''The Last Enchantment'' is a 1979

fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction that involves supernatural or Magic (supernatural), magical elements, often including Fictional universe, imaginary places and Legendary creature, creatures. The genre's roots lie in oral traditions, ...

novel A novel is an extended work of narrative fiction usually written in prose and published as a book. The word derives from the for 'new', 'news', or 'short story (of something new)', itself from the , a singular noun use of the neuter plural of ...

by Mary Stewart. It is the third in a quintet of novels covering the

Arthurian legend The Matter of Britain (; ; ; ) is the body of medieval literature and legendary material associated with Great Britain and Brittany and the legendary kings and heroes associated with it, particularly King Arthur. The 12th-century writer Geoffr ...

, preceded by '' The Hollow Hills'' and succeeded by '' The Wicked Day''.

Plot introduction

The

protagonist A protagonist () is the main character of a story. The protagonist makes key decisions that affect the plot, primarily influencing the story and propelling it forward, and is often the character who faces the most significant obstacles. If a ...

of this story is the clairvoyant and wise

Merlin The Multi-Element Radio Linked Interferometer Network (MERLIN) is an interferometer array of radio telescopes spread across England. The array is run from Jodrell Bank Observatory in Cheshire by the University of Manchester on behalf of UK Re ...

, the wizard of legend, who is recounting his story of the reign of Arthur Pendragon as he oversees Arthur's destiny to become the great king Merlin has predicted.

Plot summary

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. Arthur is now King and hard at work establishing

Camelot Camelot is a legendary castle and Royal court, court associated with King Arthur. Absent in the early Arthurian material, Camelot first appeared in 12th-century French romances and, since the Lancelot-Grail cycle, eventually came to be described ...

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

Morgause Morgause ( ) is a popular variant of the figure of the Queen of Orkney, an Arthurian legend character also known by various other names and appearing in different forms of her archetype. She is the mother of Gawain and often also of Mordred, ...

(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

Mordred Mordred or Modred ( or ; Welsh: ''Medraut'' or ''Medrawt'') is a major figure in the legend of King Arthur. The earliest known mention of a possibly historical Medraut is in the Welsh chronicle ''Annales Cambriae'', wherein he and Arthur are a ...

. 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. Somewhere along the line, Merlin takes on a female apprentice, Niniane. 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.

Release details

* 1979, UK, Hodder & Stoughton (), Pub date Jun 1979, Hardcoverisfdb
/ref> * 1979, USA, William Morrow (, Pub date Jul 1979, Hardcover * 1980, UK, Coronet, (), Pub date 1980, Paperback * 1981, USA, Fawcett (), Pub date 12 December 1981, Paperback * 1982, USA, G. K. Hall & Company (), Pub date 1982, Large print * 1983, USA, Fawcett (), Pub date 12 October 1983, Paperback * 1984, USA, Fawcett (), Pub date 12 July 1984, Paperback * 1996, USA, Ballantine Books (), Pub date 29 September 1996, Paperback * 2003, USA, Eos (), Pub date 1 May 2003, Paperback

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Last Enchantment 1979 British novels 1979 fantasy novels Modern Arthurian fiction British fantasy novels Works based on Merlin Novels set in sub-Roman Britain Novels by Mary Stewart Hodder & Stoughton books William Morrow and Company books