Rating: 
Summary: Simply the best
Review: This book can only be called the best. I shed many tears and laughed like never before. Bradely has captured the very essence of emotions and used it to her advantage. Even the minor characters or Riannon and Marged had character and personality... I loved them all and even hated some to the core. Truly this book is simply the best and nothing less.
Rating: 
Summary: A good book, but not SUPER!
Review: I've read "The mists of Avalon" and "Forest House" by Marion Zimmer Bradley, and I'd have to say that they are better stories than the "Lady of Avalon" book. I am not saying I didn't like it, just that it didn't measure up to the other two I've read. I felt it was done quickly and without the same passion as the other two. It is readable, and I would recommend it nonetheless.
Rating:
Summary: SUPER!!
Review: This book gives you such a wonderful feeling of wonder and magic. You actually feel like you are there watching everything happen from a distance. My favorite characters were Caillean, Gawen, Sianna, and The Mother os Sianna. This is the best book anyone could ever read. Even at the early age of 11, I loved it!!!
Rating: 
Summary: I am torn between loyalty and personal views...
Review: I have read Mists, Forest House, and Atlantis. I am currently in the process of finishing this, "Lady of Avalon"-- what I consider to be the fourth installment of Bradley's tale of Druidic religion, and can say fairly that I am truly torn. I am enjoying the book, I purchased it 4 days ago and am on chapter 21 or 22. From her first two books, because truly Atlantis sets the stage for the Druids who are to come, I feel that she has not allowed herself the time to develop her characters fully. With Atlantis we see the depth of conviction that the priests and priestesses have for their religion, and the spiral of lives that may come forth beause of their rebellion; in Mists we see one of those very incarnations (which is why If you've read Mists and not Atlantis you REALLY should Atlantis); the Forest House allows the reader to find out how the priestesses came to Avalon, while Lady explains how Avalon went into the mists. The whole story of Gawen could have taken a book in itself, and seemed rushed so that she could continue on with her storycraft. I believe that each section could have been larger, had I known so much history would be condensed into this installment, I would have expected to see it the size of Mists, not barely larger than Forest House. My loyalty to Ms. Bradley and her first two installments leads me to believe that after finishing Lady and reflecting, I will like it emmensely. I am enjoying it--I would have enjoyed it far more had it seemed that she put the time into this as she had in Mists. By time I mean covering things more in depth, giving the reader time to become more involved with the characters. We know two of the charatcers from other books, Eilan and Vivianne. I like the book, and if you are an avid follower of Ms. Bradley's Arthurian tale I highly recommend it. Perhaps her brevity in this installment will allow her to expand on certain events or characters in later installments.
Rating:
Summary: It was spectacular!
Review: There was never a dull moment and the different sections of the history of Avalon was captivating! I thoroughly enjoyed this fantastic book!
Rating:
Summary: Did I ever have to argue with my conscience on THIS one!
Review: All right. I was torn asunder. Part of me wanted to pan the book as unimaginative trash (for instance, the great number of Pagan rituals lifted from various books I had read before). On the other hand, Lady of Avalon was better by spades than the dross that is being published today. So, to be fair, I gave this book 3 stars--right in the middle, balanced, between two extremes. I would not recommend Lady of Avalon to anyone who hasn't already read the preceeding two books--and especially not to anyone who disliked those books. Lady of Avalon is more of the same, drifts of it. Essentially, the book is split into three parts, and each section (at least to me) tells the same story with different (reincarnated) characters. The history of Avalon is rather interesting (although I prefered when it was only hinted at, as in the Mists of Avalon). But the characters seem one-dimensional, humorless, and sometimes downright boring. So what if you're the Lady of Avalon--if you can't laugh, what have you learned from life? Still, there are lessons to be learned here. For instance, don't tick off a priestess. Even a magical sword won't help you against a swarm of Romans. Don't expect any Christians after Joseph of Arimithea to be tolerant of the old ways (except when necessary to the plot). Iron in your drinking water is an okay thing. Oh, yes, and the final lesson (which is not entirely in jest)--the will of the Goddess is what we mortals call the ups and downs of being alive. Cheers!
Rating:
Summary: If you liked "MISTS", you must read this
Review: I was so excited to begin this novel after reading "mists", but found myself bored halfway through. I almost put it down and gave it up, but I stuck with it and in the end was glad i did. The last chapter was by far the best and it really made my heart ache for Viviane. I had just had a baby myself a few months before and I think MZB did an excellent job of describing the pain and exhilleration of childbirth. The first and third parts of the novel were the best, and I felt the second story didn't need to be there at all. For fans of "mists" i recommened reading only the first and last stories. Could Taliesin be anymore lovable as a character? Could Viviane be the greatest heroine of all time? As for people who think the characters in MZB's novels are "flat", I am just shocked and cannot figure out what you are comparing them to. I have read MANY novels and have never seen a novelist construct characters so cleverly who not only represent philosophical or moral principals so well yet also have all the complexity, flaws, passions, and dimesion of a real person. And as for this idea of MZB not living up to "history", give me a break -- it's a NOVEL! It's not suppossed to be "historically accurate", it's suppossed to uncover the human passions behind the IDEAS and SOCIAL CONSTRUCTS that shape history. I think that MZB does an excellent job with all of these and I feel I am a much more informed and enlightened person for reading her books.
Rating:
Summary: WISH I COULD BUY ALL 3 AS A BOXED SET!!
Review: Loved all three. It's been too long since I read the other two to say which is best, although I recall TFH was a bit less than MOA (shorter too). It's reassuring to find an Earth centered tradition we can embrace, and to feel some connection to our ancestors while reading about it. Would like to give all three to my niece as a boxed set but they seem to be from different publishers-any suggestions?
Rating:
Summary: Even more fascinating without Arthur
Review: Not to belittle everyone's opinions of "The Mists of Avalon", but I think this book and "Forest House" are almost better for the lack of Arthur and all the familiar characters. I've read so many books about Arthur that they tend to blur together, but these "Forest" and "Lady" look at the historical background without having to re-do what so many people have done before with the Arthurian legends.
Rating:
Summary: Fantastic!
Review: I loved this book! I've always been fascinated by traditional paganism and that of the "old ways". MZB did a great job of capturing the essence of that majestic and spiritual path, allowing her readers to glimpse into the past but relate to the present at the same time. And the way she linked the "spirit" of her characters together through all three sections really brought the story to life and made people recognize that we're all spiritually connected somehow. An amazing book, I highly recommend it, as well as The Forest House and The Mists of Avalon.
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