For today’s post, I am thrilled to be doing another book review of a book given to me by Crossed Crow Books! The book I am reviewing today is Merlin Master of Magick by Gordon Strong. I was really glad to be receiving a copy of a book about the famed Arthurian wizard!
The book is part biography of the legendary figure, and his possible real-world counterparts, and part comparative religious work about the usage of magick throughout world religion in ancient times. The author gets major bonus points from me for being the only other person I have yet to find to refer to Morgan le Fay as La Belle Dame Sans Merci of John Keats’s famous poem! I have an entire post comparing the two and explaining why I view the poem to be about Morgana. Now, I was able to read an author making this same assertion in a book about Merlin!
I found the author’s ability to compare figures across pantheons and even fit them into astrology and tarot archetypal concepts to be truly inspiring. I loved the way the author chose to approach the subject of this enigmatic legendary wizard by plotting out his life in different parts. There were chapters on his childhood, his connections to famed Arthurian women, and his connections to the plot of the Arthurian legends. The book is a must-read for all of the Arthurian-obsessed people out there! This was such a great selection for me, after all, I am a huge lover of Arthurian Legend, and Faery lore in particular, as exemplified by my naming this blog White Rose of Avalon (and taking on the moniker Enchantress of Avalon)!
I hope you have enjoyed reading my gushing thoughts on this incredible book. I want to also take a moment to thank Crossed Crow Books for giving me a copy of this work and asking me to review it. Will you be reading this title? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!
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Further Reading
- Merlin Master of Magick by Gordon Strong
White Rose of Avalon 