The Book of Merlyn vs The coming of the king: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: Merlin, Wizards, Adaptations, Arthurian romances, Fiction
The Book of Merlyn
“"MY FATHER made me a wooden castle big enough to get into, and he fixed real pistol barrels beneath its battlements to fire a salute on my birthday, but made me sit in front the first night-that deep Indian night-to receive the salute, and I, believing I was to be shot, cried."”
The "last" chapter of The once and Future King," which tells how Arthur, Guenever, and Lancelot come to their ends.
vs
The coming of the king
Was Merlin only a legend—or a man of history?In The Quest for Merlin, acclaimed historian and author Nikolai Tolstoy undertakes a bold and fascinating investigation into one of Britain's most enduring and enigmatic…
The verdict
- Readers rate The coming of the king highest: The coming of the king 4.1 · The Book of Merlyn 3.5.
- The Book of Merlyn is the quickest read — about 3 hours vs 11 for The coming of the king.
- The coming of the king has the widest readership — 174 ratings behind its score.
- The Book of Merlyn runs the darker storyline; The coming of the king stays the lighter read.
How to choose
Scores by source
| The Book of Merlyn | The coming of the king | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | — | 4.2 (174) |
| Hardcover | 3.4 (29) | 3.0 (3) |
| Apple Books | 3.0 (7) | — |
Reception
| The Book of Merlyn | The coming of the king | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 29 | 174 |
| Editions | 40 | 8 |
| Film adaptations | 1 | 1 |
| Want to read | — | 70 |
| Reading it now | — | 8 |
| Written reviews | — | 29 |
| Wikipedia attention | 1277 | 243 |
| Pages | 200 | 607 |