"The Crystal Cave" by Mary Stewart (New Paperback)

First in Mary Stewart’s classic Arthurian saga, The Crystal Cave tells the story of Myridden Emrys—or, as he would later be known, Merlin. Born the bastard son of a Welsh king’s daughter, Merlin leads a perilous childhood—escaping the whispers and treacheries of a royal court to run wild in the hills. But an encounter with a mysterious hermit in a crystal cave reveals his true powers. Destiny has great plans for this no-man’s son, and the secret discovery of his magic will take Merlin from slave to prince to prophet. This book takes reader from prophesying before the High King Vortigern to the crowning of Uther Pendragon..and the conception of Arthur—king for once and always.