Priestess Of Avalon

Rating:
Summary: Not the best - but not the worst.
Review: This book was o.k. I found myself skipping parts of it as I was not interested in reading a book of historical fiction - which I felt this book ended up being. I also believe that it is mistitled - it is a story about a woman named Helena - not about a priestess of Avalon & not about Elian. I wish I knew how much of this was really Bradley's book & how much of it was Paxson's - my feeling is that the basic outline was Bradley's but the real meat of the book was Paxson's.

I also found the first-person method of telling the story ineffective - I don't know why - I just did.

And even though this is billed as the conclusion to the series, it isn't really. What happened when Helena returned? How was she received? What happened to the isle? Did Crispus's daughter become a priestess & carry on?

Too many questions. I'm off to sell mine as "barely used" at the local bookstore.

Rating:
Summary: This is wonderfully written...
Review: ...and actually the first book I read by Marion Zimmer Bradley. It reminded me of three books in one, because basically there were three tales...but the cool part was, they flew together to demonstrate so much! It's long, but worth every page. I, personally, loved it so much. It's worth everything you put into it.

Rating:
Summary: A Welcome Addition to the Mists of Avalon Series
Review: If you're a fan of the Mists of Avalon series, you'll want to read this latest addition. Even though The Priestess of Avalon was co-written with another author, none of the Bradley style or quality is missing. Truthfully, I enjoyed this book as much as The Forest House and more than The Lady of Avalon. I look forward to reading it again in the future. (And I don't reread many fiction books.)

Rating:
Summary: A winning tale
Review: Late in the third century, Roman General Constantius leads his army in Britain. There the High Priestess Rian decides that the British throne must marry the Roman leader of the invasion. Princess Eilan is the chosen one, but she rebels and follows her own feelings. Though daughter to a King and the High Priestess, Eilan is exiled from her Avalon home for choosing love.

Unable to just do nothing, Eilan now known as Helena by those of the Roman Empire begins a trek to the Holy Land. She has a purpose feeling she is a modern day Paul spreading the word while seeking the connection between the ancient religions that she grew up with and the new Christianity.

Fans of historical fiction and fantasy will fully enjoy the latest Avalon tale. The story line centers on the legendary Helena, whose exploits come alive while providing intriguing insight into the era bridging Christianity and the pagan religions. Fans of the late Marion Zimmer Bradley as well as those of Diana L. Paxson and the two genres in general will relish PRIESTESS OF AVALON, a strong entry in a powerful series.

Harriet Klausner

Rating:
Summary: Very disappointing
Review: I was very disappointed with this book. I can't believe that this is written by the same person as wrote the truly wonderful "Mists of Avalon". The story is very superficial and the characters so undeveloped that I had no interest in them and did not care what happened to them.

This book would have been better left unfinished.

Rating:
Summary: Priestess of Avalon
Review: This is another wonderful book from the Mists of Avalon series. Marion Zimmer Bradley died during the writing of this book and her partner finished. It is truly a wonderful continuation.

Rating:
Summary: Marion's Legacy
Review: Thís fourth and final "Avalon" novel tells the life story of Eilan, a Priestess of Avalon, who becomes the wife/concubine of the Roman soldier Constantius Chlorus and mother of the legendary Emperor Constantine the Great, who later will be worshipped as a Christian saint. Known as Helena to the Romans, Eilan has to leave the isle of Avalon, because she wants to follow her heart. Her way leads her to Roman Germania, Rome and eventually the Holy Land. But her true home is elsewhere. Bradley's novel is a careful reimagination of a historical character that sometimes captures the reader with its atmospheric descriptions and lush storytelling. Written from Helena's first person point-of-view, Bradley adds another chapter to her popular series of pre-Arthurian historicals. Most of the time it is an entertaining read, but really too much happens off-stage or is simple recounted in dry sentences. Helena's story would have had the potential to rival THE MISTS OF AVALON, and it would have demanded a truly epic treatment. There are far too many time jumps and too much is left out. I think this novel could easily have been twice as long. Overall, this is a good book for MZB/Avalon fans, but not for people who have yet to encounter the magic of Marion Zimmer Bradley.

Rating:
Summary: Marion's Legacy
Review: Thís fourth and final "Avalon" novel tells the life story of Eilan, a Priestess of Avalon, who becomes the wife/concubine of the Roman soldier Constantius Chlorus and mother of the legendary Emperor Constantine the Great, who later will be worshipped as a Christian saint. Known as Helena to the Romans, Eilan has to leave the isle of Avalon, because she wants to follow her heart. Her way leads her to Roman Germania, Rome and eventually the Holy Land. But her true home is elsewhere. Bradley's novel is a careful reimagination of a historical character that sometimes captures the reader with its atmospheric descriptions and lush storytelling. Written from Helena's first person point-of-view, Bradley adds another chapter to her popular series of pre-Arthurian historicals. Most of the time it is an entertaining read, but really too much happens off-stage or is simple recounted in dry sentences. Helena's story would have had the potential to rival THE MISTS OF AVALON, and it would have demanded a truly epic treatment. There are far too many time jumps and too much is left out. I think this novel could easily have been twice as long. Overall, this is a good book for MZB/Avalon fans, but not for people who have yet to encounter the magic of Marion Zimmer Bradley.

Rating:
Summary: A Good book that fills in some holes
Review: It has been a while since I have read "Mists," "Forest House," and "Lady," so I only vaguely recalled those stories. However, that did not diminish my pleasure in reading this book. The characters from the other books are mentioned, but are not pivotal. The title is a little misleading, as Helena does not remain in Avalon throughout the book. I loved how the legend of Helena, the mother of Emperor Constantine, was woven into the Avalon legend. That must have required a lot of research and effort.

I thought that the characters were well written and interesting, except for Constantine. I found him to be whiny and egotistical. This book allowed me to see the evolution of the Roman Empire and the evolution of the acceptance of Christianity in a whole new light. There were times I cried and times I laughed. But at no time did I not want to continue reading the book.

Enjoy!

Rating:
Summary: A Wonderfull Book
Review: This is one of the books that I wanted to read all the time. it tells the story of an exiled priestess of Avalon. The reader gets to be there through her emotional zenithes and downfalls, and you really get to know her through this book. this is a great book for anyone who likes Roman history, Celtic History, or just reading someones experiance of living in that time period.