Books with author Mary Stewart Durie

The spellbinding, suspenseful story of how Merlin, the Enchanter, helped Arthur become the king of all Britain -- a magnificent novel set in a time when no life is safe, no law stable.Keeping watch over the young Arthur Pendragon, the prince and prophet Merlin Ambrosius is haunted by dreams of the magical sword Caliburn, which has been hidden for centuries. When Uther Pendragon is killed in battle, the time of destiny is at hand, and Arthur must claim the fabled sword to become the true High King of Britain.The prophetic voice of Merlin communicates not only the bristling atmosphere of the story's ancient setting but also its profound relevance to our own time. Once again, as she did in her bestselling The Crystal Cave, Mary Stewart provides a glowing re-creation of pre-Camelot England.

By land and water shall it go home, and lie hidden in the floating stone until by fire it shall be raised again.Arthur has raised the sword and claimed his birthright as High King of Briton, determined to unite the many tiny kingdoms that make up his country. Now he sits upon his throne at Camelot with Merlin by his side, his most trusted adviser.But Merlin is growing old, and his sight is dimming. He knows that Mordred, child of Arthur's unknowing union with his half-sister Morgause, will be Arthur's downfall. But he cannot see the future clearly enough to know why, or how - or when.And he's distracted: his gifted young apprentice, Niniane, is more than meets the eye. As Merlin teaches her to control her powers, he seems to lose his own.Merlin has secured Arthur's place in history. Now he must take his own.The Arthurian Saga, begun in The Crystal Cave, The Hollow Hills and The Last Enchantment continues in The Wicked Day, the story of Arthur's last battle...

First published 45 years ago, this is a beautiful new edition of Mary Stewart's beloved magical classic illustrated by Shirley Hughes. Don't miss the beautifully animated film adaptation called Mary and the Witch's Flower (by the producer of The Tale of The Princess Kaguya), in cinemas now. 'The little broomstick gave a leap, a violent twist, a kick like the kick of a pony.'Mary's been exiled to her great-aunt, deep in the English countryside. Miserable and lonely, she befriends strange black cat Tib who leads her deep into the forest to an ordinary looking broomstick. Before Mary can gather her wits, the broomstick jumps into action, whisking her over the treetops, above the clouds, and to the grounds of Endor College, school of witchcraft.But something is terribly wrong at Endor. Students are taught spells that are petty and ill-wishing, and when Mary discovers evidence of a terrible and cruel experiment in transformation, she decides to leave. But the moment her broomstick takes off, she realises that Tib the cat has been captured ...Mary Stewart is the bestselling author of fourteen romantic thrillers, including the classic novelsThis Rough Magic and The Moon-Spinners, and five historical fantasy novels of Arthurian Britain. The animated film, Mary and the Witch's Flower, will be released in 2018 by Studio Ponoc. The producer, Yoshiaki Nishimura, also produced The Tale of The Princess Kaguya and When Marnie Was There.

Born the bastard son of a Welsh princess, Myridden Emrys -- or as he would later be known, Merlin -- leads a perilous childhood, haunted by portents and visions. But destiny has great plans for this no-man's-son, taking him from prophesying before the High King Vortigern to the crowning of Uther Pendragon . . . and the conception of Arthur -- king for once and always.

Charity Selborne is vacationing with her friend and former colleague Louise, in the south of France. Before her marriage to Johnny Selbourne, an RAF pilot shot down in France, she and Louise had taught at the same school. Now Charity is a widow. When Charity arrives at her plush resort hotel and meets fourteen-year-old David Shelley, she steps into the middle of a dangerous game of murder, revenge and betrayal. David is at the hotel with his mother and stepfather -- but his father, who has been accused of murder, is pursuing his son across France. Charity now faces bigger challenges than she'd ever imagined; to save David and his family, and, if she can stay alive, to learn to love again.

The pioneer of romantic suspense and author ofMadam, Will You Talk?Mary Stewart leads her readers on a thrilling journey to a Mediterranean island paradise in this tale of mystery, murder and intrigue, perfect for fans of Agatha Christie and Barbara Pym.'Suspense and romance expertly mingled'Observer'One of the great British storytellers of the 20th century' IndependentLucy Waring, a young, out-of-work actress from London, leaps at the chance to visit her sister for a summer on the island paradise of Corfu, and what's more, a famous but reclusive actor is staying in a villa nearby. But Lucy's hopes for rest and romance are shattered when a body washes up on the beach and she finds herself swept up in a chilling chain of events.I shuddered, and drank my coffee, leaning back in my chair to gaze out across pine tops furry with gold towards the sparkling sea, and surrendering myself to the dreamlike feeling that marks the start of a holiday . . .A comfortable chair and a Mary Stewart: total heaven.I'd rather read her than most other authors.' Harriet Evans'She built the bridge between classic literature and modern popular fiction.She did it first and she did it best.'Herald

[Read by Derek Perkins]Mary Stewart's stunning Arthurian Saga that began with The Crystal Cave, The Hollow Hills, The Last Enchantment continues withThe Wicked Day, the story of the clash between King Arthur and his bastard son, Mordred.Born of an incestuous relationship between King Arthur and his half sister, and prophesied by Merlin to kill Arthur, Mordred is stolen away from his mother and raised in secrecy by a kind couple on an isolated Orkney island in the hopes that he will defy his fate.Mordred, known to history as a traitor and a murderer, is no villain, but a quick-witted young man, with hopes and dreams of his own. But try as he might, Mordred cannot escape Merlin's prophecy.His mother, the evil sorceress Morgause tracks her son down and takes him back, then feeds the flames of Mordred's ambition, setting into motion a chain of events that will go down in history -- and legend -- as father and son are finally forced to confront each other one last time: on the wicked day of destiny, when Arthur's final battle will be fought.

A novel that recreates the suspense and excitement of an ancient legend - how Merlin, the enchanter, helped Arthur become King of all Britain. The Hollow Hills takes place in a fifth-century Britain fraught with superstition and fear, where no life is safe, no law is stable, and where a king risks accusations of murder and adultery to get himself an heir. For his own safety, the boy Arthur, rejected as a bastard by his father, is long kept ignorant of his parentage. Behind and around Arthur always is the mysterious, strong, yet vulnerable figure of Merlin, who sees and knows so much but who, like Arthur, must also suffer for the sake of a nation being born. In this world of embattled kings and courtiers, hurried journeys, whispered anxieties, and sudden death, we watch Merlin and Arthur follow their common destiny. Merlin is the narrator, and his prophetic voice communicates not only the bristling atmosphere of the ancient setting but also the profound relevance of this age-old tale to our own time.