Epic in its sweep and peopled by the remarkable women who have always inhabited Avalon, Marion Zimmer Bradley's Sword of Avalon expands the legendary saga that has enchanted millions of readers over the years and is sure to please Bradley's loyal readership and anyone who loves wonderfully told stories of history, myth, and fantasy.
A boy raised in secret after traitors kill his parents will return to Avalon—and when he does, he'll be faced with a formidable task: to prove his worth as a son of the kings and priestesses of his land and lead his followers to victory, wielding the newly forged sword Excalibur.
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"I know I like a book and really want to know how it ends when I stay up past midnight on a work night to finish it. I enjoyed the story of how Excalibur was made, and it was fun to see the connections between all the other books. The Avalon series is fun to read! "
— Becca (4 out of 5 stars)
The intensity of [Raver's] narration rises and falls with the drama of the plot.
— AudioFile" This was definitely the best of the Paxson books. "
— Mary, 2/17/2014" I know I like a book and really want to know how it ends when I stay up past midnight on a work night to finish it. I enjoyed the story of how Excalibur was made, and it was fun to see the connections between all the other books. The Avalon series is fun to read! "
— Becca, 2/14/2014" Truly a brilliant sequel to M.Z. Bradley's Avalon series. It's the series I reread over and over again. "
— Lisa, 2/5/2014" I decided to read this series chronologically rather than publication date. I thought the series would run smoother. Well it didn't. I read Mists of Avalon awhile back. Though the book was one thousand pages long, it flowed well. With Ancestors of Avalon, it was harder to get into but overall, I still liked the book. I think since Diana Paxon has taken over Marion Zimmerman Bradley's legacy, the flow isn't as smooth. For Sword of Avalon, it was incredibly difficult to follow the story. The book skipped like fifteen years without any setup and I felt I was just skimming the book to get the reading done. It is a shame because I like the Arthurian tales and I wanted to like this book. "
— Jayme(the, 2/1/2014" I'm not too disappointed with Paxson's efforts. She's still not Marion Zimmer Bradley, but it was a pretty good read and lots of historical detail as always. Interesting story on the forging of Excaliber, she's keeping up the series pretty well. "
— Abigail, 1/11/2014" This is an excellent continuation of the Mists of Avalon series telling about the creation of ex caliber. "
— Brian, 1/8/2014" A great addition to the series with the history of Excalibur explained...loved it! "
— Katy, 1/8/2014" I truly believe that when Diana Paxson writes an Avalon book she channels Marion Zimmer Bradley! Another amazing and truly enjoyable read. Loved it! "
— Beth, 12/29/2013" More guilty pleasure. "
— Heidi, 12/28/2013" I really enjoyed this tale, hope that there will be more from Diana in the near future. "
— Darcy, 12/11/2013" Diane L. Paxson is not a Marion Zimmer Bradley but close enough for me to enjoy her writing. "
— Wynne, 10/11/2013" The story of how Excalibur was made with the Goddess thrown in. I enjoy the stories, yet feel that characters are just being added to feed off the Avalon link "
— Karen, 3/21/2013" Pre-Arthurian story of the forging of Excaliber. Well done historical fiction. "
— Barbara, 11/10/2012" 4 1/2 I love just about any story about Avalon. This one did not disappoint me. "
— Elizabeth, 5/28/2012" If anyone could continue this series it is Diana Paxon. Wonderful read; could not put it down. "
— Nichol, 5/27/2012" I just couldn't get into this book and never finished it. "
— Shilo, 4/20/2012" Okay, not as good as Mists of Avalon, but I still loved Sword of Avalon. "
— Alexandria, 3/23/2012" This wasn't one of my favorites, but the story ofthe forging of the sword was passionate, almost erotic. It was beautifully written and compelling. "
— Kristyn, 5/18/2011" This was definitely the best of the Paxson books. "
— Mary, 2/2/2011" I'm not too disappointed with Paxson's efforts. She's still not Marion Zimmer Bradley, but it was a pretty good read and lots of historical detail as always. Interesting story on the forging of Excaliber, she's keeping up the series pretty well. "
— Abigail, 2/2/2011" This wasn't one of my favorites, but the story ofthe forging of the sword was passionate, almost erotic. It was beautifully written and compelling. "
— Kristyn, 12/11/2010" Pre-Arthurian story of the forging of Excaliber. Well done historical fiction. "
— Barbara, 10/12/2010" I truly believe that when Diana Paxson writes an Avalon book she channels Marion Zimmer Bradley! Another amazing and truly enjoyable read. Loved it! "
— Beth, 8/25/2010" The story of how Excalibur was made with the Goddess thrown in. I enjoy the stories, yet feel that characters are just being added to feed off the Avalon link "
— Karen, 8/5/2010" Diane L. Paxson is not a Marion Zimmer Bradley but close enough for me to enjoy her writing. "
— Wynne, 4/18/2010" I couldn't even get through this one. I rarely put a book down that I've started reading -- I like to self-inflict pain like that, I guess -- but this one just never caught my attention and the writing was not as good as others in the series. Disappointing. "
— Shannon, 3/3/2010" I just couldn't get into this book and never finished it. "
— Shilo, 2/24/2010Diana L. Paxson has spent more than a decade writing under the pseudonym Marion Zimmer Bradley or in collaboration with Bradley. She has authored numerous books, including The Golden Hills of Westria. Paxson is also a founder of the Society for Creative Anachronism.
Lorna Raver, named one of AudioFile magazine’s Best Voices of the Year, has received numerous Audie Award nominations and many AudioFile Earphones Awards. She has appeared on stage in New York, Los Angeles, and regional theaters around the country. Among her many television credits are NYPD Blue, Judging Amy, Boston Legal, ER, and Star Trek. She starred in director Sam Raimi’s film Drag Me to Hell.