Celtika

Celtika, by Robert Holdstock, tells a tale of Merlin, before Arthur. Holdstock's Merlin is an ancient sorcerer whose origins extend back to the beginning of humankind. He serves an instrumental role in the mythology of Ancient Greece, and several hundred years after that era, this story picks up.

In Celtika, Merlin finds himself drawn to the ancient ship Argo, which calls to Merlin from a frozen lake. Merlin finds within the ship the body of Jason, whose soul is as frozen as the lake itself. Merlin wakes Jason and as he rises from his long-lasting slumber comes back to life. From there, they assemble a team of men (and a couple of women) to reassemble the Argo and bring life back to it.

Along the way, however, Jason discovers that he has a living son that he once believed dead. The journey evolves to center as much around Jason's son as the Argo. Along the way, Merlin encounters the relative of a past lover, a forest spirit, and a noble regal warrior Urtha, with whom he develops a close friendship. In the end, battles will be fought, lovers reunited, and two nasty duels will determine the future of Merlin and Jason's crew.

This book surprised me. I've been mostly disappointed by the Sci-Fi and Fantasy books I've read over the past year. I had fairly low expectations as I began Celtika, but as I read I noticed a richness absent from most recent entries in these genres. Holdstock clearly put a lot of thought into this tale. I did find the multitude of characters a bit off-putting at first, but by the end I felt very comfortable with all of the connections and societal structures. If I were to continue reading this series (it's the first of at least three books), I would be able to jump right in. The setup for the Arthurian Merlin worked, and I'd be interested to perhaps read the next book at some time in the future. I felt as if Holdstock was able to balance the Fantasy world with the bitter reality of life in era of the book (which is never directly specified, but clearly between 1500-2500 years ago).

This book still primarily for fans of Fantasy. Lovers of Greek Mythology and followers of the tales of King Arthur will also find a lot of merit in this book. Other readers looking for a decent fantasy may enjoy this book, although one should be warned that it still is a genre book. By genre book I mean a book that is tailored to fans of a particular genre, carrying certain characteristics, plot tactics, and overall tone. Generally these books are mass-produced and sometimes written by a team of writers (this one is not), and are meant to be predictable in their style. It's a good "genre book," but don't expect it to blow you away.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

(95/100)