The Lost Years of Merlin

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Summary: An interesting look at Merlin
Review: The Lost Years of Merlin is a very well written, smart work about on of fantasy's most interesting characters, Merlin the wizard. These books take place before he ever met King Arthur, or lived in Camelot, but detail his life as a teenager and how he began the road to becoming the Merlin that we know.
This book, and the four others that follow, show an extrordinary effort at character building and personality.
The book starts as Merlin, Emrys, washes ashore, his memory gone, and a women besides him. He has no memory of what had happened, and the women, who claims to be his mother, raises him.
Emrys grows up learning about the Greek gods and myths and around the age of eleven, begins to feel the magical powers he soon learns to master. But he and his mother are attacked and he looses his eyes and is scarred by the magic in its raw potential.
Soon, regains a sort of sight, a second sight. Wanting to find out who he really is, he goes to the ocean where he washed ashore and builds a boat to take him to a magical land that he was told that he and his mother come from.
He arrives on the island, and is confronted with evil. The island is being overtaken by an evil king and his master, and going with a girl, Rhia, and a Merlin, Trouble, he goes to confront the king to save his friends and to save the island.

The story overall is sort of cliched, in and about the evil king, young hero who goes to save all, and all of that, but despite this, Barron manages to weave a complicated tale and world beautifully. Fincayra, the island, is a world that lies between heaven and earth, and has a vast array of magical and interesting people, animals and creatures. This is a world of fantasy, with many elements from every aspect of fantasy mixed in.
The island's discription is well done and detailed. After reading this book, I went right back to the library and then bookstore to buy the rest of the series, hoping to read some more of this incredible story.

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Summary: The Lost Years of Merlin--Incredible
Review: This book is simply one of the most amazing books I have ever read. T.A. Barron's ability to conjure such an amazing world gives it an almost lifelike quality, as if could have actually taken place. The engaging plot will have you rooted to the spot until the story is finished. As time progresses, you will explore the changes that Merlin finds within himself, and how he greatly affects the world around him. His presence on the island of Fincayra creates a whole new chapter in history, explaining how many things in modern day Merlin tales came about.

At long last, the story of Merlin's childhood comes about, and it could not have been portrayed in a more imaginative, creative, or realistic way. It is astounding how T.A. Barron created a world that complemented Merlin's history so well, despite the fact that it does not include a plethora of historical references. This is simply a revolutionary book in the world of fantasy and should be read many times over by lovers of any genre. The adventures of Merlin are truly amazing.

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Summary: Worthy of Excalibur
Review: After combing through each Harry Potter book at least twice, I complained that there was nothing to read. Then, a put a small book called the Lost Years of Merlin on my shelf, thinking I'd never read it. Then, one night, it was way past 12:00 and I'd combed through all my other books trying to get to sleep. Then I chose this one. This book is a great book- take a thoguht provokiing story, thourughly developed characters, some really great fantasy creatures, and a string of battle scenes and you get a book called The Lost Years of Merlin,truly worthy of the title National Bestseller- Take that, Davinci Code!

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Summary: Totally mind blowing
Review: This book is probably one of the best books I've ever read. It tells the story of the boy called Emrys. He finds himself washed up on the shore of ancient Wales with the woman called Branwen. For six years Branwen has claimed herself to be his mother, and that his name is truly Emrys. But Emrys senses that something is wrong. He sails off from Wales to find himself on the shores of the mysterious island of Fincayra where he meets many different friends and enemies: the fun-loving Rhia, the mysterious Cwen, the hungry Grand Elusa, the tiny Shim, the poetic Cairpre, and an enemy of his own past. With the aid of the boy's powers he seeks his enemy who he discovers is...well you'll have to read it. History will rename him: Merlin.

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Summary: Enchanted adventure
Review: "Lost Years of Merlin" is one of the few genuinely new pieces of Arthurian fiction out there. Most either retread old ground or try for realism. T.A. Barron does just the opposite, utilizing his sense of magic and knowledge of Celtic mythos for a delightful fantasy/Arthurian book.

An amnesiac boy washes up on the shores of Wales, with a golden-haired woman nearby. She says that their names are Branwen and Emrys, but somehow he doesn't believe her. Merlin - with his slightly odd appearance, hermit-like mother, and growing supernatural powers - is an outcast from the village. One day, a group of boys' taunting goes horribly wrong. Merlin and Branwen go to a nearby convent, where he finds that he has lost the use of his eyes. Despite his fear of his powers, his "second sight" asserts itself and allows everyday life.

But Merlin isn't content to stay with the nuns, as Branwen seems to be. He goes off on a journey, and on a hunch rafts himself off to sea - and lands again on a foreign shore, that of the mystical isle of Fincayra. This time, however, there are intelligent hawks attacking rats, girls gowned in leaves, and trees that block his path. He lands in the middle of the Druma Wood, where he meets a strange woodland girl named Rhia.

Rhia and Merlin encounter trouble (two kinds - the hawk is also called "Trouble") when they find that evil things and a sinister blight are creeping across the River Unceasing - and then a band of goblins try to kidnap Merlin. With the help of a diminuative giant named Shim, Merlin must find use his heart, brain, powers, and the mysterious Galator pendant to defeat the evil Rhita Gawr, find the Seven Treasures, and save Fincayra.

Barron's prose is one of the rare kinds that becomes intoxicating when he really gets going. It's fortunate that much of this book takes place outdoors, as his nature descriptions are amazing and the character interactions concerning trees, especially, are delightful. He utilizes Celtic myths and legends - such as the name Branwen and the legendary Dagda - to good effect, as well as he did in "Merlin Effect." Humor is present in the form of Shim the tiny giant (so tiny that he still wears giant baby clothes) but it never becomes annoying.

Characterizations? Merlin is entirely believable as an outcast boy afraid of himself, and of what he might become if he allows his powers to run rampant. Rhia is just a little out of sync with him, enough to make it believable that she grew up in the woods. Shim doesn't experience quite the same level of interest, but he's a good supporting character. And characters like Domnu, the Grand Elusa, and Cairpre help round out the story with a bit of realistic weirdness. Even evil characters like Stangmar are more developed than the usual ... dark lords.

Perhaps the main flaw of this book is that the pacing feels a bit off, as compared to the next four books. We go at a moderate pace, but after Domnu appears we zip through the rest of it, especially the last twenty pages. And of course, it leaves you wanting more.

I would like to address the claims that this story rips off Lloyd Alexander: Barron has obviously done his homework on Welsh and Irish legends, as Alexander did, and such things as the cauldron and the treasures probably stem from those. There is also a little dash of speculation on "sacred" and "historical" time that may intrigue adults, but be over younger kids' heads. Examine the plotlines and mythical objects of both serieses, and you'll see very little similarity in how Merlin and Taran must overcome their problems and foes. As for the idea that Mary Stewart "covered" Merlin's childhood - good gravy, people, that was HER fictional retelling, not a legend in its own right. Barron's has just as much right to be read - maybe, given his writing and research, even more!

For fans of wizards and Arthuriana (though not the gritty kind), this book cannot be beat. I will add my voice to the chorus that says: This book, and the four that follow (a five book trilogy!), is vastly superior to Harry Potter.

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Summary: Runescape Crooker
Review: "This magical story is a great journey for the discryptive things young Emry's see's and does are extraordinary, "He goe's from small normal town with mean kids to a mystical island full of goblins and talking tree's. T A Barron does a great job of putting you in the driverseat, you can almost feel everything that happens.
The technoligy is not advance in Emry's world and he as many difficulty's traveling. he has an accident that change's him forrever, now he walk's through woods,grasslands,mashlands,and more.
I wood rate this book 10 out of 10 becaus of the challenge and conflicts of a (290) page story full of adventure.

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Summary: Good Read
Review: I picked this book up at my library because I had nothing else to read, thinking that it might be interesting. It was better then that, T.A. Barron did a wonderful job of bringing Emyrs (Merlin) to life. A young boys journey to discover the truth about himself, it was great and I couldn't put it down until I finished reading through it.

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Summary: An Excellent Addition To the Classic Tale
Review: I've always been very intrigued by the legends of King Arthur and Merlin,excaliber,Morgana le Fay,and Guinivere.From somebody who loves fantasy in all forms,this is a series you don't want to miss!The writing blows you away,the charactures are eerily realistic,and the overall attitude of it carries you away in a powerful epic that you don't want to miss.

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Summary: Skookum
Review: I thought the book was really skookum because the author, T.A. Baron, is very descriptive when he writes. He makes you feel like your seeing a movie in your mind. He has excellent words that educate me on every page. When he described the setting it sounded like it was a real place. I think anybody who likes sorcery, Harry Potter, or whoever just wants to read a good book, should read The Lost Years of Merlin.

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Summary: Aaron ...
Review: I wanted to choose a book that was exiting adventurous, and makes you feel that you are right there next to the characters as they are fighting the bad guys . The Lost Years of Merlin is just that kind of book. It took me two weeks to read this book because I am kinda one of those slow people. If you liked this book you shoud read the other Merlin books by: T.A Barron, they are also realy good. It took me a wile but Iread all of them. I hope you like this book : }