The Lost Years of Merlin
by T.A. Barron
After washing ashore with no memories of his past, Emrys develops magical powers and sets off to discover who he is and where he came from.
I’ve always really liked stories of King Arthur and the wizard Merlin, but most of the stories I’ve seen take place when these characters are a bit older, if not elderly. I liked reading about a different part in Merlin’s life, when he was discovering his powers and his origin, and also earning the name Merlin. There are many telling of the lives of Arthur and Merlin, but, for me, this was the first true origin story of Merlin I’ve ever heard.
I liked the settings and the variety of characters. The writing is descriptive without being too overly detailed, and the magic is explained just enough that it makes sense without being broken down into specifics. Merlin is a pretty selfish character, and there is a mix of him choosing what happens and things simply happening to him, but I think that suits a story about a young boy searching for who he is in a strange new place. I feel like this would be better suited for a younger reader, but I still enjoyed it.
<3D
LessthanThreeD 