The Griffin or the Agate

Much like the first book of the Merlin Codex, Celtika, author Robert Holdstock sets about mixing history with myth, combining elements from various folklores. By no means is the titular character the only recurring cast member – Merlin's every step, every action, seem to interact with those of Jason, insane leader of the Argonauts, and Medea, Jason's equally unstable wife with whom Merlin shares a secret past. Having fled Jason while questing for one of his sons, Merlin returns to the land of Urtha, High King of the Cornovidi and immediately is drawn into rescuing the leader's missing children, lured into the land of the Dead. Something has the ghosts riled up, so much so they dare to war with the living. Adding to the pressure Merlin is under is the impending return of the abandoned Jason, and the Greeklander is none too pleased with the wandering wizard. To top things off the enchantress Niiv draws close as well, and none know the true intentions behind her actions.
There are so many things Holdstock does well it's difficult to pick on to begin with. He has an amazing knack for being able to describe a setting right down to the last detail without appearing to be doing so. Even the smallest bends in a river are given interesting back stories. There's always a looming threat of one kind or another – Niiv, Medea, the armies of the undead and the Unborn, Jason – to keep Merlin whirling and dancing to stay a half-step ahead. Will yet another quest for Jason, this time in search for his other son, finally prove to be his undoing? Holdstock manages to make the reader truly doubt, if only for a moment or two, that the conflicted enchanter might not survive his travels. All of this in a style of prose that doesn't pander to the lowest common denominator, doesn't resort to word play or other tricks. Holdstock is an intelligent write who writes intelligently, and those who read The Iron Grail will reap the benefits. §

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