The Book of Magic by T. A. Barron Read Free Book Online

with wondrous places. Here one could find the Druma Wood , in whose glades lived Rhia , the Grand Elusa , and the ancient tree Arbassa . The legendary Carpet Caerlochlann, made from the misty threads of story, was woven on the island's shores. Varigal , the original home of the giants, rose from the highest mountains. The Town of Bards, where the beloved poet Cairpré composed, often rang with story and song. Far to the north, the mysterious Otherworld Well, pathway to the spirit realm, lay hidden. And the Haunted Marsh held treasures as great as a Mirror of destiny—and dangers as great as the hag Domnu .
    The Isle of Fincayra was, like Avalon , a world between worlds. Part mortal, part immortal, Fincayra was the first true home of young Merlin —and the place he lived during his Lost Years . It was also home to some of the first citizens of Avalon: Elen of the Sapphire Eyes , who founded the Society of the Whole; the wise young woman Rhiannon, who taught Merlin the languages of trees, rivers, and stones; Lleu of the One Ear , who became a scholar of élano; and Shim , who had the heart of a true giant.
    For many years, a terrible Blight spread across the isle. When, at last, Fincayra was saved, it was also lost. For with the defeat of Rhita Gawr and the return of the lost wings came the island's ultimate merging with the spirit realm. Thick vapors began to flow over Fincayra, bubbling out of its very soil. Slowly the land withdrew into the Otherworld, leaving only the mist behind. But something different happened in the region once called the Forgotten Island —the place where Merlin had planted a magical seed that beat like a heart. From that seed, a Great Tree sprouted, ensuring that its roots would be anchored forever in the mists of Lost Fincayra.





Forgotten Island
    Far to the west of Fincayra 's rugged Faro Lanna coast, there sat an island, dark and mysterious. During Merlin 's quest of the Seven Songs , that island both attracted and repulsed him. And for good reason: The Forgotten Island held both the greatest mystery and the gravest danger of his Lost Years . Only when, thanks to the miraculous bridge of the mer people, he finally reached the island's shores, would he learn the truth about the lost wings , the power of forgiveness, and his own destiny. For in that moment, just as the ancient prophecy had foretold, "the land long forgotten could return to its shore."



Haunted Marsh
    The most terrifying place in all of Fincayra , the Haunted Marsh held deadly marsh ghouls, the hag Domnu , and many more dangers that only nightmares could describe. Yet the steaming bogs also hid surprises of different kinds, including the "mooshlovely" lair of the Ballymag , the secret of the seventh Wise Tool, and the magical Mirror that could show young Merlin his future—a future he never expected.
    The origins of the Haunted Marsh are as obscure as the vapor-shrouded land itself. Yet many bards, including Merlin's mentor Cairpré , believed that, long ago, this area was home to a community of enchantresses known as the Xania-Soe. These women lived secretly but also peacefully, amassing great wealth not in jewels or coins or weapons, but in knowledge. So great was their wisdom that, it was said, the wind itself refused to blow through their region, to avoid spreading dangerous knowledge to other lands. The enchantresses even learned how to bend time in a magical Mirror. Most amazing of all, they discovered how to coax wondrous perfumes from the flowers of their meadows, so that the air of their realm was always fragrant with magic.
    When the warlord Rhita Gawr learned of their vast power, he tried to conquer them. And he very nearly succeeded. Just when his army was about to invade, the enchantresses realized that all was lost—and chose to make a terrible sacrifice. To repel the attack, they threw a curse upon their beloved homeland—a curse that made their magical flowers spew poisonous vapors into the air. Because no