T.A. Barron
Mass Market Paperback | Pages: 304 pages Rating: 3.98 | 17933 Users | 774 Reviews
Itemize Epithetical Books The Lost Years of Merlin (Merlin #1)
| Title | : | The Lost Years of Merlin (Merlin #1) |
| Author | : | T.A. Barron |
| Book Format | : | Mass Market Paperback |
| Book Edition | : | Anniversary Edition |
| Pages | : | Pages: 304 pages |
| Published | : | July 2nd 2002 by Ace (first published 1996) |
| Categories | : | Fantasy. Young Adult. Fiction. Mythology. Arthurian. Magic. Adventure. Childrens. Middle Grade |
Explanation As Books The Lost Years of Merlin (Merlin #1)
I enjoyed the prose, particularly when it describes the natural world. However, the novel is poorly plotted, with the protagonist bouncing from one coincidental encounter to the next. Nearly every problem is solved by something fortuitously dropping from the sky, appearing out of the blue, etc. No fewer than FIVE chapters end with the protagonist falling unconscious. Once is a cliche; five times is an offense against literature. The protagonist is almost willfully stupid. Either that or the author assumes his reader is equally thick. Everything is articulated in the most heavy-handed way possible. Similarly, Rhia and Merlin know each other for a few days, but some passages infer that we're meant to think of them as lifelong friends. They don't behave like people who have known each other for only a few days (particularly when Merlin confirms he's not a ghost to Rhia by wrapping his index finger around hers, as if they've had time to make that a gesture with personal history/significance to either of them). Their relationship is unbelievable. Shim, the tiny giant, speaks like Jar Jar Binks and is equally insufferable. Merlin abandons his loving mother but rescues his evil father. There's just so much to dislike here.Details Books To The Lost Years of Merlin (Merlin #1)
| Original Title: | The Lost Years of Merlin |
| ISBN: | 0441010288 (ISBN13: 9780441010288) |
| Edition Language: | English |
| Series: | Merlin #1, The Lost Years of Merlin #1 |
Rating Epithetical Books The Lost Years of Merlin (Merlin #1)
Ratings: 3.98 From 17933 Users | 774 ReviewsJudge Epithetical Books The Lost Years of Merlin (Merlin #1)
This was an interesting take on the Merlin mythos and a great starting point for young readers to get into Arthurian literature. If you have a young reader you want to get interested in this stuff, reach for this one, absolutely.Unfortunately, I came into this as an adult, already fascinated with Arthurian legend (so some of this felt a little far fetched) and right on the heels of Mary Stewart's excellent Merlin saga, so I think this fell a little flatter than it would have otherwise.....*sigh* now I need to find the rest of the books >.<
It wasn't QUITE as amazing as it was when I was a kid, but revisiting this book after some 20 or so years was a nice nostalgia trip.
In which we learn that good research, lushly-imagined settings, and fine writing can't make up for bad plotting. Our protagonist's one-dimensional motivation propels him through a story populated exclusively by static NPCs. The reading experience is like playing a short linear-narrative RPG where each character is waiting off-screen for the designated hero to show up, trigger an encounter, and move the story forward.A reasonably entertaining series start, but not one I'd bother to repeat or
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
Real rating; 3.5.Too much description for my taste.If there's one thing I don't like it's a book whose plot is really good but has too many unnecessary descriptions.I don't really care how the sky looked when Emrys woke up or how the grass smelled when he traveled.I kind of liked Shim,but Rhia is a different story-you know I'm not a fan of insta-connection between characters.I'm also not liking the fact that Emrys saved his cruel father but left his mother easily.I mean,the woman took care of
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