- Hardcover: 272 pages
- Publisher: Philomel (Jun 26 2002)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0399226893
- ISBN-13: 978-0399226892
- Product Dimensions: 23.9 x 16 x 2.5 cm
- Shipping Weight: 494 g
- Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (29 customer reviews)
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Product Details |
Product Description
From Publishers Weekly
Blending Arthurian legend and modern oceanography, Barron's (Heartlight; The Ancient One) lively tale boasts finely developed characters as well as fast-moving adventure. Thirteen-year-old Kate Gordon is assisting her father, an English-history professor, in his search for a sunken Spanish galleon off the Baja peninsula, when she rescues a whale that has gotten tangled in the expedition's equipment. That event propels the group into a quest for Merlin's legendary horn of power, hidden in the galleon, which in turn is surrounded by a huge whirlpool. After plunging into the whirlpool, Kate and her companions engage in an epic battle with Merlin's mortal enemy Nimue and her cadre of sea demons, who want to use the horn to extend their evil domain. Barron achieves a solid balance of mythology, environmental issues and scientific research procedures. The monsters are appropriately scary and malevolent, while the relationships among Kate, her father and the other members of the expedition are well drawn and touching. Ages 10-14.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From School Library Journal
Grade 6-8-Singing whales, a sunken Spanish galleon, genetics, and Arthurian characters are all jumbled together in this complex fantasy. Kate Gordon, 13, whose previous adventures (Heartlight [1990] and The Ancient One [1992, both Philomel]) involved her in both time and space travel, here accompanies her historian father to the coast of Baja, California, where he hopes to discover one of Merlin's legendary lost treasures. The quest leads Kate to the center of a whirlpool, to the place beyond it, and in the end results in her saving the lives of her father and his coworkers. While Barron's writing style is neither as smooth nor his characters as well developed as those found in novels by Lloyd Alexander, Ursula LeGuin, or Madeleine L'Engle, the plot moves swiftly and background information is generally well integrated into the story. Fans of adventure films, particularly Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, will enjoy the intriguing mixture of contemporary life, historical detail, science, myth, and magic. While this title can be read independently, it will likely appeal most to readers already familiar with Barron's previous books. Fantasy buffs searching for fleshed-out characterizations, strong heroines, and a touch of humor would do well to check out titles by Tamora Pierce and Patricia Wrede, in addition to the classic works by the authors mentioned above.
Lisa Dennis, The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Lisa Dennis, The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Inside This Book
(Learn More)
First Sentence
With every pull of her paddle, Kate recalled the much-repeated warning about these waters. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
With every pull of her paddle, Kate recalled the much-repeated warning about these waters. Read the first page
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Concordance
Browse Sample PagesConcordance
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
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Customer Reviews
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Most helpful customer reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
A New Take On Merlin's History,
By
This review is from: The Merlin Effect (Mass Market Paperback)
This week I would like to talk about the new T.A. Barron book THE MERLIN EFFECT.Like Barron's last book that I reviewed this one has the feel of a very good juvenile. Although while the hero is a ten-year-old girl, it is very easy to forget what her age is. All that really matters is that she is with her father on a research trip. This book tells the story of a new chapter in the myth of Merlin. A sunken Spanish ship off of the California Peninsula coast may contain a treasure often called the Horn of Merlin. Unfortunately the wreck is near a huge whirlpool, thus making direct investigation a chancy affair. Time is at a premium as the local government is uninterested in extending the research visa. Soon it is noted that there is something unusual about the area. The local villagers claim to be hundreds of years old. A pod of whales circling the whirlpool seem to be deliberately singing to jam the sonar equipment used to find the ship. Unusual fish though to be extinct show no signs of aging. A mishap at sea leads Kate, her father and the rest of the research team to the bottom of the sea where they encounter merfolk, monsters of the deep, the Glass House, Nimue, Merlin himself and an ancient treasure ship. The story moves quickly and the plot twists frequently. I found THE MERLIN EFFECT to be a very enjoyable read that, while on the light side, does not lack for substance.
4.0 out of 5 stars
Quevondo ...,
By A Customer
This review is from: The Merlin Effect (Mass Market Paperback)
The main chracters of the book are Kate Gordon her father Jim ,Treey Nimeu,and Merlin. The stroy is mainly about kate,merlin.andTeery,as they try to stop Nimu from getting the Horn Of Merlin and from controlling the
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Merlin Effect,
By Halley (USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Merlin Effect (Mass Market Paperback)
I will start by saying that I am HUGE T.A. Barron fan. If there is anyone looking for an amazing fantasy story packed with adventure, T.A.Barron is the author for you. Even though this book starts out a bit slow, it progresses steadily until you can't put it down. This is the third book of his with Kate Gordon as the main character, and it is terrific. This time, her adventure takes place underwater, with an ancient monk, a legendary ship, a massive whirpool, songs of the whales, magic, and much more. READ THIS BOOK!
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