Skip to main content

Marion Zimmer Bradley’s Ravens of Avalon (Avalon #6) by Diana L. Paxson: A Book Review

Marion Zimmer Bradley’s Ravens of Avalon (Avalon #6)

Author: Diana L. Paxson

Genre: Historical Fiction, Fantasy 

Publisher: Ace 

Release Date: 2007

Pages: 416

Source: My State Public Library

Synopsis: Marion Zimmer Bradley's beloved Avalon saga continues in 'a fine tribute to Bradley and the real-world triumphs and tragedy of Boudica.' (Publishers Weekly)


     Epic in its sweep and peopled by the remarkable women who have always inhabited Avalon, Marion Zimmer Bradley's Ravens of Avalon expands the legendary saga that has enchanted millions of readers over the years and is sure to please Bradley's loyal readership and anyone who loves wonderfully told stories of history, myth, and fantasy.


           My Review: Ravens of Avalon is a prequel to Mists of Avalon. In this installment, it tells the story of Queen Boudica. Boudica trains with the priestesses of Avalon. When she is of age, she marries Prasutagus. During their marriage, Boudica and Prasutagus become Roman allies. After her husband’s death, Boudica becomes sole ruler of the Iceni tribe. However, the Romans do not recognize her as ruler and humiliate her and her children. Boudica raises an army to fight against the Romans.


     Boudica is one of my favorite historical figures. When I learned that it was included as part of the Avalon series, I was excited to see how her story would connect to the series. I have to admit that it was very well-done. Boudica is a strong woman and queen. She loves her husband, her children, and her people. I also love that she wants justice, freedom, and peace. Boudica is willing to devote herself to fight against the Romans to ensure the Britons have their culture and religion. Therefore, Boudica was very admirable, and I dreaded the ending knowing her fate.


    Overall, this novel is about friendship, love, and change. I thought the characters seemed very realistic. I came to understand each character like a friend. I especially adored Boudica's friendship with the Avalon priestess, Lhiannon. The story was very emotional. I cried many times throughout the novel! Since I knew the outcome of Boudica’s fate, I did not want the Ravens of Avalon to end! Nevertheless, it was an enthralling read, and it was very hard to put down! I recommend this novel for fans of Queen of Oak, Ashes of Britannia, and Dreaming the Eagle! I can’t wait to read the next installment,The Forest House soon!


Rating: 5 out of 5 stars


Labels:

Comments

  1. AnonymousDecember 13, 2024 at 5:24 PM

    Mreooowwwwwwww :) Swell book! Historically accurate as well. None whipped the Roman Empire at its height effectively than High Queen Boudicca of Avalon.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Enheduana: Princess, Priestess, Poetess (Routledge Ancient Biographies) by Alhena Gadotti: A Book Review

Enheduana: Princess, Priestess, Poetess (Routledge Ancient Biographies) Author: Alhena Gadotti Genre: Nonfiction, History, Biography Publisher: Routledge Publication Date: May 2, 2025 Pages: 132 Source: Personal Collection  Synopsis: Enheduana: Princess, Priestess, Poetess offers the first comprehensive biography of Enheduana, daughter of Sargon of Agade and one of the most intriguing, yet elusive, women from antiquity.      Royal princess, priestess, and alleged author, Enheduana deserves as much attention as her martial relatives. A crucial contributor to her father’s military ambitions, Enheduana nonetheless wielded religious and economic power, as evidenced by primary and secondary sources. Even more interestingly, Enheduana remained alive in the cultural memory of those who came after her, so much so that works attributed to her were integrated into the scribal curriculum centuries after her death. This book aims to situate Enheduana in her own histor...
Post a Comment
Read more

Enheduana: The Complete Poems of the World's First Author by Sophus Helle: A Book Review

Enheduana: The Complete Poems of the World’s First Author Author: Sophus Helle Genre: History, Nonfiction, Biography, Religion Publisher: Yale University Press Release Date: 2024 Pages: 228 Source: Personal Collection  Synopsis: The complete poems of the priestess Enheduana, the world’s first known author, newly translated from the original Sumerian.      Enheduana was a high priestess and royal princess who lived in Ur, in what is now southern Iraq, about 2300 BCE. Not only does Enheduana have the distinction of being the first author whose name we know, but the poems attributed to her are hymns of great power. They are a rare flash of the female voice in the often male-dominated ancient world, treating themes that are as relevant today as they were four thousand years ago: exile, social disruption, the power of storytelling, gender-bending identities, the devastation of war, and the terrifying forces of nature.       This book is ...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Seven Sisters (The Seven Sisters #1) by Lucinda Riley: A Book Review

The Seven Sisters (The Seven Sisters #1) Author: Lucinda Riley Genre: Historical Fiction, Romance Publisher: Atria Release Date: 2015 Pages: 463 Source: My State Public Library Synopsis: Maia D’Apliese and her five sisters gather together at their childhood home, “Atlantis”—a fabulous, secluded castle situated on the shores of Lake Geneva—having been told that their beloved father, who adopted them all as babies, has died. Each of them is handed a tantalizing clue to her true heritage—a clue which takes Maia across the world to a crumbling mansion in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Once there, she begins to put together the pieces of her story and its beginnings. Eighty years earlier in Rio’s Belle Epoque of the 1920s, Izabela Bonifacio’s father has aspirations for his daughter to marry into the aristocracy. Meanwhile, architect Heitor da Silva Costa is devising plans for an enormous statue, to be called Christ the Redeemer, and will soon travel to Paris to find the right sculptor to ...
1 comment
Read more