Author: Marion Zimmer Bradley
Genre: Historical Fiction, Fantasy
Publisher: Ace
Release Date: 2007
Pages: 404
Source: Personal Collection
Synopsis: Journey to a time before King Arthur in this prequel to The Mists of Avalon—a spellbinding story of three remarkable women who alter the fortunes of Roman Britain as they fight to reclaim the magic and traditions of a once glorious past.
Caillean, the young priestess fated to become Lady of Avalon, who rescues and raises the orphaned Gawen—heir to a mystic and dangerous royal line...Dierna, who must use all her strength, wisdom, and love to guide Avalon through treacherous political waters and veil the island from a hostile world...Viviane, Lady of the Lake and keeper of the Grail, destined for true greatness as she prepares Avalon for the coming of a legendary king...
Bestselling author Marion Zimmer Bradley brings the mesmerizing world of myth and magic, romance and history, brilliantly to life in this novel of epic grandeur worthy of fantasy’s finest storyteller.
My Review: Lady of Avalon is the prequel to The Mists of Avalon. It tells the story of three High Priestesses of Avalon from a different era. Caillean has to raise an orphan named Green who is descended from a royal line. Dierna has to arrange a political marriage for one of her priestesses to a British emperor. Viviane has to accept her destiny as High Priestess as she waits for the Once and Future King. These three women fight to keep their magic and ancient traditions against the new religion, Christianity.
I found Caillean, Dierna, and Viviane to be very admirable. After reading about Caillean in Ravens of Avalon and The Forest House, I was intrigued to know the rest of her story. Caillean has greatly matured since The Forest House. She has devoted her life to preserving the old ways of Britain. She also has to raise Gawen and ensure that he fulfills his royal destiny.
Dierna was also an equally fascinating character. She has to sacrifice her personal happiness for the goodness of Avalon. She made many mistakes. However, she believed that she was doing the will of her goddess. Dierna lost much but she helped influence the political events of her time. There were a few times in which I disliked her and thought that she was a manipulator. However, I realized that she was doing it to protect Britain. Therefore, I found her to be a very sympathetic character.
Viviane was also very likable. She was very stubborn and strong-willed. She was also in conflict with her mother, Ana, because they both had a similar personality. Viviane also suffered and endured many hardships. She is very reluctant to fulfill her destiny as High Priestess and wants to live in peace. However, Viviane gradually realizes that she must protect Britain and to preserve the old religion.
Overall, this novel is about loss, family, and tradition. All of the characters were morally grey but were very realistic. I thought it was interesting how Lady of Avalon was a compilation of three short novellas on three different women. I found their stories so fascinating that I quickly devoured the book! I did wish that each of their stories deserved to be novel length. Nevertheless, it was interesting to see how Avalon evolved over time! I thought Lady of Avalon to be very well-written. The writing was very beautiful, lyrical, and magical! I was mesmerized by Mrs. Bradley’s writing, and I did not want The Lady of Avalon to end! I can’t wait to read the next book in the series, Priestess of Avalon!
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
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