Critical Commentary
Critical reaction to Merlin's Wood has been mixed. One anthologist asserts that within the fantasy genre of literature, Merlin's Wood has been considered essential reading because "Holdstock is a writer who has traveled deeper into the woods than any other mythic writer." However, another writer states "the overall narrative is flawed, distorted by its weight of undeserved loss and inaccessible healing."
Terri Windling selected Merlin's Wood as one of the best fantasy books of 1994, describing it as "a hauntingly beautiful short novel . . . rich mix of myth, history, and anthropological lore."
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