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


Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Guest Post: The Ladies-in-Waiting: Lady Isabel Baynton by Alexandra Walsh

    Today's guest writer is Alexandra Walsh. She is the author of The Catherine Howard Conspiracy , which is a historical thriller surrounding the infamous Tudor queen. In this guest post, Mrs. Walsh discusses the life of Catherine's lady-in-waiting, Isabel Baynton. This post will be sure to fascinate fans of Tudor era. If you enjoy her post, please pick up a copy of The Catherine Howard Conspiracy ! Thank you, Mrs. Walsh! The Ladies-in-Waiting – Lady Isabel Baynton by Alexandra Walsh     One of the most enjoyable things about writing an historical novel is discovering the tiny details that make the period real on the page. While I was researching The Catherine Howard Conspiracy , I spent a great deal of time hunting out the life stories of the women who surrounded the young queen in order to create a group of realistic friends and confidants.       There are some well-known names linked with Catherine and her downfall: Lady Jane Boleyn,...
Post a Comment
Read more

Theodora: Actress, Empress, Saint (Women in Antiquity) by David Potter: A Book Review

Theodora: Actress, Empress, Saint (Women in Antiquity) Author: David Potter Genre: Nonfiction, Biography, History Publisher: Oxford University Press Release Date: November 4, 2015 Pages: 288 Source: Publisher/Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Synopsis: Two of the most famous mosaics from the ancient world, in the church of San Vitale in Ravenna, depict the sixth-century emperor Justinian and, on the wall facing him, his wife, Theodora (497-548). This majestic portrait gives no inkling of Theodora's very humble beginnings or her improbable rise to fame and power. Raised in a family of circus performers near Constantinople's Hippodrome, she abandoned a successful acting career in her late teens to follow a lover whom she was legally forbidden to marry. When he left her, she was a single mother who built a new life for herself as a secret agent, in which role she met the heir to the throne. To the shock of the ruling elite, the two were married, and when Justinian...
Post a Comment
Read more

Thief of Corinth by Tessa Afshar: A Book Review

Thief of Corinth Author: Tessa Afshar Genre: Historical Fiction, Christian, Biblical Fiction Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers Release Date: 2018 Pages: 400 Source: Netgalley/Publisher in exchange for an honest review. Synopsis : First-century Corinth is a city teeming with commerce and charm. It’s also filled with danger and corruption―the perfect setting for Ariadne’s greatest adventure.     After years spent living with her mother and oppressive grandfather in Athens, Ariadne runs away to her father’s home in Corinth, only to discover the perilous secret that destroyed his marriage: though a Greek of high birth, Galenos is the infamous thief who has been robbing the city’s corrupt of their ill-gotten gains.      Desperate to keep him safe, Ariadne risks her good name, her freedom, and the love of the man she adores to become her father’s apprentice. As her unusual athletic ability leads her into dangerous exploits, Ariadne discovers that...
Post a Comment
Read more