The Crystal Cave

Arthurian Saga, Book 1

By: Mary Stewart

Narrated by: Derek Perkins

Length: 16 hrs and 51 mins

Publisher's summary

The spellbinding story of Merlin's rise to power.

This is what happened. I saw it, and it is a true tale.  

So begins the story of Merlin, born the illegitimate son of a Welsh princess in fifth-century Britain, a world ravaged by war. Small and neglected, with his mother unwilling to reveal his father's identity, Merlin must disguise his intelligence - and hide his occasional ability to know things before they happen - in order to keep himself safe.  

One beautiful afternoon, while exploring the countryside near his home, Merlin stumbles across a cave filled with books and papers and hiding a room lined with crystals. It is the home of Galapas, who becomes Merlin's tutor and friend, and who teaches Merlin to understand the world around him...and to harness the power of the crystal cave to see the future.  

Merlin will rise to power and enter history - and legend - as advisor to King Arthur. But all stories must begin somewhere. And this is his.   

The Crystal Cave is the first of Mary Stewart's brilliant Arthurian Saga, telling the story of King Arthur from the perspective of the extraordinary, mysterious Merlin.

©1970 Mary Stewart (P)2018 Hodder & Stoughton Limited

Critic reviews

"Vivid, enthralling, absolutely first-class." (Daily Mail)

Finally available in Canada

So happy to finally be able to listen to this flawlessly performed masterpiece. Magical. If you haven't read this before you are in for a real treat. if you are already a fan you will be very pleased with this quality of the narration.

One of the best Arthurian retellingd

Don’t think that this is just for children. This series is one of the best retelling of the Arthurian myth. The key difference being that it is told from Merlin’s point of view.

Finally here

I am truly happy my favourite book has finally been re-read since the early cassette edition. It is great to have one in good quality audio. Overall, I enjoyed the whole book, and shall continue with the two following volumes, even though I know it nearly by heart through rereading and relistening. However, though the performance is very good, I cannot give it 5 stars, for the unfulfilled expectations, I suppose. I was so much hoping for a younger, a more charismatic maybe, voice to interprete Merlin's complex personality. And this is a very qualitative audiobook, but not that it is outstanding really. The voice sounds mature, a bit monotonous, not very good at doing feminine voices or children's. But that is only my subjective opinion, and I'm very conscious that the fact that I have been the series' fan for many many years is probably not the best sauce for judging new interpretations.