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A T. A. Barron Collection is the sampler volume drawn from across Barron's YA fantasy and SF career, with material from Heartlight, the Lost Years of Merlin sequence, and his standalone work. The format makes it a useful first-encounter volume for new readers who are not sure where to start.
The selections are well-chosen. The Merlin material is at the strong middle of the sequence. The Heartlight excerpt gives a clean view of his careful YA SF. The standalone material is more variable.
Three stars. Recommended only as a sampler for new Barron readers. Most readers should pick a specific novel as a starting point instead.
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