The Lost Years of Merlin

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Interior Wood

Book I of The Lost Years of Merlin epic

Here is how the publisher describes this book on the jacket cover:

Spat out by the sea, the boy lay on the rocks, as still as death. Even if he survived the day, he had no home. No memory. And no name.

So begins the tale of a strange young boy who, washing up on the shores of ancient Wales, is determined to find his real home and his true name. One day he will become the greatest wizard of all time, but he knows nothing of this now.

At the knee of the mysterious Branwen, who claims to be his mother, the boy learns lore of the Celts, Druids, and people even more ancient. Yet the secret of his identity seems always to escape him. To discover the truth, and the secret of his own powers, he runs away, voyaging to the mist-shrouded isle of Fincayra, an enchanted land between earth and sky that is being destroyed by blight. It is there he meets the forest girl Rhia, the brave little giant Shim, and the wicked Rhita Gawr. He discovers that the fate of this land and his quest are strangely entwined…. If only he can solve the riddle of the Dance of the Giants.


Hardback ISBN: 978-0-399-23018-9
Paperback ISBN: 978-0-441-00668-7
Audio CD ISBN: 978-0-7393-8066-6
Audio Cassette ISBN: 978-0-8072-8765-1


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Chinaberry Book Review of this Epic Series

"In this epic series of Merlin's coming of age, Barron reaches deep into the recesses of our mythic imagination to reveal a Merlin we do not know in other stories. A Merlin proud and powerful, yet who is humbled by the consequences of his actions when he lets his pride get in the way of his inner knowing. Taken as a whole, these books are like a course in living. All the deepest lessons in life are found between the pages of these 5 books, books any child would be blessed to read.

T. A. Barron is a living example of the essence of Chinaberry. He speaks right to the core of our being, speaking of truth, of beauty, and of honor. Today more than ever, our children need this. They are crying out for substance, for deeper meanings, and spiritual truths. They hunger for stories that speak to their souls of the goodness of humanity and of the individual's struggle to be whole in an imperfect world. T. A. Barron is a master of writing about just these things, all carefully concealed in one of the most imaginative adventure stories you will ever read."

- Chinaberry Book Review, October 2008

To learn more about Merlin - the Movie, click here.

For an interview with T. A. Barron about Merlin, click here.



Discover all the books in this epic:


Book I:
The Lost Years of Merlin

Book II:
The Seven Songs of Merlin

Book III:
The Fires of Merlin

Book IV:
The Mirror of Merlin

Book V:
The Wings of Merlin