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The Iron Grail (Merlin Codex)
 
 

The Iron Grail (Merlin Codex) (Hardcover)

by Robert Holdstock (Author)
4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)

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Product details

  • Hardcover: 320 pages
  • Publisher: Earthlight (5 Aug 2002)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0743220773
  • ISBN-13: 978-0743220774
  • Product Dimensions: 23.4 x 15.6 x 3 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 720,020 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in this category:

    #32 in  Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Authors, A-Z > H > Holdstock, Robert

Product Description

Review
Three warnings greet Merlin on his return to Alba, the future England, and to the deserted fortress of Taurovinda. He is not the only one making the journey: Urtha, High King of the Cornovidi, is coming home to reclaim his stronghold. And Jason is coming to seek his younger son Kinos, 'the Little Dreamer', hiding somewhere in the Celtic kingdom. He sails on Argo, resurrected after seven centuries. But Urtha's fortress has been taken by warriors from Ghostland. There will be war against the Otherworld. Holdstock weaves myth and history into a fabulous tale of honour, death and magic. And at the centre, moving along his never-ending path, is Merlin himself, an enchanter in the prime of his life: reckless, curious, powerful, yet a stranger to his own past.

Product Description
Book Two of The Merlin Codex, the compelling sequel to the bestselling Celtika. 'The first is a man who needs you and will use you. He will weaken you dangerously. The second is a man you betrayed, though you believe otherwise. He wishes to kill you and can do so easily. The third is a ship that is more than a ship. She grieves and broods. She will carry you to your grave.' These three warnings greet Merlin on his return to Alba, the future England, to the deserted fortress of Taurovinda - the Hill of the White bull. He is not the only one making the journey: Urtha, High King of the Cornovidi, is coming home to reclaim his stronghold. And Jason is coming to seek his younger son Kinos, 'the Little Dreamer', hiding somewhere in the Celtic kingdom. He sails on Argo, resurrected after seven centuries. But Urtha's fortress has been taken by warriors from Ghostland; they claim it as their own. There will be war against the Otherworld. In this sequel to Celtika, Robert Holdstock weaves myth and history into a fabulous tale of honour, death and magic. Characters both mythic and tragic, strange and yet oddly familiar, take on a life of their own. And at the centre, moving along his never-ending path, is Merlin himself, an enchanter in the prime of his life, reckless, curious, powerful, yet a stranger to his own past - a past that is catching up with him.

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Average Customer Review
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Holdstock does it again - just..., 30 Aug 2002
By A Customer
Those in the know will spot straight away from my e-mail address that I'm a fan of Holdstock's writings. I've read his work and enjoyed immersing myself in the worlds of his stories for over a decade.

The Iron Grail is a follow on to Celtika (ideally they should be read in order) and takes up soon after the stories narrator Merlin returns to Alba. Almost immediately a vividly written scene in a long hall let's the reader know that this is Holdstock at his brutal best. We're taken on slow burning quests as characters from the first book are reintroduced and their plots divert and distract. As with Celtika one is never really sure what the main story is as the reader becomes so engrossed in the immediate action.

One of the most haunting and powerful sections of the book is the introduction and explanation of the 'Argonauts of grey demeanour'; the plith of these poor souls is very well written and not a little disturbing, even if their situation is lifted directly from Celtic mythology. The Character of Merlin has lightened a little from the first book, he is now trying to juggle and deflect the attentions of 4 'enchantresses' and his desire to help Urtha recover his lost children makes him positivly likeable, no matter that his reasons are not what they seem.

The last part of the book concerns an island hopping voyage deep into the world of the Dead and Unborn. Maybe it was the switch from a Celtic to Greek based mythology but I found this to be a little disappointing. From misty murky forests we are transferred to calm seas and sunny islands - all a little too clean and shiny for my taste. It was a bit of a struggle to maintain the image of the brooding winter bound 'spirit of the ship' deep within the heart of Argo.

Once again, Holdstock has managed to deliver the goods in his strange way with another absorbing read. If you are new to Holdstock and enjoyed this book go and find a copy of Lavondyss which for me is still his most magical story.

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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Intelligent fantasy, 11 Sep 2002
By A Customer
This book follows on almost immediately from Celtika and continues the adventures of Merlin and his friends and enemies who were encountered in the previous novel. Initially this one drags but like other Holdstock books gets much better once a quest has been embarked upon. By having a sometimes unreliable narrator who keeps things from the reader the book is reminiscent of Gene Wolfe. This is a good thing, as is the character of Merlin who's quite different from your standard fantasy wizard. While not as good as Mythago Wood (very few books are) this is an intelligent, sometimes thought-provoking novel that I enjoyed and I'll certainly buy the next one in the series.
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