The Mirror of Merlin

Merlin #4

by T.A. Barron

Through adventures involving a haunted marsh, talking trees, and the creature called the ballymag, the young wizard Merlin continues to experience both his growing powers and his essential humanity, in the fourth installment of the Lost Years of Merlin epic. Reissue.

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Fiction, Arthurian, Middle Grade, Magic, Adventure

288 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published September 13, 1999

About the author

T.A. Barron grew up in Colorado ranch country and traveled widely as a Rhodes Scholar. He is the winner of the de Grummond Medallion for “lifetime contribution to the field of children’s and young adult literature” and many other awards. T. A. Barron is the author of more than 30 highly acclaimed books, many of which are international bestsellers. They include The Lost Years of Merlin (now being developed into a feature film), The Great Tree of Avalon (a New York Times bestselling series), The Ancient One (the tale of a brave girl and a magical tree), and The Hero’s Trail (nonfiction stories of courageous kids).

Though he’d dreamed as a young man of becoming a writer, he couldn’t find anyone to publish his first novel. He joined a successful 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.

In 2000, he founded a national award to honor outstanding young people who help their communities or the environment: the Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes, which honors 25 highly diverse, public-spirited kids each year. He recently produced a documentary film, Dream Big, profiling seven winners of the Barron Prize. When not writing or speaking, T. A. Barron serves on many boards including Princeton University, where he helped to create the Princeton Environmental Institute, and The Wilderness Society, which recently honored him with its highest award for conservation work. His favorite pastime is hiking, camping, or skiing in Colorado with his family.

Reviews

[Benjamin Thomas · Rating 3 out of 5]

The fourth book of the 5 book “Lost Years of Merlin” series is the first to really begin to get into the more traditional Arthurian lore. Previous volumes have confined themselves to more light-hearted adventure, sometimes with serious consequences, but never with a very far-ranging plot structure. This book begins the same way but thanks to the introduction of a mirror/portal, young Merlin is able to meet his wizened older self and learn much about his ultimate destiny. But only some of it. He ends the book with more questions than answers.

The author’s strength lies in his ability to tell a nice tale within colorfully descriptive settings. He invests much of his story in depicting the world itself and a bit less on the characters although they are still fully realized. This is certainly a nice set of novels for younger readers but there is still good fun to be had by us older folk. There are a few too many convenient plot contrivances for my tastes. I also prefer my protagonists to escape from danger using their skills, intelligence, creativity, etc. and not rely quite so much on pure luck.

A note to those who choose cover blurbs. This book carries this cover blurb from The Cincinnati Enquirer: “Young sorcery fans…set aside Harry Potter and pick up Merlin.” Really? This novel was first published in 1999, roughly about the time that the third Harry Potter book was published. While the publishers of the Merlin series might not have realized at that time just how huge Harry Potter would get it was still quite a phenomenon even then. I get that you might want to attract those readers who enjoyed Harry Potter but this cover blurb implies readers shouldn’t read both and in fact, that the Merlin series is better. Why must it be either/or? Can’t young sorcery fans read both Harry Potter and The Lost Years of Merlin series (and many others)? If young readers will only be reading one of the series, I sure wouldn’t want to go up against Harry and friends. Sorry…I will climb down off of my soap box now…

[Sophie [semi-hiatus] Foster · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one was kinda disappointing. What happened to Rhia? She didn't get any page time....

[Cathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The stories of Merlin are timeless and many. This one is book four of a series about the young Merlin. No matter that I have not read the previous three books, this one was terrific and I will read the next one, The Wings of Merlin. Meant for young adults, it is a very adult read, a fast paced adventure tale, and even better, a foreshadowing of what's to come in the older Merlin's life when the two meet each other in two different worlds, a delightful encounter near the end of the book. In this story, the young hawk and Hallia, his close companion and deer-woman, are transported in error to a dying forest near the horrid marshlands where something stinks, more than the much, of the isle of Fincayra. Along the way they meet some interesting creatures but my fave is the ballymag, a many tailed and armed little seal like fellow who talks in a deliciously adjectival way: "Always eagerready to find happyhope in any situation, I am! Which is why it's my sorrowfate to shriekadie with stale potatoes. An assnasty turn!"
Merlin (the young hawk) is faced with many hard choices in this tale, how he should use his emerging power (he is only 15), balance impetuousness and patience, when to listen and when to speak, and how to become himself. There are many obstacles facing him and Hallia, then Ector (the future Arthur) and even Gwynnia, Hallia's dragon.
The older Merlin imparts some fine wisdom in his brief cameo "The universe will always continue to surprise us, no matter how clever we think we are...we can wonder at it...no matter how old you get my lad, never lose your sense of wonder." Barron even pays homage to the iconic book by T.H White, The Once and Future King by including four lines of poetry about Merlin's future. Brilliant.
Engaging, quick paced, humour, great dialogue and characterization, impossible not to read this book through in one sitting! I love all things Arthurian and this series will ignite a young reader and adult alike to search for more books on the same.

[Kami · Rating 2 out of 5]

- The story wasn't very good in this one. Merlin kinda just traveled around. It got better about half way through.

- The Ballymag's dialogue is annoying. I had to slow down to read what he said.

- Merlin hasn't said chants to do magic before. Why does he need to now?

- Merlin is still very arrogant and ornery. Will he ever learn?

- I loved that they added Ector into the story!

- I think I'm getting burnt out on these books. I will probably take a break and read something else before tackling the last book.

[Bücherwurm · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ich zitiere mal Booklist auf der Rückseite des Buches: " Mit jedem Band gewinnen die Figuren und das Setting der Merlin-Saga an Tiefe und Intensität, erfährt der Leser mehr aus dem Schatz keltischer Weisheit. Die Bücher machen süchtig." Ich bin sowas von süchtig danach, ich liebe diese Schreibweise, die bildlich beschriebene Orte und die Weiterentwicklung von Merlin.

[Etienne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Je trouvais ce tome un peu répétitif dans sa formule, par rapport au précédent, et puis… (mini spoilers…) on rencontre le «vieux» Merlin, et cela valait le livre. Un livre divertissant. Probablement très bien pour un jeune public, mais en tant qu’adulte, je trouve effectivement que le tout est un peu répétitif, lent et «doux». J’espère que la série va évoluer au fil des tomes pour devenir plus «adulte» et gagner en intensité. Malgré cela, car ça peut sembler très négatif, j’aime bien les aventures et l’univers. Par contre, les personnages, on a droit aux grands stéréotypes et aux généralités caricaturales si chers à la littérature fantastique jeunesse. Je dois dire que j’avais énormément d’attente pour cette série et que, sans être déçu, je reste un peu sur ma faim (mais encore une fois, littérature jeunesse, lu par un adulte alors je dois être un peu indulgent sur ma note). J’ai tout de même hâte de poursuivre et de voir comment le tout va évoluer!

[Christina · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you made it to book 4, g'danya! I am burned out on reading these aloud but we are sallying fourth to book 5. No noticeable drop-off in quality.

[Daphne · Rating 3 out of 5]

2 yıllık bir aradan sonra bitti😬

[Alexandra Kalhofer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Als Jugendliche habe ich diese Bücher geliebt und ich mag die Welt immer noch sehr gerne - den Ballymag finde ich allerdings etwas anstrengend.

[Shelby · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Emelia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this in one sitting last night. On to book 3 !
What an interesting take on the young Merlin and Fincayra !
RTC's to come !

[aimee · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story for this series is fine. However, the writing isn't my favorite. Over all, the series is pretty enjoyable and I liked this addition.

[Serene · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wait what…why did it mix with sword in the stone stories??????

[Jay Wright · Rating 4 out of 5]

Merlin goes to the Haunted Marsh and loses his sword. In the process in which he travels with his friend Hallia, he meets a cute six armed creature, marsh ghouls, Nimue (the evil witch) and his future. This is a tale that gets better in the fourth book. The characters are well known to use and the story is coming together. This is the best in the series to date!

[Lindsey (Bring My Books) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Probably my least favorite of the four I've read thus far, but still an enjoyable installment in the Merlin Saga. In a weird way, there's this part at the end that is simultaneously both my favorite and least favorite of the series - without giving too much away, young Merlin meets someone he very much did not expect to meet, but this someone is a person that most of us reading are going to be intimately familiar with through stories and films. The characterization of said person seemed to be way too much, while also not too distant from the way he is shown in other fictional stories ... so, I don't know. Can you like and dislike the same part of a story?

Ha, anyway - worth the read, because it is part of a wonderful book series and it only gets better from here!

[Griffin · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Mirror of Fate is the fourth book in T.A. Barron’s Merlin series. It is an interesting book and very well written. I would recommend it to younger teens or tweens, as it could get boring for older teens and adults. The new characters were surprising and introduced well. Other than Merlin and Hallia, the other characters were not characterized very well. Though the beginning is nice, the ending is a bit bland. The storyline is interesting, though the plot is a bit wandering.

[EA Solinas · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first three books of T.A. Barron's Lost Years series were kind of light on the Arthurian aspects, but that changes dramatically in "The Mirror of Fate." The story is somewhat less enchanting and swift than the previous Merlin tales (particularly with the ballymag), but it's still an intriguing time-spanning adventure.

Hostile marsh ghouls have started rising in the Haunted Marshes of Fincayra, and Merlin and Co. happen to have a mission there (to find Merlin's magical sword). There Merlin encounters a young boy named Ector, who has a mysterious mission of his own there -- as well as the evil witch Nimue, who has used his lost sword as a means to trap him.

Unfortunately, Nimue manages to infect Merlin with the bloodnoose, a deadly... thingy that will slice his heart in half. And there is no cure (of course). To be saved, Merlin must seek out Ector's mysterious master -- and discovers a shocking fact about his own destiny, as well as the young boy's.

"The Mirror of Fate"... is a little less engaging than the previous three books, since the enchanted feeling is more muted and there are fewer fantastical events. But it's still a striking story, particularly since this is where Barron really infuses it with a sense of Arthurian timelessness: the brilliant scene where Merlin speaks to his older self, a T.H. White-styled elder wizard.

Barron also does not imbue this meeting with a sense of doom, but rather of destiny, that Merlin will one day be sealed in a cave,' but he will also impact the history of the world and set up the greatest king of mythic lore. And he slips scenes both humorous and horrifying (Nimue summoning the marsh ghouls is particularly chilling) into the plot, making it a much darker story than Barron's previous stories.

So unsurprisingly Merlin has a lot to deal with in this story, whether it's the threat to his life or the knowledge of his eventual future. That's the richest character development here -- Rhia is painfully absent from this book, and Hallia's bland pleasantness just can't compete with the woodland-girl quirkiness. Additionally, the Ballymag can be a little pain at times and whose speech has all the charm of Jar Jar Binks. But "Ector" is a likable kid who has the right mix of energy, brains and mystery.

Despite these flaws, "The Mirror of Fate" is a powerful and rewarding read -- as the ballymag would put it, this book is "mooshlovely!"

[Lindsical · Rating 4 out of 5]

This volume was a lot of fun. I liked getting to know Hallia and her budding relationship with Merlin. Although I was quite disappointed there was no Rhia or Caipre - two of my favorite characters.
The author is really getting more into the Arthurian legends and lore now and it's exciting! I can't give away any spoilers but some very important characters have begun to show up and I love it. He's doing it in a pretty creative way.

[Sumer Sidhu]

This is a great book. I think it is great because it is unique from most fantasy books. It's not about some kid in middle school who has some magic powers, but it is actually based in the middle ages.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's a new way to look at the origins of the infamous Merlin.

[Eadrinor · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite of TA Barron's Merlin series. This one sees our young Merlin catching glimpses of the Merlin we know from Arthurian legend, and the man he could become.

[Jamie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting, very interesting. Merlin meets his older self and Arthur

[Butter Mellow · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book fits neatly into the series so far. It excels where the first three books excelled, and it fails (for me) where the first three books failed.

I really enjoyed the last few chapters of the book. I can see how the ending probably was what inspired this fourth book in the first place. For me, it just falls down on its way to getting to this point.

The plot mechanics felt a little laboured and at times a bit too convenient. We get quite a few seemingly random appearances and attacks of all sorts of creatures. They don't contribute to the plot and are quite easily resolved. That and the sometimes strange pacing just make me feel as if the author may have struggled with filling the book with enough plot to make it to the (really brilliant) discovery at the end.

I really enjoyed many of the dialogue scenes (again, especially, the ending). I'm a big fan of introducing and discussing 'big' philosophical questions in literature, even if it is meant for a younger audience. Unfortunately, those, too, sometimes felt a little laboured. The characters had to go out of their way in order to hit the dialogue marks they needed to hit, and these were often accompanied by sudden shifts in voice, which made the scenes less believable for me.

Merlin as the protagonist was sometimes quite hard to grasp. His character seems to get a reset for every new book, so he can learn the same lessons in every new story. He starts out as being unnecessarily irritated and at times straight-up cruel to other characters. I think this issue is part of the inconsistency in his voice and tonality. He sometimes sounds like a 12-year-old, while in other parts he sounds like an adult.

Hallia's character had so much potential in the beginning, but then she was reduced to the protagonist's love interest. She does not contribute much to the plot, except for some plot-convenient info-dumping then and again. As the only female character in this book, I would have liked her to be a little more proactive and less the damsel in distress.

The romance that is set up in this book took me a little by surprise as well. For me, there is a huge imbalance in the relationship between Merlin and Hallia. Hallia appears to be so much more mature, and she certainly sounds older than Merlin (which is only emphasised by her referring to Merlin as 'young hawk').

All in all, I really like what the book set out to do, and I think the ending makes up for a lot of issues I had with the rest of the book. As someone who is quite deep into the Arthurian Legends, I was also incredibly happy to find more and more references to other Arthurian works and prominent elements of the Legend in this book. However, I suppose I would have liked it if the overall plot as well as the dialogues and relationships felt a little more organic and consistent.

[Scratch · Rating 2 out of 5]

I will begin with the caveat that I went nearly 20 years between reading book 3 and book 4 of this series. That implies the second caveat, in that I am clearly no longer the target audience for a YA book.

That being said, this was a disappointment. The story picks up with young Merlin where we left him, in the sense that he is traveling with his were-deer girlfriend. There is remarkably little exposition summarizing the earlier books (a definite point of frustration for someone who went 20 years in between), but there is also a stark lack of continuity with the earlier books. Merlin's mother and sister, previously main characters in all the earlier books, are simply abandoned here. They received no more than a single scant mention. It was as though this was a movie sequel and actors from previous installments hadn't signed on for the sequel, so their characters' disappearance was barely explained away.

I agree with other reviewers that while it was nice for the series to finally explore a little bit of classical Arthurian mythology a little more, this book did so at the expense of quality story-telling. The first 60% of the novel took place in a dream-like setting, and the story relied upon plot contrivances rather than any actual skill on the part of the protagonists. Deux ex machina after deux machina kept the plot driving forward.

While the storyline improved when Nimue first appeared, and the remaining 40% of the book was a bit more palatable, I simply didn't enjoy this installment very much.

[Masyn Archie · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The Mirror of Merlin" by T.A. Barron is set on an ancient island called Fincayra where you can find a young wizard by the name of Merlin. I found this book by reading the previous books of the series.

"The Mirror of Merlin" is about Merlin saving a swamp which belongs to some of the most evil creatures on Fincayra, the marsh ghouls. He needs to save the swamp from a lady called Nimue who is trying to kill Merlin. Merlin ends up going through this mirror and goes into the future to meet his future self and figures some things out then comes back and tries to deal with Nimue.

I thought how it ended was nice and calming after the storm that hovered over a while in this book. My favorite part is when Merlin is frustrated at his shadow for not doing what he wants it to.

I like this book, some similar books are the books that are part of the series and other fantasy or magical books. A reader that might enjoy this is someone who likes fantasy books or magical books.

[Lynn Wallace · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can think of two great examples of backstories in the literary world. One is T. A. Barron’s Merlin series. These five books trace the origin of the great wizard Merlin – made so famous in the stories of King Arthur – starting from his early life as a young man. For me, it was fascinating to discover a version of Merlin without a long white beard or wizard’s robes. I loved watching the various skills he acquired, his romance with the deer woman Hallia, his relationship with his sister, etc. In fact, just seeing him as a young man, uncertain and still learning (as opposed to the king’s wisest advisor) was entirely refreshing.

I have more to say on this book (and others!) in my blog! Read it here:
http://www.lynnwallaceauthor.com/blog...

[Tony Mush · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Where every step you take means…choices. Hard choices.” He took another bite and chewed thoughtfully. “So whichever path you choose, it’s bound to be partly right and partly wrong.”

"The universe will always continue to surprise us, no matter how clever we may think we are. That’s its nature, just as the nature of people is to keep trying to comprehend it.”

“All life is but a stream of moments, my lad, each one containing its own choices, its own marvels, its own mysteries. And, I fear, its own perils. But this much I have learned: It sometimes happens that what seems, in one moment, a curse, could turn out in the end to be a blessing.” .... “Or the reverse. And one never knows until the moment has passed.”

"choices are nothing less than the power of creation. Through them, you can create your own life, your own future, your own destiny.”

[Judith Chelekis · Rating 4 out of 5]

In spite of 11 or 12 published books "in this series", the first five are considered one series?

Continues trekking back and forth and up and down and all over Fincayra, with Hallia mostly. Merlin meets up with new and old friends and discovers problems, and in solving them, grows his magic. Light on the magic learning, it is interesting to see him interact with various creatures and people and you can see where he will use what he has learned in order to teach Arthur what he must know.

Seems fairly accurate on types of clothing and footwear (or lack thereof). It is quite good on the research end of the story.

[Aitor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Es la última novela de la saga de Los años perdidos de Merlín (de las publicadas en España).

Es entretenida como las anteriores, y no puedo decir que me haya aburrido en ningún momento, pero esta es la que menos me ha gustado de las cuatro novelas de la saga.
Me ha gustado menos la historia que me ha parecido la peor de las cuatro, los personajes secundarios (excepto el bolarda) no me han gustado demasiado, incluida la villana. E incluso la ambientación me ha gustado menos.

[Oscar Dovalina · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have enjoyed this serious so far, but I do struggle with the writing at times... And this may just be a personal opinion on the writing, but I feel that Merlin's emotional, logical, and wisdom based character development takes strides forward in one book... just to be lost or forgotten in the next. But maybe, this is just realistic as we all repeat some of our past mistakes?