Barron '74 imagines the creation of Atlantis

 

The author: T.A. Barron ’74 started his career with an adventure trilogy about a young woman named Kate Gordon, before turning to the legendary Merlin. He is best known as the New York Times bestselling author of the Merlin Saga, which started with a 5-book epic, The Lost Years of Merlin, and grew to include seven more books. Barron also has written picture books, a nonfiction book, and two nature books about his home state, Colorado.

 

The book: Atlantis Rising is the first book in a trilogy that will explore another legend as old as Merlin’s: the lost city of Atlantis. Unlike the many stories that have been written about that island’s destruction, this novel looks at its creation. A young boy and a courageous girl in a magical land that is a pawn in a war between good and evil try to save their country. “But their vow has greater repercussions than they ever could imagine,” the author’s website says. “It may just bring about the creation of Atlantis, an island cut off from the rest of the world, where magic reigns supreme.”

 

Opening lines: “The only thing still with him from childhood was not a thing at all.

 

“It wasn’t a knife, a bracelet, or a stitch of clothing. All Promi had from those days, the only thing that had survived his years on the streets of the holy City, was the barest hint of a song.”

 

Reviews: Hypable called Atlantis Rising “full of grand adventures, quirky characters, and rich detail. … This book is exactly what we would expect from author T.A. Barron, in that it is rich in detail and mythology, and is equal parts beautiful writing and exciting adventure.” Kirkus Reviews wrote, “Barron fans, as well as urban- and high-fantasy readers, may enjoy this original take on the Atlantis myth.”