Reviews (2)

Simple and adaptable!!!
I love this book.Let me say that I've probably owned this book 4 times, but it continually disappears and I have to buy it again. I am a pediatric occupational therapist, so I do a lot of Yoga with children with disabilities.
Good foundation for kids' fitness
This book is well-written, and approaches yoga at a good level for kids.Read more

Subjects:  1. Children    2. Children's 9-12 - Diet    3. Children's Books/Ages 9-12 Nonfiction    4. Exercise    5. Exercise for children    6. Hatha Yoga    7. Hatha yoga for children    8. Health/Fitness    9. Sports & Recreation - Miscellaneous    10. Family & Relationships / Health    11. Sports & Outdoor Recreation   

Reviews (14)

A Walk in Wolf Wood
I really liked the book A Walk in Wolf Wood because it was a good easy read.Although it was easy to read it was not a boring book.I love books that take place in the Middle Ages like this one.It is full of enchantments and friendships.Parts of this book reminded me of Harry Potter books.This book kept me on my toes to find out what would happen next.There was always a new twist or turn when I thought that I had it figured out.The end was great, not one of those that let you down.

A Walk in Wolf Wood
When I started to read this book, it wasn't counfusing, but it was, diferent... I liked it, as far as "two kids, cought in the mid evil time, that has a friend that turns in to a evil beast of terror, in the night.." It's a good plot, it just doesn't suite me. But every person has they're opinions. Any way, so I would have to say this book is for any one who is an adventurest person. "Wood" is great fun
"A Walk in Wolf Wood" is one of the lesser-known works of Mary Stewart, famed for her Merlin trilogy. It's an enjoyable short fantasy, with good heroes and an original plotline focusing on betrayal, time-travel, werewolves, and a royal intrigue that sucks in two modern children.Read more

Subjects:  1. Children: Babies & Toddlers    2. Fiction    3. Time travel    4. Werewolves   

Reviews (4)

The journey of Ludo and the Star Horse
I like this book because a horse is in the story and I like horses.This story is about a guy named Ludo. He is on a jorney with his horse.They go through woods,rivers and many more places.They go into trouble with other animals but they survive. Delightful tale of a horse, a boy, and a magical adventure
Amongst Ludo's people, there's a special breed of horse chosen to draw the chariot of the sun.Ludo's horse is getting old, and one day, it breaks out of its barn.Ludo follows his horse and stays by his side through adventures and perils as they encounter personifications of the 12 Zodiac signs on the way to a meeting with Destiny. Highly Entertaining Throughout
This book took me on an adventurous ride throgh time with many unexpected twists.This was a delightful book. I enjoyed it greatly. Mary Stewart added a magical touch to this magnificant novel.-New York Times ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Astrology    2. Children: Young Adult (Gr. 7-9)    3. Fantasy    4. Fiction   

Editorial Review

Initially published nearly thirty years ago, Mary Stewart's Read more

Reviews (108)

So well done, so far from today's backgroundknowledge
What I liked in particular in Mary Stewart's "The Crystal Cave" is that she keeps the dialog sufficiently neutral that we can forget the implied translation from the "original" Anglo-Saxon or Celtic tongues. So often in historical novels people use idioms that are absolutely of the modern day, and it has an instantly jarring effect.
Lush, gorgeous retelling of a classic story
I've read this marvelous trilogy three times in the thirty-five years since it was first published, so it was time for re-immersion in a believable 6th Century Britain. Because that's what I really enjoy about it. Like Mary Renault in _The King Must Die,_ Stewart has a way of (usually) rationalizing the magic and mythology in the story in such a way that the reader can say, "Yes, it might really have happened this way." The basics will (or should) be familiar to everyone: The young Merlin makes a prophecy that Vortigern, the Saxon-appeasing High King, will be defeated by Ambrosius, the Romanized brother of King Constantine (whom Vortigern had murdered). Merlin rebuilds the Giant's Dance (i.e., Stonehenge), and finally assists King Uther (Ambrosius's brother and successor) in a night of lust with Ygraine, wife of the Duke of Cornwall -- but he does it for his own reasons, knowing that the result will be the birth of Arthur, the king for whom Britain is waiting. But the book is far, far more than a bare retelling of the Merlin legend. Stewart is a master of evocative description, whether of the Welsh countryside in winter, or of the loneliness of a young semi-wizard who knows the happinesses of this world are not for him. Even though she's at pains in the "Author's Note" to claim only to have written fiction, she nevertheless has the ability to put you there, in the midst of that world. Time-traveling at its best.

Magical
I have read this book, and the other three, repeatedly over the last 35 years. Mary Stewart absolutely transports the reader to another time and world. She tells a magical, compelling story throughout all four books. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Adaptations    2. Arthur,    3. Arthurian romances    4. Children: Young Adult (Gr. 7-9)    5. Fiction    6. Kings and rulers    7. Merlin (Legendary character)   

Reviews (37)

Legendary trilogy about a legendary king
It's not uncommon for the middle volume of a trilogy -- the "bridge" -- to be the weakest of the three, but that's certainly not the case here. The story picks up less than an hour after the end of the first volume, The Crystal Cave, with Merlin having ensured Uther's night of lust with Queen Ygraine of Cornwall and the conception of Arthur, the once and future king (i.e., the "new Ambrosius"). Much of the narrative is taken up with Merlin waiting. First, waiting for the child's birth (while being on the outs with Uther), then waiting for the beginning of his guardianship (when Uther becomes more realistic), then waiting while Arthur spends his infancy in Brittany (during which Merlin hits the road to the ancient lands of the Near East), then a long period of waiting while the boy grows up in the care of Count Ector (and he himself becomes the hermit of the Chapel in the Green). Along the way, he acquires the sword of the Emperor Maximus and tucks it away on a sacred island in a lake, knowing Arthur will recover it himself in good time. And, of course, the waiting ends with Arthur being hailed as High King at age fourteen minutes after his presentation to the lesser kings and his father's sudden death at a victory dinner. The pacing is a bit slower, but there's a strong sense of inevitability, both for Merlin and for the reader. Stewart's amazingly sensitive and evocative descriptive powers are strong as ever. One of my favorite lines, on why you should never take the favor of the gods for granted: "The gods like the taste of salt; the sweat of human effort is the savour of their sacrifices." Marvelous stuff.

Fuel for the imagination
Why do a lot of readers apparently find the second book of Mary Stewart's Aruthurian trilogy as not up to par with The Crystal Cave???It is every bit as good and allows the story to unfold as well as builds a stronger connection with the characters.The Hollow Hills has Merlin finding a suitable hiding spot for the young Arthur to mature in until the time for his acention arrives.It focuses on the development of the central figures and the growing affection bewtween Merlin and young Aruthur, who looks up to the former as a father.There is a also a lot of action in this section of the series.Wonderful stuff!

Doesn't measure up.
The continuation of the saga begun in The Crystal Cave is disapointing.The Crystal cave was a five star book and much better.As usual the sequel just isn't as good. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Children: Young Adult (Gr. 7-9)    2. Fiction - Historical    3. Historical - Arthurian    4. Historical - General   

Reviews (9)

Ivory Towers are hard to find
This book was more suspense and I liked it that way, yes there are two possible suiters for Prof Rose Fenemore, but what kept this read going was the how the whole island mystery would work out for all the characters. Fenemore may be a don, but I liked her inner quips about herself and that the idea of bird watching with her brother would actually be considered an enjoyable vacation.
Skip this
Please skip this book.It had me going for a while, and I was excited.But I like a little surprise in my books, and this had none!Too predictable.And I HATED Rose and her love interest! BLAH!!!!!

--A Scottish Island filled with foggy atmosphere--
THE STORMY PETREL takes place on the Scottish Island of Moila.Rose Fenemore who is an English professor rents a cottage on the remote island for a two-week vacation. During her first stormy night there, a man (Ewen Mackay) enters the cottage with a key, and seems surprised to see Rose.He tells her that the house was his boyhood home. Shortly after that, another man (John Parsons) shows up at the door and says that he is lost and seeking shelter from the rain. The men don't seem to know one another and although Rose is annoyed, she agrees to let both men wait out the storm. The triangle of the three people, and who they are is the focus of the story that is mostly mystery with a touch of romance.Read more

Subjects:  1. Children: Young Adult (Gr. 7-9)    2. Fiction - Romance    3. Romance - General   

Reviews (12)

not Stewart's best, but not bad either
Airs Above the Ground is not quite as compelling in its descriptions and plot as The Gabriel Hounds, My Brother Michael, or This Rough Magic (my favourite); however, it is still a classic Stewart mystery/romance, even if the romance is quite evident from the start. Vanessa March is quite likable and the only Stewart heroine thus far to not have annoyed me just a little bit. My favourite element of the book is the friendship that develops between Vanessa and young Tim Lacy, who is trying to break away from a stifling household and forge a path for himself. As far as the descriptions of exotic locales go, trademark to Stewart, I enjoyed the chase scene through the castle. Airs Above the Ground didn't wow me and I found the ending a bit strange as it didn't feature Annalisa at all..., but all in all, a pleasent read.

What A Film it would Make!
This is the kind of book I can imagine lots of people being sniffy about, cheesily packaged and unashamedly romantic - probably a lot wouldn't even pick it up in the first place. Well that's their loss, but I'd like to get a read-mary-stewart campaign off the ground. She is so good: a deft and clever writer who wears her literary nounce lightly. I adore her stories, her settings and her feisty (but not too feisty!) heroines. No one else is as consistently good: let's hear it for romantic fiction! I've been chastised on the bookwormonthenet blog for offering qualified praise to writers like Mary Stewart and for using phrases like 'pulp fiction' - but no, it is no slur. These are stunning books by a vastly talented writer. I also think film producers ought to be trawling the stewart back catalogue: I can just see Cate Blanchett as the heroine of Airs Above the Ground and the whole sub-plot around the Austrian circus, spies and a lost Lipizzaner stallion would translate fabulously to the wide screen. Go on, someone, do it!
She Paints Pictures
I have loved every novel written by Mary Stewart, some more than others.I read this one well over twenty years ago and many times since then.It is one of my many favorite of her books.In her books you get to travel; you feel as if you are really there. I have wanted to visit almost every place I have visited in her books.I too had pledged to see the Lippizaner stallions someday & I finally got to see them a few years ago.They were wonderful of course.There is magic in all the Mary Stewart books; the relationships in this one in particular were warm and appealing. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Children: Young Adult (Gr. 7-9)   

Reviews (16)

The "Dark Ages" weren't so dark after all . . .
Compared to the first two volumes of the "Merlin" trilogy, this concluding volume is a bit weak -- but it's still far ahead of most romantic historical novels. Perhaps it's because, by the nature of the narrative, Merlin must now take a back seat to the adult Arthur, the High King and a growing legend to his people. The enchanter is also growing older, the power of the gods is leaving him bit by bit, and he's relegated to undercover espionage work in the north of the country, spying on Arthur's treacherous half-sister, Morgause. Stewart does a good job of re-interpreting the legend of Merlin being shut up alive ("waiting") in his cave in the hollow hill, and, as throughout the 900 pages of the trilogy, the author displays amazing powers of description, both of the characters and of their surroundings. Give it ten years to settle into my unconscious and I shall be re-reading this marvelous epic yet again.

So enchanting I dreaded the end!
The Last Enchantment follows Aruthur as England flowers under his glory and leadership.And Merlin, the wizard and counselor, becomes old and seeks an apprentice.Someone to teach in order to provide guidance and hope for King Arthur.Mistakenly, a girl Nimue is taken in as Merlin's apprentice and she in turn become a lot more than an apprentice.Even though Nimue is good, I cannot really like her as a character.But she still adds much to the beautiful tapestry of this series.This is probably the most perfect of the books in the series.

Enchanted, once more
A long time ago, I read Mary Stewart's Merlin Trilogy, which consists of three books: The Crystal Cave, The Hollow Hills, and The Last Enchantment. I had last read the trilogy back in the mid-1980s, back when I was in high school. So, recently I turned back to these old favorites, and found myself enjoying the tale once again.
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Subjects:  1. Adaptations    2. Arthur,    3. Arthurian romances    4. Britons    5. Children: Young Adult (Gr. 7-9)    6. Fiction    7. Merlin (Legendary character)   

Reviews (15)

Enjoyable Read
A sad ending to Mary Stuart's tales of Arthur and Camelot. This book back-tracks a bit from where the trilogy ends, starting with Mordred as a young boy first being introduced into Morgauses palace and web of intrigue.
A sad ending to a great story.
The Wicked Day is very different from the previous three books in the series as Merlin is hardly mentioned.And, in fact, we never know if he died or not (or at least I didn't guess).Unless some saw his continued existence through Nimue.
A Depressing Sequal to the Trilogy
I enjoyed Mary Stewart's Arthur trilogy and naturally purchased The Wicked Day.The book builds on a few of the key characters from the Trilogy (excluding Merlin) and is as well written; however, the plot will leave those who enjoyed the optimism and sense of purpose of the first books wanting.
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Subjects:  1. Arthurian romances    2. Children: Young Adult (Gr. 7-9)    3. Fiction - Historical    4. Historical - Arthurian   

Reviews (7)

A Masterpiece of Magical Writing
As in other Mary Stewart classics, the action of "This Rough Magic" takes place in a mere matter of days.Lucy Waring, a twenty-something actress steps off the London stage and onto the idyllic Ionian island of Corfu.In a the course of a morning swim, paradise transforms to a place of sinister doings: someone shoots at a tamed dolphin, a young Greek drowns off the coast of Albania, and a smuggler washes up dead in a nearby cove.Stewart uses all her formidable skill, crafting a strong story that is both literary and fast moving.Told from Lucy's point-of-view, the reader's is kept as taut as a wire as the tension mounts not only while Lucy attempts to determine the identity of the wrongdoer and the reason for his misdemeanors but as she inadvertently puts herself in harm's way. A Great Read!
I love everything Mary Stewart has written.Her books are classics.This was the first book I read of her's, and to this day I think it is still her best.This Rough Magic is a truely charming story.When I think of the story I get a smile on my face.That's how good this book is.I highley recommend this book and all her others.

Best Mary Stewart ever
This Rough Magic is one of those perfect books-it draws you on with suspense, involves you deeply with jewel-cut prose, and unlike most Stewart novels, is quite funny in spots. I love this book for its lightheartedness and its tragedy and its lovely romance, if that makes any sense. This is perfect romantic suspense, great for constant rereading. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Children: Babies & Toddlers   

Subjects:  1. Children with disabilities    2. Education   

Reviews (18)

The Ivy Tree
All of Mary Stewart's works are good.This is one of her best mysteries.

Who are you?
As the story opens Mary Grey is enjoying her day off taking in the local tourist sights near her new home.She has recently left her native Canada to return to Northumberland where her greatgrand parents had been born.Suddenly a young man confronts her, calling her Annabel and insisting that she is his cousin who disappeared eight years earlier.Mary manages to convince him of her identity but soon finds herself embroiled in a plot to impersonate the missing Annabel in her family home, Whitescar.
The best atmospheric story. . .
Mary Stewart is an excellent writer/storyteller.This was the first book of hers that I had ever read.The characters are dramatically developed and the plot and setting are moving and engaging.I particuarly like Ms. Winslow's character.Stewart writes this story so well you immediately feel you are involved in the story.
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Subjects:  1. Children: Young Adult (Gr. 7-9)   

Subjects:  1. Child study    2. First-born children   

Editorial Review

This old-fashioned gothic romance is as good as they get. When Gilly's witch aunt leaves Thornyhold to her, a house in the middle of the woods, Gilly finds that she has inherited far more than she realized. Along with the house comes a cat, a still room filled with herbs (and a missing recipe book), an attic chamber with carrier pigeons (who have secret messages), and an attractive neighbor whose young son offers the sacred and unique blessing of friendship. But Thornyhold possesses far more than even these simple offerings. The place itself seems to convoke otherworldly gifts as well: Gilly cultivates the abilities to heal and to foresee the future once she makes Thornyhold her home. (For those fans of Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series, there is a Geilis the witch in this book, too.) ... Read more

Reviews (14)

Heartwarming and magical
I absolutely LOVED this book! Once I started it I couldn't put it down until I finished it. It has the perfect blend of spells, potions, romantic love, family love, humor, and mystery as Gilly comes to terms with her childhood memories. I did not want this wonderful story to end.

Dreamy book, but no real value
I am a big fan of Mary Stewart, and I bought this book ages ago after reading The Hollow Hills, etc.I came across it while going through old books destined for the library book sale, and it soon found it's way into the discard box.I expected much more than a dreamy, slow story about a woman who seems all-too-accepting of the random elements of magic in her life.The first half the book was almost uneccesary--slow and sad--and the second half reminded me of a cheap period romance.
This is one of my favorites!
Mary Stewart wrote many exciting novels, but "Thornyhold" is my favorite.I love the idealic-country setting.The images of magic, dreams, and wildlife will entrance you.The only thing to say against it, is that the ending is dated from a feminist viewpoint.But...I just imagine my own ending as I read and reread this gem. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Children: Young Adult (Gr. 7-9)