This is the second in the trilogy which began with 'The Snow Spider', and is set 2 years after the first book, although there's a continuity error towards the end where Gwyn, the protagonist of the first volume, is described as 10 years old - as the first book began with his 9th birthday I expected him to be 11 years old.

Gwyn, the magician in training, takes more of a subsidiary role this time, as the centre stage is occupied by Nia, only a walk-on part in book 1. She is the middle child of the large Lloyds family, Gwyn's neighbours in 'The Snow Spider'. The story begins as the Lloyds move out of their farmhouse back to town, with Mr Lloyd taking over the butcher's shop. Butchery was his first trade and he only took on the farm to please his ailing father in law, 15 years before. It isn't stated but we have to assume the FIL has now died. The Lloyds have an 8th child on the way and Mr Lloyd wants the steady trade, as he was never much good as a farmer, so he has sold the land to Gwyn's father.

Nia is the only one of the family sad to leave her home, with the flowers she loved to grow. As soon as they reach the new home, she goes out, dressing up in her mother's best clothes, and taking Fly their sheepdog. She encounters the brightly painted ex-chapel, home of Emlyn and his father Idris, and goes inside. Idris is married to Gwyn's mother's sister, Elinor, who went missing shortly after having another baby. The two families are estranged, as Nia eventually discovers, because Idris blames Gwyn's father for his wife's departure. Emlyn wants Nia to sell Fly to them as they have a field attached to the chapel, and Nia agrees, but when she gets home she discovers that her father has already sold the dog to Gwyn and she is forbidden to visit Emlyn and his father again.

Nia is an odd one out in her family, the butt of jokes about being Nia who can do nothing, and this negative attitude also seem to have extended to her school with the teachers expecting her to be useless. So when every child is expected to produce a project of some kind for judging, Nia views this as a disaster, as she has no confidence in her own abilities. Idris gives her a large sheet of canvas and suggests she create a collage because she mentions she can sew, but throughout the book she has losses of confidence and thinks that her work is poor or will never be finished. She also gets into trouble because of the odd methods she sometimes employs to get hold of material scraps.

For a while, she and Emlyn are estranged as he blames her rather unfairly for 'letting' her father sell the dog. She makes friends with his cousin Gwyn and we learn that she always believed he was a magician when the rest of her family ostracised him. Gradually, Nia begins to try to bring the two sides of Gwyn's family back together.

The theme of book 1 - the loss of Gwyn's sister who was abducted to another world where she was changed to fit in with its strange white haired children - is worked into this book as well, and we learn more about the nature of the children. They failed to drag Gwyn off with them in book 1 but are still after others and gradually Elwyn begins to be menaced. Meanwhile, the only adult who believes him and Nia about the danger is Gwyn's grandmother, Nain.

One aspect of this story concerns mental illness among adults. I did think that was dealt with in a rather too facile a manner. I also imagine that parents wouldn't like an aspect of Nia's character - she quite often tells lies to avoid having to admit to unpleasant things, such as when she at first makes excuses for why she doesn't bring Fly to Emlyn.

A foreshadowing I imagine is that Gwyn is finding the use of his powers quite a burden, and is exhausted by the end of the story. I'm sure this will lead to something in book 3.

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Kids love this series. ( )

Emlyn's Moon is the second book in The Magician Trilogy (the first book was The Snow Spider), which draws from Welsh mythology. We rejoin Gwyn two years after the events of the first book, he has learned that his is a wizard (a legacy from his family line), but this story doesn't focus so much on Gwyn...his best friend Alun's family is moving into town. His father was never much of a farmer and has his heart set on being the town butcher. In this move Nia, the middle child of the Lloyd clan becomes somewhat displaced and winds up befriending Emlyn Llewelyn (who it turns out is Gwyn's cousin) and visiting with him in his strange lighthouse home...which she was warned not to do....something happened there she's told by her father and Gwyn's father, but no one will elaborate and when she meets Emlyn's father, he seems nice enough...she can't understand and continues to go there despite the warnings.

As the story sets out, Nia is called plain Nia, dull Nia, Nia who couldn't do anything by her siblings and for much of the story this is the opinion she holds of herself...it is through her friendship with Emlyn and his father that she begins to see that she CAN do something and that she has talent outside of being the middle child of a large family...and outside of that she realizes that she must facilitate a reconciliation between Emlyn an Gwyn AND between Emly's family and Gwyns. The first 1-3 of the book is set up for the adventure that begins in the middle and wends it way to an exciting and heart-warming conclusion. As with the Snow Spider, it is children who ultimately set things right and being some measure of peace and tranquility to families that have been fractured and at odds for a very long time and in the end, Nia finds where she truly belongs as well. Finding a sense of self and new found confidence in who she is and what she can do, a strong and powerful message for all readers! Simply Delightful!

I do want to point out that Emlyn's Moon isn't just another Harry Potter knockoff (especially given that these are reprints of books published in the early 80's), here magic is integral but secondary and more subtle...it's more unknowable and mysterious...the REAL focus in the Magician's trilogy are individual struggles, quests to find self and most especially about family. A common occurrence in many children's books is family that is absent or so un-nurturing and supportive as to be abusive, putting the child hero of the story out on his own without any support...but these are not dressed up Cinderella stories...these are family dramas every bit as much as they are individual struggles. I love that family here is neither absent or abusive, nor is it fairy tale perfect, the adults and children alike are full of faults and mudding through life as best as they can and then magic comes into the picture and the struggles are still there, people are still not perfect, but there is a little bit of magic in the world and it's amazing! This series, and this book especially is one of the best children's book I've read in the last three years! I give Emlyn's Moon five big stars AND two thumbs up, these books should be read and loved by generations of children!! So what are you waiting for, get out and get yourself a copy and enjoy it!!

Loved it, loved it, LOVED IT! It was lovely that the story moved away from Gwyn (the main character in the first book) and encompassed other children (even though Gwyn played a major part in it). The story was every bit as magical and filled with mystery as the first.

This is one of those series that never really dates, despite being very much of its time – the magic of the story, the attractiveness of the characters and the reader’s sympathy and involvement in their adventures makes this a must-read for all adults who would like a little of their childhood sparkle rekindled, and also for children who enjoy a bit of whimsy. ( )

http://ginasblogging.blogspot.com/2007/02/emlyns-moon.html ( )