Author: T. A. Barron
Title: The Lost Years of Merlin
Rating: 4
Reviewer: TK Grade: 7
Review:
The Lost Years of Merlin was about a boy who lost his identity when crashing upon the rocks of Ancient Wales. He is determined to find his true identity that he lost, which includes his name, his mother, and his father. After staying for 5 years on the island, he goes to Fincayra, an island shrouded by mist and also the connection between earth and sky.
Fincayra was destroyed by blight by the evil king Stagmar, leaded by the evil sprit Rhita Gawr. The boy seeks his past in this misty island, though, because he stayed for 5 years with a lady named Branwen who claimed to be his mother, and she never told the truth about his past. Branwen says that he has powers greater than he knows, but he lost his sight, and he used his second sight in exchange for his powers.
He journeys through Fincayra and meets people like Rhia, the forest girl, and Shim, the little giant. While he journeys through Fincayra, he discovers that he and the island are strangely tied up together, and figures that he has to save the island after solving the riddle of the Dance of the Giants.
The boy, who later learns that his given name was Emrys, learns that his second sight will be even better then his own sight, which he lost. Also, he learns that the "Last Treasure" is not something that he thought of before. He also loses a friend, which he grives about. But, in the end, he gains the name Merlin, who would change the world.
This book describes how Merlin can be presented in a fictional and creative way. It also explains what Merlin's lost years might have been like. It is a truly great book for those who are interested about the fictional Merlin.
8/14/04
Return to the "SOMS Library" page