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The Crystal Cave audiobook cover art

  • The Crystal Cave

  • The Arthurian Saga, Book 1
  • By: Mary Stewart
  • Narrated by: Derek Perkins
  • Length: 16 hrs and 51 mins
  • Unabridged
  • Overall
    4.5 out of 5 stars 538
  • Performance
    4.5 out of 5 stars 507
  • Story
    4.5 out of 5 stars 506

Born the bastard son of a Welsh princess, Myrdden Emrys - or as he would later be known, Merlin - leads a perilous childhood, haunted by portents and visions. But destiny has great plans for this no-man's-son, taking him from prophesying before High King Vortigern to the crowning of Uther Pendragon, and the conception of Arthur, king for once and always.

  • 5 out of 5 stars

  • Fantasy as literature.

  • By bluestategirl on 01-25-17
Thornyhold audiobook cover art

  • Thornyhold

  • By: Mary Stewart
  • Narrated by: Jenny Agutter
  • Length: 2 hrs and 48 mins
  • Abridged
  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars 33
  • Performance
    3.5 out of 5 stars 28
  • Story
    4.5 out of 5 stars 30

Gilly Ramsey's lonely childhood was brightened only by visits to her godmother until her death, when the then grown-up Gilly inherited the family cottage, Thornyhold. With its magical and peaceful strength and its sovereign defenses against evil, Thornyhold strikes an end to Gilly's loneliness, despite its revealing her family's history of witchcraft.

  • 3 out of 5 stars

  • Great story

  • By Amazon Customer on 01-01-18
The Wind off the Small Isles audiobook cover art

  • The Wind off the Small Isles

  • By: Mary Stewart
  • Narrated by: Susie Riddell
  • Length: 1 hr and 59 mins
  • Unabridged
  • Overall
    4.5 out of 5 stars 79
  • Performance
    4.5 out of 5 stars 69
  • Story
    4.5 out of 5 stars 69

Beloved author Mary Stewart's long-lost novella, now available again for the first time in 40 years. In 1879 a wealthy young woman elopes with an impoverished fisherman, leaving her family, who live on the volcanic island of Lanzarote, distraught. In 1968, 23-year-old Perdita West, secretary to the famous author Cora Gresham, visits Lanzarote, the strangest and wildest of the Canary Isles, on a research trip. They meet Cora's estranged son, Mike, and fall in love with the unusual, beautiful little island.

  • 5 out of 5 stars

  • Classic Mary Stewart. Enchanting

  • By Jenny on 06-10-17
Rose Cottage audiobook cover art

  • Rose Cottage

  • By: Mary Stewart
  • Narrated by: Samantha Eggar
  • Length: 3 hrs and 14 mins
  • Abridged
  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars 80
  • Performance
    4.5 out of 5 stars 65
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars 65

In the summer of 1947, Kate Herrick, widowed by the war, returns to Rose Cottage, her childhood home. A tiny thatched dwelling nestled in an idyllic country setting, Rose Cottage at first appears the picture of tranquility. But Kate soon discovers that someone has broken in; the papers that are the object of her have disappeared, and the village seethes with gossip. How harmless are her elderly neighbors, who are suspected of witchcraft?

  • 5 out of 5 stars

  • A beautiful classic

  • By Natalie on 03-29-14
The Stormy Petrel audiobook cover art

  • The Stormy Petrel

  • By: Mary Stewart
  • Narrated by: Jenny Seagrove
  • Length: 2 hrs and 56 mins
  • Abridged
  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars 42
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars 36
  • Story
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The isolated cottage on the remote Hebridean island of Moila seemed like an ideal away-from-it-all retreat for writer Rose Fenemore, a place where she could work in peace, and where her brother Crispin could walk, fish, and photograph the birds and wildlife. But it is not easy to escape the world and its troubles. Crispin's arrival is delayed, and Rose, on her own in the lonely cottage, has to cope with two very different men who come in from the sea on a night of summer storm.

  • 2 out of 5 stars

  • Not Stewart's best, sound quality a problem

  • By Alden on 10-23-11
The Mists of Avalon audiobook cover art

  • The Mists of Avalon

  • By: Marion Zimmer Bradley
  • Narrated by: Davina Porter
  • Length: 50 hrs and 53 mins
  • Unabridged
  • Overall
    4.5 out of 5 stars 4,032
  • Performance
    4.5 out of 5 stars 3,672
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A posthumous recipient of the World Fantasy Award for Lifetime Achievement, Marion Zimmer Bradley reinvented - and rejuvenated - the King Arthur mythos with her extraordinary Mists of Avalon series. In this epic work, Bradley follows the arc of the timeless tale from the perspective of its previously marginalized female characters: Celtic priestess Morgaine, Gwenhwyfar, and High Priestess Viviane.

  • 5 out of 5 stars

  • Outstanding Must Listen Tome

  • By GH on 08-08-15

Publisher's Summary

Merlin the Enchanter, prophet and visionary, adviser to kings: Here is the story of how he rears Arthur, the future Christmas King, in remote secrecy, safe from the warring kings and Saxons who plot against his father, King Uther. Told in the voice of Merlin himself, this tale bristles with all the suspense and intrigue of fifth-century Britain. Ambrosius is dead, having brought order and progress to the kingdom during his reign. Now the regional kings look to the succession, and Merlin watches and waits, always providing for the security of the boy his prophesies promise will become the greatest king of all.
©1990 Mary Stewart (P)2009 Phoenix

What members say

Average Customer Ratings

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Audible.com Reviews
Audible.co.uk reviews
Amazon Reviews
Sort by:
  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Who Abridges and Epic Trilogy?

What did you like best about The Hollow Hills? What did you like least?

The Hollow Hills was performed very well but abridged? What a stunning choice. They kept the story line but it's like a commercial for the complete story. What a waste of the talents of both the author and the performer.

What about Nicol Williamson’s performance did you like?

The performer has a rich, nuanced voice that is perfect for an epic saga like this one.

Any additional comments?

I hope someone decides that this classic trilogy is worth the time and money to create in an unabridged version.

7 of 7 people found this review helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Never Buy Abridged

So many important details in this book were lost in the abridgement. Entire conversations were condensed into one or two prose sentences. The entire feel of the story is different. The basic storyline is there, but not the magic of Mary Stewart's writing. The narrator is very good, however, which is why I bought it. If I hadn't read the book, this would've been enjoyable.

6 of 6 people found this review helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

A lovely voice, but not the whole story

I don't buy abridged audiobooks as a rule, but I had to buy this one. Nicol Williamson has a fabulous voice and it's worth the credits to listen to him.

It's been years since I read The Hollow Hills, one of Mary Stewart's 4-book series about Merlin. This one covers the time from the birth of Arthur until his coming to the kingship. I think if you are very familiar with the entire book you will find this a disappointment, as most abridgements are.

5 of 5 people found this review helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great story, but...

Wish the trilogy was unabridged. Too much of the story line was lost. I'm disappointed.

4 of 4 people found this review helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
  • HL
  • CA
  • 05-16-14

Yet another gutted Stewart abridgement

What disappointed you about The Hollow Hills?

That it was abridged. These abridged versions of Stewart's Merlin books are barely unsatisfying- the story feels gutted.

What does Nicol Williamson bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I like listening to pleasant men's voices narrating books, so I appreciated his voice. He acted out the scenes well, too.

What character would you cut from The Hollow Hills?

The question is what characters were cut from it that I didn't get to hear about :)

Any additional comments?

They should create full, unabridged versions of Renault's and Mary Stewart's books. These abridged versions are unsatisfying.

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Unabridged please!

Unabridged please! This is a truly great story and it deserves a full length version.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

A hatchet job of a marvelous story

What disappointed you about The Hollow Hills?

Don't bother with this mess. The text was abridged to the point that all the charm, lyrical language, characterization, and everything else that made the book worth reading was gone. Read the actual book instead. It's well worth it.

Has The Hollow Hills turned you off from other books in this genre?

I will check carefully in the future to make sure I am buying the actual book.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

The narrator was fine. I wish he'd read the actual book.

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

I would have loved an audiobook of The Hollow Hills. This was an audiobook of a poorly edited, mangled summary of the book. None of Mary Stewart's original prose survived.

Any additional comments?

A huge waste of a credit.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

Abridged.

Unfortunately, this book was cut back by a great deal. I’ve been a fan of this series since I was a kid. I didn’t expect so much of the story to removed.

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Love Mary Stewart's 'Hollow Hills'.

'The Hollow Hills' is a captivating story of Merlins role in Arthur's conception and early years. I highly recommend this book. I read it again and again.

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

It is a wonderful book, Merlin is always great.

What did you love best about The Hollow Hills?

Merlin, training Arthur to be the great king, Merlin would have been.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Hollow Hills?

When he got the sword and set it up for Arthur.

What about Nicol Williamson???s performance did you like?

great expressions

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

yes

Any additional comments?

Have always loved the Merlin/Arthur story.

Sort by:
  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars
  • carol
  • 01-02-17

Always buy unabridged

This Mary Stewart series deserves to be read from cover to cover. This adaptation rips the heart out of the book and leaves us with something with all the charm of a telephone directory.

4 of 4 people found this review helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Pat G
  • 07-28-17

Mary Stuart brings the legend to life.

Good to have an old favourite so well read. The dark ages are given a believable framework and Merlin an interesting character.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Ty
  • 12-15-09

It brought me to fantasy...

I picked up this book as a schoolboy, bored with all the other
similiar titles. I wanted to be different, so randomly chose something that nobody else would be reading, and which hadn't been stamped in a long time...ten years!

Well, I couldn't put the book down, it was an extremely unique look at the Merlin story, and one which has always made more sense than the fantastic telling of so many other authors.

I recommend listening to this audiobook, possibly for the same reason as I did, all those years ago. Who knows, you may actually enjoy it :)



5 of 7 people found this review helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Olga the Owl
  • 02-05-13

Well, it's better than nothing

The book itself was so good that the rather clumsy adaptation (did Dan Brown butcher Mary Stewart's original?) grates with me, but then I know the book almost by heart. Also, it's the middle book of a trilogy, which makes me wonder how someone unfamiliar with The Crystal Cave would get on with it.



I do wish someone had picked up narrator Nicol Williamson's 'Welsh' pronunciation - Myrddin is not said as Murdin, but Murthin, among other minor irritations. In spite of all that I was glad to listen to it and it has prompted me to re-read the others in the series.

2 of 3 people found this review helpful