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.