The Lost Years of Merlin

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Summary: awesome
Review: this book kind of inspired me to do things with love and not hate and they always turn out better.

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Summary: There is a reason T.A. Barron is my favorite author...
Review: I would just like to say that I have been hooked on T.A. Barron's books since I was in the eighth grade (I am a freshman in college now)...I started with The Merlin Effect, and didn't stop there....The Lost Years of Merlin series is purely magical. It's a shame there aren't more books out there by T.A. Barron...Boy, can he weave a story!! Each book in the series seems to fit perfectly with the rest--something you don't often find in a lot of series (once so many books are written, the quality often wavers...however in these books that is not the case). When I was younger, I vividly remember anxiously awaiting each new volume to appear at the library, and after reading them I wasn't disappointed. The part where Rhia dies in The Seven Songs of Merlin was the first time I had ever cried because of a book...Rhia is the ultimate character--brave, smart, totally in-tune with nature, and kind...I eventually plan to name my daughter Rhia someday.
Anyway, I just want to say that if you read these books, I know you won't be disappointed. Look out Harry Potter: Here comes Merlin!

Rating:
Summary: Great start to the series
Review: Not as good as the Potter books it is compared to, but an enjoyable read!

Rating:
Summary: T.A. Barron Sure Can Write
Review: Possibly the best series ever. In the first book a young boy washes ashore on to what we now call Wales. He also finds a woman who claims to be his mother. They live together for about 13 years when he learns he has supernatural powers, with these powers he accidently burns out his eyes. Then he leaves his "mother" and takes a boat but crashes on the legendary island of Finacrya. There he makes many new friends and learns more about his past. This is a extraordinary fantasy and as The Cincinnati Enquirer says "Put down Harry Potter and pick up Merlin".

Rating:
Summary: Journey........
Review: This book follows the journey of young Merlin (named Emrys then) and how he finds his power. He meets and befriends many other characters along his 'selfish' quest and learns more about his past, yet he learned from this experience that you should put others' needs before your own.

The creativity and imagination incorporated into the story make it the most unique story I've ever read. It made every page interesting and compels you to read on. From almost no references, the author created a magical world and creatures that once roamed the country of Fincayra. There seemed to be a history behind every living creature in the book and it was facinating to learn someone's illustration of what Merlin's childhood was like. The author's tales of a rich and sometimes dangerous world filled my mind with wonder and how magnificent something can be if from imagination, because there are no boundaries. This takes you away from what was really happening in Britain during the 5th-6th century; the plague, disasters and the fall of the Roman Empire. The creation of a fictional world with such detail made it seem like I was there, speaking to the trees or tasting the fruit of the Druma Wood. So, read it, you'll be glad you did!

Rating:
Summary: Passes the time, but it's no Crystal Cave
Review: Fans of the Matter of Britain should skip this fluff and read Mary Stewart's classic Merlin trilogy (The Crystal Cave, The Hollow Hills, The Last Enchantment, and The Wicked Day). These books, while idly entertaining, do not in any way bring the character of Merlin to life, nor does this Merlin mesh with any of the other Merlins I've ever read (and I've read a LOT). I finished the third book in the series and then gave up; it's just too pat. Example: Merlin has to traverse the length of the island of Fincayra in one day, although it's a journey that normally takes several days. Just as he's feeling despondent, POOF! appears a character with magic powers who conveniently agrees to transport him instantaneously to the other side of the island. The whole series (well, up to the end of book 3 at least) is like this. The characters are flat, the story is predictable, and there is just too much convenient magic happening just when Merlin needs it. I have no idea how this series of books ends, but I'm not interested. Read The Mists of Avalon. Read The Once and Future King! Read Malory! But don't waste your time on this unless you want a time-filler and you don't care how well it meshes with the legend of Merlin.

Rating:
Summary: In many cases first is not the worst
Review: In this case I happen to think first is one of the best. Although I have not yet read the fifth book the first four would each get a five star rating. Even though this book stands out, because you get to know the charecters from the outside. Their secrets may still stay hidden, but you will understand their reactions from the outside. I also love the plot, and recognized charecters (from all four books) in the legacy of King Arthur and his magical tutor.

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Summary: my favorite book
Review: A boy named Emrys was washed to a beach of rocks and gets amnesia. He finds out that he has magical powers. While using them, he becomes blind. Luckilly, he gets a second sight. Emrys decides to find out his past. Emrys sets sail on an own made boat and ends up up on the shore of a land called Fyncraya. soon, Emrys's search for his past becomes a battle to save Fyncraya from the evil king, while meeting some freinds on the way.

I really liked this book. people who liked The Lord of the Rings would definatly like the merlin series.

Rating:
Summary: great story=great book
Review: This series, let alone book, is great! I loved it! It had adventure and suspense. Though the suspense is hard to identify, you feel it while reading. The story deals with Merlin's beginnning to becoming a wizard. He meets many colorful characters along the way, and finds out information about his mysterious past. A MUST READ!!!!

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Summary: The Lost Years of Merlin Review;By:Anica Enriquez
Review: "The Lost Years of Merlin" was a wonderful book filled with tons of excitement around every corner. Although Emrys, young Merlin, does not know that he is destined to become one of the best wizards of all time he discovers his powers at the tender age of 10. At first he is perplexed with them, but soon he comes to dispize them after an incident with a local bully. He decides to leave home and find what he believes to be his true home with his true parents. His journey takes him to the mist-shrouded isle of Fincayra, an anchanted land between earth and sky that is being destroyed by blight. With this land's inhabitants to guide him, the boy will learn that Fincayra's fate and his own quest are strangely intertwined. This is a wonderful epic about a young boy who is at first entoiled with himself but learns to respect and love others.

I loved this book and I would definetly read it again and again. T.A. Barron has definetly won me over with his tales of this young hero and wizard. If you like semi-sci-fi books that always keeps you asking for more this is the book for you. He combines the wellsprings of mythical imagination with his own deepest artistic powers. I thought it was an intense and profoundly spiritual adventure.