The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of The Mists of Avalon
Book Review: A Book Like No Other
Summary: 5 Stars
As a teenager reading this book, I find myself transported into a different time when women were seen as different people. The book takes you into another world, and lets you explore the time of Arthur through the eyes of a women. Not only do you learn how Arthur ruled, but how he was raise and how he became the last hope for Avalon and the ways of old! This book makes you take a second look at the Christain religion and may even alter your thoughts as to how women are represented by Chrisianity. You will also learn about the Celtics last stand as their own people, how they were run off there land and killed. If you want a book to make you search your iner-self, "The Mists of Avalon" is the book for you!Book Review: A Captivating Female Fantasy
Summary: 5 Stars
I loved this story. I don't care if this Arthurian legend told through the eyes of the women behind the throne is the way it happened or not. I do know that experiences are different for each person who experiences them, and the re-telling of an event will certainly reflect that.
That said, I loved the creative way Marion Zimmer Bradley put this story together. This was the first book I ever read of hers, and I did not want it to end. At times just when I thought the story might be beginning to drag, I was startled by an unexpected event, such as the time the high priestess Viviane was suddenly assassinated at a castle banquet by an angry member of Arthur's entourage by cloving her head in two with an axe. The story is full of romance, sexual tension, deceit and power ploys, which all make for an exciting story if told well - and I found this story to be one of the most captivating fiction works I've read. Romance, obligation and intrigue begin well before Arthur is born, as his mother Igraine is attracted to a man from another culture despised by her husband, who later ends up becoming Arthur's father.
I particularly liked the merging of the magical elements with the more earthly aspects of managing a kingdom that ultimately is most empowered by its spiritual leaders, whether from its goddess culture heritage, or the new fathers of Christianity. The struggle between the two forces accelerates throughout the book, as the women of the priestess tradition feel their own time of power slipping away. The section where Arthur's half-sister Morgaine was missing for ten years and experienced it as a time warp of only three days was another fascinating part of the story that continued to artfully mix magic with the mundane life most of the others were living.
Morgaine's son Mordred, the twisted result of a manipulated liasion between she and Arthur, takes the story to an even more scandalous level near the end of the book. This story is too rich with detail and imagery to do it justice in a review. I suspect this story it will find its most enthusiastic readers mostly among women, but so what? Men have certainly had their share of stories that favored the male viewpoint so I say it's about time.
Readers, enjoy this wonderfully scandalous, engaging and captivating story. It's a true escape to another time and place. I highly recommend it.
Book Review: A Captivating Realistic Fantsy
Summary: 5 Stars
Well this is the closest to reality you could get for a legend. The characters have dreams and flaws just as a real person would. The reader can relate to at least one or two of the characters. I could even go so far as to say a reader could relate to EVERY charcter in at least one aspect or another. This story plays with the imagination and provides vivid circumstances that can entrance anyone. A read I will cherish for a lifetime!Book Review: A Celtic Journey
Summary: 5 Stars
This is a story of Morgan Le Fay and her aunt Vivane and thier journeys through life. This book is a wiccan treasure telling a lifelike story about my favorite goddess, and fay, turning away from the negative perspective she has inspired in many hateful stories. I have read this book 3 times since I first read it at 13, and I have found my goddess, and namesake.Book Review: A Celtic Journey
Summary: 5 Stars
This is a story of Morgan Le Fay and her aunt Vivane and thier journeys through life. This book is a wiccan treasure telling a lifelike story about my favorite goddess, and fay, turning away from the negative perspective she has inspired in many hateful stories. I have read this book 3 times since I first read it at 13, and I have found my goddess, and namesake.