Merlin #1: The Lost Years by T.A. Barron

I am called Emrys, and I live with a woman calling herself my mother. I know she is not, as I know the truth about my real name is out there beyond our village. The others call my "mother" a sorceress, but they still come to her for poultices and remedies. I know some of them fear her, and I've heard stories of women accused of witchcraft being burned. I don't understand how, but I suspect I have some abilities myself. The bird pooping on a bully's head was no accident, and I feel as if I can sense life in the trees. However, I've learned the danger of my magic and sworn that I'll never use it again. I must now venture out into the world and discover who I am. I have no idea where to begin my journey, so I'll return to the ocean shore, the site of my earliest memories.

This book followed the life history of young Merlin and wasn't at all what I expected. His early bad experience with magic took that power away from his character for most of the book. The loss was self-imposed, as the magic frightened him. The meat of the plot took place in a mystical land between heaven and earth. This setting featured a respectful balance between all living things that was being threatened by an outside force. Emrys saved the life of a merlin, and they became odd allies. (The merlin is an real animal, a type of small falcon.) This aggressive predator was quick to attack, and it took Emyrs awhile to realize it was only being protective of him. However, he quickly named the bird Trouble. The theme of the book became pretty clear when the trees, plants, and animals were threatened. Society needs to protect and preserve wildlife from destruction and development. The surrounding lands in the story even took on a barren, rust color which seemed to symbolize construction or urbanization of rural areas. Even though the plot lacked the magic from Merlin that I expected, I still found the book quite entertaining. It was nice to see a main character actually show respect and restraint toward newly found power. I recommend you give this book a shot, and I plan to read the sequel The Seven Songs of Merlin when it becomes available at my local library.