Kate Gordon's adventures continue in two other novels, Heartlight and The Ancient One. In Heartlight, the first novel in this trilogy, Kate and her grandfather travel to a distant star to save the earth's sun from extinction. In The Ancient One, Kate finds herself helping her great-aunt battle loggers to save an old growth redwood forest by traveling back in time to fight the forces of evil. Like The Merlin Effect, these two novels combine science, fantasy, and myth with a strong female heroine who has extraordinary adventures in remarkable and intriguing settings. All three books explore connections: between people and other people, people and other cultures, and people and other forms of life.

Barron's research into the legends of Merlin for The Merlin Effect inspired him to explore the character of Merlin more deeply.

Many of the conflicts and themes introduced in Kate Gordon's adventures...