Here is the review I wrote about a book that I read earlier this year.
The Crystal Cave by Mary Stewart
Grade: B+
This is a first-person account of Merlin’s early years. In this telling, he is the illegitimate son of Ambrosius, who is Uther Pendragon’s brother. This makes Merlin the cousin of Arthur, who had not yet been born. Basically, Merlin figures out who he is and who his father is and then goes to live in a cave by himself. It’s slow-paced and deliberately skips all the action of multiple battles. To be honest, I found much of it boring.