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Ravens of Avalon (Avalon #6)

by Diana L. Paxson, Marion Zimmer Bradley

3.82 of 5 stars 3.82 · rating details · 974 ratings · 89 reviews

Discover the dawn of the mythical legend of Avalon in the long-awaited prequel to Marion Zimmer Bradley�s The Forest House

Diana L. Paxson expands Marion Zimmer Bradley�s beloved and bestselling Avalon series in a dramatic new installment. Marion Zimmer Bradley�s Ravens of Avalon is the prequel to The Forest House and tells the story of the Roman conquest of Britain and t...more

Hardcover, 400 pages

Published August 2nd 2007 by Viking Adult (first published May 1st 2007)

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Dec 30, 2010 Ronda Tutt rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantacy, historical-romance, favorites

I wasn't sure about this book in the beginning but I am so glad I kept reading after I understood who all the tribes were and figured out how the time era was related to Avalon.

Personally I thought the story wasn't focused around Avalon itself as in being in the location upon Tor. This story is more wrapped in Romes Conquest of Britannia and the rebellion by Queen Boudica.

This was my first time to read anything about Queen Boudica and I have to say I loved her as a hero even though her last war...more

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Aug 09, 2011 Nicole Acheson rated it 5 of 5 stars

Ravens of Avalon was an enjoyable book to read. It was very descriptive and you can picture very clearly the characters and events going on in the book. The books background is based on events that happened in Celtic Britain during the first century. The author actually did some research before she wrote this book. One of the book's main characters is the Celtic Queen Boudicca of the Iceni tribe, who fought against the Romans for the Britons to keep their indepenence from Rome. I enjoyed reading...more

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May 24, 2011 Vicky rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

"Ravens of Avalon" is a prequel to the Avalon series by the late Marion Zimmer Bradley. Diana Paxson was a longtime collaborator with her so knows the Avalon universe well. A mixture of history, myth, magic and with a touch of romance, the book touches on many genres.

In this story, we learn about Queen Boudica and the conquest of Briton by the Roman legions. Trained by Lhiannon as a druid priestess, Boudica decides to help her clan by marrying a Briton King. At his death, the Romans refuse to a...more

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Sep 24, 2011 Nenia Campbell rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: x-2007s, x-series-bk-6, magic-and-sparkles-and-shit, historical-wotsits, reviewed, smells-like-pretentiousness, did-not-finish-or-skimmed, celtic-and-arthurian

At first I really liked Ravens of Avalon. I was surprised and pleased by how well Diana Paxson stayed to Marion Zimmer Bradley's original style -- in fact, had I known otherwise, I probably wouldn't have been able to tell the difference. The historical details are pretty good, the female protagonists are all quite strong surrounded by men who respect them (mostly), and there's a strong element of paganism that ties in with the overarching Avalon theme.

This book takes place during the battles bet...more At first I really liked Ravens of Avalon. I was surprised and pleased by how well Diana Paxson stayed to Marion Zimmer Bradley's original style -- in fact, had I known otherwise, I probably wouldn't have been able to tell the difference. The historical details are pretty good, the female protagonists are all quite strong surrounded by men who respect them (mostly), and there's a strong element of paganism that ties in with the overarching Avalon theme.

This book takes place during the battles between the various Celtic clans of Britannia and the Romans. It's very spiritual, and a lot of the issues of the times are presented in an interesting way (Romans treating women well only if they're Roman women, and so on -- although later on, there were several statements to the contrary of this, so I'm not sure what to believe...). Druids and priestesses are mentioned, as is a bit of Roman politics and attitudes at the time.

My problem with the book was that, unlike MZB, Paxson didn't have much of a climax. In fact, the real conflict doesn't really arise until page 293 or so -- less than 100 pages from the end of the book. And when it does arrive, it's pretty anticlimactic and over in a couple pages or so.

Until the conflict arrives, there really isn't much going on. Boudica, the main character, starts off the book at around age 11 or 12 or so and it ends when she's in her thirties. She isn't that interesting. Mostly, we see her interacting with the girls and Lhiannon, the other MC; we see the women doing priestess things like dancing around fires at Beltane and bathing naked by moonlight; she gets married and then makes her husband chase her because she feels like he hasn't had to work hard enough for their union; she gets propositioned by a Roman soldier. Somewhere between pages 1 and 100, the plot just started to fall flat. One thing I really hate about feminist books like these is that somebody almost ALWAYS ends up getting RAPED. What is that supposed to imply? That if you're a strong woman who doesn't take no guff from nobody, you're asking for it? Yikes.(less)

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Mar 19, 2011 Sherwood Smith rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

This is a prequel to Marion Zimmer Bradley's The Forest House. Paxson worked closely on the Avalon stories with Bradley, carrying on the tales with Bradley's blessing, and as she'd envisioned. I think that that shows—Paxson's version fits seamlessly with the others. The truth (for me) is, though Bradley was a pioneer, and her Darkover novels gave me a lot of reading zip when I was in my twenties, I prefer Paxson's writing style, and also her characters: they show more subtlety, depth, and comple...more

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Jul 28, 2011 Mark Woodland rated it 3 of 5 stars

I'm a big fan of Marion Zimmer Bradley's Avalon series, and approached this book with some optimism. After all, Diana Paxson had directly collaborated with Bradley, and is the authorized writer of Bradley's "universe" since her death. I've read a lot of Irish history, and I give her a lot of credit for her obvious research and attention to detail about Boudica. The integration of the timeline and events into the storyline is well done. However, the book has two main characters: Boudica and the f...more

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Jul 25, 2011 Mel rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction

Five stars plus!! I absolutely loved this book. The original "Mists of Avalon" is impossible to beat but this book comes nearer than any of the other Avalon books. The others from "Ancestors" to "Priestess" I felt had lost something of the original magic of ""Mists"" but I thought "Ravens" managed to bring something fresh to the saga- perhaps because some time has elapsed since the older volumes were written that Paxson has found a new lease of life for the novels. I am a very slow reader but th...more

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Jun 24, 2010 Jules rated it 4 of 5 stars

MY TAKE: I really enjoyed this book and read it fairly quickly. I always knew about Boudica being a Celtic heroine, but had never read much more than that. The author(s) wove historical facts in seamlessly with the story of Avalon. I really want to learn even more about Boudica now.

This book veered a bit off the path from focusing on the story of the Isle of Avalon. It was primarily the story of Boudica and Lhiannon (both very strong women) and their life-long connection. I liked that the relati...more

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Nov 17, 2012 Shonna Froebel rated it 4 of 5 stars

This prequel to The Forest House tells the story of the rebellion of the Britons against the Romans, led by Boudica, the Briton Queen. The story starts with Boudica as a young teen, getting training from the priestesses and druids at the island of Mona and carries through until her death. The story of the Romans conquering and making peace with the Britons, followed by the rebellion, is a historical one. Many historical characters, including Boudica, appear here. The priestess and druid characte...more

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Mar 28, 2012 Beverly Diehl rated it 4 of 5 stars

I'm a fan of Avalon, and also of Paxson's solo works, and long wanted to read a book about Boudica. What I liked most was the friendship thread between Boudica and Lhiannon, and the comparisons between their lives. One became a wife to a man she grew to love; another lost the man she loved - but had his companionship in the end. I think as a mother one of the hardest things ever is to see your children get hurt and be unable to stop it. That could move me to raise an army and start a war, too.

I...more

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Aug 31, 2011 Joana rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction, read-in-2011

If you’re in the mood for some light reading, about a Celtic warrior-queen and aren’t expecting too much historical detail, this book might be a good choice. Better yet if you’re a Marion Zimmer Bradley’s fan and therefore are curious about the ancient Celtic culture and creed. Although this was not written by the author of “Mists of Avalon”, her colleague Diana L. Paxson does justice to her investigations about Boudica.
“Ravens of Avalon” is set in Britannia like most of the Avalon series and s...more

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Oct 26, 2011 Connie rated it 4 of 5 stars

This was a compelling story. Of course I cared about Boudica and Llianon, but I fell in love with Prasutigos. I especially liked what Boudica did on her wedding day! *G* And my heart went out to Ardanos as well as to Llianon when they discovered their mistake.

Also very moving were the battles on Mona and Boudica's final battle. The sacking of Colonia, Londinium, and Verlamion were wrenching. I could well understand Boudica's ambivalence matched my own. The writing brought everything to life, or...more

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Dec 22, 2008 Anna rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, based-on-a-true-story

This telling of the story of Boudica weaves the warrior queen's life into the mythology of Bradley's Avalon. It's an interesting tale, but the fast pace of the book leaves little room for character development. The characters and their relationships rely heavily archetypes based of Bradley's other works, so if you haven't read Mists of Avalon the lack of the character development in this novel might leave you feeling uninvested in the people or their plight. If you have been a fan of the Avalon...more

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Jul 20, 2012 Amblingbooks.com marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobooks, adventure, fantasy, historical

Diana L. Paxson expands Marion Zimmer Bradley's beloved and bestselling Avalon series in a dramatic new installment. Marion Zimmer Bradley's Ravens of Avalon, the prequel to The Forest House, tells the story of the Roman conquest of Britain and the origin of the Forest House that preceded the return to Avalon.

Listen to Marion Zimmer Bradley's Ravens of Avalon on your smartphone, notebook or desktop computer.

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Jul 08, 2012 Îshta rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy-and-science-fiction

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. «Britannici, io sono la figlia di uomini d'onore, e ora non sto combattendo per la mia ambizione. Sto combattendo come una persona comune che ha perso la sua libertà. Sto combattendo per il mio corpo violato. Gli Dèi ci destineranno la vendetta che ci meritiamo. Pensate quindi a quanti di noi stanno combattendo, e al perchè. Allora, solo allora, vincerete questa battaglia… o morirete.»
- Discorso di Boudica prima della battaglia decisiva -

La Dea della Guerra (Ravens of Avalon, 2007) viene scritto...more «Britannici, io sono la figlia di uomini d'onore, e ora non sto combattendo per la mia ambizione. Sto combattendo come una persona comune che ha perso la sua libertà. Sto combattendo per il mio corpo violato. Gli Dèi ci destineranno la vendetta che ci meritiamo. Pensate quindi a quanti di noi stanno combattendo, e al perchè. Allora, solo allora, vincerete questa battaglia… o morirete.»
- Discorso di Boudica prima della battaglia decisiva -

La Dea della Guerra (Ravens of Avalon, 2007) viene scritto principalmente da Diana Paxson in base a degli appunti lasciati da Marion Zimmer Bradley prima di morire. Quest'opera può essere collocata fra le Querce di Albion e l'inedito settimo volume "Sword of Avalon" del Ciclo di Avalon.

Il romanzo storico/fantasy racconta la vita di Boudica; vicenda nota e storicamente accertata. Nel 55 a.C. Giulio Cesare iniziò l’invasione della Gran Bretagna, sogno che accarezzò per primo, e a lungo, ma che non riuscì mai a vedere realizzato. Ancora, sotto l’Imperatore Claudio, nel 43 d.C., la Britannia si caratterizzava come un’isola indipendente, forte e libera: un territorio da espugnare e vincere. Ed è durante questa seconda ondata di conquista che ha inizio la storia di Boudicca (o Boadicea).

La parte iniziale del racconto parte lenta, ma ben strutturata.
La vicenda si basa in parte sulle fonti scritte di quel periodo:
A circa sette anni la giovane e nobile Boudica viene mandata a vivere presso una seconda famiglia, ove apprende le tradizioni, la cultura e la religione celtica insieme all'arte militare. Questo periodo viene interpretato dall'autrice come un lungo soggiorno nell'Isola di Mona. In questa prima parte del racconto la magia -sebbene in minima parte-è chiaramente presente e utilizzata fin dai non iniziati al sacerdozio. (dettaglio che può risultare incoerente e in contrapposizione con gli altri volumi della serie. Ma, secondo me, talmente irrilevante da non risultare sgradevole).
Intorno al 47 d.C. circa, la giovane torna a casa, e la sua famiglia la dà in sposa all'Iceno Prasutago, diventando cosi Regina degli Iceni.
Secondo le fonti Boudica trascorre tranquillamente più di un decennio come sposa di Prasutago, Re della tribù degli Iceni alleati indipendenti dell'Impero Romano. Fino a che avviene la svolta. Prasutago muore e i romani si appropriano con violenza delle sue terre e delle sue ricchezze.
Ed è a causa della disperazione, della violenza subita, del dolore che Boadicea organizza una sommosa distruggendo tre città ed uccidendo più di 70.000 romani e simpatizzanti.
La fase della ribellione dei Britanni e dell'incredibile forza di Boudica -dovuta al coraggio, alla rabbia e al carisma presenti fin dall'inizio nei tratti caratteriali della protagonista- vengono minimizzati, addirittura esclusi.
La Paxson affida l'incredibile epopea della liberazione della Britannia dai Romani all'incarnazione della Dea Morrigan nel corpo della giovane Regina degli Iceni. Fatto molto interessante e plausibile dal momento che si tratta di un libro storico, ma fantasy. Sicché, ritengo personalmente un peccato l'aver trasferito la grande forza di una donna -veramente esistita e che ha fatto tremare Roma- ad un avatar.

È comunque una storia da non perdere. Un tassello che racconta una parte di storia della Britannia poco conosciuta e soprattutto esaminata da un punto di vista (sebbene un po' mistico) dei vinti. Un tassello che va ad ampliare e delineare ancor di più il grandioso Ciclo di Avalon.
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Apr 16, 2011 Georgiana 1792 rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Diana L. Paxon è un'erede all'altezza della maestra Marion Zimmer Bradley: riesce ad intrecciare la storia con il fantasy con una coinvolgente maestria.
Il libro narra due episodi fondamentali della storia britannica antica: la distruzione del luogo sacro ai druidi, sull'isola di Mona a Lys Deru, da parte dei Romani, e la rivolta della regina Boudica, regina degli Iceni che per un'estate riuscì a tenere testa agli invasori Romani.
Il racconto si apre con l'arrivo della giovane Boudica a Lys Deru p...more

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Oct 03, 2010 Sara rated it 3 of 5 stars

The Roman conquest of Britain was a tumultuous time when fear and death reigned. Diana Paxson has chosen this era in which to set the latest prequel to Marion Zimmer Bradley's Mists of Avalon. The story is split between two women, Lhiannon, a senior priestess, and Boudica, who would become the warrior queen who nearly threw the Romans back into the sea. The story told here is the story of the Britons fight to control their own destiny.

I am of two minds on this story, and I admit that parts I to...more

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Apr 04, 2011 Jacki rated it 3 of 5 stars

As a prequeal to The Forest House, the reader comes to discover the origins of the Society of Ravens, sons of the Druid priestesses who were raped by Roman invaders. Diana L. Paxson takes up the story not told due to Bradley's death and gives us a story of Lhiannon, a celtic priestess, and Boudica, a Celtic priestess who nearly defeats the Roman army.

It has been nearly 10 years since I have read The Forest House, and I felt I was missing out terribly in not being able to remember the details. Co...more

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Jan 15, 2011 Rachel rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. After reading this book, I did a little research about the historical Boudica. For the most part, I would say that Paxson holds well to the historical record of Boudica while incorporating the mythology of Marion Zimmer Bradley's Avalon series. From the outset, I expected the battle that Boudica is famous for to occur within the first half of the book, but the whole thing actually leads up to it as the final climax.

The book progresses in typical Bradley fashion, following the lives of Boudica an...more After reading this book, I did a little research about the historical Boudica. For the most part, I would say that Paxson holds well to the historical record of Boudica while incorporating the mythology of Marion Zimmer Bradley's Avalon series. From the outset, I expected the battle that Boudica is famous for to occur within the first half of the book, but the whole thing actually leads up to it as the final climax.

The book progresses in typical Bradley fashion, following the lives of Boudica and Lhiannon as they intersect and divide, like two parallel lines on a page. The sub-plots build and taper off, dealing with the typical issues of romance, religion, and cultural differences. Lhiannon stays in her role as priestess, seemingly never allowed to realize her full potential, despite prophecy and ambition. Boudica leaves Mona to be wed to the powerful King Prasutagos in the midst of a Roman takeover. Despite the power that these two women are certain resides in Brittania, their people lack the organization and man-power of the Roman Empire. Defeat after defeat only gives them more reason to seek out peace.

Lhiannon's role seems to be that of victim, as she loses first in religious ambition, then in romantic ambition, and finally losing her best friend. Even so, I can't help feeling sorry for her and hoping that something will work out in her favor. The one thing that seems to go her way is when she adopts a girl, Caillean, whom the reader never actually gets to meet.

Boudica's role morphs as the plot progresses from wife, to mother, and finally to Queen. For me, the most moving sub-plot was Boudica's miscarriage - I cried. This also involved the only "loose end" that really bugged me - the Morrigan addressing her lost son without really giving her an answer. Despite that, what drove her to become the great Queen that she is most known for is her love for her children and her anger at their treatment by the Romans. The way that she responded to these kinds of injustices are what humanized her and made her choices relateable. In the end, it was obvious that though she knew she had no room for regret in her choices, she likely wondered if there was truly any way that the peoples of Britannia could have defeated the Romans.

Though this book did take a long time for me to read, I still felt that it stayed true to the writing style of the late Bradley and was an appreciated addition to the Avalon series.

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May 07, 2008 Jte argent rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: anyone

Hey, I just finished reading Raven's of Avalon by Diana L. Paxson. It's an expansion/back story to Marion Zimmer Bradley's Avalon series ... and wow! I could not put this down. I kept reading very late into the night/early in the am.

It's the life of Boudica, the Celtic Queen, from youth through motherhood and on as she transforms into the Red-Warrior Queen of the British tribes.

This is a really fabulous piece of storytelling, weaving legend, magick and history. Ms. Paxson's attention to the det...more

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Dec 22, 2007 Chris rated it 2 of 5 stars

MZB is one of my all time favorite writers. I like both her Avalon series and the Darkover stories and the common thread of strong women. It's not often that people keep writing books after they die, but MZB started to collaborate w/ Diane Paxton prior to her death, and Paxton has continued writing based on the stories that MZB created. With this novel though I was highly dissappointed. First of all what I have always liked about the Avalon stories was that is was all about the women, and not ab...more

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Sep 01, 2009 Kristen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arthurian, drama, fantasy, historical-fiction, history, irish, medievalism, paganism, 2009

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. This was a great book, although beyond a few brief references to Avalon, I don't really see that it had much to do with Marion Zimmer Bradley's Avalon at all. There were some familiar things, such as the priestesses wearing blue robes and having the crescent tattoo on their foreheads. But mostly, this was an historical-fantasy about Queen Boudica. And I'm good with that.

So much about Boudica has been mythologized that it doesn't seem unrealistic that she could have had some education with the Dr...more This was a great book, although beyond a few brief references to Avalon, I don't really see that it had much to do with Marion Zimmer Bradley's Avalon at all. There were some familiar things, such as the priestesses wearing blue robes and having the crescent tattoo on their foreheads. But mostly, this was an historical-fantasy about Queen Boudica. And I'm good with that.

So much about Boudica has been mythologized that it doesn't seem unrealistic that she could have had some education with the Druids on Mona or elsewhere in the British Isles. The dates of her rebellion and the slaughter of the Druids at Mona are contemporary, so I like that there could be a connection between them. What we do know about her largely comes from the Roman historians Tacitus and Dio. We should take much of what they say with a grain of salt, for the Romans had a pretty hard core anti-Druid bias, even ones as relatively open minded as Tacitus was. They may not have understood the Celtic and Druidic cultures very well, either, so I'm sure there are things we think we know that are just totally wrong.

I say this because I am rationalizing the end of the book. Tacitus and Dio both state that Boudica and her daughters committed suicide. I think, however, it could be entirely possible that Boudica's daughters survived, but went into hiding. It would be foolish of them to declare that they survived since it would literally have gained them nothing. Rome won in the end and they knew it, so it would have been wise of them just to live a quiet life after the rebellion. I can easily believe that Boudica herself committed suicide, since she was a figurehead for the rebellion and if captured, would have been dragged through the streets of Rome in chains before likely being thrown to wild animals in the Colisseum. I would have preferred death as well. Also, if she truly made the Sacred Marriage to the land, her deathwould have been expected as part of her duty. But maybe her daughter(s) lived and had children. I like to think that some part of me could be a descendant of the great queen.

I definitely recommend this one to anyone who enjoys historical fiction, historical fantasy, or any example, no matter how unrealistic, of the Celts kicking Rome's ass. It's even better if the Celt is a woman. =)(less)

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Jul 30, 2011 Jen Taylor rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A nice compliment to the other Avalon books. Although, I really do prefer the way Marion wrote the series to the way Diana writes it. She had more flow to the story. It is wonderful that Diana is continuing the series, but I miss Marion and her way with words. The story was solid and it had depth to the characters. There was a lot of details, but the interpersonal relationships seemed to be lacking something. All in all, it is a solid addition to the Avalon series.

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Dec 12, 2010 Jodi A rated it 3 of 5 stars

I like this book but I didn't love it like I did the Mists of Avalon. Maybe it was a different author that just didn't quite carry the novel, maybe it was my age. I was more impressionable when I read Mists.
I did enjoy it enough that I may seek out the rest of the series. I was surprised to learn that it was a serious, I had heard of Mists and no other but glad I stumbled up on this book at Goodwill.

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Oct 04, 2011 Kate Krake rated it 3 of 5 stars

Overall, it's not a bad read. As a standalone novel, Ravens of Avalon rates as a better than average fantasy, a better than average mythic fiction, and an ok historical fiction. As a novel from the Avalon series, Ravens of Avalon is simply not quite up to standard. In that regard, I was disappointed, but I will undoubtedly continue with the series and hope that Paxson does too.

Read my full review of The Ravens of Avalon on Vivid Scribe

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May 28, 2010 Heidi rated it 4 of 5 stars

The woman/woman woman/man relationship dynamics that unfold in this piece of the Avalon saga really stood out for me. Boudica is an extraordinary figure of strength, though not o much the priestess. An empowering story for young women (not children) to read, I would think. Contains a wonderful ceremony for crossing the threshold into womanhood.

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Mar 12, 2010 Jennifer Kim rated it 4 of 5 stars

Boudica always intrigued me and this book was awesome in shedding some addtional light and druid spin to it. Even as you read and fully know the end she meets with her followers, you desperately want another ending, another chance for her to survive. And this book, without changing the end result, have some how managed to give me that. It was great.

I think this topic would make a wonderful movie, but I'm not sure studios would think it would draw enough people to it.

I only give 4 stars or high...more

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Jul 18, 2010 Karen rated it 5 of 5 stars

Marion Zimmer Bradley is my favorite writer. She has something that makes all her books contain all kinds of characters, causing all kinds of emotions while I'm reading. I cry, I laugh, I get surprised, I get angry. She really had a gift on her hands. Every single book of her that I read just amazed me.

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Feb 19, 2010 Julie rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, kindle

I usually love the world of Avalon and although it didn't take me much time to get through the book because I was sick and I couldn't do anything else this book was not as enjoyable as usual. I was never connected with any of the characters. I believe the author wanted to describe a period of time that had never been addressed but the story was never really fleshed out enough for me to care. I liked the characters but I never connected with them, never saw really what drove them. There was somet...more

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Nov 04, 2007 Emily rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: arthurian, fantasy, historical, religion, women

I read "The Mists of Avalon" ages ago and liked it very much. I hoped that this book would be more of the same, but it really wasn't. The writing style was quite similar, despite this book being written by Marion Zimmer Bradley's former writing partner after Bradley's death. And the interesting Druid magic stuff was present. And the main character was a figure of legend, Queen Boudica. But somehow it fell short of my expectations. It is a good "women rock!" sort of story - Boudica starts life as...more

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About Diana L. Paxson

Diana L. Paxson (born 1943) is a novelist and author of nonfiction, primarily in the fields of Paganism and Heathenism. Her published works include fantasy and historical fiction novels, as well as numerous short stories. More recently she has also published nonfiction books about Pagan and Heathen religions and practices.

In addition to her multiple novels and collaborations, she has written over...more Diana L. Paxson (born 1943) is a novelist and author of nonfiction, primarily in the fields of Paganism and Heathenism. Her published works include fantasy and historical fiction novels, as well as numerous short stories. More recently she has also published nonfiction books about Pagan and Heathen religions and practices.

In addition to her multiple novels and collaborations, she has written over seventy short stories. Her best-known works are the Westria novels, and the later books in the Avalon series, which she first co-wrote with Marion Zimmer Bradley, then took over sole authorship of after Bradley's death.

Paxson was nominated for the Mythopoeic Fantasy Awards twice, in 1989 for the "White Raven" and in 1983 for "Lady of Light".

Paxson's non-fiction books include Taking Up the Runes, Essential Asatru, and Trance-Portation. She writes a regular column for the women's spirituality magazine, Sagewoman.

Paxson has been active in the leadership of a number of organizations. She hosted the first activities of the Society for Creative Anachronism, and was subsequently among that group's founding Directors and Corporate Officers when it incorporated[1]. She was the western regional director of the Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America, and is a frequent panelist at science fiction conventions, especially Baycon, where she was the 2007 Fantasy Guest of Honor.

A leader in the Neopagan and Heathen revivals, Paxson is the founder of the The Fellowship of the Spiral Path and has served as First Officer of the Covenant of the Goddess. She has been Steerswoman of the Heathen group, The Troth, a member of its Board of Directors, and currently edits its journal, Idunna. She is a pioneer in the revival of Oracular Seidh, which she has taught and performed at many Neopagan and heathen festivals and retreats.

She composes and plays music for the harp. She currently lives at her home, Greyhaven, in Berkeley, California.

More can be found on her blog: http://dpaxson.livejournal.com (less)

More about Diana L. Paxson...

Books by Diana L. Paxson

Marion Zimmer Bradley's Sword and Sorceress XXI

Essential Asatru: Walking the Path of Norse Paganism

Taking Up the Runes: A Complete Guide to Using Runes in Spells, Rituals, Divination, and Magic

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Ravens of Avalon (Avalon #6)

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