Nikolai Tolstoy (Great-grandson of Leo Tolstoy) penned a magnificent work of fanciful art in the magical world of pre-Arthurian Merlin.
As historically accurate as the retelling of history will allow, "Coming of the King" weaves the intricate paths of Merlin and the Kings he associated through many escapades and battles. Beginning with Merlin's birth, this traditional, legendary Welsh fable replaces 'fairy-tale' form with mind-blowing resonance. As tales of peoples and battles and 'lands of yore' where sung by bards in the mediaeval times of western Europe, Tolstoy fully immerses the reader in a world so seemingly real, we begin to interpret his fiction with known facts within our current surroundings. Coming of the King has all the obligatory 'treks through the country-sides,' 'mountain mayhem,' and 'cast of thousands battles' as well as a compelling reality in how humanity in a whole conducts its political regimes. As this work begins before Merlin met up with Arthur, it also tells of the creation of Excalibur, and conceives as to the true purpose of its original creation. Merlin, himself, is shown as a man with his own worries and concerns of what 'is,' what 'will be,' and how he wants things 'to be.' The whole tone of this work is mysterious and dark (as mediaeval as mediaeval can get), and still conjure landscapes and castles so real we can reach out and touch them. The only thing this work lacks, is its characterization. Gone are the 'damsels in distress,' the 'gnomish sidekicks,' and the black and white 'good Vs evil' most fantasy works base their entire ensemble upon. Coming of the King deals only with Merlin and those he comes immediately in contact with. I highly recommend reading this book if you are a die-hard fantasy fan with a penchant for the dark 'reality' of times long gone.
-RasGold@aol.com