The Fires of Merlin/Merlin, Book 3: The Raging Fires (T.A. Barron)

Author Biography

T.A. Barron is a prolific author of books for children and young adults, particularly in the fantasy genre, as well as an active founder and supporter of conservation causes. He lives in Colorado.

Published By: Penguin Group USA

Year: 1998

ISBN: 0-399-23020-3

Reading Level: Grades 7 and up.

Reader’s Annotation:

The terrible dragon Valdearg has reappeared, and according to prophecy, only Merlin can vanquish him. But does the young wizard stand a chance after his powers are stolen from him? And even if he does, what will the cost of victory be?

Plot Summary:

Fourteen-year-old Merlin has spent the past year living happily with his mother Elen and sister Rhia, while studying wizardry with the poet Cairpré. But their idyllic life is shattered by terrible news: the dragon Valdearg has awakened from his enchanted sleep and, if not stopped, will lay all of Fincayra to waste. A prophecy seems to foretell that only Merlin can defeat the dragon, but that doing so will cost him his own life. Nonetheless, Merlin accepts his duty and journeys to the land of the dwarfs, which is under the greatest threat from Valdearg. But once there, he finds himself wrongly accused of an atrocity and robbed of all his magic.

Now it seems that nothing can stop the dragon, except possibly the Galator, the powerful pendant that Merlin once possessed but lost to the sorceress Domnu. Aided by deer-people Eremon and Hallia, he sets out to retrieve it. This quest will bring him face to face with wondrous magic, faithful allies and terrifying enemies both new and old, as all the while the threat of Valdearg looms…

Critical Evaluation:

This third installment of the Merlin Saga is more somber in tone than its two predecessors. Not only does it lack their comic relief elements, the bulk of its story has Merlin traumatically stripped of his powers and dogged by a prophecy of doom. It also features heightened violence and a more bittersweet ending. Still, like its predecessors, it provides no shortage of enchantment as it expands the world of Fincayra, introducing us to baby dragons, the oracular Wheel of Wye, and people who can change into deer, as well as to the monstrous kreelixes, destroyers of magic. Running through the text is the symbolism of fire, both as a source of destruction and of warmth and light, as well as inner “fires,” such as Valdearg’s rage and the first flickers of romance between Merlin and the deer-girl Hallia.

Once again, Barron gives us a standard fantasy plotline: a quest to battle a dragon that the hero is prophesized to slay, with a “prophecy twist” in the end that’s fairly easy to predict from the start. But as always, what matters here isn’t originality, but lush fantasy atmosphere, world-building, suspense, feeling and characterizations. Merlin steadily continues his journey toward becoming the wise wizard of legend, not only by conquering adversity, but by gaining new compassion and empathy, even for monsters, through “the power of understanding” – which, as Hallia observes, is a power greater than any magic. In the end, we’re left eager for the saga’s next installment, both to see more fantastical world-building and to see the next stage of Merlin’s growth.

Curriculum Ties:

•Arthurian legend

•Welsh mythology

•Fantasy worlds

Challenge Issues:

•Violence

•Disturbing imagery

•Mild profanity

Why This Book?

The Merlin Saga’s third chapter provides a more somber, but still exciting and engaging continuation of the series, and leaves the reader very eager for more.