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The Lost Years of Merlin by T. A. Barron
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The Lost Years of Merlin (original 1996; edition 1996)

by T. A. Barron

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2,297276,709 (3.94)23
A young boy who has no identity nor memory of his past washes ashore on the coast of Wales and finds his true name after a series of fantastic adventures.
Member:Rosemory
Title:The Lost Years of Merlin
Authors:T. A. Barron
Info:New York : Philomel Books, c1996.
Collections:Your library
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The Lost Years of Merlin by T. A. Barron (1996)

  1. 30
    The Eternal Flame by T. A. Barron (LOTRminasturiel)
    LOTRminasturiel: The Lost Years of Merlin is a series that is basically a prequel to the Great Tree of Avalon Trilogy. It does not have to be read before the Great Tree of Avalon series, however it does provide some useful history. :D
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» See also 23 mentions

English (26)  German (1)  All languages (27)
Showing 1-5 of 26 (next | show all)
lovely opening to a series and nice reason for how we got the name merlin. ( )
  lmauro123 | Dec 28, 2023 |
lovely opening to a series and nice reason for how we got the name merlin. ( )
  lmauro123 | Dec 28, 2023 |
Well written. Fun Story. Recommended summer reading. ( )
  TMLL | Aug 1, 2022 |
00008787
  lcslibrarian | Aug 13, 2020 |
I tend to be a bit careful about Arthurian retellings. I really like the whole Camelot aesthetic, but I feel like they often underwhelm. Not all of them, I know! And, also, I haven’t read them all. But I came into The Lost Years feeling careful, and I think that was a good choice.

Some scenes were great. I really enjoyed the voice when Emrys was in the “human world”, as well as the scene with Cairpre and his amazing room of books. Standalone scenes stood out to me, but the book as a whole had a bit of that… stumbled over feeling. Most of Emrys’ adventures were because he tripped and fell into something and while that cliche plot twist is fine when used sparingly, T.A. Barron loves it.

The characters in themselves were just… fine? Nothing really stood out and made them memorable as individuals – they all felt like fantasy archetypes. In a more modern book, I’d be pretty harsh about this, but in 1996, fantasy wasn’t exactly the literature of choice. May older books use elements that feel especially cliche today, and I’m sure in another 20 years, the things we find fresh will be considered cliche as well.

Shim, as a character, bothered me. His character arc was really obvious and the author’s choice in dialogue just made me cringe. This is such a personal thing, but I wanted to mention it. Also there was a really questionable point in the early chapters where the village kids decide it’s a good plan to stone a Jew and while it doesn’t sit well with Emrys, he doesn’t prevent it. This scene set off SO MANY red flags in my head and I was really concerned this was going to end up having an anti-Semitic dialogue. It didn’t, but the choice was so very unnecessary and did not sit well.

I think The Lost Years will suit younger readers better. There are some scenes that feel intended for older readers, while others read very young. The writing style is scattered all over the place. Generally, I think this is best for more mature middle grade readers. A lot of reviewers on Goodreads are comparing it to The Black Cauldron, and having only read one book in each series, I think I liked The Book of Three better than The Lost Years. Alexander’s story had a better voice, enough so to make a difference. Otherwise, I think they’re fairly good companions. ( )
  Morteana | Jul 13, 2019 |
Showing 1-5 of 26 (next | show all)
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Epigraph
He that made with his hand
Wynd and water, wode the land;
Geve heom alle good endyng,
That wolon listne this talkyng,
And y shal telle, yow byfore,
How Merlyn was geten and bore
And of his wisdom also
And othre happes mony mo
Sum whyle byfeol in Engeolnde.

--From the thirteenth-century ballad OF ARTHOUR AND OF MERLIN
Dedication
This book is dedicated to
PATRICIA LEE GAUCH
loyal friend, passionate writer, demanding editor
---
with special appreciation to
BEN
age four, who sees and soars like a hawk
First words
If I close my eyes, and breath to the rolling rhythm of the sea, I can still remember that long ago day.
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A young boy who has no identity nor memory of his past washes ashore on the coast of Wales and finds his true name after a series of fantastic adventures.

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Book description
THE SAGA BEGINS...

A raging sea tosses a boy upon the shores of ancient Wales. Left for dead, he has no memory, no name, and no home. But it is his determination to find out who he is - to learn the truth about his mysterious powers - that leads him to a strange and enchanted land. And it is there he discovers that the fate of this land and his personal quest are strangely entwined.

He is destined to become the greatest wizard of all time--known to all as Merlin.
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