Skip to main content

Priestess of Avalon (Avalon #4) by Marion Zimmer Bradley and Diana L. Paxson: A Book Review

 

Priestess of Avalon (Avalon #4)

Author: Marion Zimmer Bradley and Diana L. Paxson 

Genre: Historical Fiction, Fantasy

Publisher: Ace

Release Date: 2008

Pages: 418

Source: Personal Collection

Synopsis: In the long-awaited return to Avalon by the beloved author of The Mists of Avalon and her collaborator, bestselling author Diana L. Paxson, Marion Zimmer Bradley fuses myth, magic and romance in a spectacular unfolding of one woman's role in the making of history and spirit... 


     My Review: Priestess of Avalon is the prequel to The Mists of Avalon. It follows the life of Helena Augusta, the mother of Emperor Constantine. In Priestess of Avalon, Helena is a British princess called Eilan. She trains to be a priestess of Avalon. Eilan eventually learns that she is destined to give birth to a child who will change the world. Therefore, Eilan walks a journey that no priestess of Avalon has ever walked before.


     Eilan is a wonderful character. I love how she grew over the course of the novel! She is very strong-willed and outspoken. She makes her own choices and creates her own path in life. She always strives to do the will of the Goddess. Throughout the novel, she searches for happiness and belonging. Eilan was very relatable, and I was mesmerized by her story. 


     Priestess of Avalon mainly focused on Eilan’s relationship with her son, Constantine. I thought their relationship was the most fascinating aspect of the novel. When Constantine becomes emperor, he makes his mother the Empress. While she assists Constantine and gains more power, she slowly loses her own identity and her freedom. Therefore, Eilan embarks on a journey of self-discovery.


     Overall, this novel is about family, choices, and sacrifice. The lesson of the novel is that power does not make a person happy. All of the characters were very compelling. They were all flawed and made many mistakes. I did think the romance was undeveloped and instantaneous. However, it was only a minor detail in the story. I also thought the Priestess of Avalon was beautifully written and evocative! I love how the authors made the setting of the Roman Empire come alive! Therefore, Priestess of Avalon was a very engrossing novel, and I could not put it down! I can’t wait to read Mists of Avalon next! I recommend this novel for fans of The Twilight Empress, I Am Livia, and Mistress of Rome!


Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

In a League of Her Own by Kaia Alderson: A Book Review

In a League of Her Own Author: Kaia Alderson Genre: Historical Fiction  Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks  Publication Date: 2024 Pages: 352 Source: Netgalley/Publisher in exchange for an honest review. Synopsis: From the author of Sisters in Arms comes the incredible, untold story of Effa Manley, a black businesswoman in the male dominated baseball industry, and, currently, the only woman inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.       1930s, New York City        An ambitious Harlem woman’s husband upends her social climbing when he buys a Negro Leagues baseball team and appoints her as the team’s business manager. Overnight, Effa Manley goes from 125 th Street’s civil rights champion to an interloper in the boys’ club that is professional baseball.        Navigating her way through gentlemen’s agreement contracts, the very public flirtatious antics of superstar Satchel Pai...
Post a Comment
Read more

Interview with Kate Forsyth

       A huge 'thank you' to author Kate Forsyth for taking the time to respond to this interview! In her latest book, 'The Crimson Thread', tells of the resistance on the Greek island of Crete during WWII. In this interview, Mrs. Forsyth tells of the very personal origins of the novel and the sometimes difficult but fun methods of the research on Greek culture. I hope you enjoy the insights into the world of Kate Forsyth! There are very few WWII stories that are set in Crete. What drew you to the setting? My great-uncle fought in the Battle of Crete and hearing the very dramatic story of his escape from the island when I was a child gave me a lifelong interest in Greece and its history and myths. Then a few years ago I bought an antiquarian copy of Nathanial Hawthorne’s Tanglewood Tales which reignited my interest. I began to do some  research, and  discovered the untold story of the brave women of the Cretan resistance and knew that was a ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Wu Zhao: China's Only Woman Emperor by N. Harry Rothschild: A Book Review

Wu Zhao: China’s Only Woman Emperor Author: N. Harry Rothschild Genre: Nonfiction, History, Biography Publisher: Pearson Release Date: 2007 Pages: 256 Source: My Personal Collection Synopsis: This new entry in the Longman Library of World Biography series offers the compelling story of Wu Zhao - one woman’s unlikely and remarkable ascent to the apex of political power in the patriarchal society of traditional China.       Wu Zhao, Woman Emperor of China is the account of the first and only female emperor in China’s history. Set in vibrant, multi-ethnic Tang China, this biography chronicles Wu Zhao’s humble beginnings as the daughter of a provincial official, following her path to the inner palace, where she improbably rose from a fifth-ranked concubine to becoming Empress. Using clever Buddhist rhetoric, grandiose architecture, elegant court rituals, and an insidious network of “cruel officials” to cow her many opponents in court, Wu Zhao inaugurated a new dyn...
Post a Comment
Read more