We return to the story of Merlin with The Hollow Hills which is book two in Mary Stewart‘s Arthurian Saga. It picks up directly after the end of the previous book with Merlin handling the immediate aftermath of helping Uther sneak into Tintagel. With Gorlois dead Uther is faced with immense guilt which pushes him to deny the consequences of what happened and refuse to acknowledge any child from it as his legitimate heir. Merlin returns to the crystal cave and a life of relative solitude until it is time for him to interfere. When Ralf shows up at the cave after being attacked he knows it is time. After talking with Ygraine, now the queen, he realizes that he must take responsibility for the child if his vision is to come to pass. Going to Utter he manages to convince Utter that it is best that he arranges for the child in secret but that it will be the heir as long as there is not another. When the child is born he secrets it away, first in Brittany and then later with Ector to be raised in accordance with his station.
Much like the first book this one presents an unusual but interesting perspective on the familiar story. Again we see the parts of the story of King Arthur but entirely from Merlin’s point of view. I can honestly say that I don’t know very many stories that do that so this one is rather refreshing. It also adds some nice insight into the role and decision making process of Merlin, even if there is absolutely no guarantee it is accurate. I also greatly appreciate the historical accuracy in the book and I don’t mean in regards to the story but in regards to the time period. A lot of other authors tend to get the historical details of Arthur’s time period drastically inaccurate, which I tend to find mildly frustrating. This book, and this series so far, feels surprisingly authentic considering the topic. In terms of the actual story it feels like this particular version is surprisingly realistic because of that. It might also have to do with how it subtly interleaved the idea of things getting changed, misinterpreted and blown up over time as the story passes from person to person. In doing so it also seems almost to imply that this might be why the version we are familiar with is different from what this story is actually portraying. I rather enjoyed the subtlety of that once I figured it out. You could tell it was well researched and everything was extremely well depicted. This is definitely one of the better versions of Merlin and King Arthur that I have read. It was an extremely enjoyable read and I am happy giving this book 4.5 out of 5 stars.
This book is closer to being fantasy considering the overall topic of the book but it also feels a lot like historical fiction so I could see it holding considerable appeal for readers who prefer either of those genres. However, I predict it will hold the greatest appeal for readers who enjoy reading about King Arthur and Merlin. There is some violence as is expected and references to adult content but nothing overly explicit. I would feel fine recommending it to readers as young as about fifteen or sixteen providing they know what to expect. There wasn’t really anything else that would be objectionable provided you are already familiar with the basics of the story of King Arthur, specifically his interactions with Morgause. If you think you might have trouble be careful but otherwise consider trying it as it was really good. Remember to share your thoughts in the comments if you do.