Celtika (The Merlin Codex Book 1) by Robert Holdstock
01/04/2002 . Source: Joules Taylor 
pub: Earthlight. 434 page paperback. Price: 6.99 (UK). ISBN: 0-671-02885-0. Buy from Amazon US - Buy from Amazon UK
nb: US titles may only be available from Amazon US, and UK titles from Amazon UK. Merlin - immortal, ever-young, with magic
engraved on his bones - has walked the world for untold centuries.
As Antiokus, he travelled with Jason in search of the Golden Fleece
- and shared with him his grief at Medea's murder of his sons. A
grief and anger that, along with the spirit of the ship Argo, kept
Jason from dying ...
 Seven
hundred years later, Merlin seeks out Jason from his resting place,
held in the ropes on the mast of the Argo, in the depths of the
Screaming Lake in a frozen country far to the north.
Raising the ship - and Jason with it - Merlin initiates a quest
that will take him back to Macedonia (and to the land that would
become England in centuries to come) in search of Jason's sons and,
almost incidentally, the truth about Medea.
It's an extraordinary tale, brutal and relentless, set in a world
where ancient tribal gods exist uneasily side by side and must be
appeased.
Where plants and animals and even the bones of the planet have
sentience and can help - or hinder - human endeavour. There's a
real sense of the timelessness of Merlin's existence in the book
as well as a forgetfulness of time passing that's almost disturbing
in its appeal.
The unravelling of the mystery of his origins, his relationship
with Medea and why he is immortal creates an intriguing backdrop
to the uncompromising reality of the action.
Celtika is complex, sophisticated and very well researched. The
characters credible, vibrant and memorable. But it's not an easy
book: if you want an easy book you'll have to look elsewhere.
However, if you want a challenge as great as Merlin's or Jason's,
try this book. It digs deep into the entrails of time, as gritty
as the planet itself, spares no sensibilities and makes no concessions
to your intelligence.
It's a wonderful ride, and I look forward to the next volume!
Joules Taylor
check out website: www.earthlight.co.uk
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