A NEW SERIES TAKES ROOT

THE GREAT TREE OF AVALON: CHILD OF THE DARK PROPHECY
By T. A. Barron
434 pp.
Philomel Books. $19.99.

Reviewed by John Clark

Serendipity is often the boon companion of delight. Thus it was several years ago when a chance posting on MELIBS, the Maine Library listserv, introduced me to The Lost Years Of Merlin series by T. A. Barron. The five book series traces Merlin’s early years, from the moment he washes ashore, more dead than alive, to his triumphant defeat of Rhita Gawr and the resulting salvation of Fincayra, the land he has come to love.

I devoured the five books as fast as I could, for they not only told an engrossing story, but introduced a range of characters that were both unique and notable. Young Merlin alternated between a youthful stubbornness that made me grit my teeth and a humility and introspection that were refreshing. T. A. Barron created supporting characters that grew on the reader as the series progressed, most notably Shim, the smallest of the giants who, had a truly unique way of speaking that stayed in your head; Bumblewee, the jester who failed miserably at making others laugh until he stopped trying; and the Ballymag.

When I had finished the last book, there was that special sense of letdown that tells one a rare experience has ended. I wanted more, but realized that it isn’t easy for an author to segue from a five book series into something with a similar literary flavor and have it satisfy fans in the same way. I went on to other works of fantasy.

I was thrilled when T. A. Barron announced last year that a new three book series was in the works, set in the land of Avalon.

The Great Tree of Avalon: Child of the Dark Prophecy made its publishing debut in early October. While there are elements and characters in common with the original series, the new book easily stands alone and is a wonderful beginning to a new fantasy adventure for readers of any age.

The land of Avalon sprang from a seed won by Merlin ages ago. Each of its seven realms sits atop a giant root of the Great Tree whose trunk and branches soar into the heavens. Magic portals, visible to some of Avalon’s residents, allow for easier passage between realms, but pose great risk.

In the prologue, two men are attempting to steal Scree, an eagle child, from a nest perched on a cliff in Rhanawyn, on the Fire Root of Avalon. A mysterious individual has promised to pay dearly for him and a special stick from the nest. Scree’s enraged mother kills one man, and his companion’s luck quickly turns bad after he kills her in turn.

The surviving thief encounters another woman carrying a child of Scree’s age named Tamwyn. He threatens to harm Tamwyn, hoping to coerce the mother into letting him have his way with her. His lustfulness is brought to an abrupt end as the fire mountain, housing the portal that will take him back to the man who hired him, breaks apart and crumbles on him. As the woman and the two boys are about to die as well, an eagleman, swooping from the blackness above, rescues them. Landing on a nearby plateau, he morphs into an old man and provides a cryptic explanation of what will come to pass for the two boys.

After removing a whisker from his beard and transforming it into a wooden staff, the mysterious gentleman entrusts it to Scree, whispering an admonition related to the Dark Prophecy in his ear. He then turns to Tamwyn, saying “Unlike your new brother, you will have no wings of your own. And yet, perhaps….you might find your own way to fly.” With these cryptic words, he moves to the edge of the cliff, dives off, and vanishes into the jumbled boulders far below.

The prologue sets you up nicely with a number of quandaries. Who is the mysterious man? Where did Tamwyn’s mother come from? Where did Scree go after her death? What is the Dark Prophecy, and which child is at its heart? T. A. Barron creates a nice climate of anticipation for the reader as the story begins.

Since his mother was killed by a Ghoulaca, seventeen-year-old Tamwyn has spent the years exploring Avalon and learning various skills, often not well. He radiates a gentle clumsiness that endears him to the reader early on, a distinct counterpart of the brash and headstrong young Merlin in T. A. Barron’s other series. Tamwyn is driven to explore as much of Avalon as he can in an attempt to find his lost brother Scree. He lives in fear that he is the child of the Dark Prophecy, destined to destroy Avalon, and believes Scree can help protect him from fulfilling this dread fate.

Meanwhile, another mysterious figure has enslaved many creatures in Brynchilla, the root containing the White Geyser of Crystilla. He has forced them to clear land and quarry stone in an effort to dam the waters. While this deprives the remainder of Avalon of sustenance so necessary for living things to flourish, he has another, more sinister motive. Before his plan can come to fruition, however, he must find the lost staff of Merlin.

In another part of Avalon, young Elli, recently escaped from gnomes who had enslaved her family and eventually killed her parents, is finding it very difficult to settle in at the Drumadian Compound, the main source of spiritual leadership in Avalon. The strict expectations placed upon an initiate cause her much discomfort as does her harsh treatment by Llynia, self-proclaimed next in line to be the high priestess of the Drumadians.

When Llynia embarks on a quest to find the Lady of the Lake and thus the answer to the terrible drought afflicting all of Avalon, Elli reluctantly accompanies her. Their journey, as well as Tamwyn’s search for Scree, takes on a greater urgency when the seven stars in the constellation known as the Wizard’s Staff begin dying out.

Tamwyn is in pursuit of a tricksterlike individual, Henni Hoolah, when the two of them topple off a cliff and land on Llynia, frightening off her packhorses. Tamwyn and Henni Hoolah agree to serve on as bearers to replace the lost animals.

Meanwhile, another quest is underway by Brionna, an elf held prisoner by the evil one damming the waters of the White Geyser of Crystillia. He holds her gravely injured grandfather hostage while she also desperately seeks the lost staff of Merlin.

As the parties race against their respective deadlines, each member learns important information about his or her strengths and fears. Tamwyn, in particular, discovers who his father was and realizes in a moment of crisis that he is far from the gentle bumbler he has come to see in the mirror.

The final confrontation at the dam is riveting and the entire book is a page turner, something more akin to mysteries than fantasy. T. A. Barron creates a solid foundation for the next two books without sacrificing reader interest. I reread the book three months after getting my advance reader’s copy and enjoyed it as much if not more than I did during the first read.

While The Great Tree Of Avalon is geared toward young adults, I highly encourage readers of any age to give it a try. After you have finished, treat yourself to the five books in the Lost Years Of Merlin series. You will not be disappointed. To treat yourself to an excerpt from each of the five books, go to T. A. Barron’s website at http://www.tabarron.com/tab1/books/merlin/index.html

 

5 1/2" x 5" 2008 Wolf Moon Calendar just $10.00 each
More Info

More Info

© Wolf Moon Press 2002-2008 all rights reserved.

Submission Guidelines