Marion Zimmer Bradley's Ancestors of Avalon: A Novel of Atlantis and the Ancient British Isles FROM OUR EDITORS
The Barnes & Noble Review
Ancestors of Avalon, another installment in the saga begun by Marion Zimmer Bradley's Arthurian classic The Mists of Avalon, chronicles the heroic plight of a small group of priests and priestesses -- ancestors whose spirits will, generations later, be reincarnated as focal characters in the Avalon sequence (The Mists of Avalon, The Forest House, Lady of Avalon, et al.) -- who are forced to flee the destruction of their beloved sea kingdom, Atlantis, and take refuge in the British Isles.
Like other novels in the Avalon saga, the story revolves around a handful of deeply spiritual and highly intelligent women. Tiriki is a Guardian in the Temple of Light who is married to Micail, an admired prince and dedicated priest. But as earthquakes and volcanic eruptions destroy Atlantis, Tiriki and her husband are separated in the chaotic exodus. On a ship full of anxious Atlanteans headed for a strange land; Tiriki despairs over the loss of her soul mate and -- most likely -- her country's long and storied heritageﾽ
Since Bradley's tragic death in 1999, Diana L. Paxson has done a commendable job of continuing this beloved Celtic saga. Set in a rugged Neolithic wilderness practically oozing supernatural energy and filled with cultural and religious conflict, this imaginative novel goes far in intermeshing the diverse story lines of all five novels in the Avalon sequence as well as Web of Darkness, a relatively obscure Bradley novel about the fall of Atlantis written in the early 1950s and not published until the 1980s.
Paul Goat Allen
FROM THE PUBLISHER
"This new installment of Marion Zimmer Bradley's beloved Avalon saga tells the 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 tale are the journeys of two powerful women whose destinies will shape the fate of the new line of descendants." "Tiriki is Guardian of the Light, but she has grown up in the shadow of the curse of Atlantis. Graceful and gifted, she is the beloved wife and partner of Micail, a spiritual leader and prince. But when disaster divides them, she must find her own path in a new land, and the world she discovers could change her innermost desires forever. Will she find Micail? And if they are reunited, can they find love once again?" Damisa has inherited royal blood, and royal pride. In Atlantis she was only an acolyte, but in the new land she could become a queen. She is fierce and ambitious despite her tender years, but her heart remains torn. Will she choose the path of the priestess or the path of power?
FROM THE CRITICS
Publishers Weekly
Marion Zimmer Bradley's Ancestors of Avalon, Diana L. Paxson's latest prequel (after 2001's The Priestess of Avalon) to the late author's The Mists of Avalon, merges myths of Avalon and Atlantis in an adult faerie tale notable for its understated supernaturalism. An elegant stylist, Paxson captures the awe, tragedy and resounding mystery of ancient Britain and mist-enshrouded Atlantis while reminding readers of the pain and turmoil of real people locked in painful struggles for self, the future and the integrity of the past. Agent, Russ Galen at Scovil, Chichak, Galen Agency. Regional author tour. Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.
Library Journal
Paxson continues to expand on Bradley's famed Avalon tales. Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.
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