2000 Del Rey edition is gorgeous

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	• The Mists of Avalon Marion Zimmer Bradley Ballantine Books, 1982 - 912 pages average customer review:based on 881 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Differences

This movie shows another side of the era of King Arthur and Camolot. A very different version

A Captivating Female Fantasy

I loved this story. I don't care if this Arthurian legend told through the eyes of the women behind the throne is the way it happened or not. I do know that experiences are different for each person who experiences them, and the re-telling of an event will certainly reflect that.

That said, I loved the creative way Marion Zimmer Bradley put this story together. This was the first book I ever read of hers, and I did not want it to end. At times just when I thought the story might be beginning to drag, I was startled by an unexpected event, such as the time the high priestess Viviane was suddenly assassinated at a castle banquet by an angry member of Arthur's entourage by cloving her head in two with an axe. The story is full of romance, sexual tension, deceit and power ploys, which all make for an exciting story if told well - and I found this story to be one of the most captivating fiction works I've read. Romance, obligation and intrigue begin well before Arthur is born, as his mother Igraine is attracted to a man from another culture despised by her husband, who later ends up becoming Arthur's father.

I particularly liked the merging of the magical elements with the more earthly aspects of managing a kingdom that ultimately is most empowered by its spiritual leaders, whether from its goddess culture heritage, or the new fathers of Christianity. The struggle between the two forces accelerates throughout the book, as the women of the priestess tradition feel their own time of power slipping away. The section where Arthur's half-sister Morgaine was missing for ten years and experienced it as a time warp of only three days was another fascinating part of the story that continued to artfully mix magic with the mundane life most of the others were living.

Morgaine's son Mordred, the twisted result of a manipulated liasion between she and Arthur, takes the story to an even more scandalous level near the end of the book. This story is too rich with detail and imagery to do it justice in a review. I suspect this story it will find its most enthusiastic readers mostly among women, but so what? Men have certainly had their share of stories that favored the male viewpoint so I say it's about time.

Readers, enjoy this wonderfully scandalous, engaging and captivating story. It's a true escape to another time and place. I highly recommend it.

Moonstone Star White is the author of the non-fiction title High Way from Hell: Using Emotion to Fan the Fire of Enlightment.

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2000 Del Rey edition is gorgeous

This review is for the 2000 hardcover edition by Del Rey - beige cover. I saw it in a bookstore, and it is truly a beautiful edition made with with quality paper (thick, smooth pages). If you are looking for a collectible item for your library, this is a good choice.

reviews: page 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

A Literary Guild Featured Alternate
Here is the magical legend of King Arthur, vividly retold through the eyes and lives of the women who wielded power from behind the throne. A spellbinding novel, an extraordinary literary achievement, THE MISTS OF AVALON will stay with you for a long time to come....

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