The kind of creativity and originality found in 'Celtika' excites me. The fact is, only a few skilled authors would dare to try what Robert Holdstock does in this book, and even fewer would do it successfully. Perhaps with the understanding that there are simply too many stories about Merlin, Mr. Holdstock takes this legendary figure and takes him to a place we've never seen before. Sure, many people who've written of Merlin claim that the wizened wizard is ageless, or rather, ages backwards. No one, though, has really stepped into relating what that meant. It might mean that Merlin has seen or worked alongside other characters of mythology, and not necessarily just the ones who've sprung out of the isle of Britain. In Mr. Holdstock's mind, this might mean that he's also had much to do with figures out of Greek Mythology, namely, Jason of the Golden Fleece.
Now, if you're reading this review right now, and you're a major fan of Arthurian legends and Greek Mythology like me, then you might be thinking something like, "How in the world is Holdstock going to do this right?" One should not just lightly pick up Merlin and Jason and throw them into a tale together! Both of these characters should be thought of with the utmost respect in terms of literary importance. Their respective tales are one of the mighty shoulders on which every fantasy writer stands. Mr. Holdstock would either do this right, or he would do it terribly wrong, insulting literary history.
Well, let's lay all worries to rest. Mr. Holdstock does it oh so right. The tale is spoken strictly through from the mind of Merlin, a relief to those tired of today's fantasy genre fad of writing through a million points of view. The idea of a world view from one like Merlin should be a profound one indeed, maybe similar to how Einstein's mind might have worked. However, the Merlin in 'Celitka' is not the typical white bearded elder with a Milky Way-symbolized cone hat. This is a very "young" Merlin, young meaning perhaps only hundreds of years old rather than thousands. Therefore, while his described thoughts tend to be deep and spiritual in nature, mere mortals like us can still follow.
According to Mr. Holdstock, Merlin is only one of the many names he's used throughout history. During the time of high Greek civilization, he was known as Antiokus, and was one of Jason's "all-star" crew of Argonauts in the search for the Golden Fleece. Anyone who knows Greek Mythology knows how this adventure ended in true and dramatic disaster. The author picks up where this legend has traditionally ended, and spins a wonderful tale faithfully representing Jason, Medea, and their sons. Having obviously studied the many different races and cultures that constantly clashed and mixed with one another during that classical time, Mr. Holdstock makes a world that you will really want to believe in. Due to his ancient cultural knowledge, he creates a Merlin that is much more intelligent and broader minded than any form of Merlin we've seen before, actually realizing the enigmatic phenomenon to which other authors have only alluded.
A review can never give proper justice to 'Celtika'. It must be read to fully grasp what it is all about. After reading it myself, I was overjoyed to see that it is "Book one of The Merlin Codex", which means that it will have at least one sequel.
For an adult, it might be hard to find a character that we can honestly feel is our hero. However, Robert Holdstock makes such a great Merlin that I find myself being an admirer of the old legend, once again. For fans of the genre, this is the best kind of fantasy.
Click here to buy this book, or read more about it at Amazon.com: Celtika
