Merlin's story began in Arthurian legend appearing first in Geoffrey Monmouth's History of the Kings of Britain. Born from a union of a human woman and supernatural father, he grew up to be a powerful wizard. He advises and helps King Arthur for many years. Finally, he is seduced by a woman who steals his magic and traps him in a tree or cave. His exploits continue to appear in new ways in several Fantasy books.
Robert Holdstock presents two versions of Merlin in two different books: Merlin's Wood (see previous article) and Celtika. The new book has Merlin as an immortal, young in looks, who has been around for millennia. His story starts in the time of Jason and the Argonauts. He gets involved in the twisted fate of Jason and Medea. Mr. Holdstock combines many aspects of Western mythology in a complex plot with vivid images. Merlin is a powerful archetype that plays a strong role in the fates of many characters.
The wizard appears in a different guise in J. Robert King's Mad Merlin. In the beginning of this book, Merlin has amnesia because of a curse. He is actually the Roman god Jupiter. Arthur is the one who can lift the curse, so Merlin prepares for his coming. He hides Arthur away and slowly regains his memory. The author provides rich, vivid descriptions of this Fantasy world and a different type of Merlin than normally depicted in other books.
Merlin plays a role in young adult books too. T.A. Barron tells the story of Merlin's younger life in his series of books. A young boy washes up on the shores of mythical Falcayra, alone and starving; he is Merlin. He grows up on the island, learning to use his powers and gaining many strange friends like a white spider and deer woman. The "Lost Years of Merlin" series consists of five books: The Lost Years of Merlin, The Seven Songs of Merlin, The Fires of Merlin, The Mirror of Merlin and The Wings of Merlin.
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