A new age is coming...The King will come...and he will rule forever in Avalon. Through the generations the women of Avalon prepare for the coming of the Defender, the sacred king who will guard the old ways of the Britons and save their land from destruction. On the holy isle of Avalon, hidden in the mists between the world of Faerie and the world of men, they wait. For High Priestess Caillean, facing the Roman foe, salvation comes not through victory, but bitter sacrifice. Two hundred years later her successor, Dierna, faces a new enemy: the Saxon hordes who assail her people like savages. By the time of Viviane, Britain seems wholly lost. But a Merlin is made amongst the Druids once more, and the day of the Defender, who will come to be known as Arthur, draws close. A spellbinding historical fantasy, Lady of Avalon links the bestselling novels in the Avalon series—The Forests of Avalon and The Mists of Avalon.
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"Lady of Avalon, continues Caillean's story from where we last see her in 'The Forest House'. With her vivid descriptive narrative and masterful story teller's art Marion Zimmer Bradley shows us a world as it may have been but touched by Magic. We see Avalon become the home of the priestesses of the great Goddess. Through the cycles of the year and the lives of three of Avalon's high priestesses, Caillean, Dierna and Viviane we see Avalon come to the destiny which is fulfilled in 'The Mists of Avalon'."
— Robin (5 out of 5 stars)
Bradley here combines romance, rich historical detail, magical dazzlements, grand adventure and feminist sentiments into the kind of novel her fans have been yearning for.
— Publishers Weekly Starred Review" Didn't like it as much as the Mists. I thought the characters got less interesting as the book went on. "
— Rachel, 2/17/2014" reading the series again cuz it's just perfect for the last bit of my summer break! "
— Catherine, 2/10/2014" Dierna sucks big time but Caillean kicks ass. "
— Anna, 2/9/2014" A disappointing follow-up novel. "
— Amy, 1/29/2014" yuck. This book does not compare to The Mists of Avalon. Read that and then read nothing else from this series. "
— Ellen, 1/26/2014" Another fine instalment from MZB...perhaps not the best book in the series but still a damn good read! "
— Mel, 1/18/2014" This was not what I expected, but the flow from generation to generation was easy to follow and brought things together into the bigger picture of this series. "
— Kristyn, 9/4/2013" I was urged to read this by a friend because a) I'm not a fan of Arthurian stuff and this didn't touch on that, and b) It had a lot of good Pagan references that he thought I'd enjoy. I did like it, but developed very little attachment to the characters. "
— Swankivy, 8/8/2013" This was a real disappointment compared to her other Avalon books. "
— Darcie, 8/3/2013" I've enjoyed all of the Avalon books. This one felt a little disjointed to me. I felt the changes of period and character lacked natural transition. "
— Heidi, 7/21/2013" 3rd in Avalon ser "
— Michelle, 6/24/2013" Yep, this is a book I read about every two years or so--beautifully written, great story "
— Jeani, 6/3/2013" I was expecting more of "Mists of Avalon" and was disappointed that this wasn't as good. The story was still well told, but not as intriguing as "Mists." "
— Rhiannon, 5/21/2013" I am so glad this book is over. I hope I will remember never again to start reading one of these mediocre prequels to The Mists of Avalon, no matter how much I want to enter that universe. "
— Vera, 4/28/2013" This is the Arthurian legend from the womens' perspective... very interesting Druid, Priestess, and Faerie stuff in there. A novel that's not afraid to break your heart. "
— Rhea, 3/11/2013" A wonderful book and I'm so glad I read it before picking up Mists of Avalon because I feel more prepared for the story ahead. "
— Elise, 10/28/2012" So far I love it! "
— Jasmine, 5/27/2012" A great fast read that I would almost call a beach read but for it's fat size. The book takes you into a complete fantasy land with struggles of life, love, magic, etc... "
— Lyndsey, 4/22/2012" Excellent. My all time favourite is The Mists of Avalon. "
— Amanda, 4/9/2012" Read Mists of Avalon first. "
— MotherMagic, 4/5/2012" Now I have to go back and reread Mysts of Avalon. This is the prequel. The Druid and Priestess rituals are interesting, but the ending is a bit flat. The past life thread could have been developed further to add interest to the character's relationships. "
— Jennifer, 2/26/2012" Wonderful telling of the Authurian legend from Mogan's POV! "
— Louisa, 2/15/2012" One of my favorite in the Avalon Series. This one follows the life of Caleine and Vivianne as they take the Mantle of Lady of Avalon. "
— Christal, 6/6/2011" I liked this book that's apart of the Avalon series. It portrays more magic than does the Mists of Avalon, and that's why I like it. "
— Khemauset, 5/24/2011" Not as good as "The Mists" "
— Donna, 4/27/2011" Good in its own right but should not be compared to Mists of Avalon or believe it will be as enthralling . . . it isn't, but I'm glad I read it. "
— Julie, 4/25/2011" Wonderful telling of the Authurian legend from Mogan's POV! "
— Louisa, 2/26/2011" I enjoyed this a great deal. It obviously isn't as long or detailed as the Mists of Avalon, but it had the same feel of spanning across generations. This book goes more into life on Avalon, and the magics found there, than other books in this series. "
— Robert, 1/29/2011" Dierna sucks big time but Caillean kicks ass. "
— Anna, 12/27/2010" This was not what I expected, but the flow from generation to generation was easy to follow and brought things together into the bigger picture of this series. "
— Kristyn, 12/11/2010" Extremely depressing and rather perturbing, this book serves more as a bridge than a work enjoyable as a stand-alone. "
— Heina, 12/7/2010" It was okay. Less het, more gay! X^D I say this of every book. I like the insight into the Druidic culture and the historical context of it, but the rest is kinda lacking as compared to say Mists of Avalon. "
— Laura, 11/15/2010" This one kind of bummed me out. But it was well written and a good story. "
— Melissa, 11/13/2010Marion Eleanor Zimmer Bradley (1930–1999) received her BA from Hardin Simmons University in Abilene, Texas, and her graduate degree from the University of California–Berkeley. She was a science fiction and fantasy fan since her teens and had written as long as she could remember, but only for school magazines and fanzines until she sold her first professional short story to Vortex Science Fiction. She wrote everything from science fiction to Gothics but is probably best known for her Darkover novels and her Arthurian novel, The Mists of Avalon. In addition to her novels, she edited magazines, both amateur and professional.
Rosalyn Landor is an English-born television, theater, and multiple-award-winning audiobook narrator. Her television credits include Love in a Cold Climate, Rumpole of the Bailey, Sherlock Holmes, and Star Trek: The Next Generation. She has won numerous Audie awards and AudioFile magazine Earphones awards.