The Seven Songs of Merlin (Merlin Saga) - Hardcover

Barron, T. A.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 039923019X ISBN 13: 9780399230196

Publisher: Philomel Books, 1997

Synopsis

Young Merlin, triumphant after his first encounter with the dreaded Rhita Gawr, has brought new hope to Fincayra, the enchanted isle that lies between earth and sky. Yet when a renewed tide of evil arises, its first victim is Merlin's own mother. To save her, Merlin and the forest girl Rhia must follow the perilous path of Seven Songs of Wizardry that has claimed even the lives of great wizards. Most difficult of all, Merlin must discover the secret of seeing not with his eyes, but with his heart.The eagerly anticipated second book in The Lost Years of Merlin epic combines all the passion, power, and spiritual depth that are T.A. Barron's hallmarks. It adds a thrilling new dimension to the legend of Merlin, even as it offers lasting inspiration to us all.

About this title

From the Author:

For me, writing is exploring. Whether it's the surprising connections among people, the wondrous patterns of nature, or the mysterious wellsprings of the spirit-the universe beckons. I love to explore it, whether by foot or by pen.

Writing is both the most joyous-and most agonizing-labor I know. And it is by far the best way to travel-in our world or any other. Ever since my youth on a ranch in Colorado, I've felt passionate about nature-and about writing. I wrote and published my own magazine as a kid, called the Idiot's Odyssey, which sold about five copies an issue (including the ones my parents bought). I kept writing during my college years at Princeton, and during my years at Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar. During that time at Oxford, I composed stories and poems while hiking in the Scottish highlands, while sitting beneath the boughs of an English oak I named Merlin's tree, while backpacking through Asia, Africa, and the Arctic; and while participating in a traditional roof thatching in Japan. Even during my years managing a fast-growing business in New York City, I often rose before dawn to write.

Finally, I followed my dream to write full time. In 1990, I moved back to Colorado and started writing in the attic of my home, with the help of my wife and our five young children.

My five-book epic about Merlin's youth gives me a chance to add a new dimension to the rich lore about this enduring figure. Why am I spending almost a decade writing about Merlin? Because he is much, much more than a great wizard. His story is, in truth, a metaphor-for the idea that all of us, no matter how weak or confused, have a magical person down inside-waiting to be discovered. If you would like more information about the epic, please visit my official tabarron website.

From the Inside Flap:

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approx. 10 hours
6 cassettes

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 must discover the secret of seeing- not with his eyes but with his heart.

About this edition

• Publisher: Philomel Books
• Publication date: 1997
• ISBN 10: 039923019X
• ISBN 13: 9780399230196
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 320