Skip to main content

Marion Zimmer Bradley’s Sword of Avalon ( Avalon #7) by Diana L. Paxson: A Book Review

Marion Zimmer Bradley’s Sword of Avalon (Avalon #7)

Author: Diana L. Paxson

Genre: Historical Fiction, Fantasy

Publisher: Ace

Release Date: 2009

Pages: 450

Source: My State Public Library

Synopsis: Epic in its sweep and peopled by the remarkable women who have always inhabited Avalon, Marion Zimmer Bradley's Sword of Avalon expands the legendary saga that has enchanted countless 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: Sword of Avalon is a sequel to Ancestors of Avalon. It is also a prequel to Mists of Avalon. Anderle is the Lady of Avalon. She is given a task to save an orphan prince who is destined to be king of Britain. In order to help make him king, she must work with a Greek prince to forge a sword fit for a king. Thus, the Sword of Avalon tells of the origins of Excalibur.


    I absolutely adore Anderle! She is a very strong woman! Anderle risks her life to save an orphan prince who is destined to be a great king. Anderle is full of love and compassion. She is very intelligent and entirely devoted to her goddess’s will. There are a few times that I thought she made wrong decisions which led to dire consequences. I also love her relationship with her daughter, Tirilan! It is very realistic and difficult. Even though they often were in conflict with each other, their bond was very deep. Thus, Anderle was a flawed but fleshed out character.


     Overall, this book is about friendship, motherhood, and sacrifice. I greatly enjoyed how Sword of Avalon touched on all aspects regarding love and relationships. All of the characters were engaging and intriguing. Each of them were very complex. I love Velantos (the sword smith), who labors tirelessly in his craft to craft the best sword he has ever made. I found Mikantor interesting  (the orphan prince) as he struggles to fulfill his destiny to become a great king. The only thing that I did not like about the novel was its slow beginning, and I thought it ended abruptly. I wanted more and did not want it to end! Therefore, Sword of Avalon is an enthralling novel that made it hard to put down! By the time you finish the novel, you feel like you know each of the characters as if they were your friends! I also love how Ancient Britain came alive, and I was fully immersed in the world! I can’t wait to read its sequel, Ravens of Avalon, to find how these characters have impacted Ancient Britain!


Rating: 5 out of 5 stars


Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Diana: Her True Story in Her Own Words by Andrew Morton

Diana: Her True Story in Her Own Words Author: Andrew Morton Genre: Nonfiction, History, Biography,  Publisher: Simon and Schuster Release Date: 2009 Pages: 448 Source: My Personal Collection Synopsis: The sensational biography of Princess Diana, written with her cooperation and now featuring exclusive new material to commemorate the 20th anniversary of her death.      When Diana: Her True Story was first published in 1992, it forever changed the way the public viewed the British monarchy. Greeted initially with disbelief and ridicule, the #1 New York Times bestselling biography has become a unique literary classic, not just because of its explosive contents but also because of Diana’s intimate involvement in the publication. Never before had a senior royal spoken in such a raw, unfiltered way about her unhappy marriage, her relationship with the Queen, her extraordinary life inside the House of Windsor, her hopes, her fears, and her dreams. Now, twenty-fiv...

Tayvie's Story (A Sparrow Alone #3) by Mim Eichmann: A Book Review

  Tayvie’s Story (A Sparrow Alone #3) Author: Mim  Eichmann Genre: Historical Fiction  Publisher: Ballantine  Publication Date: 2024 Pages: 355 Source: Netgalley/Publisher in exchange for an honest review. Synopsis: Chicago, IL – December 1923        Terrified, racing from an irate shopkeeper who has accused her of stealing, her comatose mother sprawled in a dark hallway, four-year-old Tayvie Jackson falls asleep while hiding in a car. Hours later, Tayvie, who understands almost no English, awakens many miles from a home she barely knew. Forced to live with deceitful relatives during the Depression in the Jim Crow south, Tayvie and her adopted mother later escape, hoping to build on young Tayvie’s fledgling career as a jazz singer.        In 1938, Tayvie innocently signs a six-month contract to appear at the Moulin Rouge in Paris. Almost immediately, distorted allegations erupt surrounding her inv...

The Rose Code by Kate Quinn: A Book Review

The Rose Code Author: Kate Quinn Genre: Historical Fiction Publisher: Harper Collins Release Date: 2021 Pages: 635 Source: Netgalley/Publisher in exchange for an honest review. Synopsis: 1940, Bletchley Park, Buckinghamshire.        Three very different women are recruited to the mysterious Bletchley Park, where the best minds in Britain train to break German military codes.       Vivacious debutante Osla has the dashing Prince Philip of Greece sending her roses – but she burns to prove herself as more than a society girl, working to translate decoded enemy secrets. Self-made Mab masters the legendary codebreaking machines as she conceals old wounds and the poverty of her East-End London upbringing. And shy local girl Beth is the outsider who trains as one of the Park’s few female cryptanalysts.       1947, London.        Seven years after they first meet, on the eve of the roya...