The Young Merlin Trilogy: Passager, Hobby, and Merlin

Nobody writes Merlin like Jane Yolen, whether it's the old man or a starry-eyed little child. And here the fantasy master's "Merlin Trilogy" is brought together in one volume: the ethereal, beautifully-written fantasy stories "Passager," "Hobby," and "Merlin." "Passager" introduces us to a nameless, homeless boy who has been abandoned for sketchy reasons. The boy lives wild in the woods, but gradually rediscovers his human nature when he encounters a woodsman, who takes him in and gives him a name and a home... "Hobby" opens with Merlin losing his new adoptive family in a fire. With no one to take care of him, he wanders through the woods again, calling himself Hawk. But then he suddenly encounters a vicious man called Fowler, who kidnaps him -- and not even taking refuge in the circus can keep him safe. "Merlin" takes us to a different part of the Arthurian legend. Hunted by Fowler, he runs back into the woods and takes refuge there. Unfortunately, he is captured by a village of the wodewose, the wild people who live apart from civilization, and they want to harness his magical dreams. When the village is invaded, Merlin must try to keep himself alive -- and the little boy who will change his life forever. Few authors can mix fantasy and history as Yane Yolen can, and she doesn't drop the ball in this. On the fantasy side, we have a boy of mysterious origins who dreams of the future; on the other hand, we have medieval lords and underlings, not to mention her skilful use of the wodewose. These three very, very short novellas are lushly, dreamily written. And most intriguing of all, the first one is almost entirely in Merlin's own mind -- every little event or emotion is seen through the eyes of a wild boy. The second and third are more grounded, but they retain that vague mistiness and sweetness, like a half-remembered dream. Her writing is descriptive and almost sensuous. Jane Yolen brings the preadolescent Merlin to life in the "Merlin Trilogy," a magical and beautifully written trio of novellas. Rather short, but thoroughly lovely.