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:
1999
ISBN:
0-399-23455
Reading
Level: Grades 7 and up
Reader’s
Annotation:
A
spell gone awry sends Merlin and his beloved Hallia to the Haunted Marsh. There
they face terrible dangers and discover wondrous magic… including a mirror that
contains the mists of time.
Plot Summary:
On the island of Fincayra, fifteen-year-old Merlin
continues honing his wizardly powers, now with the added motivation of
impressing the charming deer-girl Hallia. But when he attempts an overambitious
spell, he accidentally transports himself and Hallia to the notorious Haunted Marsh.
There, they learn that the marsh ghouls have inexplicably turned more vicious
than ever before, destroying the surrounding villages and forest. And when a strange
bird flies away with Merlin’s sword – the one destined to be pulled from a
stone by some future king – they have no choice but to trek through the
dangerous swamp to retrieve it.
The
journey grows more urgent still when a monstrous beetle injects Merlin with a
“bloodnoose,” which will kill him if not magically removed. Joined by a
mysterious young boy named Ector, Merlin and Hallia search for a cure. Their
search will lead them to a mythical flaming tree, to the terrible secret behind
the marsh ghouls’ new destructiveness, and to a magic mirror that transports
Merlin through time and space… bringing him face to face with a wise, eccentric
old wizard from the far future…
Critical
Evaluation:
This
fourth chapter of the Merlin Saga delivers
on all the promises made by its three predecessors. Once again Barron expands
the magical world of Fincayra, fleshing out the Haunted Marsh with wonders,
horrors, and new supernatural creatures. Merlin is still Merlin as well: a boy
whose ego and immaturity sometimes get the better of him, but who also displays
true heroism, selflessness and wisdom, and whose journey of power-honing and
self-exploration continue to lead him toward his great wizardly destiny. A
destiny that he sometimes doubts will come true; until he steps through a
mirror into the future and encounters his own elderly self!
Unlike the first three books of the
series, this installment has stronger ties to Arthurian legend. Malory and
White are referenced more overtly than ever, familiar Arthurian characters (both
previously-glimpsed and hitherto unseen) play major roles, and specific, familiar details of Merlin’s future are spelled out. Any reader who found the first
three books insufficiently Arthurian should be happy here. And any reader who
found Book 3 too somber will be grateful that Barron once again provides comic
relief: from the doleful ballymag (roughly a cross between C.S. Lewis’s
marsh-wiggles and Lloyd Alexander’s Gurgi, with even quirkier speech patterns),
from Merlin’s misbehaving shadow (the result of more magic gone awry), and
from the Merlin of the future, who, in contrast to his serious teenage self, is
very much the quirky, anachronism-spouting wizard from White’s The Sword in the Stone. Romance plays a
larger role than ever before as well, as Merlin’s chief companion on this
journey is Hallia, whom the future implies will be the great love of his life. As
always, Barron engrosses us in Merlin’s fantastical coming-of-age journey and
leaves us wanting more.
Curriculum
Ties:
•Arthurian
legend
•Welsh mythology
•Fantasy worlds
Challenge
Issues:
•Violence
•Disturbing
imagery
Why
This Book?
With
its fantasy, humor, darkness, romance, myth building and character development,
this book is a worthy fourth installment in the saga of Merlin’s “lost years.”
No comments:
Post a Comment