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Merlin's Mirror
Few authors have achieved such renown as World Fantasy Life Achievement honoree and Science Fiction Writers of America Grand Master Andre Norton. With the love of readers and the praise of critics, Norton’s books have sold millions of copies worldwide.In this great science fiction novel, Andre Norton brings to new life the legendary King Arthur and the wizard Merlin in the light of modern knowledge of a lost period of history and today’s understanding of science and interplanetary communication. Yet, as in all Norton’s wonder novels, this is a fabulous adventure in fantasy. Here is Merlin, half star-born, gifted with the advice of an alien intelligence, given the task of renewing civilization and starting humanity again up the ladder to the stars. Here is Arthur, unaware of his stellar heritage. And here, too, is the Lady of the Lake, akin to Merlin in that she is also a listener to the music of the spheres and obedient to a celestial command post.
265 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 1, 1975
159 people are currently reading
591 people want to read
About the author
Andre Norton
698 books1,390 followersAndre Norton, born Alice Mary Norton, was a pioneering American author of science fiction and fantasy, widely regarded as the Grande Dame of those genres. She also wrote historical and contemporary fiction, publishing under the pen names Andre Alice Norton, Andrew North, and Allen Weston. She launched her career in 1934 with The Prince Commands, adopting the name “Andre” to appeal to a male readership. After working for the Cleveland Library System and the Library of Congress, she began publishing science fiction under “Andrew North” and fantasy under her own name. She became a full-time writer in 1958 and was known for her prolific output, including Star Man’s Son, 2250 A.D. and Witch World, the latter spawning a long-running series and shared universe. Norton was a founding member of the Swordsmen and Sorcerers' Guild of America and authored Quag Keep, the first novel based on the Dungeons & Dragons game. She influenced generations of writers, including Lois McMaster Bujold and Mercedes Lackey. Among her many honors were being the first woman named Gandalf Grand Master of Fantasy and SFWA Grand Master. In her later years, she established the High Hallack Library to support research in genre fiction. Her legacy continues with the Andre Norton Award for young adult science fiction and fantasy.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
June 27, 2020
DAW Collectors #152
Cover Artist: Jack Gaughan.
Name: Norton, Andre Alice, Birthplace: Cleveland, Ohio, USA. (date: 17 February 1912 17 March 2005)
Alternate Name: Andrew North.
A cosmic retelling of the King Arthur legend
Cover Artist: Jack Gaughan.
Name: Norton, Andre Alice, Birthplace: Cleveland, Ohio, USA. (date: 17 February 1912 17 March 2005)
Alternate Name: Andrew North.
A cosmic retelling of the King Arthur legend
March 5, 2018
Andre Norton was noted for her unique take on the tropes of science fiction and fantasy and her influence on the genres. In her version of the Arthurian legend, we follow the progress of Merlin/Myrddin with a twist which, as far as I know, having read many Arthurian retellings, is unique.
Two space-faring races have encountered planet Earth in the far distant past. Humanity, under the mentoring of one of them, known as the Star Lords, rose to a technological peak, but civilisation was destroyed in a cataclysm and the survivors reverted to barbarism. Gradually, human beings have clawed their way back up and it is now the time of post-Roman Britain. A beacon placed long ago by the Star Lords guides in one of their automated starships which sets up a base in a cave system and sets out to influence human development, with the aim of eventually restoring the advanced technology of the past.
The first step in the process is to bring about the conception of someone who will work to accomplish certain aims - Myrddin, as he is initially known. We follow the tale of how he is conceived and raised, with the help of an old druid, and gradually comes into his heritage with his discovery of the alien technology in the caves. He must return a certain stone to the Temple of the Sun (pretty obviously Stonehenge) which will activate a new beacon to guide the Star Lords back, as the old one failed some time ago, and also bring about the birth of a leader who will establish peace - Arthur. But an adversary already works against him - a woman called Nimue, the representative of the Star Lords' enemies who do not want humanity to develop a technological society and eventually space flight.
This should have been an absorbing tale given the novel treatment of the well-known legend. And yet the style was quite distant. It is possible to tell an absorbing story even with the older style of omniscient narration, yet here it often set Merlin apart so that it was difficult to relate to his concerns, human as they were. I felt more could have been made of the church's enemity towards him, but there was also a slight continuity glitch. After his unavoidable absence for some years , he changes his name to Merlin and is supposed to be someone else, as the cryogenic technology in the caves slowed his ageing process, yet everyone still refers to him as having no father, being demon-spawned and the like. That was the rumour about his original self, Myrddin, so why does it persist - years have gone by and no one is meant to remember Myrddin (apart from Nimue), so why should they associate him with someone who hasn't been seen for years and would be older? It's also a bit inconsistent that the church do not target Nimue for their prejudice considering that she is known as a healer, which was something that always brought women under suspicion of witchcraft.
The characters of women - or rather non-characters - suffer greatly in this story. Early on, we are in the viewpoint of the woman who will give birth to Myrddin, but she is rather shallow and can't wait to get married. She is soon sent off stage. A foster nurse has something of a bond with the young boy, but is killed off. Nimue, the main female character, is always trying to seduce Myrddin/Merlin who has to keep himself totally celibate for not very convincing reasons, and doesn't have much of a motive for what she is doing, although there is a little hint of this right at the end of the book which, if it had been brought out sooner, might have been interesting. Morgause is a non-event, only a brood mare to produce Mordred, and Genievere is a shallow woman only interested in being the centre of attention to men: both have small cameo appearances and their importance is more in what they do offstage - Morgause being Nimue's prisoner, then supposedly being the one who spreads the 'truth' about Arthur, and Genievere supporting Mordred against Arthur.
As an informational note, the cover of this edition is rather misleading with its portrayal of the cliched white-bearded old man: Myrddin/Merlin is in his prime, especially in view of the fact that he didn't age at all for at least sixteen years during the story.
Given the distancing narrative style, I found the book slow going although it is not long - only 205 pages. But it took quite a long while to get through which wouldn't nomally be the case for a book of this length. So with this and the other issues, I can only rate it 2 stars.
Two space-faring races have encountered planet Earth in the far distant past. Humanity, under the mentoring of one of them, known as the Star Lords, rose to a technological peak, but civilisation was destroyed in a cataclysm and the survivors reverted to barbarism. Gradually, human beings have clawed their way back up and it is now the time of post-Roman Britain. A beacon placed long ago by the Star Lords guides in one of their automated starships which sets up a base in a cave system and sets out to influence human development, with the aim of eventually restoring the advanced technology of the past.
The first step in the process is to bring about the conception of someone who will work to accomplish certain aims - Myrddin, as he is initially known. We follow the tale of how he is conceived and raised, with the help of an old druid, and gradually comes into his heritage with his discovery of the alien technology in the caves. He must return a certain stone to the Temple of the Sun (pretty obviously Stonehenge) which will activate a new beacon to guide the Star Lords back, as the old one failed some time ago, and also bring about the birth of a leader who will establish peace - Arthur. But an adversary already works against him - a woman called Nimue, the representative of the Star Lords' enemies who do not want humanity to develop a technological society and eventually space flight.
This should have been an absorbing tale given the novel treatment of the well-known legend. And yet the style was quite distant. It is possible to tell an absorbing story even with the older style of omniscient narration, yet here it often set Merlin apart so that it was difficult to relate to his concerns, human as they were. I felt more could have been made of the church's enemity towards him, but there was also a slight continuity glitch. After his unavoidable absence for some years , he changes his name to Merlin and is supposed to be someone else, as the cryogenic technology in the caves slowed his ageing process, yet everyone still refers to him as having no father, being demon-spawned and the like. That was the rumour about his original self, Myrddin, so why does it persist - years have gone by and no one is meant to remember Myrddin (apart from Nimue), so why should they associate him with someone who hasn't been seen for years and would be older? It's also a bit inconsistent that the church do not target Nimue for their prejudice considering that she is known as a healer, which was something that always brought women under suspicion of witchcraft.
The characters of women - or rather non-characters - suffer greatly in this story. Early on, we are in the viewpoint of the woman who will give birth to Myrddin, but she is rather shallow and can't wait to get married. She is soon sent off stage. A foster nurse has something of a bond with the young boy, but is killed off. Nimue, the main female character, is always trying to seduce Myrddin/Merlin who has to keep himself totally celibate for not very convincing reasons, and doesn't have much of a motive for what she is doing, although there is a little hint of this right at the end of the book which, if it had been brought out sooner, might have been interesting. Morgause is a non-event, only a brood mare to produce Mordred, and Genievere is a shallow woman only interested in being the centre of attention to men: both have small cameo appearances and their importance is more in what they do offstage - Morgause being Nimue's prisoner, then supposedly being the one who spreads the 'truth' about Arthur, and Genievere supporting Mordred against Arthur.
As an informational note, the cover of this edition is rather misleading with its portrayal of the cliched white-bearded old man: Myrddin/Merlin is in his prime, especially in view of the fact that he didn't age at all for at least sixteen years during the story.
Given the distancing narrative style, I found the book slow going although it is not long - only 205 pages. But it took quite a long while to get through which wouldn't nomally be the case for a book of this length. So with this and the other issues, I can only rate it 2 stars.
January 26, 2018
I'm not a fan of Norton's Fantasy books but occasionally I find one she has written that I enjoy. I picked this up on a whim because of my love of King Arthur and Merlin stories. Norton does a very good job in the retelling of the Camelot legends. The interesting part of the story is the weaving in of SiFi elements in this usually all fantasy plot. Recommended
May 27, 2022
This book is 90% a retelling of the story of Merlin and his infrequent run-ins with nemesis Nimue (the Lady of the Lake). The other 10% is the subplot that they are both part alien (although from warring species) and receive their knowledge from computer systems of some sort. This allows Merlin to manipulate stones using vibrations and to turn on alien beacons for some reason, and allows Nimue to conjure fog and be sexy.
We don't know who Merlin's aliens are or why they want to return to Earth. We don't know why Nimue's aliens want to stop this. We don't know why they're fighting, we don't know how long it will take them to return to Earth but they certainly don't return during the book. And Arthur is very important for some reason. Merlin and Nimue don't fight so much as sneak around and do mean things to each other sometimes (Oh! So you're going to trap me in a cave for a couple of decades? Well, watch me sneak into your castle and break your computer headgear thingy! mwahaha!).
If you want to read about King Arthur from Merlin's point of view, the book is... fine. If you want a satisfying answer to the hypothetical "but what if Merlin was actually an ALIEN?!?!" you're not going to find it here.
We don't know who Merlin's aliens are or why they want to return to Earth. We don't know why Nimue's aliens want to stop this. We don't know why they're fighting, we don't know how long it will take them to return to Earth but they certainly don't return during the book. And Arthur is very important for some reason. Merlin and Nimue don't fight so much as sneak around and do mean things to each other sometimes (Oh! So you're going to trap me in a cave for a couple of decades? Well, watch me sneak into your castle and break your computer headgear thingy! mwahaha!).
If you want to read about King Arthur from Merlin's point of view, the book is... fine. If you want a satisfying answer to the hypothetical "but what if Merlin was actually an ALIEN?!?!" you're not going to find it here.
August 24, 2019
An interesting retelling.
An imaginative telling of how Merlin was born, taught, lived, came to meet and serve Arthur, from a science fantasy aspect.
See my review also at:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Merlins-Mirr...
An imaginative telling of how Merlin was born, taught, lived, came to meet and serve Arthur, from a science fantasy aspect.
See my review also at:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Merlins-Mirr...
November 27, 2020
Excellent. Arthur and Merlin are two of the greatest characters ever.
I hope I can find a sequel. I want to read more of the dynamic between Merlin and Nimue.
As a huge fan of ASOIAF it was very fun to find “Tirion”.
I hope I can find a sequel. I want to read more of the dynamic between Merlin and Nimue.
As a huge fan of ASOIAF it was very fun to find “Tirion”.
January 3, 2021
A very interesting look at the legend of King Arthur, told as the life of the offspring of visitors from outer space. He and Merlin are entrusted with bringing about the establishing of a new outpost of the visitors' civilization.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 18, 2020
Men were not ready for the gift of the Sky Lords. A strange combination of magic and technology, vibrations and mental powers. The world is left waiting for a better time for Arthur to come forth.
September 20, 2020
The editors at DAW had some nerve calling this "destined to become a fantasy classic".
January 25, 2021
Because the Arthurian legend is so well known and so established, we know more or less what's ultimately going to happen, but Norton makes the journey there interesting and unpredictable. It lacks any lightheartedness, which I miss, but that's not what she's going for. It's also told in a slightly elevated style, fortunately not as bad as some (looking at you, Vance), but just a bit distancing nonetheless.
It's presented as science fantasy. That aspect didn't quite work for me, because the effects are fantasy even where the causes are science (ancient aliens). While it does raise the stakes, it challenged my suspension of disbelief.
It needs more careful editing for scan errors. Mostly, these are full stops missing off the ends of sentences (and occasionally quotation marks, but that might have been in the original; it's a common fault). Sometimes, though, a word has been misread, and at least a couple of them looked as if spellcheck should have caught them. It's not anything like as bad as another Norton book I had from Open Road, though, which made me wary of their books for some time.
Still, when your business is reissuing old books, and scanning is the way you usually do that, you'd think that your editors would be better at fixing the inevitable errors than this example shows to be the case.
It's presented as science fantasy. That aspect didn't quite work for me, because the effects are fantasy even where the causes are science (ancient aliens). While it does raise the stakes, it challenged my suspension of disbelief.
It needs more careful editing for scan errors. Mostly, these are full stops missing off the ends of sentences (and occasionally quotation marks, but that might have been in the original; it's a common fault). Sometimes, though, a word has been misread, and at least a couple of them looked as if spellcheck should have caught them. It's not anything like as bad as another Norton book I had from Open Road, though, which made me wary of their books for some time.
Still, when your business is reissuing old books, and scanning is the way you usually do that, you'd think that your editors would be better at fixing the inevitable errors than this example shows to be the case.
July 3, 2023
Despite being Arthurian, this 1975 novel is science fiction. It reads to me like Norton read Mary Stewart's classic "The Crystal Cave" and thought "I could do that — but with science!" She couldn't do it, though, as it turns out.
Millennia before the AD era, aliens came down to Earth and helped us build a super-civilization; the evil aliens tore it all down, leaving only a handful of genetic descendants of the good aliens who can work what appears to be magic. Merlin is a genetically engineered virgin birth, created to rebuild society by finding a king who can bring peace. Nimue, however, represents the evil aliens, and she's determined to thwart him.
Stewart and Marion Zimmer Bradley can throw a twist into the well-known stories, making me go "oh, that's how it happened." Norton just plods through. She hits the plot points but her characters aren't strong enough to bear any emotional weight. And the women's roles are surprisingly poorly written.
Millennia before the AD era, aliens came down to Earth and helped us build a super-civilization; the evil aliens tore it all down, leaving only a handful of genetic descendants of the good aliens who can work what appears to be magic. Merlin is a genetically engineered virgin birth, created to rebuild society by finding a king who can bring peace. Nimue, however, represents the evil aliens, and she's determined to thwart him.
Stewart and Marion Zimmer Bradley can throw a twist into the well-known stories, making me go "oh, that's how it happened." Norton just plods through. She hits the plot points but her characters aren't strong enough to bear any emotional weight. And the women's roles are surprisingly poorly written.
June 20, 2020
I love the Arthurian mythos and I love Andre Norton, so you would think I would love this book. I remembered reading it back in the mid-1970s and thinking it was bold and exciting. And the science fiction twist on what is usually fantasy should be fascinating.
Alas, on this rereading, I found it to be different, but not exciting. Its depictions of female characters felt dated. I liked the premise, but just didn't enjoy the story as much as I thought I would. I actually felt relieved when I finished it.
Recommended for those who want every book on Arthur or Merlin or for those who wish a complete collection of Andre Norton. I debated between two and three stars , settling on three because it was innovative for its time and I liked it enough to finish it this time.
Alas, on this rereading, I found it to be different, but not exciting. Its depictions of female characters felt dated. I liked the premise, but just didn't enjoy the story as much as I thought I would. I actually felt relieved when I finished it.
Recommended for those who want every book on Arthur or Merlin or for those who wish a complete collection of Andre Norton. I debated between two and three stars , settling on three because it was innovative for its time and I liked it enough to finish it this time.
May 23, 2023
Text book good idea, weak execution.
Merlin is not a wizard, he was instead influenced/empowered etc by alien tech left on earth by alien beings who seek to guide humans for some vague/grand plan.
Very cool idea.
What we got was a dreary retelling of the same Arthurian story we've already seen a dozen different versions of.
So, we can see the A to B to C of the story.
The sci-fi elements are incredibly slight and vague and the plot and majority of the characterization doesn't kick in until the 3/4s mark and by then, I just didn't care.
A thin book that feels three time longer than it is, as it drags to an incredibly weak and unsatisfactory ending.
Oh, and nearly every woman in the cast is shallow, greedy and evil.
Merlin is not a wizard, he was instead influenced/empowered etc by alien tech left on earth by alien beings who seek to guide humans for some vague/grand plan.
Very cool idea.
What we got was a dreary retelling of the same Arthurian story we've already seen a dozen different versions of.
So, we can see the A to B to C of the story.
The sci-fi elements are incredibly slight and vague and the plot and majority of the characterization doesn't kick in until the 3/4s mark and by then, I just didn't care.
A thin book that feels three time longer than it is, as it drags to an incredibly weak and unsatisfactory ending.
Oh, and nearly every woman in the cast is shallow, greedy and evil.
May 29, 2020
An interesting variation on the stories of King Arthur, but it seemed almost like the summary of a story rather than the story itself. The reader never finds out enough about the Sky Lords to care about them (either for good or bad), and doesn't really get to know Merlin all that well, despite most of the story being told from his point of view. It was interesting to see what elements of the Arthurian legends Norton would use, and how she would use them. But if it weren't for my interest in Arthur, I'd have found very little of interest in the book.
July 10, 2020
9/10
A slightly-altered version of the Arthurian legend, focusing on Merlin and his “education” by artifacts left behind on earth by space-faring visitors from other worlds/universes. Full disclosure—I love most anything related to Arthurian lore, and this was a thoroughly enjoyable read. Andre Norton is a master storyteller whose science fiction and fantasy books I have read and enjoyed throughout my life. How I missed this one, I don’t know, but I’m glad I happened to find and read it now.
A slightly-altered version of the Arthurian legend, focusing on Merlin and his “education” by artifacts left behind on earth by space-faring visitors from other worlds/universes. Full disclosure—I love most anything related to Arthurian lore, and this was a thoroughly enjoyable read. Andre Norton is a master storyteller whose science fiction and fantasy books I have read and enjoyed throughout my life. How I missed this one, I don’t know, but I’m glad I happened to find and read it now.
September 16, 2023
Creative Retelling of King Arthur and Merlin
Andre Norton is the Queen of Science Fiction She was an incredibly prolific writer. I have read many of her books and some are outstanding some not outstanding and this one is right in the middle. The creativity in devising this storyline of Merlin the Magician and King Arthur's ascension to the crown of England is wonderful. The story, unfortunately, is tediously slow at spots and the conflict with the evil villaness is never resolved. Good read just not an outstanding read.
Andre Norton is the Queen of Science Fiction She was an incredibly prolific writer. I have read many of her books and some are outstanding some not outstanding and this one is right in the middle. The creativity in devising this storyline of Merlin the Magician and King Arthur's ascension to the crown of England is wonderful. The story, unfortunately, is tediously slow at spots and the conflict with the evil villaness is never resolved. Good read just not an outstanding read.
November 11, 2025
Glad found this don’t recall seeing before!?
In my youth I read many books by Andre Norton as they were published - mostly in paperback. I don’t recall reading this one before? It is a pleasure to see so many of her great books now as ebooks for a new audience and old to enjoy (again for some). I am sure I have not read all her books but I am definitely going to be looking at them here to read. I probably will get a few that the memory will come back that I have read this before - 😁 as I start reading it. Andre Norton was a great writer and entertainer for me!!!
In my youth I read many books by Andre Norton as they were published - mostly in paperback. I don’t recall reading this one before? It is a pleasure to see so many of her great books now as ebooks for a new audience and old to enjoy (again for some). I am sure I have not read all her books but I am definitely going to be looking at them here to read. I probably will get a few that the memory will come back that I have read this before - 😁 as I start reading it. Andre Norton was a great writer and entertainer for me!!!
September 23, 2019
Merlin’s Mirror is old school Norton, but I somehow never read it. It’s a retelling of the Merlin/Arthur story with a new alien intervention (or interference) perspective. The current political environment and pending climate disaster gave it a new sense of urgency that keeps it relevant long after it's 1970s debut.
January 9, 2024
Merlin made real
One of the greats, master of Sci-fi and fantasy, Andre Norton has done it again. A story of Merlin and of Arthur. Anyone interested in the King Arthur legend will enjoy it.
One of the greats, master of Sci-fi and fantasy, Andre Norton has done it again. A story of Merlin and of Arthur. Anyone interested in the King Arthur legend will enjoy it.
June 7, 2025
A great rereading of a story from my youth
A wonderful retelling of the Arthurian Legend from a science fiction point of view. A fine story for lovers of Arthur, YA readers, and science fiction aficionados.
A wonderful retelling of the Arthurian Legend from a science fiction point of view. A fine story for lovers of Arthur, YA readers, and science fiction aficionados.
September 28, 2017
Sci fi explanation for Merlin didn't hold much magic for me.
June 12, 2023
Interesting for sure. I liked the ending a lot :)
Read
June 12, 2024Didn’t finish. Couldn’t get into
October 12, 2025
An imaginative twist on the Merlin/Arthur lore. Extremely read-able & I liked it a lot. It viewed some classic characters of legend through very different eyes.
April 25, 2016
This was an interesting twist on the Arthurian legend, focussing on Merlin rather than Arthur, where magic is actually alien science. Merlin himself is the product of a single night of union between his human mother and an unnamed Star Lord. As a boy, he discovers a cave containing technology. Part of it is a mirror, which educates him and guides him to complete certain tasks to try to unite tribal Britain and to seek the king who was, is and shall be. At the same time Nimue, his dark counterpart, tries to thwart his ambitions.
While this was an intriguing take on a familiar myth, it did seem fairly dry and impersonal. I didn't really have much investment in Merlin and his path, his character was quite bland. Nimue was a bit limp as the baddie, especially as she's very rarely seen. She turns up initially and throws herself at Merlin, trying to seduce him to the dark side, but beyond that she's mostly absent from the story, and works mainly in the background. Arthur is rarely seen, and Guenevere is apparently shallow and ultimately unfaithful (though not with Lancelot, he's not in it).
I'm also not convinced about Merlin's certainty that he's in the right. He sets up a beacon to call the Star Lords, but with no idea of when they might actually arrive. Was this even the right thing to do? Armed with all the knowledge he's gained from the mirror, could he not have used that to guide the warring tribes and unite the country? It all seems to be something of a shot in the dark, and when Modred shows up, if you're familiar with the legend you know where this story is going to go anyway, and well before any Star Lords are likely to appear.
This particular edition of the book was a bit of a bugbear for me since it had obviously been scanned and corrected—except the correction wasn't marvellous. There were quite a few OCR errors left in it, especially b/h swaps. After I'd read the word 'bis' (rather than 'his') for the umpteenth time, it was starting to grate, and there were a few places where I was pulled up short because the OCR had provided the wrong word and so the sentence it was in made no sense at all without rereading it two or three times. Not the worst book I've ever read as far as errors go, but careful proofreading would have winkled these out.
While this was an intriguing take on a familiar myth, it did seem fairly dry and impersonal. I didn't really have much investment in Merlin and his path, his character was quite bland. Nimue was a bit limp as the baddie, especially as she's very rarely seen. She turns up initially and throws herself at Merlin, trying to seduce him to the dark side, but beyond that she's mostly absent from the story, and works mainly in the background. Arthur is rarely seen, and Guenevere is apparently shallow and ultimately unfaithful (though not with Lancelot, he's not in it).
I'm also not convinced about Merlin's certainty that he's in the right. He sets up a beacon to call the Star Lords, but with no idea of when they might actually arrive. Was this even the right thing to do? Armed with all the knowledge he's gained from the mirror, could he not have used that to guide the warring tribes and unite the country? It all seems to be something of a shot in the dark, and when Modred shows up, if you're familiar with the legend you know where this story is going to go anyway, and well before any Star Lords are likely to appear.
This particular edition of the book was a bit of a bugbear for me since it had obviously been scanned and corrected—except the correction wasn't marvellous. There were quite a few OCR errors left in it, especially b/h swaps. After I'd read the word 'bis' (rather than 'his') for the umpteenth time, it was starting to grate, and there were a few places where I was pulled up short because the OCR had provided the wrong word and so the sentence it was in made no sense at all without rereading it two or three times. Not the worst book I've ever read as far as errors go, but careful proofreading would have winkled these out.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Read
April 19, 2016I think this is the particular edition I have (re)acquired.
Norton was good at splicing together hard science fiction and fantasy. The characters who are aware of the extraterrestrial elements are able to reinterpret traditional elements in unfamiliar (and logical) ways.
Readers familiar with the story of Arthur will find themselves missing some things. Where are the knights of the Round Table; for example?
The slandering of Guinevere is fairly casual. She makes no decisions for herself; even though she's described (effectively) as a vain; power-hungry slut. In the end she's simply dismissed.
Reading this through; I found myself wishing that Merlin and Nimue might have cast aside their roleplaying and sat down and just had a symposium--and discussed things rationally. Merlin describes certain things as 'evil' which; in Nimue's interpretation; are simply necessary correctives for previous meddling by the Star Lords.
Maybe if Nimue could have abandoned her view of Merlin as a simple sexual conquest; and if Merlin could set the question of sexuality aside and discuss things amicably; they could have settled on a reasonable compromise. For example; granting that the Pax Romana is long(?) (most versions place the departure of the Romans was only about a generation before the time of Arthur) gone; and that peace is in the best interests of the Britons (and; probably; of prospective invaders); why shouldn't Merlin and Nimue join forces to act as mediators of peace?
Even if (as seems likely) the Star Lords won't respond to the beacons for many Earth generations; peace would benefit all concerned.
One point: the implication is that ordinary humans CANNOT learn the disciplines and technology of the Star Lords: and that; therefore; the only hope of technological and social change is the return of the Star Lords. But how certain is this thesis? Has anybody tried?
Norton was good at splicing together hard science fiction and fantasy. The characters who are aware of the extraterrestrial elements are able to reinterpret traditional elements in unfamiliar (and logical) ways.
Readers familiar with the story of Arthur will find themselves missing some things. Where are the knights of the Round Table; for example?
The slandering of Guinevere is fairly casual. She makes no decisions for herself; even though she's described (effectively) as a vain; power-hungry slut. In the end she's simply dismissed.
Reading this through; I found myself wishing that Merlin and Nimue might have cast aside their roleplaying and sat down and just had a symposium--and discussed things rationally. Merlin describes certain things as 'evil' which; in Nimue's interpretation; are simply necessary correctives for previous meddling by the Star Lords.
Maybe if Nimue could have abandoned her view of Merlin as a simple sexual conquest; and if Merlin could set the question of sexuality aside and discuss things amicably; they could have settled on a reasonable compromise. For example; granting that the Pax Romana is long(?) (most versions place the departure of the Romans was only about a generation before the time of Arthur) gone; and that peace is in the best interests of the Britons (and; probably; of prospective invaders); why shouldn't Merlin and Nimue join forces to act as mediators of peace?
Even if (as seems likely) the Star Lords won't respond to the beacons for many Earth generations; peace would benefit all concerned.
One point: the implication is that ordinary humans CANNOT learn the disciplines and technology of the Star Lords: and that; therefore; the only hope of technological and social change is the return of the Star Lords. But how certain is this thesis? Has anybody tried?
December 29, 2025
Nice introduction to King Arthur and Andre Norton. For the couple hundred pages, I thought there really wasn’t many dull moments in this. A highlight from this book was Merlin’s loneliness, and how sometimes he felt pointless about his quest. The ending hit me pretty hard. I don’t know how close this is to the actual Merlin lore but this retelling was awesome.
Another thing I enjoyed was Merlin’s arguments to the priest about their religion and the path they should walk. Great stuff.
Another thing I enjoyed was Merlin’s arguments to the priest about their religion and the path they should walk. Great stuff.
June 12, 2014
I felt bad for Merlin by the end of this book, all he wants is advancement for the human race (which had happened before his time) and to reach for the stars. The question between Merlin (Sky Lord) and Nimue (Dark One) is if humanity is ready to do so and stand on their own. The answer is obvious by how alienated Merlin is - he has no ties to humanity that aren't in some way tied to the Sky Lords.
Merlin nonetheless stays true to that goal and Arthur throughout, and I wish there was a sequel to this where they wake and Nimue is there to greet them in a world ready for the stars and beyond and Arthur will lead the way with both Merlin and Nimue at his sides. But, still a good book by itself.
Merlin nonetheless stays true to that goal and Arthur throughout, and I wish there was a sequel to this where they wake and Nimue is there to greet them in a world ready for the stars and beyond and Arthur will lead the way with both Merlin and Nimue at his sides. But, still a good book by itself.
February 20, 2013
Outstanding book and really reflects Norton's wonderful ability to weave together the past and the future, fantasy and reality, science and magic. We see Merlin not as just a powerful mage but in all his human frailty. Yet, we also see his tenacity, dedication, and wisdom. This is a great read for anyone liking fantasy and science fiction but also for those looking for an interesting different spin on the Arthur legends.
May 31, 2013
The tone of this re-telling of the Arthurian legend is that of kind of an austere myth about someone who is a bit super-human, above and separate from the rest of humanity. Kind of like reading the biography of a monk. This made it a bit hard to relate to Merlin, the main character, until well along into the book.
I would estimate 3.5 stars, definitely worth reading, but somehow not as engaging as it could have been, considering the high quality of the writing.
I would estimate 3.5 stars, definitely worth reading, but somehow not as engaging as it could have been, considering the high quality of the writing.
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