Listen to Chapter Excerpt
Excerpt Read by John Lee
In the Media
GIANT:
The Unlikely Origins of Shim
Prequel to The Merlin Saga
978-0-593-20349-1 (Hardback)
978-0-593-20350-7 (Paperback)
9780593454435 (Audiobook)
256 Pages | Ages 10+
Shim has only ever known a world of peace. Unusually big and strong even for a young giant, he lives on the magical isle of Fincayra, immersed in nature as well as tales of wizards, mer folk, and dragons.
Suddenly that world explodes in chaos. A terrible attack forces Shim and his mother to flee — and take a hazardous journey to reach the only person who could possibly help them, the mysterious Domnu. But when a wager goes horribly wrong, Shim shrinks down to a tiny fraction of his size. Now only as tall as a man’s knee, he finds himself lost in a deadly swamp. Worse yet, he has forgotten something important, something truly essential. But what?
As small as he is now, Shim must find giant-size courage. He embarks on a perilous quest to discover what happened, what secret he forgot, and what it really means to be a giant.
Map of Fincayra (Click to Enlarge)
T. A. Barron on The Merlin Saga
REVIEWS
“A giant loses his identity but finds himself.
This middle-grade prequel to Barron’s Merlin series focuses on Shim, a giant with a kind heart. Shim lives on the island of Fincayra in the giant’s village of Varigal with his mother, Vonya, spending his days with friends Greeno, Lumpster, and maybe-crush Sister Behemoth. When their village is suddenly and brutally attacked by the evil usurper Stangmar, only Shim and Vonya survive the aftermath. They flee to the Haunted Marsh, where Vonya makes a horrible wager with a treacherous sorceress, leaving Shim shrunken and missing some very important memories. Now diminutive, Shim and his faery friend, Elf, set off to try to save Fincayra from total ruin. Along the way, they encounter ferocious wyverns, an enchanted unicorn, fierce zombie soldiers, and a magical orange crystal, imbuing this story with many fantasy tropes fans know and love. Barron’s worldbuilding is rich and nuanced but still accessible even to casual fantasy readers; as a prequel, no knowledge of the Merlin-verse is needed, making this an excellent jumping-in point for new readers as well as pleasurable reading for established fans. Shim is a wonderfully relatable character imparting a message of empathy that should resonate long after the last page turns.
“Simply delightful.”
— Kirkus Starred Review
“Filled with exquisite settings and eloquent language, Shim’s adventures are of a type not often seen in modern children’s literature, hearkening back to classic high fantasy.”
— Booklist
“5 Star Review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐”
— Compass Book Ratings
“I’m highly recommending this book for anyone, young or old. Sometimes, we need a world that is like an old friend; a place we can come to again and again. Fincayra, the magical island, is such a place. And if you haven’t read the rest of the Merlin series, you should rectify that immediately.”
— S.A. Borders-Shoemaker, author of Frankenstein & the Phoenix and Waiting for Scotland
GIANT:
The Unlikely Origins of Shim
Prequel to The Merlin Saga
978-0-593-20349-1 (Hardback)
978-0-593-20350-7 (Paperback)
9780593454435 (Audiobook)
256 Pages | Ages 10+
Shim has only ever known a world of peace. Unusually big and strong even for a young giant, he lives on the magical isle of Fincayra, immersed in nature as well as tales of wizards, mer folk, and dragons.
Suddenly that world explodes in chaos. A terrible attack forces Shim and his mother to flee — and take a hazardous journey to reach the only person who could possibly help them, the mysterious Domnu. But when a wager goes horribly wrong, Shim shrinks down to a tiny fraction of his size. Now only as tall as a man’s knee, he finds himself lost in a deadly swamp. Worse yet, he has forgotten something important, something truly essential. But what?
As small as he is now, Shim must find giant-size courage. He embarks on a perilous quest to discover what happened, what secret he forgot, and what it really means to be a giant.
Map of Fincayra (Tap Map to Enlarge)
Listen to Chapter Excerpt
Excerpt Read by John Lee
In the Media
T. A. Barron on The Merlin Saga
REVIEWS
“A giant loses his identity but finds himself.
This middle-grade prequel to Barron’s Merlin series focuses on Shim, a giant with a kind heart. Shim lives on the island of Fincayra in the giant’s village of Varigal with his mother, Vonya, spending his days with friends Greeno, Lumpster, and maybe-crush Sister Behemoth. When their village is suddenly and brutally attacked by the evil usurper Stangmar, only Shim and Vonya survive the aftermath. They flee to the Haunted Marsh, where Vonya makes a horrible wager with a treacherous sorceress, leaving Shim shrunken and missing some very important memories. Now diminutive, Shim and his faery friend, Elf, set off to try to save Fincayra from total ruin. Along the way, they encounter ferocious wyverns, an enchanted unicorn, fierce zombie soldiers, and a magical orange crystal, imbuing this story with many fantasy tropes fans know and love. Barron’s worldbuilding is rich and nuanced but still accessible even to casual fantasy readers; as a prequel, no knowledge of the Merlin-verse is needed, making this an excellent jumping-in point for new readers as well as pleasurable reading for established fans. Shim is a wonderfully relatable character imparting a message of empathy that should resonate long after the last page turns.
“Simply delightful.”
— Kirkus Starred Review
“Filled with exquisite settings and eloquent language, Shim’s adventures are of a type not often seen in modern children’s literature, hearkening back to classic high fantasy.”
— Booklist
“5 Star Review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐”
— Compass Book Ratings
“I’m highly recommending this book for anyone, young or old. Sometimes, we need a world that is like an old friend; a place we can come to again and again. Fincayra, the magical island, is such a place. And if you haven’t read the rest of the Merlin series, you should rectify that immediately.”
— S.A. Borders-Shoemaker, author of Frankenstein & the Phoenix and Waiting for Scotland
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