if this is not your cup of tea, read no further and look for another selection.
This particular book does not fit into any of the usual Stewart categories----the great chase as in 'Madam Will You Talk?', the closed room police procedural as in 'Wildfire at Midnight' or the Evil Relative with Nefarious Intentions as in 'Nine Coaches Waiting'----rather, it is a story of impersonation. . . and one of Stewart's best offerings in terms of just about everything: plot, tone, description, dialogue, characterization etc.
Mary Grey accepts a 'job',posing as Annabel Winslow, the long-lost cousin and heiress to Whitescar, a lucrative North England working farm---her employer, her 'cousin' Con has much to gain once Annabel's cantankerous old grandfather passes on. At first, after careful schooling by Con and his half-sister, Lisa, Mary takes to her new position smoothly, easily edging her way into life on the farm with a barrage of lies that seem to be second nature to her. No one doubts her identity until she discovers the presence of an unknown lover that may blow her cover. The real reason Annabel Winslow left Whitescar eight years earlier hits the reader with tour de force revelation which Stewart masterfully manipulates.
I won't spoil the story any further. It must be read slowly and savored like a good $100+ bottle of wine. The language is glorious,meant to be read aloud. The words paint wonderfully lush and powerful images of life in the north country. The characters likewise are finely drawn, flesh and blood human beings whose emotions thunder off the pages with the same potent electric charge of lightning that finally splits the old ivy tree in two towards the end of the story. Even the secondary characters are not to be missed. Mrs. Bates with her nosy northerner's distrust of anything 'London', Julie, the pettish young adult who is Annabel's mirror image, and Donald Seton, the stuffy, but warm-hearted Scot archaeologist with a soft spot for the greedy cat Tommy and his litter of kittens. Even the colt, Rowan, has a personality all his own; Stewart knows and loves her animals and this like all her other novels is a tribute to the creatures and places she loves best.
I have read and listened to this book over and over again. Each time, even though I know the ending, I find new techniques to ponder and wonder over. Stewart is simply fantastic; shame on anyone who prefers lesser works to her masterpieces.

Not the Riveting Read I Had Hoped For.
When I decided to read "The Ivy Tree" by Mary Stewart, I was hoping for an engrossing mystery that would keep me captivated. Unfortunately, this book just never managed to grip me, and I found myself struggling to finish it. I'm aware that my opinion is in the minority here, so I guess it comes down to the fact that Mary Stewart's writing just isn't my cup of tea.

The story revolves around Mary Grey, a woman who has recently come to England from Canada, and who looks amazingly similar to glamorous missing heiress Annabel Winslow. "The Ivy Tree" starts out with a great first chapter as Conor, a distant relation of Annabel's who now runs the farm at Whitescar, verbally attacks Mary believing her to be Annabel. But once the misunderstanding is straightened out, Conor begins to see what an asset Mary could be.

Conor is convinced that Annabel's ailing grandfather is not planning to leave him any part of Whitescar when he dies despite all the long years that Conor has worked there. So, he hires Mary Grey to come back claiming that she's Annabel, so that she will receive most of Whitescar in the old man's will and then can give it to Conor. The only thing that could present a problem is Annabel's cousin Julie, who will almost certainly be in the will as well, but Conor is confident that she won't get in the way. After convincing a reluctant Mary to go along with his scheme, they put their plan in motion.

But things don't run as smoothly as they should. Tensions run high at Whitescar when Julie arrives for a visit. Conor begins to show a violent and unsettling side to himself that makes Mary wonder what kind of man he really is. And Mary herself is hiding a shocking secret that could put her in serious danger if anyone, especially Conor, were to find out!

The ending of "The Ivy Tree" really picks up, but for me, the majority of the book just dragged on and on without enough action to keep me genuinely interested. Though the quality of writing is good and the characters are well developed, this story just didn't hold my attention. But even though I found this book a bit hard to get through, I did still enjoy it, and I would recommend you form an opinion on "The Ivy Tree" for yourself. ... Read more

Book Description

Lovely Vanessa March did not think it was a strange for her husband to take a business trip to Stockholm. What was strange was the silence that followed. Then she caught a glimpse of him in a newsreel shot of a crowd near a mysterious circus fire in Vienna and knew it was more than strange. It was downright sinister.

Once again Mary Stewart unfolds a masterpiece of intrigue, terror, and suspense in this headlong-paced tale of a young wife's search for a missing husband.... ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Another of Mary Stewart's wonderful books.
Another wonderful book by Mary Stewart that grips the reader and drags him or her into an imaginative world of wonder.

A book I've loved since adolescence
Mary Stewart writes great mystery with romance and at the same times teaches you something. In this book the information about the Lipizan horses is wonderful. And this is the only villain whose name I've always remembered. When I was young these weren't called Romances but Gothic Novels and Mary Stewart was always the best.

She Paints Pictures
I have loved every novel written by Mary Stewart, some more than others. I read this one well over twenty years ago and many times since then. It is one of my many favorite of her books. In her books you get to travel; you feel as if you are really there. I have wanted to visit almost every place I have visited in her books. I too had pledged to see the Lippizaner stallions someday & I finally got to see them a few years ago. They were wonderful of course. There is magic in all the Mary Stewart books; the relationships in this one in particular were warm and appealing.

Great Mixture of Exotic Locale, Suspense and Magic
With a backdrop of a fairy-tale castle set in the Austrian alps and the music of Der Rosenkavalier playing below from a traveling circus, an old horse dances in a meadow, executing the precise dressage movements called the "Airs Above the Ground" of the famous Lippanzaners of the Spanish Riding School. The only witnesses are Londoners, Vanessa March, and her companion teenaged Tim Lacy thrown together by chance as Tim pursues his dream of untying his mother's apron strings by applying for a job at the famous riding school and Vanessa searches for her errant husband, Lewis, supposedly away on business in Sweden, but documented on a UK newsreel with a beautiful blonde during an out of control circus fire near Graz.

As usual, Mary Stewart creates a fine story where intrepid characters move along a lushly described exotic locale. The delineation between good and evil is clearly defined. Like the other Stewart heroines, Charity Selbourne of 'Madame Will You Talk' comes quickly to mind, Vanessa unhesitatingly does the 'right thing.' Although she has the stereotypical loveliness, intelligence, and quick wittedness with a bit of the acerbic tongue of a married woman that makes her narration marvelously fun, she is never obssessed with superficiality like so many more modern 'romance' heroines. But, of course, a Stewart romance is a romance of the most highly literal type; the love scenes are suggested rather than depicted. The narration moves you along as if you were one and the same as the heroine; you breath her air, your heart clenches with terror when hers does, your skin prickles when in the presence of the ethereal and you quickly adopt and share her high value system. Above all the atmosphere of magic liberally sprinkling the air is maintained throughout so that even the most coincidental and improbable happenings seem to gel and fit with a puzzler's adept precision. When the tale draws to an end, you sigh with disappointment at turning that last page and you wish that Stewart had written three times as many novels so you had more to rediscover.

I listened to the audio presentation of this novel read by Jane Asher; it is very well-done, well worth the investment to listen to over and over again and see that poignant image of the horse dancing alone in the meadow just one more time in your mind's eye. Fantastic!

You can get an education from Mary Stewart
Mary Stewart's Ivy Tree got me hooked on reading and I've read every book she's written. The villain in this book is so memorable I have always remembered his name. This book like all of her books marries romance and mystery but in a way no modern books do, it is romance, not sex. All of her books give you information on either classic works or other historic backgrounds, like the Spanish Riding School, that I got big points from my Humanities teachers from things I learned from Mary Stewart, I never told them how I knew the information. This is one of her best, the people are memorable and the horse is miraculous. Just a treat all round. Read all her mysteries you can't go wrong ... Read more

Book Description

Rose Fenemore is taking a break from her Cambridge teaching post in an isolated cottage on the island of Moila. One evening, she is shocked to discover an attractive stranger, Ewen Mackay, in her kitchen, who claims to have grown up in the cottage. She is tempted to believe him, when another man seeks shelter from the storm. John Parsons also rouses Rose's skepticism...and more tender feelings as well. And as the truth about the two men unfolds, the stormy petrels, fragile elusive birds who fly close to the waves, come to symbolize Rose's confusion and the mystery of her future....
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Reviews (7)

--A Scottish Island filled with foggy atmosphere--
THE STORMY PETREL takes place on the Scottish Island of Moila. Rose Fenemore who is an English professor rents a cottage on the remote island for a two-week vacation. During her first stormy night there, a man (Ewen Mackay) enters the cottage with a key, and seems surprised to see Rose. He tells her that the house was his boyhood home. Shortly after that, another man (John Parsons) shows up at the door and says that he is lost and seeking shelter from the rain. The men don't seem to know one another and although Rose is annoyed, she agrees to let both men wait out the storm. The triangle of the three people, and who they are is the focus of the story that is mostly mystery with a touch of romance.

My favorite parts of the book were the descriptive passages about the gorgeous scenery and various types of sea birds. I was unfamiliar with a Petrel, but since they played a part in the story, I looked them up and found a picture of a delightful and very interesting bird.

Stewart Goes Environmental
If you are expecting the usual holiday-impulsive heroine of one of Ms Stewart's earlier tales to star in this short novel, you will not find her here. Rose Fenmore, professor of English Literature at Cambridge is like Ms. Stewart herself, a poet and a spinner of fantasy--for Rose in the form of Science Fiction novels under a nom de plume. Stewart does a more than adequate job of portraying Rose's inner calmness in her choice of vacation, her penchant for wordplay and in the merging of the two: her gift for describing the tableau she sees before her with such detail, the reader can actually feel the breeze move strands of hair, hear the slightest stirrings of the night birds and sense the awe in which all characters become eventually humbled by nature's majesty.

Rather than create a story of treachery as she has in the past,in the "Stormy Petrel", Stewart weaves a simple story which acts as a vehicle for her true love and the story's ultimate theme of preservation of nature's natural beauty. With every quiet word, her love of Scotland and its lovely vistas are pronounced loudly and clearly. Her description of her own writing process as outlined poetically while Rose attempts to inch her scifi plot foward is a magnificent insight into Ms Stewart's own love of her craft. I believe, the impact of the story's "mystery" and "romance" disregarded by the other reviewers, is all there---only it is as subtle and perfect as a bird's song and quite as easy to overlook when compared to the gun-in-the-back terror readers of Ms. Stewart (and her current crop of wannabees)have come to expect.

I listened to the audio version of this book, read by Isla Blair. She does a wonderful job of conveying Rose's inner quietude and does justice to Stewart's lyrical descriptions of Rose's most monumental moments on the isolated island in the Scottish Hebrides: the evenings of seals' song and the nocturnal flight of the stormy petrel.

This is recommended to anyone who has a love of nature, of beautiful language and who promises to regard the story and its soft cadences as a wise and truly loving tribute to nature.

Only Okay
This is definatly not Mary Stewart at her best. I found this book very lacksidasical and totaly unintresting. Tell me what is romantic about this book? I won't get a awnser because there isn't. I was very disapointed in this book. After having read Moonspiners and the Ivy tree. Currently I am reading the Merlin Trilogy which is absolutly fantastic.The Stormy Petrel is nonromance all the way. The only romance in the whole book is when she had s smile on her face thinking of her next fall semester term.If you think that thats romance you must not know excitment. If you must read this book though read it for the nature stuff she talks about.

"Romantic Suspense" Novel Without Romance or Suspense
Mary Stewart, one of the finest romantic suspense novelists of all time, has written a novel without any romance or suspense. This whisper of a book contains the lovely scenic descriptions of her earlier novels but the "mystery" amounts to a break-in at an empty house and the "romance" amounts to a semester together at Cambridge in the fall. The heroine is an emotionless school-marm who is so stern and prim that she is bascially an 80-year-old masquerading as a "dish." After enjoying such great mysteries as The Moon-Spinners and This Rough Magic, I thought for sure that something was going to happen. But the only excitement was the occasional sighting of a petrel (a very shy bird). Whoa! It is clear that Miss Stewart, in her dotage, lost all interest in love and danger, and was captivated only by nature and wildlife. This is not a bad thing but she should have stopped writing ficton and become an author of travel books.

Not up to her great books before the "Arthur" trilogy.
I was delighted to discover new novels by Mary Stewart, who had long delighted me with her beautifully done mystery/romance novels. However, many of her books from the 1980s and '90s, while having the same wonderful flavor and verbiage, are weak on plot. I knew who the love interest would be far too long in advance, for example. And the "big mystery" turned out to be much ado about nothing. Might want to check it out of the library before purchasing a copy. Stewart's Thornyhold, however, was much better -- more like her old writings. ... Read more

Book Description

Gilly Ramsey's lonely childhood were brightened only by visits to his godmother, Geillis. When she died, suddenly, the grownup Gilly inherited her cottage, Thornyhold. But nothing about his godmother prepared him for the strange and sinister life that awaited him there....
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Reviews (12)

herbs or drugs? 2nd sight or psychology? magical, either way
I generally prefer Mary Stewart's less ambiguous romantic suspense novels. Thornyhold was a dower house inhabited by the upright wife of a wicked rake of the Victorian era. Sybil was succeeded by our heroine's mother's cousin, Geillis, and, in turn, by our heroine, another Geillis. The three "witches" are not quite the same, but share a taste for healing, and a love of animals. As our Geillis' talent is nurtured in the house in the woods, she finds herself in need of more than herbal wards to protect herself from the unwanted attentions of another woman in the area who considers herself something of a witch -- and not precisely a white one at that.

Stewart does a nice job of preserving ambiguity, allowing dual explanations for nearly every event in the book, without it becoming mechanical or some sort of apology. The characters are pleasant, especially the animals. On the whole, an enjoyable read.

Loneliness Finds Love
My first response to this novel, when it was originally published, was to compare it negatively to Mary Stewart's earlier thrillers. I thought the plot trivial, the heroine insipid and overall wondered if the author, always one of my favorites,was losing her magical touch that had inspired me for over 20 years. Now, upon listening to the audio book version read by the talented Jane Asher, I believe my first impressions was wrong.

Granted Geillis Ramsey is not Mary Stewart's typical heroine: the career girl on vacation or on the new job who through a set of odd happenstances literally must fend for her life. Geillis is reflective. While Ms Stewart's other heroines, report and record the vivid locales through the sense-provoking medium of the author's glorious prose, Geillis Ramsey revels in it. She is an older contemplative Ms Stewart telling of her love of home, relating small yet monumentally beautiful occurrences of her own life, set in the green splendour of the UK. At the same time, she weaves these "little things" into a feasible fictional story of a lonely girl who with the help of an older unorthodox cousin finds her special niche in terms of self, community and finally love. The elan of witchcraft interjects a minor touch of the old Stewart suspense, but, on the whole, I believe this is Ms Stewart's tribute to life, love, and nature.

Lyrically beautiful and highly recommended.

Favorite Book
This is a book I find myself picking up at least once a year to sit down and savor all over again. I return to this book not only for the excellent writing, but for it's peaceful tone with strong hints of otherworldly drama and its undercurrents of romance as well as its richly woven descriptions. While I love all of Mary Stewarts books, this is by far my favorite. I highly recommend it.

Sweet, idyllic read
Heroine: everywoman

Life can be difficult for an only child raised by strict religious parents, and this was certainly the case for Geillis Ramsey who had no friends (not even a pet) to call her own for most of her young life.

Fortunately what Jilly does have is a fairy Godmother of sorts; her mother's cousin who keeps an eye out for her interests even as she is traveling the globe. She makes certain that young Jilly is provided for when her parents leave her alone in the world as a young woman with no real prospects. She gives her Thornyhold, a beautiful old Georgian House that once belonged to a witch named Goody Gostelow, which becomes a refuge for the poor young Geillis.

But how truly safe is she at her new shelter? A disturbing dream, messages from the great beyond, and neighbors who send out mixed signals as to whether or not they want her there leave Geillis wondering about the sanctity of her new home and the sanity of her mind.

What worked for me:

For the most part this is a very gentle pastoral story filled with lovely descriptions of a time gone by in the countryside of England 50+ years ago when not all houses had phones, neighbors dropped in to clean your house with you, and herbal remedies were more trusted than doctor's prescriptions. But the first few chapters about Geillis as a child, which were necessary to show why she is the way she is and add depth to the story, were decidedly sad in several places.

Size-wise Geillis wasn't really described, but her neighbor was a fairly large woman.

What didn't work for me:

Because of its idyllic pace it didn't have me on the edge of my seat the way I expect a gothic romance should. In fact the romance and even the suspense in "Thornyhold" were very mild, almost secondary even, so that I think the book seems more like a light paranormal fiction than a gothic.

Overall:

A very sweet story worth indulging in, especially if you are a fan of witches and/or gardening.

Warning: There are a few references to the occult in this novel.

If you liked "Thornyhold" you might also enjoy "The Dancing Floor".

This book is charming
This book is so charming....it makes me wish for a place like Thornyhold for myself. The main character is someone you can really come to care about and I have a feeling that I will be re-reading this one again and again. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

A Masterpiece of Magical Writing
As in other Mary Stewart classics, the action of "This Rough Magic" takes place in a mere matter of days. Lucy Waring, a twenty-something actress steps off the London stage and onto the idyllic Ionian island of Corfu. In a the course of a morning swim, paradise transforms to a place of sinister doings: someone shoots at a tamed dolphin, a young Greek drowns off the coast of Albania, and a smuggler washes up dead in a nearby cove. Stewart uses all her formidable skill, crafting a strong story that is both literary and fast moving. Told from Lucy's point-of-view, the reader's is kept as taut as a wire as the tension mounts not only while Lucy attempts to determine the identity of the wrongdoer and the reason for his misdemeanors but as she inadvertently puts herself in harm's way.

Playfully, Stewart pulls out all the stops, introducing one of her most cleverly contrived secondary characters, Sir Julian Gale, a Lawrence Olivier facsimile whose theory that the island setting of Shakespeare's "Tempest" and Corfu are one and the same adds much charm and ambiance to an already gloriously depicted exotic locale. Cleverer still, she employs the idea of the deus ex machina in a most enjoyable sequence, where the 'god' is a young Greek male and the 'machine', his improbable motorcycle.

As always, the Stewart heroine impeccably relates each event as it occurs with an astonishing literacy--the language employed borders on poetry; the reader actually smells every flower, is blinded by the lush colors of the foilage and stung by the salt of the Ionian Sea. In kind, Stewart characterizes her Greeks with an affectionate curiosity and love of the stranger; their traditions and rituals are reported with much respect and admiration.

As noted in some of my other reviews of Stewart's work, this author's masterly use of plot, character, language and style puts her in a genre all her own. She is quite definitely incomparable. 'This Rough Magic" is one of my favorite Stewart selections: one of a trio of novels set in Greece and the Greek Isles that uses the strained politics of the late 50s and early 60s as a backdrop to catapult a rather normal UK female protagonist into an abnormal situation where the British sense of responsibility is shown to positive advantage.

Recommended with the wish that all the Stewart suspense tales are reissued in trade paperback with Reader's Questions.

A Great Read!
I love everything Mary Stewart has written. Her books are classics. This was the first book I read of her's, and to this day I think it is still her best. This Rough Magic is a truely charming story. When I think of the story I get a smile on my face. That's how good this book is. I highley recommend this book and all her others.

Best Mary Stewart ever
This Rough Magic is one of those perfect books-it draws you on with suspense, involves you deeply with jewel-cut prose, and unlike most Stewart novels, is quite funny in spots. I love this book for its lightheartedness and its tragedy and its lovely romance, if that makes any sense. This is perfect romantic suspense, great for constant rereading.

Brilliant descriptive suspense and romance
An out of work actress staying in Corfu with her rich pregnant sister becomes embroiled in a dangerous mystery after encountering a famous reclusive actor and his passionate son. Throw in a few murders and our heroine is out to determine the who and why. One of Ms Stewart's best novels, it is totally absorbing describing a country and lifestyle in such vivid detail, and impressing her characters with warmth, understanding and plenty of realism.

Such a wonderful piece of work
Mary Stewart is a great writer with spectacular talent! I have heard that this is not even yet her best yet and am quite excited to read more of her books. This is a fabulous story and I encourage you to read it! ... Read more

Book Description

A magnificent tale realized by premier novelist, Mary Stewart, here is the spellbinding, suspenseful story of how Merlin, the Enchanter, helped Arthur become king of all Britain, in an extraordinary story that brings the legend Merlin and his protege Arthur to glowing life.
"Enthralling."
LIBRARY JOURNAL
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Reviews (28)

The story is enchantingly told by a great writer.
The story of the Authurian legends are twisted with the creativity of Mary Stewart's imagination to create this enchanting telling of Merlin and his very own Aurthur. Stewart creates a fictional character named Ralph that the childhood of today's day and age can relate to. You follow Merlin's conquest through his trouble's and his trimphs until the very end of the book. It is suspenseful until the end, but doesn't give up then. It keeps you reading until the very last word. The only dislike that I have come to with this book is the fact that it is slow to get in to, but aren't the best understood books tht way? You must have a basis for what you are reading even if you haven't read the rest of the saga. (The first book) as I hadn't when I sat down to enjoy this well told story.

Vividly beautiful
This book, part of an Artherian trilogy centered around Merlin, is a detailed description of the raising of young Arthur and Merlin's prime. Don't read this book if you don't like slow, pleasurable reading, because it is definately not for everyone. I am sad that people have insulted this series because of being forced to read it. I hope it will not discourage others from exploring the magic that Mary Stuart made when she wrote these books. Enjoy!

The Sword in the Stone, only different...
This is the middle story in Mary Stewart's Merlin Trilogy and, while it is good, it is impossible to say that it is as good as The Crystal Cave. Perhaps this is just because that not much happens in this part of the Arthurian saga. The events in this story concern what happens to young Arthur before coming king - in other words, it covers the same ground as The Sword in the Stone, but it is less fun.

The action picks up with Merlin taking the newborn Arthur away from his parents, Uther and Ygraine, at Tintagel. He then deposits him with Sir Ector and goes off on a trip to Europe. The main invention of this novel is how Mary Stewart comes up with a different version of the Excalibur story (here referred to as Caliburn). In a manner of speaking, Arthur does take the sword from the stone, but not in the way you'd expect.

This book made me want to read the next one - perhaps because I know in the next one, more things will actually happen. This episode is kind of laid back and inert.

Sophomore Slump???
I truly enjoyed The Crystal Cave (Book 1). This book, however, left me skipping pages trying to find a part of the story that was truly interesting again. The book takes an unusual look into the life of Merlin and the first 14 years of Arthur's life. Perhaps the boring nature of Merlin's travels far and wide, the introduction and exit of many minor characters and the still under-developed story of Arthur's childhood are the reasons that other authors have simply glossed over this section of the story. IT IS BORING. I finally found true interest in the last two sections of the book - an easy 250 pages in.
Read the last section - when Arthur discovers his identity, Morgause begins her trechery, Lot attempts to usurp the boy king and Uthur dies - that's all you need to move onto book 3. The rest is filler at best.

A fabulous trilogy!!
The first three Arthurian Saga novels are wonderful. The fourth? Not-so-much. It's okay, but nowhere near the powerful representation of the story that the first three books provide. ... Read more

Book Description

Now, the spellbinding, final chapter of King Arthur's reign, where Mordred, sired by incest and reared in secrecy, ingratiates himself at court, and sets in motion the Fates and the end of Arthur....
"Gripping....A superior adventure tale."
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
... Read more

Reviews (10)

Still great, but the Trilogy's better...
I've read the Trilogy as well as the Book of Mordred and I think that "The Wicked Day" does not provide as much detail as the Trilogy, that's why it makes it seem a bit vague here and there. It's great how sometimes it leaves the reader wondering and wanting to know more but either the facts are revealed at the end of the chapter or it's not revealed at all (or maybe I'm not getting it =P). For instance, is Merlin still narrating the story? I know Merlin's disappearance or "death" if you'd like to call it, is mysterious so I wonder how he ends in Stewart's series... Mordred's search for Merlin and found him absent (especially at his hometown) can't really account for his end...oh well, just something to leave you thinking =). However, one thing that it seems to consist more of, than the Trilogy is that it's filled with more intesity and the unexpected... I mean, when you read certain chapters and then finish it, I guarantee you'd be thinking to yourself 'wow, he/she actually done it!' or 'it was him/her all the time!?!' That's what I like in a story, it "strikes" the reader and gives you that surprised feeling! I'd also like to add to this review that the Trilogy was an impressive piece of work which gives an excellent description of Merlin's youth to adulthood as well as Arthur's. It's good how Stewart doesn't neglect to mention the Legends at the end to avoid confusion. Overall, brilliant stuff... just brilliant!! I highly recommend them all!

Not as good as the Merlin trilogy but still very good.
Though not as good as the Merlin Trilogy this is still a very good book and a fitting conclusion to Stewart's retelling of Authorian lore. Stewart takes a completely different view of Mordred than most writters. He is not a sniveling, cowardly villian, but a potential hero. Doomed to infamy by prophecy.

Mordred's POV is brilliant
A great read even if you're not into fantasy or medival literature. Charaters are all fanastic as ever in a Stewart's novel. You will not be disappointed!
Loven the Merlin
Always loven the Oz

Reconsidering Mordred
Mordred, King Arthur's illegitimate son and nephew, has often been portrayed as a traitor who kills Arthur and causes the downfall of Arthur's kingdom. In The Wicked Day, her fourth volume on the King Arthur myth, Mary Stewart challenges readers to reconsider the character of Mordred and his role in Arthur's demise. She traces the protagonist's ill-fated life from his beginnings as an orphan raised by fisher folk, to his rise to power as Arthur's trusted counsellor and regent and finally to the choices and circumstances that bring about the "wicked day" of destiny.

The strength of the book lies in Stewart's depiction of Mordred as an intelligent and loyal person unable to escape his fate. After he discovers his identity, Mordred learns of Merlin's prophecy that he will one day become Arthur's bane. Queen Morgause, Mordred's mother and Arthur's enemy, endeavors to recruit her son to oppose Arthur. Nevertheless, Mordred vows to fight fate and the gods and earns the trust of his father. Only Mordred's ambition for a queen and a kingdom brings him to the brink of catastrophe where his choices mean the end or fulfilment of all his hopes and dreams.
While readers will enjoy The Wicked Day by itself, I suggest reading Stewart's prior Arthurian novels first to appreciate established characters such as the wise yet wearyArthur and the devious Queen Morgause. Moreover, the other books will also show readers the deep-rooted seed of the Arthurian tragedy beginning with Mordred's parentage and bearing fruit in Morgause's family and Mordred's life. Finally, readers could also compare Stewart's Mordred with her books' other heroes such as the young Merlin in The Crystal Cave and Arthur himself in The Hollow Hills.

Arthur After Merlin
The Story: Merlin is dead. Or, is he? It matters not, as this sequel to the wonderful Merlin trilogy contains very little Merlin. It focuses on Mordred, the illegitimate but eldest son of Arthur, the Dragon of Greater Britain. Mordred is raised in secrecy, as a pawn in the power games of his mother, the High King's half-sister, Queen Morgause. As he grows, he has to relearn the world repeatedly: he is the son of peasants; no, he is the illegitimate son of Arthur's dead enemy, King Lot; no, he is Arthur's son; he is Arthur's bane, as foretold by Merlin; no, he is Mordred, trying to make a place in history to be proud of.

Commentary: This is a well-told story I found by accident, even though I had read and reread the Merlin trilogy. It differs vastly from the trilogy, not only in Merlin's near-absence, but in the minimal role played by magic. Instead, the emphasis is on whether Mordred can overcome his beginnings, other tragedies, and Fate, to become a son of whom Arthur can be proud. I'm glad I found this treasure. ... Read more

Book Description

"The richest of the three...mighty...climactic...action and supsense constant, even harrowing."
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
Arthur is King! But while unchallenged on the battlefield, sinister powers plot to destroy him in his own Camelot. When the rose-gold witch Morgause, Arthur's half-siser, ensnares him into an incestuous liaison--and bears his son, Mordred, to use to her own evil ends--a fatal web of love, betrayal and bloody vengeance is woven.
... Read more

Reviews (12)

The best king Arthur story.
This is a great book and concludes a fabulous triology. Stewart finds just the right balance of historical fiction and fantasy, creating a Merlin and King Arthur who are not as they really were but are has they might have been if we indulge a imagination just a little. The characters are real and compelling. And though all three books are accessible to young readers, the books are just as entertaining for adults. I can't say enough about this trilogy.

Engaging and Exiting!
Having never read anything about Arthurian legend, I was hesitant to pick my first introduction to it. I feel that I chose wisely in Mary Stewart's trilogy. Her writing will draw you into the story, and each book assumes you have little to no knowledge from the previous books (which was great for me, it helped to hear some of it again). I just found myself wishing afterwards there could have been a little more romance! However, I guess these books were more about Merlin, not Arthur or Guinevere. Another confusing aspect is that some of the more familiar names have been changed, and some are repeated. Having no base knowlege of the legend this was slightly confusing for me. Anyway, these books are highly enjoyable and I would definitely recomend them.

A Magnificent Epic Continues But Does Not End
The Story: "The Last Enchantment" is Book Three of Mary Stewart's Merlin Trilogy, and focuses on how Merlin meets, trains, and falls in love with Nimue, while helping Arthur solidify his kingdom and deal with the follies of Guinevere and other members of Court. Merlin and Arthur have to decide what to do about Arthur's sister, Morgan, and half-sister, Morgause, who separately plot against Arthur, and as well deciding upon the disposition of Morgause's five sons, one of whom is Mordred, illegitimate son of Arthur.

Technical: The writing of Mary Stewart is highly detailed and takes patience, but nothing is extraneous or irrelevant. Ms. Stewart's writing style reminds me of Sir Walter Scott's writing style in "Ivanhoe".

Overall: A great epic continues, but the reader must be patient and up to the challenge of a long, intricate, and detailed saga. When I first read this trilogy, the fourth book did not yet exist. Because the fourth book, "The Wicked Day", focusing on Mordred, exists, I'm more satisfied with the ending of "The Last Enchantment".

Magnificent storytelling
This book embodies all that is wonderful about Arthurian literature and fiction in general: fancy, treachery, romance, and friendship. A great sequel to the Crystal Cave.

The Audio Version is Truly Moving
I have just finished listening to the Chivers Audiobooks' recording of The Last Enchantment, read masterfully by Stephen Thorne. Mary Stewart's story is wonderfully written, but Stephen Thorne truly brings it to life. His reading drew me in from the start, and I knew I was enjoying the magic of a true storyteller. He brought the many characters and scenes completely and vividly to life. I know that years ago I read and enjoyed The Crystal Cave and The Hollow Hills, but I have the audio versions on order at the library so that I can enjoy Mr. Thorne's reading of them. In listening to Mr. Thorne read them, I know he'll bring a completely new dimension to the stories. I highly recommend both the book itself, which is beautifully written, and the wonderful reading of it by Mr. Thorne. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Initially published nearly thirty years ago, Mary Stewart's The Crystal Cave has been spellbinding readers and converting them into serious Arthurian buffs ever since. The first in a series of four books, this novel focuses on the early life of Merlin the magician, and the political developments of fifth-century Britain. Not for the fainthearted, this verbose text pays careful attention to historical details and methodical plot development.

Merlin's childhood is formed by the absence of his reticent, convent-bound mother and his unnamed and unknown father. As the bastard grandson of a local king, Merlin is the object of both envy and ridicule. His strange powers and predictions earn him greater status as a pariah, and he leaves home as a preadolescent. Returning years later as a young man--empowered by self-knowledge and magic--Merlin finds himself caught in the currents of the shifting kingdoms.

As an established classic in this genre, and the first in a popular series, The Crystal Cave introduces this familiar character with fresh sensitivity. While readers looking for the romance of First Knight will be disappointed, those happy with tight writing and a complex story line will be satisfied. --Nancy R.E. O'Brien ... Read more

Reviews (94)

Wonderful Writer
Mary Stewart was a wonderful writer, and has memerized thousands with her tales of King Arthur and his Enchanter Merlin.Her writing weaves a spell as great as any Merlin could do, and her fine, fine, storytelling talents transport you to another world of Kings and magic and Knights.Of all the books I've read throughout my life, and there have been thousands, "The Crystal Cave" remains my favorite.

Great Book - For Readers Who Pay Attention
I was not forced to read this book for school, yet I had to do a book report on it and found it was outstanding. It is long, very long, but it is somewhat of a quick read. Stewart did a great job developing the plot. I plan to read more of her books.

Enjoyed every minute of it!
I read this book many years ago, and I loved it. I took it back a while back, and loved it even more. Now I read it again recently, and still find it most enjoyable. A book about Merlin, brilliant!
Highly recommended.

Enchanting
This is the first fantasy book I ever read. My mother gave it to me when I was 10 and told me I would like it and I loved it. I have read the following 6 books. Now, fantasy is my chosen read.

Young Merlin enchantingly evoked
An enchanting fantasy.

Stewart has run with the Arthur semi historical myth - choosing Merlin as her narrator. And she's done it well. Sure we've got lots of the standard tools around a down and out [illegitimate] child maturing into power and influence, and most characters could be summed up as `Faithful servant #2', `virtuous old mentor', or `Evil priest #3', but what's wrong with that? These are enjoyable mythical characters. Moreover she's managed to maintain a sense of magic as an undercurrent or mood running through the book - something deeper and more powerful than the casual and costless flash of Eddings, Goodkind and their ilk. It reminds me a bit of David Gemmell too in the way that you can like the hero, who looks out for the underdog and is more a friend than a `master': Merlin's a one in a million sage, but a nice bloke too. He's also far more consistent than a lot of heroes whose authors' lavishly describe as paragons of virtue and intellect who don't necessarily do much that's selfless or smart. Stewart's Merlin rather earns our respect and affection - even when involved in the nasty backstabbing at Tintagel (this Arthur had just better be worth it...).

So, a capable story from the old romance, a nice place to escape to for a while. I mean, Merlin has a pretty big rap to live up to: it's impressive that you come away from Stewart's version satisfied and not at all disappointed. That'll do me. ... Read more