The Lost Years of Merlin is the initial installment of the five book series chronicling Merlin’s life as a boy, a prequel to Arthurian legend. It follows the ambiguous details of Emry’s obscure youth and the path he followed leading to the emergence of his magic and the wizarding name he proclaimed of Merlin. Barron’s imagineering of this portion of the great wizard’s life gives new depth to the renowned character as we see his life through the eyes of a young boy.The story opens with a dream sequence foreshadowing a time magic escaped his fingertips to unleash a fire kindled in Branwen’s defense (the woman claiming to be his mother) the very fire whose flames took his sight leaving him blind until he learned to use his gift of “second sight”.Emrys, now 12, is desperate to know of his past and why he has no memory of a time before five years ago when he and Branwen washed upon the shore. She claimed to be his mother but would not speak of their past or where they came from. Instead she taught him the lore of the Celts, Druids and those more ancient. She felt his lost memory was a blessing, the young boy considered it more of a curse. The pair shared a lowly hut they constructed themselves on the outskirts of a small village. Whenever anyone from the village was ill or injured, they would come to Branwen bartering for her services as a gifted healer as she was well acquainted with the old ways and herbal remedies. When in need of her services the villagers sang praises to her unique talents, but the truth of the matter was, they were afraid and thought her to be a sorceress or demon. One day the village bully came to their hut and set fire in an attempt to free the village of this “she-demon”, as he and two of his minions grabbed Branwen by the legs and began dragging her into the fire, Emrys’ fear and rage swelled within, coursing and raging as he ran forward trying to help his mother. He could not control it any longer and felt the bully, Dinatius, should burn for this. He could envision the fires and wished they would consume the bully. At the thought, an enormous tree branch shuddered and cracked as if struck by lightening; it fell upon the young bully trapping him as the branches exploded into flames. As the spine shivering shrieks erupted from the inferno Emrys knew what he had done as he plunged into the flames trying to save the boy. His dream vision had come to pass.As the young half-blind Emrys struggles to learn the secrets of his past, the magic within him, and his true identity he comes to the realization he must leave this place, returning to the place he had washed upon the shore to make the attempt to voyage back to the mist-shrouded isle of Fincayra, an enchanted isle that lies between earth and sky. He asks the woman who calls herself his mother to join him in his quest. With great sadness she declines, but takes a jeweled pendant from her neck, presenting it to him. She calls it the Galator and tells him its power is great – if it cannot keep him safe it is only because nothing outside of heaven can. Mighty waves crashed over his feeble raft tossing it about as a mere twig on the outraged sea. The storm swelled and he thought about calling upon his powers to save him but after the last fiery encounter with his magic, he became less afraid of the violent storm than trying to unleash a magic he might not be able to control. The waves pounded over him and when he felt he could hold onto his little wooden raft no more the mysterious shrouded isle appeared and he is again washed upon the shore.As he comes to and regains a bit of strength he ventures further into the strange land. The colors are so vivacious he can sense them, even through his half-blinded eyes. He can feel the plushness of the forest floor and he meets a merlin, its wing broken in battle with a rat, a strange girl of the forest called Rhia, and a tiny but brave giant named Shim. Emrys discovers that blight has come upon the isle that is somehow entwined with his own destiny. He must decipher the riddle of the dance of the giants to change the fate of this land and discover the secrets within himself.This is an engaging and enjoyable tale you will want to experience many times over. It explains the roots of the greatest wizard of legend and myth in an epic saga filled with wonder and adventure.
In the beginning, a young boy has just regained consciousness and finds he, along with a woman with long blond hair and a tattered blue tunic, are washed up on a beach. The boy encounters a boar as he is walking toward the woman, which tries to attack him and the woman. It stamps its foot on the ground, signaling that it is going to attack. With tusks like razor blades, it charges at the boy. He tries to drag the woman into a hollowed out tree trunk. He puts the woman in first, then tries to fit himself in but is too big. A beautiful stag leaps from the forest and stands between him and the boar. The stag and the boar fight. Angrily, the boar retreats. The stag looks at the boy with the deepest eyes the boy would ever see. The stag and the boar fade away, and soon the woman regains consciousness. The woman declares herself the boy's mother, and that her name is Branwen and his is Emrys. Years later, Emrys finds that he has magical powers and eventually uses them to defend Branwen against a terrorizing bully who is trying to burn her at the stake. Tragically, he accidentally sets a tree on fire which collapses on a boy whom Emrys tries to save and fails.Emrys, in his attempt to help the boy, goes blind from the fire, but learns to see through a visual "second sight", after swearing never to use his powers again. After learning to sense well enough to be mobile, Emrys leaves Branwen at the monastery where he had been treated for his burns, and sets out to find his true home.Emrys builds a raft and floats all the way to the magical and mythical island of Fincayra, which is somewhere between heaven and earth, also called the "in between," place, with only the bag of herbs his mother gives him and the Galator, which is a beautiful gem whose powers are described as "vast beyond knowing".There he meets Rhiannon, a girl of the Druma, who seeks his assistance in stopping the terrible blight which is now beginning to kill the forest she lives in. Emrys initially refuses, intent on discovering who he is and regaining the lost memories of his childhood, but when the two are attacked by goblins and Rhia tricks them into kidnapping her instead of him because he won't use his powers to save them both, he vows to save her. Along with a dwarf-sized giant, Shim, Emrys sets out to the Shrouded Castle to rescue her.He learns, from a wise bard named Cairpre, that Branwen really was his mother, but her real name is Elen. He also learns his father serves the king and was turned evil by the troublesome Rhita Gawr, a spirit who wants to control Fincayra before moving on to Earth. Cairpre suggests that he visit the dangerous wagerer Domnu, who may be able to help them reach the castle. Emrys plays her game and wagers the only thing of value he has, the Galator, which he has since learned is the one treasure King Stangmar, under the control of Rhita Gawr, doesn't have, and it is more powerful than all the treasures he does. Domnu shrinks him and Shim to allow them to fly on the back of Trouble, Emrys' named merlin, to the castle, where he realizes that his own father is the king who has made a deal to kill him for the safety of his mother in a deal made with Rhita Gawr.With the help of his friends, Emrys completes a prophecy from ancient times and destroys the castle and the hold that Rhita Gawr has on Fincayra. Both Trouble and Shim sacrifice themselves, the former by attacking Gawr and pushing him back into the otherworld, and the second by throwing himself into the Cauldron of Death. But because he went in willingly, Shim destroys the Caldron and grows to his true size as a giant.In the aftermath, Rhia suggests that if Emrys doesn't feel as if he has his true name, maybe he should go by the name Merlin. Emrys agrees to try the name out for a while.
What do You think about The Lost Years (2002)?
The novel that I have just finished reading is an Epic-Fantasy, “The Lost Years of Merlin”, by genre favorite T. A. Barron. Mr. Barron was born on March 26, 1952 and is a writer of fantasy and nature books. He grew up in Colorado and spent much of his youth in the beautiful Rocky Mountains with a love for nature and the belief in the spiritual values of the natural world, which is reflected in his writing.The story starts out with our protagonist, Emrys, washing up ashore in tattered clothing with a blonde woman, Branwen, with no memory of a past life. He grows up in a monastery and is treated badly by the village bully until he learns that there must be more to him. Through a series of seemingly random events, Emrys learns about certain innate instincts and powers that will later on help him fulfill an ancient prophecy and discover who he truly is. His journey begins when he decides to journey to journey to the mystical land of Fincayra, which is between Heaven and Earth. Like most first parts to an epic/saga, the first part deals with the protagonist finding him or herself and preparing to take on the monumental tasks ready for them in the next installments. And while it definitely seems cliché to a point, the story succeeds in creating and defining a group of characters that we would definitely love to go on another adventure. Its about finding our selves and the figurative pitfalls and pain that it takes us to get there. I absolutely loved this book. Yes it is sort of cliché, yes the character acts willfully stupid at times, and yes, it’s no “Lord of the Rings”. But, when you get past that, you find a story in which you truly care about the character. Why? Because he is very human. He makes mistakes; he acts willfully stupid to stay “logical”. He appeals to us because he is insanely relatable. Plus you get some of the most beautiful, and vivid images described in this book. I would love to go to Fincayra. This book comes highly recommended also, due to how immersive it is. I couldn’t wait to read it at times and that’s a testament to how rich Mr. Barron’s writing is. It is a very visual tale. I would recommend this book to anyone. Although the page length may be daunting for some, the story is easy, linear, and accessible. It really is a fantastic read and is gorgeously vivid and full of detail. If it’s fantasy your looking for or just leisurely entertainment, this book is definitely for you.
—Vikas Laroia
I remember reading The Lost Years Of Merlin series when I was in Middle School. From what I remember, I LOVED them and decided to re-read them now, over 10 years later. I still enjoyed the book, but did not find it as amazing as I did when I was little.Emrys does not know who he is, who his parents are, or what his real name is. After a terrible fire that leaves him almost blind, Emrys sets out to sea to find where he belongs. He finds himself in a terrible storm and is washed onto a shore, half drowned. Emrys learns that he is on an island named Fincayra and when his first friend gets kidnapped by warrior goblibns, Emrys and his miniature giant friend Shim set out to the Evil King's castle. On this journey, Emrys not only discovers much about himself, but also a great amount of his past.Things I Liked:- The description throughout the book. I could literally see and feel everything, I felt as though I were standing beside Emrys throughout his entire journey.- The character development. Emrys was not the only character that evolved through the story, which was nice.- Re-visitng old characters that I have not seen in years. The Grand Elusa, Domnu, Rhia, Shim, Trouble, I've missed them all and think of them fondly in memory.- The battle in King Stangmar's castle. So epic, leaves you drooling for the sequel.Things I Didn't Like:- The description throughout the book. I know this is also listed as something I liked, but it is also something that bothered me. Some chapters were complete visual, which was slightly annoying. Nothing progressed in these chapters, just a long winded explanation of the setting. - How slow Part 1 was. It really dragged and made me wonder how enthralled with the series I was when I was little. How did i get through Part 1 without putting it down?Overall, I will be reading the sequel, The Seven Songs again due to the fact that I remember that as being one of my favorites in the series. I highly recommend this series because it is a fantastical adventure.
—Jem Christian
This book may be geared to youth but I certainly enjoyed it. Merlin is shrouded in mystery. Many tales exist about him, but not much focuses on his youth. Barron admirably narrows the deficit. Merlin was born on a magical island. But he has no memories of it. His memories begin as a small boy when he and a woman who claims to be his mother were washed up on shore. She did not say much about her life before that and nothing about his family. She eeked out a living for them as a healer. Merlin takes after his grandfather who was born with special abilities. Those powers begin to show themselves as he enters his teens. His powers lead him into a horrific accident that causes him to be blind. Out of his blindness comes his second sight. Merlin meets magical creatures when he returns to the place of his birth. He also meets his father who is overcome by evil. The young Merlin is portrayed as foolish and courageous. Reading the story takes us back in time when we could walk in magical and mysterious places.
—Jeff Zell
