School Library Journal Review
Gr 6-9--T. A. Barron's fourth book (Philomel, 1999) in the series finds young Merlin on a quest for the seventh Lost Tool, a magical key. While searching for the key, his sword is stolen by a large gray bird. To find the sword, and ultimately the key, he and his friend must travel through the dangerous, mist-shrouded Haunted Marsh peopled with ghouls and other monsters. Along the way, Merlin is attacked and seriously injured by a swarm of enormous beetles. Only by traveling through a magical mirror, which hurls him into the future, can he be saved. What he finds there will open his eyes to his own powers and force him to see himself for who he is and who he will become. Teen listeners will relate to Merlin's struggle to find his true self. Kevin Isola works a bit of his own magic as he narrates the story, illuminating the various personalities and making the story come alive. A good purchase for libraries with large audiobook collections.--Kathy Miller, Baldwin Junior High School, Baldwin City, KS (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
Horn Book Review
The fourth book in the Lost Years of Merlin series lacks the polish and panache of the first three, and readers may find the silly dialect of the ballymag downright annoying. But fans who have followed young Merlin through his many adventures will still enjoy tracking with him as he and Hallia meet up with marsh ghouls; his nemesis, Nimue; a young Arthur; and a much older version of himself. From HORN BOOK Spring 2000, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Booklist Review
Gr. 7^-10. Book four of the Lost Years of Merlin continues the saga of the young Merlin as he gains more understanding of his powers and a greater sense of self. This time, Merlin, accompanied by the young deer woman he's come to love, enters the evil-plagued Haunted Marsh in search of his stolen sword. There, he discovers the long-lost seventh Wise Tool and meets the Boy Ector, who's searching the marsh for something wanted by his unnamed master. The danger level is high in this episode; the theft of the sword is a trap intended to lure Merlin into the hands of a witch, Nimue, who is intent on destroying him. She does manage to infect him with a deadly condition, for which there is no cure. However, Ector believes his master can cure Merlin and leads him through the Mists of Time to the future, where Merlin comes face to face with his much older self trapped in the Crystal Cave by Nimue. Barron handles the contact between the two with a finesse that's believable and enhances the Arthurian ambience that has been so carefully crafted throughout the series. With lots of surprises and some laugh-out-loud humor to leaven the palpable feeling of doom, this should be eagerly devoured by the saga's fans. --Sally Estes
