373:. When she first appears she is disguised as a boy, and Merlin initially takes her for the reincarnation of a child he had seen some years before whom he would have chosen as apprentice, but who died unexpectedly. Niniane is at that time not quite as gifted as Merlin himself, but he teaches her everything he knows, and they fall in love despite their age difference. As he gives her the secrets of his psychic abilities and how to control them, he seems to lose them himself. In a depleted, weakened condition, he takes ill and falls into a coma, and is believed to be dead. Mourning him, Niniane has him buried within his beloved crystal cave. She begins to have prescient nightmares that Merlin is actually alive; he awakes in the cave some time later. He escapes after a few weeks, through a combination of chance luck and ingenious planning, and travels incognito to let Arthur know he is still alive. Niniane takes Merlin's place as the court wizard-seer, while Merlin retires to the crystal cave and lives a quiet and happy life as a hermit, much like his old master in the first volume of the series.
27:
131:
350:
This novel covers the time from when Arthur
Pendragon first becomes king to the time Merlin, now getting on in years, begins to lose his powers and becomes a sort of master spy to assist King Arthur as he begins the task of uniting all of Britain.
366:. Merlin foresees that Mordred will be the cause of Arthur's death, but doesn't understand how it will happen. He spends a great deal of time traveling in disguise and observing Morgause's scheming and intrigue.
358:
as the center of government and authority. A few ambitious lords from other parts of
Britain have designs on Arthur's throne, and Merlin is kept busy preventing them from doing so. Having taken
733:
701:
741:
749:
621:
677:
162:
362:(unaware that she was his half-sister) to his bed as a very young man after his first battle and victory, Arthur is now the father of
812:
797:
91:
63:
525:
44:
70:
807:
77:
782:
475:
464:
453:
442:
431:
420:
409:
398:
387:
242:
110:
802:
787:
59:
792:
48:
669:
777:
772:
685:
586:
518:
187:
84:
535:
303:
144:
37:
605:
693:
511:
182:
629:
613:
8:
717:
637:
544:
709:
653:
471:
460:
449:
438:
427:
416:
405:
394:
383:
249:
237:
661:
562:
554:
312:
307:
267:
335:
130:
578:
342:
as he oversees Arthur's destiny to become the great king Merlin has predicted.
318:
280:
495:
766:
645:
503:
339:
331:
256:
725:
221:
217:
338:, the wizard of legend, who is recounting his story of the reign of
26:
359:
363:
355:
296:
172:
369:
Somewhere along the line, Merlin takes on a female apprentice,
370:
299:
250:
306:. It is the third in a quintet of novels covering the
51:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
354:Arthur is now King and hard at work establishing
764:
519:
533:
526:
512:
334:of this story is the clairvoyant and wise
129:
111:Learn how and when to remove this message
467:), Pub date 29 September 1996, Paperback
423:), Pub date 12 December 1981, Paperback
765:
445:), Pub date 12 October 1983, Paperback
507:
426:1982, USA, G. K. Hall & Company (
734:Frost on the Window: And other Poems
325:
49:adding citations to reliable sources
20:
456:), Pub date 12 July 1984, Paperback
13:
382:1979, UK, Hodder & Stoughton (
376:
14:
824:
478:), Pub date 1 May 2003, Paperback
813:William Morrow and Company books
25:
798:Novels set in sub-Roman Britain
390:), Pub date Jun 1979, Hardcover
345:
36:needs additional citations for
489:
401:, Pub date Jul 1979, Hardcover
1:
482:
459:1996, USA, Ballantine Books (
434:), Pub date 1982, Large print
808:Hodder & Stoughton books
686:The Wind Off the Small Isles
7:
412:), Pub date 1980, Paperback
393:1979, USA, William Morrow (
10:
829:
587:The Prince and the Pilgrim
16:1979 novel by Mary Stewart
597:
542:
275:
262:
248:
236:
228:
212:
204:
194:
178:
168:
158:
150:
140:
128:
783:Modern Arthurian fiction
702:Ludo and the Star Horse
803:Novels by Mary Stewart
788:British fantasy novels
183:Hodder & Stoughton
60:"The Last Enchantment"
793:Works based on Merlin
694:The Little Broomstick
670:Airs Above the Ground
606:Madam, Will You Talk?
124:The Last Enchantment
630:Nine Coaches Waiting
622:Thunder on the Right
614:Wildfire at Midnight
571:The Last Enchantment
448:1984, USA, Fawcett (
437:1983, USA, Fawcett (
415:1981, USA, Fawcett (
404:1980, UK, Coronet, (
292:The Last Enchantment
45:improve this article
778:1979 fantasy novels
773:1979 British novels
718:A Walk in Wolf Wood
125:
678:The Gabriel Hounds
638:My Brother Michael
545:The Merlin Trilogy
123:
760:
759:
710:Touch Not the Cat
654:The Moon-Spinners
326:Plot introduction
316:and succeeded by
288:
287:
205:Publication place
121:
120:
113:
95:
820:
662:This Rough Magic
563:The Hollow Hills
555:The Crystal Cave
528:
521:
514:
505:
504:
498:
493:
470:2003, USA, Eos (
340:Arthur Pendragon
313:The Hollow Hills
308:Arthurian legend
276:Followed by
268:The Hollow Hills
263:Preceded by
252:
196:Publication date
135:First UK edition
133:
126:
122:
116:
109:
105:
102:
96:
94:
53:
29:
21:
828:
827:
823:
822:
821:
819:
818:
817:
763:
762:
761:
756:
593:
538:
532:
502:
501:
494:
490:
485:
379:
377:Release details
348:
328:
213:Media type
197:
186:
136:
117:
106:
100:
97:
54:
52:
42:
30:
17:
12:
11:
5:
826:
816:
815:
810:
805:
800:
795:
790:
785:
780:
775:
758:
757:
755:
754:
746:
738:
730:
722:
714:
706:
698:
690:
682:
674:
666:
658:
650:
642:
634:
626:
618:
610:
601:
599:
595:
594:
592:
591:
583:
579:The Wicked Day
575:
567:
559:
550:
548:
540:
539:
531:
530:
523:
516:
508:
500:
499:
487:
486:
484:
481:
480:
479:
468:
457:
446:
435:
424:
413:
402:
391:
378:
375:
347:
344:
327:
324:
319:The Wicked Day
310:, preceded by
286:
285:
281:The Wicked Day
277:
273:
272:
264:
260:
259:
254:
246:
245:
240:
234:
233:
230:
226:
225:
214:
210:
209:
208:United Kingdom
206:
202:
201:
198:
195:
192:
191:
188:William Morrow
180:
176:
175:
170:
166:
165:
163:Arthurian Saga
160:
156:
155:
152:
148:
147:
142:
138:
137:
134:
119:
118:
33:
31:
24:
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
825:
814:
811:
809:
806:
804:
801:
799:
796:
794:
791:
789:
786:
784:
781:
779:
776:
774:
771:
770:
768:
752:
751:
747:
744:
743:
742:Stormy Petrel
739:
736:
735:
731:
728:
727:
723:
720:
719:
715:
712:
711:
707:
704:
703:
699:
696:
695:
691:
688:
687:
683:
680:
679:
675:
672:
671:
667:
664:
663:
659:
656:
655:
651:
648:
647:
643:
640:
639:
635:
632:
631:
627:
624:
623:
619:
616:
615:
611:
608:
607:
603:
602:
600:
596:
589:
588:
584:
581:
580:
576:
573:
572:
568:
565:
564:
560:
557:
556:
552:
551:
549:
547:
546:
541:
537:
529:
524:
522:
517:
515:
510:
509:
506:
497:
492:
488:
477:
476:0-06-054827-4
473:
469:
466:
465:0-449-91176-4
462:
458:
455:
454:0-449-20646-7
451:
447:
444:
443:0-449-20508-8
440:
436:
433:
432:0-8161-3340-9
429:
425:
422:
421:0-449-24207-2
418:
414:
411:
410:0-340-25829-2
407:
403:
400:
399:0-688-03481-0
396:
392:
389:
388:0-340-23917-4
385:
381:
380:
374:
372:
367:
365:
361:
357:
352:
343:
341:
337:
333:
323:
321:
320:
315:
314:
309:
305:
301:
298:
294:
293:
284:
282:
278:
274:
271:
269:
265:
261:
258:
255:
253:
247:
244:
243:0-340-23917-4
241:
239:
235:
231:
227:
223:
219:
215:
211:
207:
203:
199:
193:
189:
184:
181:
177:
174:
171:
167:
164:
161:
157:
153:
149:
146:
143:
139:
132:
127:
115:
112:
104:
93:
90:
86:
83:
79:
76:
72:
69:
65:
62: –
61:
57:
56:Find sources:
50:
46:
40:
39:
34:This article
32:
28:
23:
22:
19:
750:Rose Cottage
748:
740:
732:
724:
716:
708:
700:
692:
684:
676:
668:
660:
652:
646:The Ivy Tree
644:
636:
628:
620:
612:
604:
598:Other novels
585:
577:
570:
569:
561:
553:
543:
536:Mary Stewart
491:
368:
353:
349:
346:Plot summary
329:
317:
311:
304:Mary Stewart
291:
290:
289:
279:
266:
145:Mary Stewart
107:
101:January 2024
98:
88:
81:
74:
67:
55:
43:Please help
38:verification
35:
18:
332:protagonist
767:Categories
726:Thornyhold
534:Novels by
483:References
295:is a 1979
71:newspapers
222:Paperback
218:Hardcover
179:Publisher
360:Morgause
151:Language
371:Niniane
364:Mordred
356:Camelot
297:fantasy
257:8627029
216:Print (
173:Fantasy
154:English
85:scholar
753:(1997)
745:(1991)
737:(1990)
729:(1988)
721:(1980)
713:(1976)
705:(1974)
697:(1971)
689:(1968)
681:(1967)
673:(1965)
665:(1964)
657:(1962)
649:(1961)
641:(1959)
633:(1958)
625:(1957)
617:(1956)
609:(1954)
590:(1995)
582:(1983)
574:(1979)
566:(1973)
558:(1970)
474:
463:
452:
441:
430:
419:
408:
397:
386:
336:Merlin
283:
270:
220:&
159:Series
141:Author
87:
80:
73:
66:
58:
496:isfdb
300:novel
229:Pages
169:Genre
92:JSTOR
78:books
472:ISBN
461:ISBN
450:ISBN
439:ISBN
428:ISBN
417:ISBN
406:ISBN
395:ISBN
384:ISBN
330:The
251:OCLC
238:ISBN
200:1979
190:(US)
185:(UK)
64:news
302:by
232:448
47:by
769::
322:.
527:e
520:t
513:v
224:)
114:)
108:(
103:)
99:(
89:·
82:·
75:·
68:·
41:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
