The Seven Songs of Merlin

Bibliography: Barron, T.A. (1997). The seven songs of Merlin. New York: Philomel.

Genre: Fantasy

Reading Level/Interest Age: 14-16

Reader's Annotation: Emry's, now calling himself "Merlin," undertakes the task of healing Fincayra after the expulsion of the forces of Rhita Gawr. But with one rash decision, Merlin puts his mother's life in danger and must postpone his mission to attempt to save her.

Author: Thomas Archibald Barron, known as "Tom" to his friends and family, was born on March 26, 1952 in either Colorado or Boston, MA. He was a Rhodes Scholar and holds degrees from Princeton, Oxford, and Harvard universities. After receiving an M.B.A. from Harvard, Barron became a business man in a small New York City venture capitalist firm for a time before leaving to devote himself to writing full time in 1989. To date, Barron has over twenty titles to his name and more coming out all the time, including several children's picture books and nonfiction works.

Plot Summary: "Young Merlin has brought new hope to Fincayra, the enchanted isle that lies between earth and sky. Having finally freed it from the terrible Blight, Merlin and the forest girl Rhia set out to heal the land using the magical Flowering Harp. But Fincayra remains in great danger still—and the first victim of the renewed tide of of evil is Merlin's own mother.

Merlin's sole hope of saving his mother's life is to master the Seven Songs of Wisdom passed down from the greatest wizard Fincayra has ever known, Merlin's grandfather Tuatha. Only then can he voyage to the Otherworld of the spirits and obtain the precious Elixir of Dagda. Yet to do that he must first succeed where even Tuatha failed—be defeating Balor, the ogre whose merest glance means death. Even more difficult, Merlin must discover the secret of seeing not with his eyes, but with his heart." (jacket flap)

Critical Evaluation: In this sequel to The Lost Years of Merlin, Barron's love for the natural world strongly shapes the narrative. The arrogant young wizard must learn to listen to the harmony of things and understand his place within it. When he transgresses against that harmony and tries to force his will, disaster follows, but when he learns to respect the order of the natural world and work within it, he gains wisdom and achieves his goals. At times Barron gets preachy with this message, and I felt inclined to respond a little petulantly just as Merlin becomes irritated with Rhia; however, the novel's fast pace leaves little time to dwell on Barron's heavy-handedness. Merlin's tasks seem impossible, and I found myself eagerly cheering him on and urging him to hurry. Unfortunately, the novel's major revelation was foreshadowed a bit too much, and I had it figure out long before Merlin learns it, but that does not lessen the impact of the news.

Curriculum Ties:

Book Talk Ideas:
• adapt scene at Tuatha's grave
• paraphrase reading the text about the Seven Songs inside Arbassa
• focus on moment Merlin summons Branwen and what happens
• focus on relationship between Merlin and Rhia

Challenge Issues: violence, use of magic

Challenge Defense:
• Explain library selection policies
• Provide reviews of the book from reputable sources
• Explain library challenge procedures
• Offer challenge form

Why was this text included in this project? Read as part of author study paper for LIBR 265. I’m also a big fan of fantasy and of Arthurian legend, so it appealed to me on a personal level.