Reviews

The Wings of Merlin is the fifth and final book in T.A. Barron's "Lost Years of Merlin" series. While I found this last of the series more concentrated with cliches - moments reminiscent of The Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, and The Chronicles of Narnia- I also found it the most touching of the five parts. The characters finally seemed well-developed and interesting; the relationships were truthful and the fight stirred in the many creatures of Fincayra, when facing it's final hour and possible extinction, was believable and - as embarassing as it is to say - almost tear-jerking. There were losses, and gains. Tough choices placed before all the major characters, with an understanding of how and why these choices were made, in the end. Old characters were brought back again, and new characters woven in, effortlessly. Even the blatant nod to Barron's sequel "Avalon" series was acceptable, though not too cleverly or craftily disguised. All-in-all, this final book, with it's flaws in repetitive themes, motifs, and vocabulary (yes, I'm that picky) is still the best, most well-developed of the bunch and - if you've made it this far, I don't see how you could be disappointed.

tommye's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

argentrabe's review against another edition

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adventurous lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

ezra_mp3's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional hopeful mysterious sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

megdconway's review against another edition

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medium-paced

3.75

hickorynut's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional hopeful reflective fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This book pulled together so many different threads from the first four books and tied all the connections together. It was satisfying watching all the pieces fall into place. There were moments that felt a bit underwhelming like parts of the final battle that felt unrealistic to the plot. Goblins retreating from unarmed children seemed at odds when the same side also targeted and maimed children. But overall I appreciated the way this wrapped up such a big and impactful period of Merlin's early life. I first read Merlin's lost years when I was a child and now I am returning to the whole series as an adult - and this book was an excellent transition between those periods for both myself and Merlin.

tigerlinus's review against another edition

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3.0

3.5 rating. Has some intense dark moments - some good moments overall - and while not all threads need to come to closure, there were story threads in this novel that I felt should have seen closure or presented more backstory

Spoiler

, i.e., why Dinatius kills orphans. I personally don't care for the concept of the Fincayran's having wings, and how they lost those wings. The buildup to the battle was good, but the defeat of Rita Gawr was a weak point in the defeat. Also felt it was a bit too easy for Merlin and Hallia to leave each other; seemed the decision didn't cause much grief.

Books 1-5 overall rating of 3.5.

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