Author Spotlight: Marion Zimmer Bradley

In honour of the fact that Marion Zimmer Bradley has a new book out, well, sort of, I thought that I would share with everyone a post about one of my favourite authors. This will deal with specifically her Avalon series, because I look on it as historical fantasy.


Several years ago, my boyfriend of the time bought me a copy of Mists of Avalon. I had always liked fantasy, but at the time I was more interested science fiction, so I had not picked up this book yet. He bought it for two reasons, because he liked the cover and because he knew that I was very fond of both Arthurian Legends and books that are told from the viewpoint of women. From that moment on, a love affair was hatched. I read this book and was very sad to see it end. Over the next few years I read other books by her, both in this series and outside of it, but then she passed away in 1999 and Diana Paxson started writing this series.So, I read these books before blogs, that means I have no reviews. I am just going to talk about them, although one day I hope to reread them. I am not a huge fan of Ancestors of Avalon, and actually at this time have not managed to finish it.

The Avalon Series in Order of Publication:
Mists of Avalon
The Forest House
Lady of Avalon
Priestess of Avalon
The Ancestors of Avalon
Ravens of Avalon (Just out this month)

Mists of Avalon: This is my favourite of the series. Taken place during the time of King Arthur's court, the story is told by Morgaine, and instead of being a knightly tale, it is a tale of much more. Morgaine covers aspects of Camelot that other books overlook, and she is a very interesting narrator.

The Forest House: I think this is my second favourite book in the series. It is actually a prequel to Mists of Avalon, but it was the third book that I read in the series. Covering Roman history I found this book very interesting because it steps outside of Avalon, and I am a fan of Roman history.

Lady of Avalon: I looked for this book for years, and it was always on my mind in bookstores, so much so that when I saw it one day I thought I had it. I came to my senses when I got back home and I flew to the bookstore to acquire my copy. This talks about the founding of Avalon.

Priestess of Avalon: The problem with this series is that all the books sort of melt together because of the similar characters. I remember when I found this book at the bookstore back when it first came out, it was a very good read and draws on some interesting aspects of history.

Ancestors of Avalon: I cannot seem to get through this book. It lacks the feel of the other books in the series. It is about the ancestors that eventually become the Ladies of Avalon, but for some reason it feels wrong to me. I will try again hopefully soon.

Ravens of Avalon: I have not bought this yet but I hope to before the year is out. I look forward to reading it as soon as I finish Ancestors of Avalon, so hopefully my thoughts on it will be forth-coming. I think it sounds really good, taking place before The Forest House, but we will see. I think the longer Bradley is dead the less it is her series and the more it is Paxson's.

Bradley's Avalon series is wonderful to read, and I strongly recommend it to readers out there!!