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The Adventures of Merlin #1.11
The Labyrinth of Gedref
Out on a hunting trip, Arthur kills a unicorn. Merlin rushes to the animal's side, obviously upset, as the knights cheer Arthur for killing this most highly-prized of beasts. But, it seems that by killing the magical creature Arthur has cursed Camelot, and until he makes amends for his actions the great city will be damned. Could this be the end of Camelot and her people?
158 pages, Hardcover
First published March 4, 2010
349 people want to read
About the author
Mike Tucker
106 books46 followersMike Tucker is a special effects expert who worked for many years at the BBC Television Visual Effects Department, and now works as an Effects Supervisor for his own company, The Model Unit. He is also the author of a number of original tv tie-in Doctor Who novels (some co-written with Robert Perry), and three books based on episodes of the television series Merlin. He co-wrote the factual books Ace! The Inside Story of the End of an Era with Sophie Aldred in 1996, and BBC VFX - The Story of the BBC Visual Effects Department with Mat Irvine in 2010.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
July 19, 2022
i really enjoyed this instalment. they delved deeper into merlin’s connection with nature and the description of his feelings and these connections felt magical.
i also really appreciated the fact that we got to see more of arthur’s thought process and how he feels towards his burden and duty. how the pressure that his father puts on him, and the disappointment he regularly voices, affects arthur.
there were some extra scenes and POV’s which was nice, it gave some insights into characters, like morgana. but there was also some for uther and gaius (which i cared for less). there were some extra mentions of gwen compared to the show’s episode but seeing how they were able to give us such extra insights of uther and gaius etc, i wish they’d done more of that for gwen too…
i also really appreciated the fact that we got to see more of arthur’s thought process and how he feels towards his burden and duty. how the pressure that his father puts on him, and the disappointment he regularly voices, affects arthur.
there were some extra scenes and POV’s which was nice, it gave some insights into characters, like morgana. but there was also some for uther and gaius (which i cared for less). there were some extra mentions of gwen compared to the show’s episode but seeing how they were able to give us such extra insights of uther and gaius etc, i wish they’d done more of that for gwen too…
July 14, 2021
An amazing piece of literature! 😉
Love myself a bit of Merlin, can't get enough.
Love myself a bit of Merlin, can't get enough.
September 9, 2025
another banger episode from season 1 because it's funny (the rat bit), heartbreaking (the curse bit) and hopeful (the undoing the curse bit).
as with every book so far, we have some great insights into Merlin and Arthur's relationship and how they view each other :
"when he had first met the prince, he had considered him to be a rude, loutish oaf, a self-centered and vain boy with no ambition further than his next until trip. that opinion changed considerably in the time that he had been in Arthur's service. the Great Dragon had told him that Arthur's destiny was to be a great king, something special, and Merlin had no doubt that inside Arthur was the potential to be just that.
certainly, he could be selfish and unthinking, and sometimes his pig-headedness was simply exasperating, but Merlin had been through enough at his side to know that underneath all the bluster and awkwardness Arthur was a good man, an honest man, and someone deeply committed to his king, his friends and his people."
yet, despite growing closer to each other and going through the horrors together, each challenge or hardship has the means to break them or make their bond stronger :
"what was sad was that it had placed yet another barrier between him and Arthur. the two of them had come so close to breaking the rules of what a master and a servant should be, become so close to being friends."
this is enhanced by their "core" traits/dilemma :
for Arthur, it's that "it seemed that wherever he turned people were expecting things" of and from him. he's trying to do right by everyone even while he's crumbling under all of their expectations, especially his father's. which means he's really hard on himself, has a low self-esteem but a strong sense of pride that dwells on arrogance, and a dreadful temper. that leads him to take rash decisions in the heat of the moment, double down when he's wrong and not ask for help, thus often pushing Merlin away and not heading his warnings.
for Merlin, it's that "everyone seemed to think that he would be a hindrance, not an asset." since he has to hide his magic, he can never help how he wants to and with the means in his disposal without risking and fearing for his life. but it also means that he is never taken seriously - especially by Arthur, who relies on him and trusts him, but often dismisses him because of his station and his unusual outlook on things.
even though they care for each other and would die for each other at the end of the day and everyday after that, more often than not they take one step forward and two steps back.
on another note :
(BEGINNING OF SPOILERS FOR 5×13)
THE PARALLELS WITH THE FINAL EPISODE !?!?!?!?! WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK WAS THAT WHAT
"could it be that he and Arthur had finally understood each other? it was ironic, and unfair. they were to become true friends at the very moment that death was about to tear them apart."
"after all the Great Dragon had told him, was this really how it would end? the two of them alone on a beach far from Camelot, with no one to help, no one they could turn to?"
"Arthur's face was ashen. his eyes flickered open for a moment and he stared up at the sky, then with a shuddering breath, they closed again and he was still.
"no, no..." Merlin shook the lifeless body, willing it to take another breath, but Arthur was motionless in his arms. slowly Merlin lowered him onto the wet rock and sat back on his haunches, utterly desolate.
he had failed.
Arthur Pendragon was dead."
like. excuse me. this is SICK. i am sick to my stomach WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS TO ME @ MERLIN'S WRITERS WHY !!! HAVE WE NOT SUFFERED ENOUGH
meanwhile merlin's writers (probably) : ruining christmas is not enough, we shall ruin everyday of the year :D
(END OF SPOILERS FOR 5×13)
aaand this would not be a merlin bbc review without further proofs that uther pendragon is the sole contender and winner for the award of Worst Father Alive™, so here goes :
"once again his father had seen fit to place a huge burden upon him, and would only show his disappointment if Arthur failed him."
"but occasionally, just occasionally, he wished that the king was someone who he could go to with his problems, someone who he could talk to as an equal.
as a man.
as a father."
@ uther pendragon... count your fucking days because they are NUMBERED
and @ uther pendragon haters... we ride at dawn.
as with every book so far, we have some great insights into Merlin and Arthur's relationship and how they view each other :
"when he had first met the prince, he had considered him to be a rude, loutish oaf, a self-centered and vain boy with no ambition further than his next until trip. that opinion changed considerably in the time that he had been in Arthur's service. the Great Dragon had told him that Arthur's destiny was to be a great king, something special, and Merlin had no doubt that inside Arthur was the potential to be just that.
certainly, he could be selfish and unthinking, and sometimes his pig-headedness was simply exasperating, but Merlin had been through enough at his side to know that underneath all the bluster and awkwardness Arthur was a good man, an honest man, and someone deeply committed to his king, his friends and his people."
yet, despite growing closer to each other and going through the horrors together, each challenge or hardship has the means to break them or make their bond stronger :
"what was sad was that it had placed yet another barrier between him and Arthur. the two of them had come so close to breaking the rules of what a master and a servant should be, become so close to being friends."
this is enhanced by their "core" traits/dilemma :
for Arthur, it's that "it seemed that wherever he turned people were expecting things" of and from him. he's trying to do right by everyone even while he's crumbling under all of their expectations, especially his father's. which means he's really hard on himself, has a low self-esteem but a strong sense of pride that dwells on arrogance, and a dreadful temper. that leads him to take rash decisions in the heat of the moment, double down when he's wrong and not ask for help, thus often pushing Merlin away and not heading his warnings.
for Merlin, it's that "everyone seemed to think that he would be a hindrance, not an asset." since he has to hide his magic, he can never help how he wants to and with the means in his disposal without risking and fearing for his life. but it also means that he is never taken seriously - especially by Arthur, who relies on him and trusts him, but often dismisses him because of his station and his unusual outlook on things.
even though they care for each other and would die for each other at the end of the day and everyday after that, more often than not they take one step forward and two steps back.
on another note :
(BEGINNING OF SPOILERS FOR 5×13)
THE PARALLELS WITH THE FINAL EPISODE !?!?!?!?! WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK WAS THAT WHAT
"could it be that he and Arthur had finally understood each other? it was ironic, and unfair. they were to become true friends at the very moment that death was about to tear them apart."
"after all the Great Dragon had told him, was this really how it would end? the two of them alone on a beach far from Camelot, with no one to help, no one they could turn to?"
"Arthur's face was ashen. his eyes flickered open for a moment and he stared up at the sky, then with a shuddering breath, they closed again and he was still.
"no, no..." Merlin shook the lifeless body, willing it to take another breath, but Arthur was motionless in his arms. slowly Merlin lowered him onto the wet rock and sat back on his haunches, utterly desolate.
he had failed.
Arthur Pendragon was dead."
like. excuse me. this is SICK. i am sick to my stomach WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS TO ME @ MERLIN'S WRITERS WHY !!! HAVE WE NOT SUFFERED ENOUGH
meanwhile merlin's writers (probably) : ruining christmas is not enough, we shall ruin everyday of the year :D
(END OF SPOILERS FOR 5×13)
aaand this would not be a merlin bbc review without further proofs that uther pendragon is the sole contender and winner for the award of Worst Father Alive™, so here goes :
"once again his father had seen fit to place a huge burden upon him, and would only show his disappointment if Arthur failed him."
"but occasionally, just occasionally, he wished that the king was someone who he could go to with his problems, someone who he could talk to as an equal.
as a man.
as a father."
@ uther pendragon... count your fucking days because they are NUMBERED
and @ uther pendragon haters... we ride at dawn.
August 22, 2025
This one is on the shorter side compared to the others but it's one of my favorites. I've read almost all of them and it's either my most loved or #2.
There are scenes in the book that weren't in the episode. You really get a feel for how devastated Arthur is about causing his people such distress and for just how starved the kingdom is. Great detail!
There are scenes in the book that weren't in the episode. You really get a feel for how devastated Arthur is about causing his people such distress and for just how starved the kingdom is. Great detail!
January 20, 2022
all merlin content is 5 stars <3
March 6, 2023
A nostalgic read. Well written adaptation of the TV show.
July 6, 2024
the amount of arthur angst that was packed into this 150 page book was diabolical and would make even the most seasoned fanfic authors jealous
October 10, 2012
I didn't find the author's voice in this one as good as in the previous Merlin book, but I still enjoyed the chance to get inside characters heads and learn more about them, for example with Uther.
There was also more about the labyrinth and that was cool to read about.
All in all a good novelisation.
There was also more about the labyrinth and that was cool to read about.
All in all a good novelisation.
April 24, 2016
Loved this per usual and it was cool to read some extra stuff that the producers/writes of the television show didn't include.
What I really liked was the part with Morgana and her dream because she's had visions since Valiant so why wouldn't she have them at this point. Very cool.
Also having an inside look at Uther's motivations makes him less of a dick sometimes.
What I really liked was the part with Morgana and her dream because she's had visions since Valiant so why wouldn't she have them at this point. Very cool.
Also having an inside look at Uther's motivations makes him less of a dick sometimes.
July 15, 2011
read it in an hour and a half :)
January 18, 2013
this book was awsome. merlin finds a unicorn and tells it to go then auther shot a bow at it then he made a curse apon camelot
July 6, 2013
canny book! just like the tv but with a lot more to it, well worth the read.
July 19, 2016
This is another of the TV show Merlin's tie in novels. As I have said about others it is a nice light fun read. I enjoy these novels quite a bit.
August 30, 2021
Loved it
January 26, 2013
It wasn't so bad but quite dull! I kept falling asleep -.-
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews