Lost Years of Merlin series

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Lost Years of Merlin series consists of the following books written by T.A. Barron.

The Lost Years of Merlin
The Seven Songs of Merlin
The Fires of Merlin
The Mirror of Merlin
The Wings of Merlin

[edit] The Plot

"The story follows a boy named Emrys who later becomes Merlin.It tells a tale of his childhood and youth, filling it with unrelenting action. From the beginning when the seven year old amnesiac Emrys is washed up on the shores of Wales and is attacked by a boar, to the dissolution of the Shrouded Castle at the end, Merlin faces grave peril.

He has an inherited magic to draw on, but its use is dangerous to the untutored, especially if motivated by anger and hate. Emrys discovers this to his cost and at the same time finds his second sight. Afterwards Merlin avoids magic and throws his fortune upon the waves, departing the Welsh coast on a flimsy raft. Fate takes him to the mythical isle of Fincayra and Druma Wood, where he meets Rhiannon, after first mistaking her for a bundle of leaves.

Rhia seeks Emrys' help in defeating the evil Rhita Gawr, who has corrupted the island's king, Stangmar, and whose shadow is spreading and destroying all good in its path. Emrys is focussed on his own selfish quest until his friend's sacrifice changes his mind. There are many interesting characters - good, bad and neutral - in the story. I especially enjoyed the combative merlin (appropriately named Trouble) and the little giant Shim ('I is just a very, very, very, small giant'), who is funny and fearful but a true hero.

Emrys matures through the story, discovering the importance of friendship and love. He learns by the example of his friends Rhia and Shim to put others before himself. As Rhia tells Emrys when they discover his true name 'You can be fierce as well as gentle. You grab hold with all your strength and never let go. You see clearly though not with your eyes. You know when to use your powers. And ... you can fly.'"- from: [1]