The Book of the Cauldron (The Hallowed Isle, Book 3) [Paperback]

Diana L. Paxson (Author)

Book Description

Series: Hallowed Isle | Publication Date: November 9, 1999

The Romans came, conquered, and departed, leaving behind them a strange new religion called Christianity. The princes of Britannia have driven back the invading Saxons and dream of a return to bygone days, while others on the island invoke the magic of a time older still. For the revered ancient goddesses Eve on in the hearts and memories of the proud royal women of the old British tribes. And now, King Artor -- wounded in body and spirit -- proclaims that the sword and the spear must be put to rest, and summons his mother Igierne, Lady of the Lake, to use the powers of the Cauldron to heal a troubled, wartorn land. But old jealousies and new power struggles threaten disaster, as Artor's sister Morgause hides a deadly secretand a darker magic. It is Guendivar the queen who holds the key to their survival, if she can master her own power in time.

For a darkness is emanating from high places -- and it threatens to devastate a realm.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

YA-This series, a vivid four-part retelling of the legend of King Arthur, portrays fifth-century Britain as a tapestry woven from richly multicultural strands. The Book of the Sword and The Book of the Spear (both Avon, 1999) revealed Merlin's secrets and described key episodes in the years of war that established Arthur as High King. Here, several enigmas are addressed, including his failed relationship with Guinevere and his problems with his evil sister (called here Morgause). Often lyrical, with frequent moments of startling beauty, Cauldron places the Old Religion at the center of the story, touching on questions of sexuality and spirituality inherent in the saga-and providing a plausible resolution to some of its mysteries. Fans of Marion Zimmer Bradley's The Mists of Avalon (Del Rey, 1985) can be steered directly to this book (the author acknowledges her debt to Bradley), though the earlier volumes also offer much to interest these readers. Others who are simply intrigued by the classic Arthurian legends, or who are fans of fantasy in general, can also enjoy Paxson's fresh take on the classic tale, but probably should be advised to read the volumes in order. Readers who find themselves confused by the spellings and usages (e.g., Alba for Scotland, Gualchmai for Gawain) can refer to helpful lists of people and places that conclude the book.
Christine C. Menefee, Fairfax County Public Library, VA
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

"Combines familiar legend and history with remarkable grace and style. She has brought a legend to life." -- Julian May, author of Blood Trillium

"Diana Paxson does in one book what it took Wagner three operas to do, and she makes the characters genuinely human." -- Marion Zimmer Bradley

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Eos (November 9, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0380805472
• ISBN-13: 978-0380805471
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,673,965 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I was brought up in southern California, but came north to attend Mills College and never left. I got my M.A. in (medieval) Comparative Literature from the University of California in 1966, the same year I put on the first tournament of what was to become the Society for Creative Anachronism. Since 1971 I've lived at Greyhaven, a hundred-year old house in Berkeley, with successive generations of family, friends, cats and dogs.

It's a literary family, including my husband, Jon DeCles, and the late Marion Zimmer Bradley, who was my mentor as a writer as well as colleague in founding Darkmoon Circle. My first published novel was Mistress of the Jewels, which began the chronicles of Westria. After I had written several historical fantasies, Marion, whose health deteriorated after she wrote Mists of Avalon, asked me to help her with The Forest House, which is how I ended up writing the Avalon series.

Much of the spiritual experience in my novels comes out of my work in the pagan community. I have now begun to publish that material in a series of non-fiction books, the most recent being Trance-Portation. My most recent novel is Sword of Avalon, set at the end of the Bronze Age, which gave me an opportunity to explore the end of the Homeric Age and the techniques of bronze- and iron-forging.

For more about my work, see:

www.westria.org
www.avalonbooks.net
www.seidh.org

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Delicious Read!, December 31, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Book of the Cauldron (The Hallowed Isle, Book 3) (Paperback)

I finished "the Book of the Cauldron" in record time. This was a strong third in the series, with even better character development than the earlier two volumes. The persona of Morgause, especially, is delightfully wicked and motivated. Ms. Paxson knows her 'women's magic' well, and it shows.

Why in the world this publisher is not promoting these books better is a mystery to me. They rate a hardback contract, not to mention a bright, solid boxed-set presentation. Hello-o! This is a world-class writer you've got here: these books have cross-over potential, they are deep and well-researched, and not genre-fantasy at all. Maybe they could be classified as visionary history. Pay attention! This is more careful work than "Mists of Avalon", which sold so well mostly on the basis of its cover art.

5 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What a treat!, May 8, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Book of the Cauldron (The Hallowed Isle, Book 3) (Paperback)

I really loved this one. I liked the first two - a lot - also, but this was a humdinger! This is such an original retelling of the legends, and the first that really makes sense to me even though I've always loved the Arthurian stories. Paxson has a real genius for delving into the back-story of the stories we all think we know - and coming up with plausible explanations for much of what is puzzling to modern minds, even while seeming to remain true to the ancient culture. A great exercise in fantasy. And there are moments of real beauty here too. I could have wished the book were longer - but it's the economy that gives her retelling such impact; she just goes to the heart of each important scene, and then moves on, so the reader is left with a series of really vivid images; and this method is so appropriate to the nature of the Arthurian legend, whose truth comes to us in glimpses, through the distortions of history. This is a wonderful writer.

3 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Readable, but does it add anything new?, April 27, 2000

By 

K. Freeman (Apple Valley, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Book of the Cauldron (The Hallowed Isle, Book 3) (Paperback)

The Arthurian canon has been written about over and over, and in some cases by better writers than Paxson. In this series' favor is her knowledge of Saxon culture and religion, which adds a new and different element, and her fairly good use of original texts as her sources. Negative points are her sometimes mundane prose and her occasionally clumsy, Bradley-influenced dialogue. I found it annoying that, as in many other fantasy books, a woman who seeks power for herself (Morgause) is seen as evil and corrupt, whereas a man who seeks power (Artor) is following his "destiny". And why is it OK for Guendivar (Guinevere) to sleep with several men but negative when Morgause does it? Overall, this book is an enjoyable read, but the flaws make it hard to recommend it whole-heartedly.