Brisingamen [Mass Market Paperback]

Diana L. Paxson (Author)

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 261 pages
• Publisher: Berkley (November 1, 1984)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0425072983
• ISBN-13: 978-0425072981
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,799,641 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 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Modern Norse Pagan fantacy Novel, October 2, 2003

By 

Rachel Watkins "Rachel Watkins" (Joshua, Texas) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Brisingamen (Mass Market Paperback)

The Author, Diana Paxon is a respected elder in Asatru and so seeing a modern fantacy by her I had to read it.

As the other reviewers here have noted, it is rather dated, there is a lot about the Vietnam war, including some social commentary on it, but that doesn't interfere with the story, rather gives background to some of the charachters and why they have developed in the way which they have.

It begins as Karen, a shy grad student on the faculty at Berkley has discovered the legendary neclace of Freya, Brisingamen. Not knowing it's power, she wears it and soon the power of Freya, and those enemies and allies of Freya begin to work in her life. Soon, these forces culminate into an epic battle of the gods to stave off Ragnarok.

Another note on the relgion portraied in the book. It was written at the time that the modern Asatru movement was only begining and those of you who are Asatru may be interrested in seeing how someone who is now an elder in the faith percieved things before any orgainisations existed.

A very good book, and one I'll be sure to read again in the future.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Dated but still a great introduction to Norse mythic fiction, June 15, 2003

By 

Freysson "freysson" (McDonough, Ga USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Brisingamen (Mass Market Paperback)

What would happen if Freya showed up in San Francisco in the not so distant past? This is the basis of for a very entertaining work which incorperates Norse Paganism, occultism and other supernatural streams which one might find in San Francisco in this time period. Sword and Sorcery during the Reagan era.

A fun read from a past master of the art.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Engaging, September 6, 2005

By 

S. L. Mcdermott "Bookworm" (Royal Oak,Michigan) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Brisingamen (Mass Market Paperback)

I thought that Brisingamen was an engaging,interesting story,yes at first the lead protagonist starts out as a wishywashy,whiny girl who has no self worth. But slowly she comes to see her own inner strength, to stand on her own. My only dispointment was that there were not more female charecters who took on a "Goddess persona" but oh well. All the charecters,one can understand and sympathize with,even Loki/Duncan Flyte. I do not consider it to be out dated, I mean yes to a certain extent, the Vietnam war was over talked about,even today, But we should pause and concider,why is it so much talked about? Because it made a HUGE impact on alot of people's lives. Thank you for reading and have a blessed day