History Literature / TheLostYearsOfMerlin

It eventually gained a SequelSeries, ''The Great Tree of Avalon'', then another, ''Merlin's Dragon'' and later ''Merlin: The Book of Magic''. [[http://tabarron.com/merlin-the-movie There is talk of a movie adaptation of at least the first book of the series]]. It has no relation to the [[{{Series/Merlin 2008}} TV show on BBC]].

* TheStarsAreGoingOut: This is a big part of the ''The Great Tree of Avalon'' sequel series. In the first book, the stars of the constellation of Merlin's staff go out, so the characters seek a way to travel to the stars to relight them.

* BigBad: Rhita Gawr.

* BigGood: Dagda.

* TheBully: Dinatius.

* CharacterDevelopment

* Myth/{{Merlin}}: Naturally.

* QuestForIdentity

* WildChild: Rhiannon.

* HalfHumanHybrid: {{Subverted}} with Merlin. Arthurian legend usually makes him the son of a [[HornyDevils demon]]; here that theory is floated but inaccurate. He is, however, half normal human and half Fincayran human, and his Fincayran parent had a mer-woman mother.

''The Lost Years of Merlin'' is a five-book epic authored by T.A. Barron, which details the adventures of a teenaged Merlin as he explores the magical isle of Fincayra, with a great amount of focus on how the wizard we all know and love today [[CharacterDevelopment develops from a bratty teenage boy into the wise and all-knowing wizard]].

* HumansAreTheRealMonsters: Sort of a running theme, really, from Stagmar (the king of Fincayra's humans) to the backstory in the last book. Cranked UpToEleven in the SequelSeries.

* {{Hypocrite}}: Nimue steals Merlin's staff in ''The Seven Songs of Merlin'', calling him a thief when he snatches it back from her with the help of an air spirit.
* HumansAreTheRealMonsters: Sort of a running theme, really, from Stagmar (the king of Fincayra's humans) to the backstory in the last book. Cranked UpToEleven in the SequelSeries.

* TrilogyCreep: For the first two books, the series was advertised as a trilogy. With the third book, it was decided that two more would follow and the billing for the series became an "epic" instead. In the introduction for the third book, [[DriectLineToTheAuthor the author states that Merlin himself told him]] that three books would not be enough.

* TrilogyCreep: For the first two books, the series was advertised as a trilogy. With the third book, it was decided that two more would follow and the billing for the series became an "epic" instead. In the introduction for the third book, the author states that [[LiteraryAgentHypothesis Merlin himself told him that three books would not be enough]].

* CanonForeigner: Pretty much every character except for Myth/{{Merlin}}, [[EvilCounterpart Nimue]] and [[TimeTravel Ector]] ([[spoiler:who's actually Myth/KingArthur]]) is absent from Arthurian legend. A few of the characters ([[BigGood Dagda]], [[BigBad Rhita Gawr]], [[{{Cyclops}} Balor]]) are adapted from Celtic legend though.

* [[spoiler:MyFutureSelfAndMe]]: In ''The Mirror of Merlin'', Merlin goes through a MagicMirror [[spoiler:where he meets his future self in the process of mentoring a young [[KingArthur Arthur]]]].

* HalfHumanHybrid: {{Subverted}} with Merlin. Arthurian legend usually makes him the son of a [[HornyDevils demon]]; here that theory is floated but inaccurate.

* ElementalBeing

It eventually gained a SequelSeries, ''The Great Tree of Avalon''. [[http://tabarron.com/merlin-the-movie There is talk of a movie adaptation of at least the first book of the series]]. It has no relation to the [[{{Series/Merlin 2008}} TV show on BBC]].

It eventually gained a SequelSeries, "The Great Tree of Avalon."[[http://tabarron.com/merlin-the-movie There is talk of a movie adaptation of at least the first book of the series]]". It has no relation to the [[{{Series/Merlin 2008}} TV show on BBC]].

It eventually gained a SequelSeries, "The Great Tree of Avalon."[[http://tabarron.com/merlin-the-movie There is talk of a movie adaptation of at least the first book of the series.]] Has no relation to the [[{{Series/Merlin 2008}} TV show on BBC]].

* {{Bambification}}: Also, the [[HumansAreTheRealMonsters poor, persecuted]] deer people.

* BrickJoke: Merlin says that if Bumblewy can make ''anyone'' laugh, he'll eat his shoe. Guy's good as his word and -- not under magical oath or anything -- has to be stopped from finishing it.

* [[spoiler:ButNowIMustGo]]: The {{Bittersweet Ending}} of the fifth book has Merlin [[spoiler:choose to leave Fincayra and go back to the human world, where his destiny as Arthur's mentor lies.]]
* CanonForeigner: Pretty much every character except for Myth/{{Merlin}}, [[EvilCounterpart Nimue]] and [[TimeTravel Ector]] ([[spoiler:who's actually Myth/KingArthur]]) is absent from Arthurian legend. A few characters other characters ([[BigGood Dagda]], [[BigBad Rhita Gawr]], [[{{Cyclops}} Balor]]) are adapted from Celtic legend, though.

* EasilyForgiven: {{Played with}} for [[spoiler:Dinatius]] the Slayer. He murdered numerous innocents and blames Merlin for his deformities, which were [[NeverMyFault his fault to begin with]]. Merlin opts to forgive him despite all of the tragedies, because he wanted to break the CycleOfRevenge, and that he pitied the slayer for having hatred consume him. Dagda restores his arms, but does not grant him wings like the other humans, reasoning that he has caused too much harm.

* {{Cyclops}}: Balor. Made worse because his gaze can kill you.