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Priestess of Avalon Audiobook
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(3.00) - 7,132 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
When a British princess falls in love with a Roman officer destined for imperial greatness, their forbidden desire exacts an unexpected price: banishment from Avalon. Journeying outside the enchanted isle, Helena grows from maiden to mother to wisewoman, experiencing both joy—with the birth of her child—and loss, when politics forces her lover to choose between the Empire and her.
Then Helena's son, Constantine, becomes Emperor, and her position as Empress-Mother propels her to prominence at a crucial turning point in Western history. Seeking a way to bridge the pagan world of the Goddess and the new Christian Empire, Helena embarks on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land to find the truth that transcends both the old religion and the new.
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"I enjoyed the balance between fantasy and historical accuracy in this book. I felt that the author depicted the time period quite well and didn't make the magic/fantasy aspect of it overwhelming. There was a focus on spiritual/magical occurrences, which made it more believable. The author's writing flowed well and allowed me to imagine strongly what was occurring."
— Julia (4 out of 5 stars)
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“Paxson’s own skill at bringing historical characters and places to vivid life enriches Helena’s story. This final book in the Bradley canon is sure to please her devotees and win her more.”
— Publishers Weekly
Priestess of Avalon Listener Reviews
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" This is a really nice fictional book about the end of the pagan days and the beginning of the christian reign through constantine. It follows constantine's mother eilan or helena, as the romans call her. "
— Sabine, 2/19/2014 -
" Very evident where Zimmer-Bradley left off and her assistant picked up. Still a good book, though. "
— Lydia, 2/9/2014 -
" I really liked this series... Lady of Avalon was, by far, the best. "
— Shelly, 1/29/2014 -
" This was a disappointing addition to the Mists of Avalon series. In the introduction, the co-author notes that Marion Zimmer Bradley died during the creation of this novel and sadly, it shows. The book devotes far too much time on the details of the ancient geography, thus sacrificing valuable time that should have been spent forging strong characters. Even though you follow Helen for upwards of 70 years, it is much harder to fall in love with her than previous heroines in the series. Characters are sketchy and I found myself skipping over segments bogged down with details of location. The place names were much harder to keep track of than previous reads and really detracted from my overall enjoyment. In general, it was an interesting imagining of the Pagan/Christian change-over but it was not enough to redeem the book. "
— Amanda, 1/26/2014 -
" This is probably my favorite book that I have ever read. "
— Alicia, 1/19/2014 -
" Really enjoy the Avalon series. The books are great reads and add just enough real history to keep you on your toes. "
— Tonia, 1/18/2014 -
" Excellent! I really liked the strength of the main character. "
— Melissa, 1/18/2014 -
" The writing in this book was great, though near the end it seemed to drag. If you are not a fast reader, this story will go horribly slowly. "
— Veronica, 1/17/2014 -
" Read Mists of Avalon first. "
— MotherMagic, 1/8/2014 -
" YET AGAIN ANOTHER GREAT READ "
— Idril, 1/4/2014 -
" it's back on my to read list cuz the series is just perfect for the last bit of my summer break! "
— Catherine, 12/6/2013 -
" Fantastic! One of my favorites. "
— Jen, 11/30/2013 -
" Another one of the many books that I have yet to finish!! I started it in the summer of 2007, and I haven't gotten around to finishing it :) "
— Rem, 11/2/2013 -
" If you like "Mists of Avalon", this is a great book. I enjoyed it, though not one of those "must reads"! "
— Holly, 10/9/2013 -
" A beautiful story following Helen who had multiple personalities. Bradley's characters come alive and flow through the story. With inserts from history and many mythological gods the story soars in its own unique way. "
— Mirela, 9/7/2013 -
" Another good read, though not as good as the previous in my opinion. If you read The Mists of Avalon and want to know more, read it! "
— Kristina, 3/2/2013 -
" No where near the scope and caliber of Mists of Avalon. "
— Samantha, 9/17/2012 -
" This book follows the life of the mother of Constantine. If you ever wondered what it was liek for a Pagan woman living in theRoman shadow...this is the book for you. "
— Christal, 5/12/2012 -
" This was a decent read, but no where near as fantastic as Mists of Avalon. "
— Carrie, 4/25/2012 -
" It had some good moments, but overall, I lost interest and gave it away... "
— Kirsten, 2/16/2012 -
" Fluff read that kept my interest throughout. Interesting religious undertones...honor to the Goddess combined with the roots of Christianity. "
— Alisa, 1/9/2012 -
" Another in Marion Bradley's series about Avalon, and legendary England. "
— Sharon, 11/21/2011 -
" Absolutely excruciating. Diana Paxson took vast liberties in finishing this book, and Marion Zimmer Bradley is surely turning in her grave. "
— Christina, 5/17/2011 -
" Parts of it were enjoyable, but I could not get over the sections that were obviously written by Paxson and not Bradley, as these introduced us to rituals/traditions that contradicted the mythos of Avalon that Bradley herself created in Mists and The Forest House "
— Jessie, 3/9/2011 -
" Great books for the Witchey and the not so witchey. Loved em. "
— Lori, 1/24/2011 -
" This novel follows the story of Helena, famous as Helen of Troy. I really enjoyed the setting spanning multiple continents and countries. "
— Anne, 1/8/2011 -
" Another one of the many books that I have yet to finish!! I started it in the summer of 2007, and I haven't gotten around to finishing it :) "
— Rem, 12/7/2010 -
" Excellent! I really liked the strength of the main character. "
— Melissa, 11/13/2010 -
" No where near the scope and caliber of Mists of Avalon. "
— Samantha, 7/12/2010 -
" The writing in this book was great, though near the end it seemed to drag. If you are not a fast reader, this story will go horribly slowly. "
— Veronica, 6/17/2010 -
" I particularly enjoyed the hint of a historical novel feeling to this book. "
— Heidi, 5/28/2010
About the Authors
Marion 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.
Diana 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.
About Rosalyn Landor
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.