The New Father, by Armin Brott

Ok, I'm a fan of this author's now, it's pointless to deny. This is pretty much in the same spirit of "The Expectant Father", except that it goes into all the issues and new experiences a father is confronted with in his first year on the job. Great read and large amounts of great information ranging from what to do to put baby to sleep to what to do about saving money from college.

The Expectant Father, by Armin Brott

Extremely enjoyable and informative read for fathers-to-be. My wife has literally a stack of books to read during her first pregnancy and I constantly stole one title or another to learn about what she was going through and what to expect for the biggest moment of our lives. The fact that her books only addressed issues from a feminine perspective made me feel that I was constantly out of my element. Brott's book, which makes you laugh out loud, has much of the same practical information about pregnancy and birth, but discusses all those "guy issues" that go through a man's head. Reading it is like sitting down with the boys and talking about your concerns with people who understand you and see things from your angle, but who also have a lot to teach you.

The Wings of Merlin, by T. A. Barron

This is the final installment of the series started with "The Lost Years of Merlin". Thank goodness. The series started well and the excitement followed a crescendo that peaked around the third book, but after that, it was just begging for a wrap. I don't mean to say that this final book is not worth reading, but it seemed to me that Barron was reaching his limit with this topic and rehashing too many elements from previous parts of the story.

What I enjoyed the most about this book is the fact that you finally get to figure out why the people of Fincayra lost their wings. You also get to read a little more about Dagda and his struggles against Rhita Gawr. It's been a while since I finished it, so I can't write much more about the story because I simply don't remember facts that wouldn't be spoilers. Read it, yes, especially if you've been enjoying the series so far, but don't expect to be impressed out of your socks.

The Mirror of Merlin, by T. A. Barron

For some reason I can't quite figure out, I though this was a bit less exciting than the previous installments. The plot doesn't quite work the same way and you go on reading because you want to see the story develop, not because you can't stop yourself. All in all, it's still a fun read which begins to connect this story more and more with the traditional Merlin lore. While in a quest to investigate what is going on in the dark marshlands of Fincayra, Merlin loses his sword (aka, though not named in this series, Excalibur). A frenzied pursuit ensues ending in the discovery of a magical mirror that can take him on a visit to someone very unexpected. Don't get discouraged with my impression that this is a slow down in the series and read it. It's still a good read.

The Fires of Merlin, by T. A. Barron

Still going strong in the series, this book talks about Merlin's confrontation with an old enemy: a mighty dragon who was put to sleep by his grandfather, the great wizard Thuatha. Merlin get's tricked by a dwarf wizard into facing the dragon before Fincayra gets burned to a crisp. In this installment, a new major characted is introduced, Hallia, one of the deer-people, who develops a deep relationship with Merlin. Just as the first two episodes in this long running story, the book is peppered with all the right messages for young adults. Themes such as self-confidence, honor, duty and friendship are continually rivisited conveying a positive and encouraging outlook to the reader. Also, this is another page turner.

The Seven Songs of Merlin, by T. A. Barron

A nice sequel to the first book in the series. This one talks about Merlin's evolution as a wizard. He must understand seven "songs" which will turn him into a initiate in magic. The story is of course driven by higher goal: he needs to complete this quest so that he can save his mother's life, who's been poisoned by his nemesis Rhita Gawr. Good writing and very exciting pace to the story. Extremely hard to put down until you're finished.

The Lost Years of Merlin, by T. A. Barron

Another successful foray into the young adult reading section. This is a sweet book about the Arthurian legend of Merlin covering his younger years, well before his involvement in the Camelot tragedy. It's a fun read permeated with good natured messages for those times in life when one is plagued by wavering self-confidence, (hopefully one's teenage years only) and issues of displacement. Pep-talk aside, it's a fun read that should satisfy fantasy lovers. If you're young enough at heart to enjoy Harry Potter books, you may find this very enjoyable. The author does a good job at character development and at keeping the story at an exciting pace.