The Lost Tales of Merlin. Barron takes us on a journey, that as he states in the collections few have done, back to Merlin's unknown childhood. I have read Mary Stewart's collection on Merlin, but i quite enjoyed this tale of how Merlin came into his powers, his acceptance of them, and background on his mother and father. As well as how he came to have the name Emrys and Merlin both. an excellent tale, and am looking forward to the next 2 in the collection.

The Seven Songs of Merlin. Barron picks up where he left off with The Lost Tales of Merlin. Merlin has the Flowering Harp and is rebuilding the beauty of Fincayra, when his desire to see his mother again overwhelms him. Travelling to the shore he arrived on not so logn ago, he finds a speaking shell, and uses magic to bring his mother home. Inadvertently she is poisioned by Rhita Gawr. Merlin soon finds himself on another quest across the magical island, this time to discover the soul of the seven songs of wizardry, and in so, finding more of his true self.
I have to say i enjoyed this far more then I did the first book of the collection, for its pacing and flow seem much more even to me. Next up is the Fires of Merlin. Then I'll consider how it plays in with Stewart's tales of Merlin, and others I have read.

In The Fires of Merlin, young Merlin seeks to perform a ritual for his coming into magic, that is ruined when an ancient creature that destroys magic, a Kreelix, attacks. He is then summoned by the Dwarf Enchantress to fulfill a promise of aid - for the great dragon awakes, and is out for revenge for the murder of its hatclings. with the help of two deer people. Merlin sets off in search of an Oracle, and the Galator to defeat the dragon. But prohpecies are never what they seem, and the way Merlin interprets the ancient tale, turnes out to be slightly off the mark.
An excellent book, and collection, and I will certainly be reading more of Barron's work in the future. Including books four and five. ( )