Marion Zimmer Bradley's Sword of Avalon

The book came in hardback but had no cover sleeve.. for a perfectionist like me it's very bothersome.. guess I'll have to learn to live with it or buy a new one 🙄

Marion Zimmer Bradley is a great write. I have not read any of her books that I did not like.

I really enjoyed reading this book. It is a worthy book in the Avalon series. I especially liked the characters Mikantor and Tirilan, who are reincarnations of Micail and Tirki from Ancestors of Avalon. I also liked following the story through various geographical areas, including ancient Greece. I hope there will be more books in the series.

Sword of Avalon offers another contribution to the ongoing Avalon series begun by Marion Zimmer Bradley, and will find its place alongside any of her Avalon novels. Here the Lady of Avalon flees traitors who threaten herself and her unborn child, a heir of Avalon, only to find the traitors suspect the lost heir is still alive. Anderle loses track of the boy - but her visions tell her he will return, and will be faced with a dangerous dual world challenge in this powerful fantasy, packed with strong twists and turns of plot.

Set at the end of the Bronze Age, //Sword of Avalon// is a prequel to the legend of King Arthur. The priestess of Avalon saves Mikantor, a baby ordained by the gods to become a leader capable of uniting and defending his people during a time of crisis. The story follows the child as he grows up, forged by his experiences into the man capable of fulfilling his destiny. Velantos is a smith from a foreign land who befriends Mikantor and becomes a mentor and trusted advisor. Velantos' fate is intertwined with his friend's as the gods have chosen him to create a sword like none that have come before. Made from meteor iron, it is a sword fallen from the stars and blessed by the gods. An enjoyable read, the story progresses logically, but at times seems to lack intensity or passion. However, Diana L. Paxson has done her research, using archeology to provide a convincing historical context for the tale. For fans of the Arthurian legend, her credible descriptions of Bronze Age metalworking provide a plausible origin for the mythological sword Excalibur. Reviewed by Laurie Racca

At the end of the Bronze Age on the Island of the Mighty off the western coast of Europe, traitors kill the royal rulers of Ai-Zir; burning to the ground the village of Azon. Fearing for her nephew the rightful ruler and believing in a vision that once the mists clear he will be king, pregnant Anderle the Lady of Avon flees with young Mikantor before he is assassinated. Although she regrets having to do so, she leaves him with others to raise. Anderle gives birth to Tirilan before returning to Avalon with sadness in her heart. After being sold into slavery. Mikantor eventually works for blacksmith bastard Prince Velantos whose father is the King of Tiryns on the Achaea Peninsula in the Middle Sea. Meanwhile back home in Avalon, while evil sorcerer Galid tries to take control of the kingdom with only Anderle opposing him, rumors abound that the rightful heir to the throne is returning so killers are sent forth to find and assassinate him without understanding the fulfilling prophecy they start. Tirilan, who loves Mikantor, assumes he is dead in spite of her mom's belief so she becomes a celibate priestess. The latest Avalon fantasy is a super prequel that will grip fans of the saga and should lead newcomers to seek the backlist. The story line is fast-paced throughout while the cast is as strong as Excalibur. This is a winner as Diana L. Paxson provides a strong tale that will surely leave the late great Marion Zimmer Bradley smiling with joy with this entry in her beloved saga. Harriet Klausner