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Mist of Avalon Audiobook
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(4.00) - 89,331 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
In the tradition of T.H. White's The Once and Future King, the author makes use of the prerequisites of the Arthurian legend: Excalibur, the Holy Grail, Lancelet's illicit love for Gwenhwyfar, the destruction of Camelot, but with a twist--she presents the entire panoramic story from the female point of view. No passive by-standers, these earthy priestesses from Avalon literally breathe life into a musty, oft-told tale. In Book One: Mistress of Magic, the Lady of the Lake--Viviane--brings about the marriage of her younger sister Igraine to Uther Pendragon. Their only child, Arthur, is believed to be the last hope in the long standing war between Saxons and Romans. Meanwhile, Morgaine, Igraine's daughter by her first marriage to Gorlois, has come under the apprenticeship of Viviane at Avalon. In spite of her great love and hope for Morgaine, Viviane is driven by an unrelenting vision. Miserable, but duty-bound, she tricks Morgaine and Arthur into becoming lovers during the night of the ritual fires. Enraged and shamed by what her aunt has done, Morgaine plans to rid herself of the child that has resulted from their union. Book one ends with Arthur's coronation and Morgaine's decision to leave Avalon.
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"This book is fantastic. The writing is captivating, drawing you into the story and taking you to a magical place. Being written from the perspective of the women in the story rather than the traditional male characters in King Arthur's court, the story honors the female and male forces equally. Among the many interesting themes in the story, one I find interesting is how things change whether we want them to or not. We cannot prevent the forces that continuously make our lives evolve. All we can do is adapt or perish."
— Paola (5 out of 5 stars)
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“[A] monumental reimagining of the Arthurian legends…Reading it is a deeply moving and at times uncanny experience…An impressive achievement.”
— New York Times Book Review -
“Marion Zimmer Bradley has brilliantly and innovatively turned the myth inside out…add[ing] a whole new dimension to our mythic history.”
— San Francisco Chronicle -
“Gripping…Superbly realized…A worthy addition to almost a thousand years of Arthurian tradition.”
— Cleveland Plain Dealer
Mist of Avalon Listener Reviews
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DocTuck, 9/7/2022
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Vickie Elkins, 1/28/2022
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Lisa Mainz, 2/17/2021
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" Entertaining! Like reading Greek mythology & England's history "
— Aggie, 7/3/2017 -
" It had been at least 20 years since I read this book when I downloaded the audio book. I'd forgotten how fully engaging and enjoyable the story is. Bradley's style is very human, with great insight into the ups and downs of life and the tapestry of the individual. This is an artful and slightly fanciful retelling of the tale of Arthur from a perspective that deviates from the male-hero-centric telling of a story that's been told many times. "
— barb, 5/12/2017 -
" I picked this up while on my Arthurian fiction kick, and remember being apathetic towards it overall. "
— Sara, 2/12/2014 -
" Very good book..my 3rd reading "
— Sandhya, 2/6/2014 -
" This was like a weird bender. I devoured it and could hardly get enough but it made me feel kind of uneasy, and now that I've finished it I have about a million complaints. Basically, it's trashy and strangely anti-feminist in its feminism (though I appreciate the effort of course), but somehow incredibly compelling. "
— Mara, 2/2/2014 -
" I loved this. It's my "dead of winter, curled up at the fire and lost for hours" book. Avoid the HBO movie like the plague. "
— Martin, 1/28/2014 -
" One of my all time favorite books. It's a book you can really lose yourself in. It's magic and history and folklore and spirituality rolled into a fascinating tale of King Arthur, Lancelot, Gwenhwyfar and Morgaine. The novel is told from the perspective of the female characters. Morgaine is the heroine of the novel. She is a power women with an intense loyalty to both her Celtic traditions and her matriarchal heritage. I lost many nights of sleep because I could not put this book down. "
— Victoria, 1/24/2014 -
" I got this book from my great-grandma who happens to be a book sale fiend. :) I was enjoying this book, getting a little wary about the sex scenes that kept cropping up. I was about half-way through it when I had to put it down. Brother and sister become lovers, I just about threw up after reading that. It's too bad I had to put it down. The plot was really good, unfortunately the sex spoiled it for me. Its a great fantasy story, I would recommend it for that and that alone. "
— Amber, 1/21/2014 -
" I have always loved Arthurian legends and this book made me love them more! "
— June, 1/1/2014 -
" An interesting feminist take on the Arthurian legend. A little heavy-handed in some areas and definitely and struggle to finish. The exploration of the often overlooked Morgan Le Fay makes the books worthwhile. "
— Cory, 12/28/2013 -
" I first read this book as a teenager and have reread it several times since. It is one of the few novels that have actually had a noticable influence on the way I think. "
— Virtuella, 12/28/2013 -
" Loved this book the first time and once again. The women are great and much of the book is very relevant to what is happening in this country today with the christian over-running the place and pushing everyone else out! "
— Terri, 12/19/2013 -
" Long and descriptive, not the most gripping narrative BUT a totally unique perspective on good old king Arthurs court. I love how it takes a shot with the history of some during this time. "
— Ashley, 11/25/2013 -
" I usually love these kinds of books, but from the beginning I was not intrigued. I had to put it down a couple of times and start something else, and I'm not a more-than-one-book-at-a-time type of girl. "
— cristina, 11/20/2013 -
" One of my all time favorite books. I've read it at least five times over the years. "
— Tracy, 9/8/2013 -
" This is one of my favorite books ever! I have read it several times. I was hooked instantly the first time I read it and could not put it down. "
— Rachelle, 6/1/2013 -
" Loved this story of Arthur through women's eyes "
— Bonnie, 5/23/2013 -
" Intriguing. I've had to get the whole series now. So many great books, so little time! "
— Nina, 2/21/2013 -
" It took me 4 tries to read this book. When I was finally ready for it, it blew my mind. It took time but it was well worth it. Give it a chance if you have tried before but couldn't dedicate the time! "
— Lynne, 1/26/2013 -
" Loved the story... until the end of the book where it became a bit predictable. "
— Michelle, 11/6/2012 -
" LOVED this book. Although the writing kind of falls apart toward the end (as though the author got tired after 800+ pages), the different spin on the over-familiar Arthurian legend was so refreshing! "
— Evlyn, 10/28/2012 -
" Not for dudes, its all feelings. "
— Sarah, 10/21/2012 -
" Entertaining enough, but not one of the best books of all time. It dragged in spots. "
— Anne, 10/17/2012 -
" Such a long and complex book, with many twists and turns. Various plot lines that somehow all intertwine to make a readable and quite enjoyable piece of work, while this book took me a while to read, i found that once i picked it up, i didnt like to put it down. "
— Michela, 8/29/2012 -
" I have read this book twice and loved it both times! "
— Stacy, 8/26/2012 -
" Ich fand das Buch doof und viel zu lang. "
— Konsumschnecke, 7/29/2012 -
" I loved this book--the Arthurian legend told through the lens of the women. One of my all-time favourites. "
— Patricia, 7/15/2012
About Marion Zimmer Bradley
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.
About Davina Porter
Davina Porter has been enthralling listeners for over twenty-five years with her ability to mine the psychological depths of the characters she reads and bring them convincingly to life. In 2006, she won the prestigious Audie Award for Best Female Narration and in 2004 for Best Inspirational Literature Narration. She has been honored as an AudioFile Golden Voice and has won nineteen AudioFile Earphones Awards. As an actress, she has appeared on stage at the Vineyard Playhouse and the Square One Theater, among others.