Marion Zimmer Bradley's Ancestors of Avalon [Paperback]

Diana L. Paxson (Author)

Book Description

Series: Avalon | Publication Date: October 3, 2006

Marion Zimmer Bradley's beloved Avalon saga continues with the dramatic story of the ancestors of Avalon, from their life on the doomed island of Atlantis to their escape to the mist-shrouded isle of Britain. Woven into this extraordinary tale are the journeys of two powerful women whose destinies will shape the fate of the new line of descendants.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Magical...provides plenty of pleasureable reading hours. (Fort Worth Star-Telegram) An elegant stylist, Paxson captures the awe, tragedy and resounding mystery of ancient Britain and mist-enshrouded Atlantis. (Publishers Weekly)

Product Details

• Paperback: 448 pages
• Publisher: Roc (October 3, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0451461142
• ISBN-13: 978-0451461148
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 4.3 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #832,734 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best of all the Avalon books, August 21, 2009

By 

xirene (Longmont, CO) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Marion Zimmer Bradley's Ancestors of Avalon (Paperback)

After falling in love with Mists of Avalon, I had been disappointed time after time by the books that followed in the series (Forest House and Lady of Avalon in particular; Priestess of Avalon wasn't too bad), I was reluctant to try this one. The lure of Atlantis is what pulled me in; I loved the parts in Mist where some of the characters had flashes of memory of past lives before the fall of Atlantis.

I am so glad I decided to buy this book and give the series another try. This is, far and away, the BEST book in the series, and has supplanted Mists' place in my heart! It was so well-written and moved at just the perfect pace. I'd love to see an anthology involving the characters from this book!

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars The weakest of the series, January 4, 2010

By 

C. B. St Hilaire (Greater Boston Area, MA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Marion Zimmer Bradley's Ancestors of Avalon (Paperback)

Though I'm impressed that Paxson utilized Zimmer Bradley's vision for this title, it is the weakest of the series. It didn't capture my attention like the Avalon books normally do. I was so disappointed because the main love story (Tiriki and Micail) was weak. The underlying female strength and spirituality that is usually in the Avalon books is missing. Even the description of place and landscape that I've loved so much in these novels seems to not be present. I didn't feel that this prequel left me with a foundation to be more enlightened regarding the other Avalon titles. Paxson did do a great job with the other post-Mists of Avalon titles (Lady of Avalon, etc.) however and so do read those! And regardless, they are all fascinating stories, so if you are a Zimmer Bradley/Paxson fan, you should absolutely add this book to your collection.

2.0 out of 5 stars Not so hot, January 1, 2012

By 

jjsnani - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Marion Zimmer Bradley's Ancestors of Avalon (Paperback)

I recently purchased this because I thought it might be a great background piece for Mists of Avalon. It was not. It is not written in Bradley's style, and does not reveal anything new that we didn't receive in Mists or could surmise from what was told in that great novel.

I was sorely disappointed, and this book will go in the pile I donate to my local library.