The Lost Years of Merlin

Having washed up on the shores of ancient Wales five years prior, young Emrys has no recollection of his life before. He lives humbly with his healer mother (well, she claims to be his mother, but how can he really be certain with absolutely no memories of this woman who claims to have raised him?), and although outcasts, they are at least tolerated.

After a terrible accident leaves him with a permanent injury, Emrys takes to the sea in an attempt to find his true home, answers about where he came from, and what this frightening power building within him means. His journey takes him to the magical land of Fincayra, a bridge between Earth and the otherworld. Emrys soon finds his journey of self discovery is entangled with the evil spirit show more Rhita Gawr who's powers are slowly destroying Fincayra and everything good within it. Can Emrys discover his past while at the same time protecting the future of a land in which he feels a deep connection?

This book blew me away! It was humbling to read a tale of one of the most formidable sorcerers in literature as an awkward, fumbling teenager. It's a great reminder that we all come from somewhere; we all go through that awkward stage of childhood and adolescence where we are unsure of ourselves, must determine our strengths and weaknesses, have our character tested, and make hard decisions. It's not only the large moments in life, but the small ones too; the ones we make day in and day out that ultimately determine the people we end up becoming. We have choices to make every day. Choices to fight, to concede, to preserve, to overcome. No one is born great, they become great through those series of choices. It is not always brawn and muscle which win but cunning and wit.

The entire cast of supporting characters was phenomenal, making the book really that much more special and enjoyable. From the Druma girl Emrys befriends, Rhia who really serves as the catalyst for the entire conflict against Rhita Gawr, to the loveable pint sized troll, Shim (my favorite character for sure). Even Trouble, the pest of a Merlin hawk who really didn't take no for an answer when befriending Emrys. Everyone served such an important role not just in the progression of the plot but also in the development of Emrys as a character.

As the first of 12 books in the series, I will absolutely be continuing on to see how else Emrys (now Merlin) continues to grow and evolve into the ever powerful sorcerer he is destined to become. show less

Ich habe mir dieses Hörbuch zusammen mit meinem Sohn angehört und ich muss sagen wir waren beide begeistert. Abgesehen davon das es super gelesen ist (Stephan Wilkening ist einfach ein Stimmgenie), passt die Geschichte über Merlins Jugendzeit hervorragend zu den Artus Legenden. T. A. Barron hat es geschafft einen großartigen Character entstehen zu lassen und es hat Spass gemacht mitzuerleben wie sich aus einem unsicheren, manchmal großmütigen, aufbrausenden und tollpatschigen Jungen langsam aber sicher ein selbstsicherer junger Zauberer entwickelt. Es macht Spass Merlin auf seinen Abenteuern zu folgen und wie er nach und nach erkennt 'Man ist das was man ist' und damit zu seinem eigenen Ich findet.

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… show more 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. show less

Opening Sentence: '…A dark wave rose on the rolling sea, and from it lifted a hand…’

The first in a series about the childhood of Merlin the magician it starts off with telling how he got his name. Young Emrys (later to be known as Merlin) washes up on a Welsh beach with a woman called Branwen, who says she is his mother. He doesn't believe that she is as she is so beautiful. For years, they share a hut in a village, but Branwen tells him nothing about either her past - or his. One day he discovers that he has some magical powers; but uses them to rescue Branwen from a fire - when a village bully try to burn her as a witch. In the resulting confligeration - the bully is himself burned to death and Emrys is blinded. They leave the show more village and go to a nunnery where Emrys promises never to use his powers agian - and he gains a second sight that enables him to see. Desperate to know about his past, Emrys, now 12, sets off out to sea to find his home. He lands on Fincayra, and he plunges straight into a dangerous quest to rescue the island from the destructive blight caused by a deadly pact between the island king and an evil entity. In the process, he befriends a young tree girl and a tiny midget who says he is actually a giant. Emrys also learns the truth about his origins, and becomes 'Merlin'.

The character of Emrys is entirely believable as an young boy afraid of what he might become if he allows his powers to run rampant. There is action, adventure, comedy, sadness, spooky spiders, blood thirsty goblins and tree people. There are stong links to both Celtic, Greek and Roman legends - but that just adds to the depth of the story.

it is quick and easy to read - and appealing to both Young Adults and Adults. show less

Ever since I watched a few episodes of Merlin on TV, I have been really interested in reading about Arthurian legend. My husband got me this book for Christmas and I couldn’t wait to read it.

I thought this was a great book, and a good beginning for the entire series. Although it is a little slow at times, I still found it interesting because I liked the characters, especially Shim, who is a tiny giant, and Trouble, who is a Merlin. Rhia is a pretty interesting character too, though I prefer Shim and Trouble. I also liked that we get to meet Merlin as a young boy instead of a great, powerful, old wizard. It is entertaining to see him being afraid to use his abilities and learning about the history behind his powers. I believe the show more characters are pretty well developed, especially for the first novel of a series. Though I am not at the point where they become real people for me.

T.A Barron’s descriptions are what really make this a fantastic read. It is not overly detailed like some fantasy novels. He provides enough detail to create a vivid picture of your surroundings, but still leaves something up to the imagination. I like how he describes the trees with their colorful, oddly shaped fruit, and then later gives you quite the opposite by describing the dark, blackened, scarce forests as Emrys gets closer to his destination. Gives you a real overwhelming feeling of doom. I noticed this because Barron spends a lot of time around the subject of trees.

The plot of the book is pretty simple, but still entertaining. There isn’t a terrible amount of violence or bad language, and it has a lot of similarities to Lloyd Alexander’s Chronicles of Prydain series. I actually like the similarities between the two different series, although I am sure Barron could have thought of something else. However, it doesn’t bother me as much as it does other people.

It is written for younger audiences, so if you don’t like simple, easy to follow plots, with a few unoriginal aspects, then this series probably isn’t for you. I really like that this book, even though it is a part of a series, can easily stand alone. I would recommend this book to anyone eight and older or those who love fantasy. It would be a great book to read with your children!

Oh! By the way, Merlin: The Book of Magic is an awesome companion to the series! It provides information about the characters and places, as well as the creatures and some magical terms found in the series. show less

With the exception of Mary Stewart's novels, almost none of the Arthurian canon documents Merlin's life prior to advising King Vortigern as an adult. This novel attempts to fill that gap. Our story begins with Emrys and a woman who claims to be his mother washing onto the shores of Wales. Emrys remembers absolutely nothing before this event, though it is clear that he is very different from the other boys of the village. Slowly he discovers magical powers that both tantalize and terrify him. It's a pleasant, fairly light read, with interesting characters and legends. There isn't much in the way of unexpected plot twists, but that didn't take away from my enjoyment.

One of my all time favorite books. This is the first book of a series following Merlin during his adolescent years. This book starts off with Merlin, then called Emrys, washing up on the shores of ancient England with no memory of his past. As he grows so do his magical talents. After a tragedy brought on by his magic, Emrys decides to learn more about his past and sets off looking for home. This leads him to the island of Fincayra. This is where the book gets interesting as we are introduced the magical island, fascinating characters, and the mystery of who exactly Emrys is. The book had a bit of a slow start and a rushed ending, but was still a very good read. I recommend this book highly.