Twilight of Avalon: A Novel of Trystan & Isolde

Twilight of Avalon is a wonderful start to Anna Elliott’s Twilight of Avalon series. I have read and enjoyed previous books by this author in the past and I believe this one is probably my favorite to date. I loved going back in time to the magical place of King Arthur’s rule over Britain. I was fascinated by this retelling of the Trystan and Isolde story. It is full of romance, adventure and mystery. I just could not put it down. I loved it. I am giving Twilight of Avalon five stars. I recommend it for readers who enjoy reading historical fiction. I am looking forward to reading the next installment from the Twilight of Avalon series, Dark Moon of Avalon. I received a paperback copy of Twilight of Avalon from the author, but was not required to write a positive review. This review is one hundred percent my own honest opinion.

I have to say right off the bat that this book wasn't what I was expecting at all. I was expecting (and maybe dreading, a bit) a fantasy-ish retelling of the Trystan and Isolde story. But what Anna Elliott does here, to my delighted surprise, is combine elements of the legends with what is known about the early Middle Ages--in this case, the invasions of the Saxons in the 5th and 6th centuries. Most of the Trystan and Isolde stories are based on those written down in the 12th, 13th, and 14th centuries, and are therefore done in the tradition of courtly romances. Anna Elliott's rendition is much more realistic. The story opens just after the death of Isolde's husband Constantine, the High King of Britain. Immediately, Lord Marche begins jockeying for power, quickly becoming the High King. Isolde escapes marriage with him; becoming acquainted with a prisoner named Trystan. At first he called himself , or stranger, is an appropriate description; he' half-Briton and half-Saxon, yet neither at the same time. The novel, which is the first in a trilogy, is told primarily from the point of view of Isolde, but I suspect further books in the series will tell the story from Trystan's side, too. This book is not a straight romance, as the relationship between Isolde and Tystan is just beginning to evolve here. I expect much more to happen in further books. As I've said before, I went into the reading of the book as a skeptic--not only because I thought it would be more fantasy, but also because I was skeptical of the idea of the whole healer aspect. I also thought that there would be a lot more magic here, and there isn't--Isolde has lost her powers, but they're really still there, hiding underneath the surface. I was a bit out of my comfort zone; I don't usually read novels based on the Arthurian legends. But this book was a completely unique one. It's interesting how the author managed to use written versions of the Trytan and Isolde story in order to return it to the way the stories were originally told--orally. I loved how the author incorporated the historical elements into the story, grounding it in reality while at the same time stay more or less true to the oral tradition of storytelling (which is a major theme of this novel). Not only is the setting very real, but the characters are, too. For a trilogy to work properly, you have to make it so that the reader is drawn into the lives of the characters enough so that they want to read on. I definitely will be reading more in this trilogy; the next book, Dark Moon of Avalon, comes out in May, and I can't wait! All in all, a really strong start to what promises to be an exciting trilogy.

Sorry- I don't have a review as I have not read the book yet, but have a question for those who have read the novel. I saw the critical reviews and one was not so great. Anyhow, I learned not to trust those reviews too much. What I want to know is whether this book is written in the same style as Bradley's Mists of Avalon. I want something enjoyable along that line to read because I have to read enough scholarly work as I am a librarian. I don't want to read some tedious, dull, historical fiction. I really do not like historical fiction unless the author has really taken great liberties with the subject and twisted the subject into something new and fantastic. I know all about Trystan and Isolde and I don't want a history lesson. Any advice?

For centuries past the Arthurian legend has been passed down from generation to generation. Thankfully, the myriad of variations of the tale have been keeping modern day authors as busy in the retelling as the ancients bards were. The latest version to hit bookstores is Anna Elliott's Twilight of Avalon, the first of what will eventually be a full trilogy recounting one of the earliest known versions of Arthurian legend, that of Trystan and Isolde. For those aficionados of the genre, it seems only fair that we give you a brief sketch of Elliott's take on the Arthurian soap opera: King Arthur is not the chivalrous ideal of courtly love here. In a fit of passion, he allegedly rapes his sister Morgan, a woman steeped in the old religion in a time when the encroaching Christian priests are quick to brand any non-converting woman a witch. The accusation usually sticks. Morgan gives birth to Arthur's son, Mordred who later, as heir to Arthur's throne, betrays his father, steals Arthur's wife Gwynefar and begets a girl-child with his step-mother. The child is named Isolde. Arthur and Mordred meet in one last epic battle for the High Kingship of Britain and end up killing each other off, leaving Britain in chaos and ripe pickings for the encroaching Saxons, while Isolde is married off to the next High King of Britain, Constantine. And this is where Elliott's story begins. King Constantine is betrayed and murdered, leaving Isolde alone to battle charges of witchcraft, political intrigue, and a mythical past. To do so and save Britain from destruction from within, Isolde turns to a former Saxon slave, Trystan. The unlikely pair develop a tenuous friendship in a time when trust and loyalty are rare commodities in the world. I loved every single word!! Isolde is one of the most real and heroic characters we've encountered in a long time, a woman fighting for what she believes in within the confines of her gender and time. This is not, we repeat, NOT a love story. At this point in time, there is no room for romance or love in Trystan and Isolde's world. This is a world overflowing in violence, plague and survival. Trystan and Isolde's bond is, at this point in the story, a thread of friendship and mutual respect. And yet this is not a story of despair, it is a story of hope. A rich cast of supporting characters is the icing on the cake here, providing touches of humor just when you least expect it and sharp insights into the psyche of the time period. Whether you are a fan of the Arthurian lit or looking for a good introduction to the genre, I wholeheartedly recommend Twilight of Avalon!

Anna Elliott has crafted a powerful and romantic tale of Trystan and Isolde, one that puts aside the chivalric notions of the Middle Ages and places it squarely in the age in which they would have lived. Elliott fills her story with believable characters and a compelling plot. This is a book I know I'll find myself reading again and again . . .

Elliott's compelling retelling of the legend of Trystan and Isolde is set in the dark ages of Britain, mid-6th century. The author sets her drama earlier than popular myth, discarding the obvious for a more nuanced and historically grounded interpretation of the story of Trystan and Isolde. In this novel, Arthur has been slain by Modred, Isolde's father; it is through Isolde's perspective that we view the current political landscape. Her husband, King Constantine, dead, Isolde is ripe for the taking. Granddaughter of Morgan, long-rumored a sorceress, Isolde is likewise distrusted, yet a valuable pawn. When, by nefarious methods, Lord Marche becomes High King, he forces Isolde to become his wife. Helpless without a male protector, Isolde is desperate to escape this brutal man. Though not a witch, Elliott's Isolde has known the gift of Sight and sometimes heeds the whispers of the wise ones, those who would guide her through these treacherous times. When first she comes in contact with a prisoner, a man neither Saxon nor Britain, Isolde seeks only to alleviate his pain. Isolde must trust this battered warrior, Trystan, in order to evade Marche and his designs on her kingdom. On a quest fraught with violence and constant danger, Trystan and Isolde are thrown together in common purpose, one for escape and the other deliverance. A healer, Isolde is comforted by the old ways of those who have walked the earth before her, the vaguely heard murmurings of her long-deceased grandmother, Morgan. But here lies danger and the accusations of witchcraft, the penalty burning at the stake. Alone, Isolde is powerless against Marche, dependent on Trystan's aid, a man with secrets of his own. Incarcerated, pursued and savagely beaten, Trystan and Isolde match wits against their adversaries and enormous odds. Elliott writes with graceful precision of time out of mind, of magic tales and filth-strewn jails, of the senseless brutality of battle and the haunting ballads that praise the fallen, of mists and myths, the most potent the growing bond between Trystan and Isolde, yet to embrace their fate. Twilight of Avalon is filled with skullduggery and blind loyalty, with Marche's manipulation and the threat of Saxon attack, Isolde braving death in the face of duty. Forget the romantic songs of bards: this is a grueling tale mired in the bloody fields of war and the untrammeled ambitions of those who would exact revenge. Isolde's true test begins with the return of repressed memory, a desperate skirmish against an implacable enemy, Trystan's life hanging in the balance as well in this first volume of the trilogy. Luan Gaines/2009.