In the ageless mists of time, dark sorcerers tried to destroy our world until three great wizards; Merlin, Blaise, and Kells; thwarted them with a powerful wand they mystically forged at Stonehenge. Frustrated, the vengeful sorcerers sent the enchantress Nimue to steal it, but she fell rapturously in love with Merlin. In desperation, the diabolical sorcerers themselves came to seize it. Thus the wand was lost for millennia in a terrible spell-battle... or was it? Using only their wits and the words and pictures in the book, readers will attempt to unlock the magical spell that reclaims the wand; and win a huge cash prize in the process.The Merlin Mystery will be published worldwide on 9/7/98, and the first reader who solves the mystery will win not only a fabulous gold and silver wand being held in a British bank for safekeeping, but the massive cash prize that accompanies it, estimated to be over $100,000.Warner Books is launching a major advertising and promotional campaign to back the worldwide publication of The Merlin Mystery, with the additional support of a global publicity agency.Foreign publication rights have been sold in Germany, Japan, France, Holland, and Italy, with a number of other countries expressing interest.Masquerade (Schocken, 1984), an earlier mystery-puzzler, elicited a phenomenal response when nearly two million readers attempted to solve the book's master riddle.Jonathan Gunson is a former creative director at the McCann-Erickson advertising agency. Artist Marten Coombe is an animator for Aladdin, among other projects. Both live in Auckland, New Zealand.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com Review
Can you solve Merlin's mystery? If you can, you'll be richly rewarded. The Merlin Mystery rekindles the fervor that swept readers of Masquerade in the 1980s by offering an intricately detailed, bejeweled wand and a substantial cash prize to the first person to solve the Alchemist's Spell. Lavishly illustrated with elaborate paintings and symbols, The Merlin Mystery wraps its intricate, MENSA-certified puzzle in a story of the great wizard Merlin and his lover, the water sprite Nimue, who fight a dark sorcerer in magical settings. From glittering caves to magic cottages, the Arthurian cast of characters, which includes an owl, a cat, and a talking crystal ball, seek the Pendragon Alchemy. But they can't find it without putting all the clues together... that's where you come in! It's possible that this puzzle will be solved by some expert logician somewhere, but it's equally likely to be solved by a clever, persistent kid without adult blinders on. Either way, The Merlin Mystery has a distinct advantage over Masquerade: once you solve the puzzle, you mail in your answer rather than digging up the countryside. There's also a companion CD, with new-age Celtic music to get you in the mood for solving.
The Merlin Mystery is void in Florida, Maryland, Vermont, and North Dakota, and wherever else prohibited by law.
About the Author
Jonathan Gunson is a former creative director at the McCann Erikson advertising agency. Artist Martin Coombe is an animator for Aladdin, among other projects. Both live in Auckland, New Zealand.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Busy artwork but certainly an engrossing puzzle,
By A Customer
This review is from: The Merlin Mystery (Hardcover)
Books like this one, that appeal to the diehard puzzle-solver and treasure-hunter, are few and far between... especially here in the US, where the most complex puzzle you'll usually get is a scratch-and-sniff beer cap contest. The artwork in this book seems to have recurring symbols and objects from page to page, which serves to make the illustrations a little busy... but, nevertheless, I've got the book in my lap as we speak, about to begin another bout of puzzle-solution-searching. If that isn't a positive review, I don't know what is!
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Superb detail and intrigue.,
By A Customer
This review is from: The Merlin Mystery (Hardcover)
This is the best treasure hunt book to print in years. It features exquisitely detailed and colorful pictures, as well as the fiendish, MENSA approved puzzle of the Pendragon Alchemy. A great grab for the seasoned puzzler and the child alike.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A true test. The illustrations are unsurpassed.,
By A Customer
This review is from: The Merlin Mystery (Hardcover)
This is truly the first challenging mystery that I have ever encountered. It is only enhanced by the superb illustrations. The story of Merlin and Nimue is truly timeless and tragic. If only the magic had not been lost. Or has it?
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