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 More...

In this first installment of T.A. Barron's trilogy, we are given a fresh look into the life of Merlin. The classic vision of Merlin is of an aged, bearded man wielding a staff, a force to be reckoned with. But what of his childhood, his teenage years? Merlin was not always a master wizard, and The Lost Years of Merlin presents us with a very different man, a teenage boy washed ashore in a strange land, ignorant to its peoples and creatures. With help from new companions, he embarks on a journey More...

I love stories about Merlin, King Arthur and knights, etc. I read these books a long time ago and decided to read them again. I really like this book and am anxious to reread the other ones in this series. Emrys is washed up on shore with his mother and has no memory of where he came from or anything about his life before. He helps a woman on shore and she tells him, she is his mother, but he feels that since she won't tell him about his past that she isn't really his mother. After some things h More...

OK, everyone, I have a confession to make. I've never really cared one way or another about Arthurian tales and legends. I don't hate them, nor do I love them--I've just never read beyond what we were required to in school. Although lately I have seen a few titles and reviews that are making me consider delving into the world of Arthur and Merlin. I suppose that you could consider this book the start of that journey.

Really, what drew me to The Lost Years of Merlin were comparisons to Lloyd Alexa More...

I really think that the whole foundation for this story and series is really solid, especially in relation to the title, which I think is perfect. The Lost Years of Merlin, where he is not only kind of lost, wandering around wondering where he belongs, but these stories of his youth have been lost to time as well. And Merlin's youth, be him the wizard or simply wise man of King Arthur lore, has got to be one of the most interesting parts of the story, though one we know nothing about. Barron's t More...

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 auth More...

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 se More...

За Мерлин днешните деца или мислят като за брадат развратен чичка, който помага на разни англикански благородници да онодят жените на своите поданици с магия, или като за ушат пръхльо с келешка прическа, най-добър приятел и връстник на Артур, като последния е нещо като Джъстин Бийбър- лайк куотърбек от среден американски тийн филм, а Гуиневир е палава мулатка – кухненска прислужница. Доста различни представи, и до една неверни, на всичкото отгоре и представени съвсем скучновато- предвидимо. Личн More...

T.A. Barron's Merlin: The Lost Years, was thoroughly entertaining. My familiarity with Merlin and King Arthur helped me to immediately engage in the story. This story is appropriately suggested for readers, 10 and older, as there is a good deal of dark and violent images and powerful symbolism. It reminded me of the later, darker of Harry Potter books and the grim Lord of the Rings. Through his beautifully and effective descriptive language, Barron creates well developed characters, but more so More...

Je dois dire que j’ai été assez surprise par le livre, je ne m’attendais pas du tout à ce type de lecture, et il est complètement différent de ce que j’ai déjà pu lire sur la légende de Merlin. Entre fantasy, légende et conte fantastique, T.A. Barron m’a complètement fait voyagé. J’ai adoré.

Le monde dans lequel évolue les personnages de ce livre est mystérieux, empreint de magie, de sortilèges et de malédiction. La nature y a une très grande importance, et j’ai adoré cette idée. Au début du roma More...

T.A. Barron is a fantastic author who brings to life the early years of Merlin and how he learned how to use his magic. The book is endearing in the portrayal of the boy and the small companions who join him, including Shim the stunted giant and Rhia, the girl of the tree, and a merlin named Trouble. he goes throughout the whole book with absolutely no memory of his life before he awakens on the shore in Wales.

T.A. Barron pulls you in with his description of the boy who has no memory of his prev More...

I adore these books. Don't let the thought of "young adult" dissuade you from reading them. I read them the first time when I was 13, re-read them again at 18, and now at 23 own them and read them for leisure at various times when I'm in between quality books. They're chalk full of fascinating characters, plot twists, enriching and exotic places, evil villains, beautiful love stories...these five books have it all. In my humble opinion, they're books that don't come along often. I wish they had More...

Dès le début, j’avais une mauvaise impression avec Merlin…moi, la période arthurienne et Merlin ça fait bien plus que deux, donc il y avait un problème dès le début. Et j’avoue que je n’ai pas forcément envie d’écrire un avis sur ce livre parce que je n’adore pas critiquer, mais bon, quand il faut, on le fait…

Le début est étrange et incompréhensible, d’ailleurs petite note à tout le monde : ne lisez pas les remerciements de l’auteur qui explique un peu toute l’histoire ce qui fait perdre de la v More...

304pg. Fantasy.
A young boy washes onto a shore in the middle of an unknown ocean. The boy knows neither his name or identity. The land is magical and bright, and is said to be the bridge from heaven to earth. It is named Fincarya. On the island, the boy meets a mysterious girl. They then undertake a mission to save Fincarya, and to overthrow a king who is controlled by an evil spirit. They travel through many woods, fighting shifting wraiths and other monsters. They befriend a little giant, an More...

The Lost Years of Merlin was by far the best book with a human main character I've read. The book includes many details about the environment of the world that T.A. Barron creates in this book, with very peculiar and interesting characters living in it. It starts when a 7-year old boy washes ashore on an unknown beach with no memories at all, and that is when the real adventure begins when he is attacked by a wild boar. The scenes and creatures are of classic fantasy; with large deserts, lush fo More...

This fantasy novel is rich with creative and lovable characters and a lush environment that will instantly draw you in. The book begins with excitement and mystery, intriguing you to read further. I can't wait to continue on with this series! Barron's writing is fun and he paints a great story of his theory on Merlin's young adult years.

Our 9-year-old daughter didn't take to this book, but it seemed interesting enough that I thought I'd check it out. It is indeed more appropriate for perhaps tweens or teens, and I enjoyed it quite a bit. The story is generally a bit predictable for an adult reader, but the characters are quite nice, and in general it didn't have much of the all-too-common stupid decision problem -- the characters didn't make stupid decisions simply to move the plot along. The story slows down here and there, an More...

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' More...

Emrys, a young boy, washes up on a shore in Wales. He has no recollection of his previous life, nor of the woman who is by his side. She tells him her name is Branwen, and she is a healer who uses herbs and plants as remedies. Emrys feels some stirrings within himself of magical powers. As Emrys gets older, he longs to find out who he really is and where he comes from and embarks on a journey to find the answers. He escapes to the magical isle of Fincayra and there, with the help of a loyal hawk More...

I read this many many years ago, I loved this big book big time back then. I was enthralled with magic and Merlin and this series filled that void in spades. This is about a young version of Merlin who knows nothing of magic and is washed ashore a strange land. He soon finds clue's about where he comes from and journey's back to that magical land. Twists, magic, and wonder are all in this book. I would love to give this a 5 but after trying to read this in my older age I found some of the writin More...

Oh, this does take me back! It must've been 5th or 6th grade when I read this series, and even years later, this story stuck in my head because it felt so different from the rest of the fantasy I've read. Now, rereading the book as a college student, I'm falling in love with high fantasy all over again, and this book is main reason why.

The color in the writing draws you in and surrounds you with misty disconnection from reality - this is definitely one of those books where you read it and you fo More...

It was difficult for me starting this book because I'm so familiar with all of the Arthurian lore and all the tales surrounding the mysterious character Merlin. I was glad that I read the author's introduction though; Barron seems familiar with the lore as well, so it put my mind at ease. It's true that there isn't much said about this particular period of Merlin's life, and I was glad to see someone take it up.

I can't say I was pleased that for a majority of this book Merlin is not Merlin but More...

What a lame read. I was REALLY disappointed. After Avalon totally winning my heart, this was a huge let-down. Merlin was a prideful, ignorant, annoying guy that got himself into all sorts of trouble because of his own stupid mistakes. And for what? To become the most famous wizard of all time? Sheesh.
I admit Hallia and her brother were fairly cool, but Rhiannon was the only I really liked. It DID help enlighten me on some stuff in the Avalon series since this a prequel series, but the whole sti More...

Like Santa Claus, Merlin is a character that, despite being fictional, has enthralled young and old alike for centuries. T. A. Barron's novel's mission is to try to explain where the ever-popular, legendary wizard came from, and what made him who legend says he is. It succeeds on many fronts: an engaging story, great writing, and an ending that will leave you wanting more. If you've grown weary of Harry, Hermione, and Ron, but are still looking for a kiddie magical fantasy read, give The Lost Ye More...

This book imagines what might have happened to Merlin while he was a teenager. Who was he and how did he get to be a great and wise wizard?

Emyrs is a boy who doesn't remember anything before the day he and his mother wash up on a beach in Wales. He begins to notice strange and scary things about himself and eventually sets out on a quest to find out who he is. He ends up in Fincayra, a magical between place in grave danger.

If the book seems to end to quickly, it is only because the story is jus More...

The intended audience of this book are probably kids and fantasy lovers. The main problems are that Emrys can't remember his past, and the Druma wood in the magical land of Fincayra is dying. The time setting could probably be different, but the place was very important because it was a magical land and added important factors to the story. Emrys is th emain protagonist, and he's curious, brave, but lost. The main antagonist is Stangmar, the evil King.
Emrys washed up on shore with a lady, Bran More...

Merlin is a character who has fascinated people for centuries -- a powerful wizard who shaped the legendary King Arthur. And T.A. Barron gives his densely, mythologically fantastical take on Merlin in The Lost Years of Merlin, a colorful and lushly-detailed novel about the teenage wizard's formative years. The Star Wars twist is rather predictable, but otherwise it's a delightful story.

Years ago, the boy Emrys was washed up on the shores of Wales, along with an equally mysterious woman named Bra More...

- I discovered these books in Jr. High, but I never finished the series. I think it is about time that I did. It wasn't that I didn't enjoy them, cause I did. I just didn't get around to them.

- Emrys is a bit annoying at times. I get that he is scared to use his powers, but come on! Learn how to control them! He is supposed to become the greatest wizard of all time, but he has a TON to learn.

- Shim reminds me of Gurgi from Lloyd Alexander's Prydain series. In fact, there were a lot of elements i More...

Here is the first installment of a series that I stumbled upon by accident many years ago. I knew nothing of this author or this series when I first picked up The Seven Songs of Merlin (book 2) in 2003. I read it, expecting a children’s fantasy with not much meat or meaning. What I got was an enriching story in an imaginative world wherein our most beloved wizard was lost for the most part of his formative years. Thus, when coming across the rest of the books more than three years later, I was e More...