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In that very moment, a new world appears. Born of a seed that beats like a heart, a seed won by Merlin on his journey through a magical mirror, this new world is a tree: the Great Tree. It stands as a bridge between Earth and Heaven, between mortal and immortal, between shifting seas and eternal mist.

Its name is Avalon.

            Two kidnappers searched the forest for signs of a baby, a baby fated to become the dreaded child of the Dark Prophecy or Avalon’s only hope, a baby that could save Avalon. In darkness, they climbed on top of towering trees, looking for the nest their master spoke of, and they found it. It was a eagleman, and it was just born. But it wasn’t long before they encounter a woman, who cradled her baby. Merlin glanced at both newborns and bestowed his staff to the eagleboy before disappearing into the midst of the worlds…

            Seventeen years later, a year the Dark Prophecy was prophesized to come true, a sorcerer awaits by the waters as slaves, from the tallest giant to the tiniest light flyer, work to build a dam to trap all the waters of Avalon. His plan is almost ready… mmmyesss… all he needs now is the staff of Merlin to bring doom when the last stars lose their light…

            The fate of Avalon now rests upon Tamwyn, a wandering wilderness guild searching for his brother; Elli, an escaped slave turned priestess; and Scree, an eagleman with a tremendous secret. One of them is the true heir of Merlin, the only person who can save Avalon . . . and one of them is the dreaded child of the Dark Prophecy, fated to destroy it. Elli and Tamwyn begins an expedition to find the staff and the true heir of Merlin before the last stars fade while the sorcerer sends an elf to fetch Merlin’s staff, along with the lasts of Avalon’s hope.

            I rate this book a 9.5/10. As a suck-up for adventure/fantasy type books, this was exactly the magical journey I needed to whisk me off into another world. Each character, including the antagonist, was full of life and I could follow along with each motive! The pace was just right with enough action and enough drama as the ticking time of the disappearing stars added suspense. The only thing I would say that could use more detail was the climax. Actions started popping from all over the place and it was impossible to follow, especially in the end when it cut off. I couldn’t understand why or how it was resolved and it seemed too easy and too anticlimactic. In addition, the plot twist wasn’t well executed. When “evil” turned “good,” I couldn’t help but not be surprised when the book never portrayed “evil” as much of a villain. Nonetheless, for those with a thirst for adventure, buckle up and listen…mmmyesss…

Check out The Great Tree of Avalon at the Newport Beach Public Library.