Product Description

Not since The Mists of Avalon has there been such a powerful and mesmerizing portrait of goddess-powered womanhood and women's spirituality. In Priestess of Avalon, the legendary Marion Zimmer Bradley once again reaches back in time to create a magnificent prequel to her undying classic of Camelot.

Priestess of Avalon tells the timeless story of Eilan-known to the Romans as Helena-a British princess raised on the holy isle of Avalon as she grows from maiden to mother to wise woman. It is Helena's destiny-at a crucial turning point in Western history-to bridge the pagan world of the goddess and the new Christian empire founded by her own son, Constantine. When Helena embarks on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land she will find the intrinsic truth that transcends both the old religion and the new.

The legions of fans who cherish The Mists of Avalon will find its promise brought to rich fulfillment in Priestess of Avalon. For those new to the series, undreamed-of enchantment awaits.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #114488 in Books
• Published on: 2002-07-02
• Original language: English
• Dimensions: .94" h x 5.98" w x 8.98" l, .94 pounds
• Binding: Paperback
• 416 pages

From Publishers Weekly
The Mists of Avalon (1982), a feminist goddess-oriented retelling of the legend of Arthur, won acclaim and a crowd of lifelong fans for Bradley, also author of the Darkover series. Now, after Bradley's death in 1999, this prequel coauthored by skilled fantasy writer and friend Diana L. Paxson (Hallowed Isle) completes her story of the women of mystical Avalon and their attempts to influence a world caught in the grip of unavoidable change. In A.D. 296, young British princess Helena goes to the Isle of Avalon to learn the path of the goddess. Helena grows in spirit and wisdom, awaiting the day when her initiation prophecy will become real and she'll meet the man of her dreams. He turns out to be Flavius Constantius Chlorus, fated to become the Roman emperor. Her aunt, High Priestess Ganeda, aims to wed a more biddable girl to the Roman power structure, but when Constantius chooses Helena, Ganeda exiles her from Avalon. Helena gives birth to Constantius's son, Constantine, and counsels her lover through the intrigues of a vast and dangerously unbalanced empire. Separated by civil demands from her family, Helena seeks the answers her troubled soul demands during a pilgrimage through the Holy Lands. The message that all religions call on the same higher power should go over well with fans of Mists. Paxson's own skill at bringing historical characters and places to vivid life enriches Helena's story. This final book in the Bradley canon is sure to please her devotees and win her more. (May 7)Forecast: This title will get an extra boost from The Mists of Avalon miniseries starring Anjelica Huston, Joan Allen and Juliana Margulies, due soon to run on TNT.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal
Though destined to achieve distinction as the pious mother of Constantine, the young woman once called Eilen or Helena first served as a priestess of the old deities on her native island of Briton. Returning to the alternate version of Arthurian legend created in her best-selling Mists of Avalon, Bradley creates a powerful tale of magic and faith that enlarges upon pagan and Christian traditions to express a deeper truth. Though Bradley died before she finished the novel, veteran fantasy author Paxson brings to completion this last work of a master of the genre. For most fantasy collections.
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From AudioFile
Go back to the second century A.D., when Rome influences all and the "old" religions are struggling to keep their foothold in Britain. The Priestess, who is from the royal House of Avalon, that mysterious island shrouded in mists and magic, marries Flavius Valerius Constantius, who becomes a Roman Emperor, and she becomes the mother of Constantine. As we learn about Roman history, we also see Christianity grasp and then hold sway in the world. Bradley and Paxson add flavor and beauty to this chaotic time in the Roman Empire. Davina Porter tells this first-person tale in voices that alternate between soft and imperial, with slight variations for the men. She brings the magic and mystery to the surface with gentle intonation and fluid narration. As Roman history and Christianity make their marks on the world, Avalon seeks to keep its mists and with them the strength of alternate beliefs about the nature of the world. M.B.K. © AudioFile 2001, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine