Hardcover: 432 pages
Publisher: Philomel Books; First Edition edition (October 7, 2004)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0399237631
ISBN-13: 978-0399237638
Product Dimensions: 6.4 x 1.4 x 9.2 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (58 customer reviews)
Best Sellers Rank: #330,919 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #62 in Books > Teens > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Fantasy > Myths & Legends > Arthurian #37025 in Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy
The Great Tree of Avalon by T.A. Barron is not only the best book by this masterful writer but one of the best books ever written in the English language. It's truly riveting, fabulous, and full of surprises. With colorful descriptions that make you feel like you are really there, Barron leads the reader through a rip-roaring adventure of epic proportions. It made me think instantly of the marvelous storytelling of J.R.R. Tolkien. All of the characters are so real and vivid that I now count them among my friends. I just can't wait for Book Two! I think that everyone (including adults, because this is definitely NOT just for younger readers) should immediately put this on the very top of their summer reading list!
When I first read it I was just expecting a good read, what I got was the best book I've ever read. I have read all the major fantasy books, Harry Potter, Artemis Fowl, The Bartemaus Trilogy, Eragon, The Narnia Series, you name it I've probably read it. But out of all the books I've ever read this one has got to be my favorite. A boy who loves to stare at the stars and run searching for his lost brother, a girl just esacaped from slavery helping a stuck up priestess search for merlin's staff and heir, a hoolah (no I am not going to tell you what a hoolah is you'll have to read it to find out), who learns that life is not completely just a game, and an evil wizard bent on taking over Avalon. When these people all collide things might get a little messy. Everything in the book though revolves around this one prophecy that in the eighteenth year there will be a child that spells the end of avalon and the only one who can stop him is Merlin's true heir. You have got to love this book, hope you read it.;)
I am an avid reader and though fantasy isnt usually my pick, this story drug me in and kept ahold of me. The plot flows nicely and the characters are easily identifiable, which to me usually doesnt happen in fantasy. From the very begining you know that one child will save Avalon and one will try to destroy it but it never tells who and as you work your way through the story, meeting very different types of characters along the way, you begin to guess who is whom. A definite hit with the teens, this book will also draw in adults and possible preteens. A great read all around.
I just started The Great Tree of Avalon: Child of the Dark Prophecy last night and I'm all ready half way through it. It's a great book and I just can't put it down. If you like The Lord of the Rings books or Harry Potter then I'm pretty confident in saying that you'll love Avalon. The book is pretty easy to understand and very interesting.The book starts out with the dark prophecy that in the dark year a child will be born that will destroy Avalon and only Merlin's true heir will be able to stop them. The story introduces you to many very interesting characters and some intriguing creatures.I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who loves a good read.
The Great Tree of Avalon is one of the best Trilogies out there. I say this because I know I'm one guy who is more into Films and mini-SciFi sieres than books. But as soon as I picked up this book. I could not put it down, litterally. To the point that I would actualy leave early for work and come straight home aftwards so that I could sit down and finish it. I even bought the 2nd book (TGTA: Shadows of the stars) before I finished this one and I litterally finished one book and picke up the second one immediatly.The great thing about this book is not only the very vast and beautiful imagination of T.A. Barron, but that fact that there is a great sense of closer. You know how you are watching a movie or a show and there is a silly mis-understanding between the characters simply because one didn't speak up? and it bothers the hell out of you, and you know that if that person spoke up than the show could have ended 7 hours earlier? ...well that dosen't happen here. when the main character is going through a rough time and you know he needs to speak up, he dose and the result completly changes the story into a whole different direction.Personally, I recomend this book to EVERYone, its a great story of believing in your self for young ones, and a very intense read of those not so young =D
The Great Tree of Avalon is one of the top five books I've ever read. It's a tale with clever and intriguing prose and wonderful character development. From exciting and humorous scenes to the discovery of startling secrets, Avalon is an interesting, thought-provoking ride from start to finish. As the legend goes, the Tree of Avalon was planted ages earlier by the wizard Merlin who tries to oversee the worlds of Avalon and Earth simultaneously. Yet unfortunately, the great wizard is caught up in Earth while at the same time, Avalon suffers from turmoil and mysterious droughts brought upon by some unknown evil. I would rank Avalon slightly above Harry Potter by my standards for its fantastic plot and vivid characters. It's a book that everyone should read, young or old.
This is a truly phenomenal tale, with adventure at lightning speed, a wonderful array of characters, and a world so richly imagined that even Tolkien would be impressed. Avalon, which T.A. Barron portrays as the meeting place between earth and heaven, is going to die a terrible death unless three cool young heroes can solve the big mystery of the stars and save their world. And soon! But this is more than an epic-scale adventure story--it's also the most deep, thoughtful book you could find. I totally cannot wait to get my hands on Books II and III of the trilogy!!!
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