Product Description: New York Times bestselling author Marion Zimmer Bradley brings the mesmerizing world of myth, romance and history to life in the spellbinding novel of epic grandeur!
Before the legend of King Arthur and Camelot, there was Avalon, a beautiful island of golden vales and silver mists. A land where the lives of three powerful priestesses shape the destiny of Roman Britian as they fight to regain the magic and traditions of a once gallant past...
An Engrossing Story with Vivid Characters ^ This is the first book of the Avalon series that I have read, and I'm glad I started with it. Although there are events referred to that obviously occur in other books, it's not done in a way that takes away from the story. This is the book that sets up the events in Marion Zimmer Bradley's popular masterpiece, The Mists of Avalon, so I felt fortunate to be beginning here.
This is the first book I have thoroughly enjoyed in a long time, and it's turned me into a devoted fan of this author. There are elements of several genres in this book: historical fiction, fantasy, and romance, making it appealing to many different kinds of readers. But what will really appeal to people is the superb story-telling and the realistic and complex characters. There are few characters, even among the leading Ladies of Avalon, who could be called wholly good or bad. Some make good decisions and some make such bad decisions that they adversely alter the course of history. The women portrayed are completely believable, with human foibles that all of us have, but at the same time they possess a power that infuses the story with magic. This is a book that celebrates womanhood in all its forms, from the innocent virgin to the croaking hag. If you're a woman, you will find yourself somewhere in this book. And if you're a man, well, there's plenty of fighting going on to keep even you interested!
Nothing new to encourage fans ^ Sadly, after reading Mists and The Forest House, I found this installment a disappointment. There seemed to be less "new material" in the book: the 3 sections simply wore down the same story of main characters, and their reincarnations did the same things as the characters in the previous sections.
And the concept of reincarnation between the generations of the Romano-Britannic lands was not a new and fresh idea in this book. That idea had come as a surprise in prequel The Mists of Avalon, but was nothing new here. There was a lack of creativity in saying the virtually exact same story for 3 parts of the book with different people, because by then, characters' histories were not enticing by introducing the idea that they had once been sacrificed kings or wise men from Atlantis in another life. It became repetitive.
And yes, the book does link other of MZB's works together. However, the scarcely lighted-upon stories in the other books that were told here were much better in my imagination than in the book.
In contrast, there are still fans of this book who found that it was not all that bad. I encourage possible readers to go ahead and read it, but only after the other books, and with the dissatisfied readers' comments warning you that this is one of the more pathetic continuations of Bradley's otherwise illustrious saga.
Squanders rich material, potential; a disappointment ^ Lady of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley picks up where The Forest House ended. Avalon has been established under the leadership of high priestess Caillean in the shadow of the holy Tor and close to the Christian brotherhood at Inis Witrin. The first book follows Eilan's son Gawen and his contribution to Avalon, the second establishes Avalon's active role in the politics and future of Britannia, and the third focuses on characters familiar to Arthurians--Vortigern, Vortimer, Viviane, and Taliesin and the Merlin of Britain.
Although the mythology and history are rich, the material is squandered in these nearly plotless, barely connected stories. While Avalon tries to preserve the degenerated wisdom that remained when Atlantis sank into the ocean, the world is being torn apart by the oppression and instability of empire and waves of barbarian invasions. Caillean, Gawen, and the daughter of the fairy queen, Sianna, save Avalon, then their successors extend its influence outward to manipulate kings, princes, and military leaders. In spite of the sacrifices and losses, Britannia seems no better off; Rome clings to it, and the barbarians keep coming. There are important victories, but they seem contrived when the goddess is called on to frighten off the Saxons, and they do little more than provide a break in the onslaught. The plots are so minimal and the useless details so many that it's not clear to what extent Britannia's rebelliousness and vulnerability contributed to Rome's decline and fall.
The goddess religion of Avalon is murky at best. Unlike in The Mists of Avalon and The Forest House, the magic here is unquestionably real; the visions are not drug-induced hallucinations, and priestesses invoke the goddess to deter the enemy. The "ancient wisdom" seems to be centered on the power of the earth (focused along leys), the seasons, and reincarnated souls like Gawen, Sianna, Dierna, and Carausius. Practice of the religion is as ordered and artificial as the rule of Rome, with strict rules and elaborate rituals that owe more to the human predilection for control than to the concept of nature and the earth. Even the most natural of emotions and acts, love and non-ritual sex, are forbidden. Young men and women are drawn to Avalon, but their passion is poorly articulated, especially when they cannot know the mysteries revealed during training and initiation. There is nothing special about the character or intelligence of the many of the Druids and priestesses called to Avalon; why are they singled out to preserve the ancient wisdom and mysteries?
While the plots and the secondary characters are weak, the real problem is that so many of the primary characters are selfish and unlikable. Gawen, the "Pendragon" and "Son of a Hundred Kings," from beginning to end is unremarkable, displaying predictable rebelliousness and nobility at the expected moments. He is so susceptible to suggestion that "the priest's words had tainted the Druid ways as well." Dramatically and childishly, he exclaims, "You both want to possess me, but my soul is my own! . . . I am leaving to seek my kin of Rome!" His soul mate, Sianna, has no more personality than Waterwalker, whose role is to pole the Avalon barge. High priestess Dierna does not seek the obvious path, proving the fairy queen's point: "But I do not know what the purpose is, exactly, and if I did, I would not be allowed to speak of it; for it is often in working for or in avoiding a prophecy that people do the very things they should not." We are told that Teleri, who is weak, pliant, and passive, is destined to become high priestess of Avalon; why would the goddess, the Druids, and the priestesses choose someone so unsuitable for such a position? At her worst, high priestess Ana is egotistical and petty, especially with regard to her daughter, Viviane. Is it Ana or the goddess who says, "I would gain nothing. I already have everything."? For reasons that are never explained, the enigmatic fairy queen insists that her daughter become a priestess of Avalon, and it is her line whose members impose their will on events rather than that of the goddess, proving their human side stronger than their role as conductor of magic. Of all the major characters, only Caillean, Taliesin, and perhaps Carausius are likable, revealing both human weaknesses and a greater wisdom. Although it is strongly hinted that Carausius is a reincarnation of Gawen's soul, they are different enough that it raises the question of what these souls are and why only certain ones return again and again, while others are "once born." The whims of the god and goddess, as channeled through these souls and through the Druids and priestesses, appear to be as illogical as those of any human.
Without a solid plot driven by strong, sympathetic characters, Lady of Avalon lacks the touches of historical and magical drama that made The Forest House at least interesting. Although the novel reveals some of the reasons for the decline of Avalon and the goddess religion, Lady of Avalon adds little essential to The Mists of Avalon.
How Lady of Avalon Relates ^ As many have said this was not one of the better works in the Avalon series.
However the three novellas, while in themselves do not give you much time to become attached to the characters each has its own purpose within the series.
For instance the fist section follows Caillean's journey to found Avalon after leaving the Forest House, and to create the world that still captivates readers 20 or so years after Mists was originally published.
The second section ties in to the sequel Priestess of Avalon, which encompasses the entirety of is written in the novella about Dierna.
Lastly the third section recounts the early life of Vivane. So although Lady may not be the best out of the series is it is still an essential part of the collection.
MORE MORE MORE ^ Great writer, great subject, carries you along. I didn't want it to end, I wanted to know more...Well written, Great Story - Timeless Fantasy!
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