The Seven Songs of Merlin (The Lost Years of Merlin, #2)

The Seven Songs of Merlin (Lost Years of Merlin #2)

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4.09 of 5 stars 4.09  ·  rating details  ·  4,073 ratings  ·  68 reviews
To save his ailing mother, young Merlin must master the Seven Songs of Wisdom passed down from his grandfather, a legendary wizard. Only then can he journey to the spiritual Otherworld to obtain the elixir he needs. But the quest involves a task Merlin must perform -- defeating a vile ogre whose merest glance means death. And even more difficult for the young wizard, he mu...more
Paperback, 304 pages
Published February 1st 2000 by Ace (first published September 22nd 1997)
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The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer BradleyThe Once and Future King by T.H. WhiteMerlin Trilogy by Mary StewartLe Morte d'Arthur by Thomas MaloryThe Dark is Rising Sequence by Susan Cooper
Best Arthurian Fiction
71st out of 300 books — 880 voters
The Fires of Merlin by T.A. BarronThe Lost Years of Merlin by T.A. BarronThe Seven Songs of Merlin by T.A. BarronThe Mirror of Merlin by T.A. BarronThe Wings of Merlin by T.A. Barron
Great Books for ALL!!!
3rd out of 27 books — 4 voters


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Severine Trooster
Je suis assez partagée pour ce second tome. J'ai beaucoup aimé, mais il y a quelques petites choses qui m'ont quand même déplu.

Alors dans ce second tome, le conseil se réunit est décide de ce qu'ils vont faire des objets magiques de Stargmar avait gardé au château. Il est décidé que Merlin aurait la Harpe fleurie et qu'il aurait comme mission de faire revivre l'île de Fincayra avant que Rhita Gawr revienne avec ses gobelins. Malheureusement au bout de quelques semaines, Merlin se sent seul et pr...more
Millicent Prendergild, Cybrarian
This series is a prequel of sorts to the legend of Merlin beginning in the early years when Merlin is first coming into his magical powers. This is the second story in the five book series chronicling the great wizard’s youth.

As the story opens, Merlin is 13 years old and has the privilege of attending the great council meeting with the ambassadors of nearly every race of fantasy that reside on the enchanted isle as they must decide what to do with the Treasures of Fincayra. He has been charged...more
SIMON Karine
Je tiens tout d’abord à remercier les Editions Nathan pour l’envoi de ce livre, et pour la confiance qu’ils me témoignent. Ce fut un réel plaisir de découvrir la suite des aventures du jeune Merlin.
Nous retrouvons Merlin, ou nous l’avons laissé dans le premier tome. Lors du grand conseil, il se voit confier « la Harpe fleurie » avec pour mission, de redonner vie aux Collines obscures avant le retour de Rhita Gawr, qui ne manquera pas de vouloir se venger. Il ne doit surtout pas se détourner de c...more
Lauren
Rhita Gawr may have been defeated for the moment, but Merlin's battles aren't over yet. The Seven Songs of Merlin has the legendary teenage wizard embarking on a harrowing new journey, with far more personal goal -- saving his mother. And T.A. Barron's lushly flowering prose and mythological insertions make this a delight.

Merlin is given the Flowering Harp to repair the land from the blight's damage. But since his ego is getting out of control, he decides to bring his mother Elen to Fincayra ins...more
Kami
- I like how Barron imagined Stonehenge to be created, but how does it get to Earth and England?

- Merlin is SO frustrating!! He is an arrogant jerk who thinks very highly of himself. It gets a little better towards the end, and learns some humility, but most of the book, he is arrogant.

- I'm grateful there is a map in the front of the book. It helped since there was a ton of traveling.

- I love how Merlin receives Excalibur! Naming was my favorite song! I loved that whole part.

- Can't Merlin fol...more
Devin
This was the first book of the series that I read. Out of order, I know, but it was an accident. I didn’t know at first that this was a series when I saw it at a bookstore for 30% off in 2003. But I didn’t know I had to buy one or two of them to get the discount. I bought it anyway, and was glad I did. I wasn’t expecting much from a young adult series about Merlin, but nevertheless, I enjoyed it tremendously. I recently reread it as I’m reading the entire series now. For the second time around,...more
Madeleine
Awwwww... Merlin has become a teenager. Quite cute actually. Enjoyable sequel, though a bit cut and paste. Again Merlin's judgement is lacking (AKA he has a bad feeling bad feeling about something, decides to go ahead and do it anyway, something horrible happens and he seems totally surprised) and he never seems to learn from his mistakes. His pride is his hubris even thjough he comes out without a scratch no matter what. Pretty predictable but good source of entertainment
Chrissy
I sort of feel like I would have liked this novel a bit more had I not read the first.
In this second novel Merlin's slide back into petulance after all the gains he had made was a bit grating. I get that he might suffer from some arrogance after toppling the threats in the first novel, but the wingy, whining temperment the reader was a little much in the first act.
This is redeemed later on, and compared to the fun I had with the later chapters later in the book it wasn't the biggest deal.
I enjoy...more
Grayce
I think the book was very good. This was not the best book I ever read, but it was enjoyable. I like the character development and the relationships between them. The plot was good, but there were no exciting/suspenseful moments for me. The fight scenes were short. I enjoy the series so far, and look forward to reading the rest of the books. I would recommend this book to fantasy lovers who want to know about Merlin’s early life.
Steve
Some readers have suggested Merlin's rather unpleasant personality is a flaw in this book. I disagree: I think his boyish arrogance and foolishness sets this novel apart from most fantasy works. Merlin has a tragic childhood to overcome, and he's still learning about his powers. The tension between his desire to heal the isle of Fincayra, and his stronger urge to find his mother provides a strong backbone for the second book in this series. And the way he learns seven life lessons is at the hear...more
Nate
So as I started reading this book it irritated me. Gone was the Merlin from the first book only to be replaced by a whining little brat. It was a completely different character!. I almost put the book down and went to something else, but alas it didn't last long only 3 or 4 chapters of the book. The rest of the book was a good read though not as goods the first one........ now on to book 3!
Richard
These are great books and well written at that they share the stories of Merlin the great wizard who fought along side King Aurthur, In the time before King Aurthur. From the minute I opened this book I couldn't put it down. From front to back this is a great book about a great myth in English culture. If you get a chance i suggest this book.
Tonya Cheney
I'm not sure if I will continue reading this series. This is the second book and it's dragging a little. I like the quest he is on, but the character of Merlin is a little shallow and sometimes downright mean. There are about 11 books, I believe. That's kind of a big commitment. I might read book 3, but if it continues to be slow, I'll probably move on to a new series.
Sophie
It was a cute book, definitely made for younger teens. The time-line of the actions in the book was not very well thought out, there was no way even a "hero" could have completed the tasks Merlin was given in a month, much less a young boy, but it did keep the story moving quickly.
Kidsbookworm
I LOVED the rich vocabulary in this book. It's a nice change after reading the popular books that are more simple in their structure.

Often a sequel does not live up to the quality of the first book in a series, but this book was wonderful. I am eager to read the next one!

I think adults who are fans of the Merlin legend will enjoy this too.

Matt Hayes
Just about as good as the first book. Barron threw a lot more fantasy into it, and I liked that. Didn't leave me hanging - I like how each book stands on its own, but that there is an over-arching storyline.

Can't wait for Book 3: The Fires of Merlin (aka THE RAGING FIRES).

-Matt
Lisa
It's interesting to read about the teenage Merlin. He's a teenager so he's not quite the full blown wizard and has to learn lessons that will make him a great wizard. Now I want to read more about the adult Merlin. Are there any good Merlin books you'd recommend??
Jen
Decent but read kind of like a videogame (his staff lights up with different icons to show what he's learned). Also, the main character is a jerk (yeah, Merlin). His character development seems to be making him less of a jerk, which isn't exactly the same thing as wise.
Allura
The Seven Songs of Merlin is the sequel to The lost years to Merlin. Looking for adventure? Action? These are NOT one of those cheesy adventure books, tis has romance, comedy, and big surprises! Get your today at Barns & Noble!
Shauna
I'm really liking this series. The second book is actually a little better than the first because it starts right into the story.
My husband is always finding hidden gospel meanings that writers throw into books. I told him he has to read this one. Even I was able to spot the similarities to gospel teachings. Very good book.
Becca
Another Arthurian adaptation that follows Merlin's life. However, this series follows his childhood exclusively unlike the Mary Stewart series. Still, worth the read for any Merlin fans.
Amanda
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.
Karolinde (Kari)
This is the second book in the Lost Years of Merlin. Merlin has to discover the seven songs that define magic in order to save his mother from a dreadful curse.
Karen
This is book 2 of the Merlin series. As the story continues Merlin must find the seven songs. It is quite an adventure, one I am sure you will enjoy.
Paula Stock
The story of Merlin's possible youth is interesting, but it got rather dull and predictable in the middle. I liked the surprise toward the end though!
Willa
Merlin was, at first annoying, turned out to be really great. I thought his character made progress and I look forward to reading the next book.
Ilene
The series just keeps getting better and better and the books fit together wonderfully. It is like the story never ended. I can't wait to see where everything goes from here!
Kara Thomas
These books are beautifully written and always have a lesson learned. I really enjoy them.
Mr. Wiegel
Continues where the first book left off. Must read the first to fully appreciate this book.
Jeri
2nd of series of 5. looks at merlin's youth and education (through experiences).
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The Seven Songs of Merlin (The Lost Years of Merlin, #2)
The Seven Songs of Merlin (The Lost Years of Merlin, #2)
Merlin und die sieben Schritte zur Weisheit (Merlin-Saga, #2)
The Seven Songs (Merlin, #2)
The Seven Songs of Merlin (Hardcover)

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T.A. Barron grew up in Colorado ranch country and traveled widely as a Rhodes Scholar. Though he’d dreamed of becoming a writer, he couldn’t find anyone to publish his first novel. He joined a business, eventually became president, then decided to try again. So in 1990, he surprised his business partners by moving back to Colorado to become a writer and conservationist. Since then he has written o...more
More about T.A. Barron...
The Lost Years of Merlin (The Lost Years of Merlin, #1) The Mirror of Merlin (The Lost Years of Merlin, #4) The Fires of Merlin (The Lost Years of Merlin, #3) The Wings of Merlin (The Lost Years of Merlin, #5) Child of the Dark Prophecy (The Great Tree of Avalon, #1)

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