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Avalon (Publication Order) #5
Ancestrais de Avalon: As origens As origens atlantes da poderosa ilha de Avalon - O quinto livro do ciclo de Avalonda poderosa ilha de Avalon - | Antes ... femininas.
PREPARE-SE PARA MERGULHAR NAS PÁGINAS DO QUINTO VOLUME DA ACLAMADA SÉRIE DE FANTASIA HISTÓRICA CICLO DE AVALON, EM QUE PASSADO SE ENTRELAÇA COM A MAGIA, A ESPIRITUALIDADE E A FORÇA DAS PROTAGONISTAS FEMININAS.
Os sacerdotes e as sacerdotisas de Atlântida sabiam anos antes que os Reinos Marinhos estavam condenados. No entanto, agora que a destruição final chegou, eles percebem que estão menos preparados do que imaginavam para o que está por vir.
Micail e Tiriki, príncipe e princesa da última ilha atlante a cair, são separados durante a fuga final. Tiriki e outros sobreviventes de Atlântida se estabelecem nos pântanos ao redor da Montanha Sagrada, mais tarde conhecida como a Ilha de Avalon. Lá, descobrem uma forte presença da antiga religião da Grande Deusa e começam a fundir a sua cultura atlante com as crenças e os costumes dos povos locais.
Micail e seu primo, o príncipe Tjalan, conseguem chegar ao destino planejado, um posto comercial nas Ilhas Britânicas, onde Tjalan não perde tempo em assumir o controle. Ele sonha em manter as tradições de Atlântida e fundar um glorioso novo império, quer as tribos locais gostem disso ou não. Enquanto isso, Micail e os outros sacerdotes se dedicam a cumprir uma antiga profecia que prevê a construção de um grande templo nessa nova terra – e começam a buscar uma maneira de mover os imensos blocos de granito que se tornarão Stonehenge.
Ancestrais de Avalon é uma jornada mágica e inesquecível, desde a queda de Atlântida até a fundação de um novo templo na misteriosa ilha da Grã-Bretanha.
Os sacerdotes e as sacerdotisas de Atlântida sabiam anos antes que os Reinos Marinhos estavam condenados. No entanto, agora que a destruição final chegou, eles percebem que estão menos preparados do que imaginavam para o que está por vir.
Micail e Tiriki, príncipe e princesa da última ilha atlante a cair, são separados durante a fuga final. Tiriki e outros sobreviventes de Atlântida se estabelecem nos pântanos ao redor da Montanha Sagrada, mais tarde conhecida como a Ilha de Avalon. Lá, descobrem uma forte presença da antiga religião da Grande Deusa e começam a fundir a sua cultura atlante com as crenças e os costumes dos povos locais.
Micail e seu primo, o príncipe Tjalan, conseguem chegar ao destino planejado, um posto comercial nas Ilhas Britânicas, onde Tjalan não perde tempo em assumir o controle. Ele sonha em manter as tradições de Atlântida e fundar um glorioso novo império, quer as tribos locais gostem disso ou não. Enquanto isso, Micail e os outros sacerdotes se dedicam a cumprir uma antiga profecia que prevê a construção de um grande templo nessa nova terra – e começam a buscar uma maneira de mover os imensos blocos de granito que se tornarão Stonehenge.
Ancestrais de Avalon é uma jornada mágica e inesquecível, desde a queda de Atlântida até a fundação de um novo templo na misteriosa ilha da Grã-Bretanha.
513 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 17, 2004
194 people are currently reading
25831 people want to read
About the author
Marion Zimmer Bradley
797 books4,839 followersMarion Eleanor Zimmer Bradley was an American author of fantasy novels such as The Mists of Avalon and the Darkover series, often with a feminist outlook.
Bradley's first published novel-length work was Falcons of Narabedla, first published in the May 1957 issue of Other Worlds. When she was a child, Bradley stated that she enjoyed reading adventure fantasy authors such as Henry Kuttner, Edmond Hamilton, and Leigh Brackett, especially when they wrote about "the glint of strange suns on worlds that never were and never would be." Her first novel and much of her subsequent work show their influence strongly.
Early in her career, writing as Morgan Ives, Miriam Gardner, John Dexter, and Lee Chapman, Marion Zimmer Bradley produced several works outside the speculative fiction genre, including some gay and lesbian pulp fiction novels. For example, I Am a Lesbian was published in 1962. Though relatively tame by today's standards, they were considered pornographic when published, and for a long time she refused to disclose the titles she wrote under these pseudonyms.
Her 1958 story The Planet Savers introduced the planet of Darkover, which became the setting of a popular series by Bradley and other authors. The Darkover milieu may be considered as either fantasy with science fiction overtones or as science fiction with fantasy overtones, as Darkover is a lost earth colony where psi powers developed to an unusual degree. Bradley wrote many Darkover novels by herself, but in her later years collaborated with other authors for publication; her literary collaborators have continued the series since her death.
Bradley took an active role in science-fiction and fantasy fandom, promoting interaction with professional authors and publishers and making several important contributions to the subculture.
For many years, Bradley actively encouraged Darkover fan fiction and reprinted some of it in commercial Darkover anthologies, continuing to encourage submissions from unpublished authors, but this ended after a dispute with a fan over an unpublished Darkover novel of Bradley's that had similarities to some of the fan's stories. As a result, the novel remained unpublished, and Bradley demanded the cessation of all Darkover fan fiction.
Bradley was also the editor of the long-running Sword and Sorceress anthology series, which encouraged submissions of fantasy stories featuring original and non-traditional heroines from young and upcoming authors. Although she particularly encouraged young female authors, she was not averse to including male authors in her anthologies. Mercedes Lackey was just one of many authors who first appeared in the anthologies. She also maintained a large family of writers at her home in Berkeley. Ms Bradley was editing the final Sword and Sorceress manuscript up until the week of her death in September of 1999.
Probably her most famous single novel is The Mists of Avalon. A retelling of the Camelot legend from the point of view of Morgaine and Gwenhwyfar, it grew into a series of books; like the Darkover series, the later novels are written with or by other authors and have continued to appear after Bradley's death.
Her reputation has been posthumously marred by multiple accusations of child sexual abuse by her daughter Moira Greyland, and for allegedly assisting her second husband, convicted child abuser Walter Breen, in sexually abusing multiple unrelated children.
(from Wikipedia)
Bradley's first published novel-length work was Falcons of Narabedla, first published in the May 1957 issue of Other Worlds. When she was a child, Bradley stated that she enjoyed reading adventure fantasy authors such as Henry Kuttner, Edmond Hamilton, and Leigh Brackett, especially when they wrote about "the glint of strange suns on worlds that never were and never would be." Her first novel and much of her subsequent work show their influence strongly.
Early in her career, writing as Morgan Ives, Miriam Gardner, John Dexter, and Lee Chapman, Marion Zimmer Bradley produced several works outside the speculative fiction genre, including some gay and lesbian pulp fiction novels. For example, I Am a Lesbian was published in 1962. Though relatively tame by today's standards, they were considered pornographic when published, and for a long time she refused to disclose the titles she wrote under these pseudonyms.
Her 1958 story The Planet Savers introduced the planet of Darkover, which became the setting of a popular series by Bradley and other authors. The Darkover milieu may be considered as either fantasy with science fiction overtones or as science fiction with fantasy overtones, as Darkover is a lost earth colony where psi powers developed to an unusual degree. Bradley wrote many Darkover novels by herself, but in her later years collaborated with other authors for publication; her literary collaborators have continued the series since her death.
Bradley took an active role in science-fiction and fantasy fandom, promoting interaction with professional authors and publishers and making several important contributions to the subculture.
For many years, Bradley actively encouraged Darkover fan fiction and reprinted some of it in commercial Darkover anthologies, continuing to encourage submissions from unpublished authors, but this ended after a dispute with a fan over an unpublished Darkover novel of Bradley's that had similarities to some of the fan's stories. As a result, the novel remained unpublished, and Bradley demanded the cessation of all Darkover fan fiction.
Bradley was also the editor of the long-running Sword and Sorceress anthology series, which encouraged submissions of fantasy stories featuring original and non-traditional heroines from young and upcoming authors. Although she particularly encouraged young female authors, she was not averse to including male authors in her anthologies. Mercedes Lackey was just one of many authors who first appeared in the anthologies. She also maintained a large family of writers at her home in Berkeley. Ms Bradley was editing the final Sword and Sorceress manuscript up until the week of her death in September of 1999.
Probably her most famous single novel is The Mists of Avalon. A retelling of the Camelot legend from the point of view of Morgaine and Gwenhwyfar, it grew into a series of books; like the Darkover series, the later novels are written with or by other authors and have continued to appear after Bradley's death.
Her reputation has been posthumously marred by multiple accusations of child sexual abuse by her daughter Moira Greyland, and for allegedly assisting her second husband, convicted child abuser Walter Breen, in sexually abusing multiple unrelated children.
(from Wikipedia)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 192 reviews
May 26, 2009
I'm over trying to recreate my Mists of Avalon experience........it is impossible.
February 10, 2017
I loved Marion Zimmer Bradley's "Mists of Avalon". This book is loosely based on her mythology, but since Marion died shortly after "Mists of Avalon" was published, most of the other books attributed to her were written by Diana Paxson. Diana is an OK writer, but it isn't up to the quality of Marion, so that said, this book provides some backstory to "Mists of Avalon". It supposes that the people who founded the mythological Avalon came from world of Atlantis; that they escaped as Atlantis was falling into the sea. It also supposes that the 2 main characters, Micael and Tiriki are the former lives of Merlin and Morgaine in the Camelot era. It describes the creation and fall of Stonehenge and the discovery of the Crystal Caves which are mentioned in the myth of Merlin and Arthur of Camelot. All in all it's an interesting idea and story, but the writing leaves a little to be desired.
June 30, 2022
Un libro di "passaggio" che spiega cosa è avvenuto alla gente di Atlantide dopo la distruzione del loro mondo. E' un racconto molto lineare, incentrato sui due protagonisti che vivono storie parallele e solo alla fine si riuniranno. In certi passaggi la narrazione è un pò prolissa e talvolta anche poco coinvolgente, ma nel complesso è abbastanza godibile. Il libro non è stato scritto da Marion Zimmer Bradley ma da Diana Paxson che si è presa l'onere di finire il ciclo con un buon risultato, nel complesso credibile.
April 2, 2009
There was absolutely nothing good about this book that I could find. Paxson's link-up of MZB's Atlantis and Avalon series was embarrassingly bad. Bad writing, bad characterization, and to top it off, the text of the edition I read was full of errors! Maybe if someone had bothered to edit this, he or she would have realized how bad it was before it was too late. Ouch! Diana Paxson, please leave Avalon alone! It's a damn shame how bad this is compared to MZB's masterpiece, The Mists of Avalon.
December 19, 2009
This was a great read, I loved how it picked up from where the first book "The Fall of Alantis" ends.
In the first book "The Fall of Alantis" (Known as the Ancient Land - Alantis is of made up of many islands) it is foretold that the City of the Circling Snake (capital of the Ancient Land)will fall into the sea and the evil power will spread unto the other islands and they will sink into the sea as well.
Now in this second book, the City of the Circling Snake and many of the other islands have fell into the sea and some of its survivors have made their home in Ahtarrath the last of the standing islands. The story begins with the actions that are taken when the on-coming and the start of Ahtarrath is falling into the sea and how the people prepare and strive to survive the horror and escape upon ships that will take them to a new land where a prophecy is to be fullfilled.
Without giving the story away - I will tell you that some of the characters from the first book make it to the new land/world. A hard lesson is learned and I leave you with this quote (page 351)in which the newcomers learn at the end.
"From childhood we knew our homeland faced destruction. But there was a prophecy that my husband would found a new Temple in a new land." "But I did not understand," Micail said heavily. "I thought it must be a great and splendid building such as we had on Ahtarrath and in the Ancient Land. But I was mistaken. I think now that what we are meant to establish is a tradition-" "A tradition," said Tiriki, completing his thought,"in which the wisdom of the Temple of Light-and it is great, though we have given you little reason to think so until now- is joined with the earth power of those who live in this land."
There is a quote that I thought was very real in our own lives and I want to share it with you --
"Of all things we mortals are called upon to do, the most difficult is forgiveness; in order to truly do it, you will probably have to behave as if you already have forgiven for quite a while before you have actually done so."
Mental note to self
Chedan - a old wise Adept that carries a staff, Micail is Chedan's heir and Chedan passes his staff onto Micail - The Marsh People called Chedan "Sun hawk" or sometimes "Merlin" - both names are native for falcon.
The Alkonath who survived have given Micail a new name "Falcon Banner" - meaning to lead
The Marsh people call Tiriki "Morgan" - the woman from the sea
In the first book "The Fall of Alantis" (Known as the Ancient Land - Alantis is of made up of many islands) it is foretold that the City of the Circling Snake (capital of the Ancient Land)will fall into the sea and the evil power will spread unto the other islands and they will sink into the sea as well.
Now in this second book, the City of the Circling Snake and many of the other islands have fell into the sea and some of its survivors have made their home in Ahtarrath the last of the standing islands. The story begins with the actions that are taken when the on-coming and the start of Ahtarrath is falling into the sea and how the people prepare and strive to survive the horror and escape upon ships that will take them to a new land where a prophecy is to be fullfilled.
Without giving the story away - I will tell you that some of the characters from the first book make it to the new land/world. A hard lesson is learned and I leave you with this quote (page 351)in which the newcomers learn at the end.
"From childhood we knew our homeland faced destruction. But there was a prophecy that my husband would found a new Temple in a new land." "But I did not understand," Micail said heavily. "I thought it must be a great and splendid building such as we had on Ahtarrath and in the Ancient Land. But I was mistaken. I think now that what we are meant to establish is a tradition-" "A tradition," said Tiriki, completing his thought,"in which the wisdom of the Temple of Light-and it is great, though we have given you little reason to think so until now- is joined with the earth power of those who live in this land."
There is a quote that I thought was very real in our own lives and I want to share it with you --
"Of all things we mortals are called upon to do, the most difficult is forgiveness; in order to truly do it, you will probably have to behave as if you already have forgiven for quite a while before you have actually done so."
Mental note to self
Chedan - a old wise Adept that carries a staff, Micail is Chedan's heir and Chedan passes his staff onto Micail - The Marsh People called Chedan "Sun hawk" or sometimes "Merlin" - both names are native for falcon.
The Alkonath who survived have given Micail a new name "Falcon Banner" - meaning to lead
The Marsh people call Tiriki "Morgan" - the woman from the sea
January 4, 2010
Though I'm impressed that Paxson utilized Zimmer Bradley's vision for this title, it is the weakest of the series. I was so disappointed because the main love story (Tiriki and Micail) was weak. The underlying female strength and spirituality that is usually in the Avalon books is missing. Even the description of place and landscape that I've loved so much in these novels seems to not be present. I didn't feel that this prequel left me with a foundation to be more enlightened regarding the other Avalon titles. Paxson did do a great job with the other post-Mists of Avalon titles (Lady of Avalon, etc.) however and so do read those!
September 14, 2021
Il quinto libro del ciclo di Avalon, ma il secondo se si guarda cronologicamente. Si vede moltissimo il fatto che sia stato scritto prevalentemente da Diana L. Paxson dopo la scomparsa di Marion Zimmer Bradley.
Mi dispiace molto dirlo, grande rispetto per la signora Paxson ma la sua scrittura non è certo paragonabile alla potenza di Bradley. E' un libro di passaggio, di spiegazione del passaggio da Atlantide dopo la sua caduta fino al trasferimento nel luogo che diventerà Avalon.
I protagonisti principali sono Tiriki e Micail, abbastanza scontati come personaggi, un po' lagnosetti entrambi, lui soprattutto. E questo dovrebbe essere una delle figure maschili centrali della futura Avalon? Lasciamo fare alle donne vah... Non sono molto impressionata, devo dirlo, libro alquanto insipido, giusto per chiarire il passaggio, cosa per cui sarebbero bastate anche solo due pagine.
Insomma, adesso mi prenderò una pausa ma tornerò sicuramente ad Avalon.
Mi dispiace molto dirlo, grande rispetto per la signora Paxson ma la sua scrittura non è certo paragonabile alla potenza di Bradley. E' un libro di passaggio, di spiegazione del passaggio da Atlantide dopo la sua caduta fino al trasferimento nel luogo che diventerà Avalon.
I protagonisti principali sono Tiriki e Micail, abbastanza scontati come personaggi, un po' lagnosetti entrambi, lui soprattutto. E questo dovrebbe essere una delle figure maschili centrali della futura Avalon? Lasciamo fare alle donne vah... Non sono molto impressionata, devo dirlo, libro alquanto insipido, giusto per chiarire il passaggio, cosa per cui sarebbero bastate anche solo due pagine.
Insomma, adesso mi prenderò una pausa ma tornerò sicuramente ad Avalon.
September 11, 2016
This is the first book written by Diana Paxson that I have read. She is no Marion Zimmer Bradley, regardless of the fact that she claims to be writing Bradley's basic story idea.
It took me forever, months and months, to slog through a mere 350 pages that with other authors can take me about a day. The last two or three chapters were finally quite good, as were the first couple. The rest of the book could be condensed down to about a chapter or two, but then we wouldn't have a tome, would we? Just a precursor of a script for film or TV, either of which this book lends itself far more than to the written word. But given how much I loved "Mists of Avalon" when I read it 30 some years ago, I intend to slog through the rest of the prequels Paxson wrote. I trust I will be doing a lot of scanning and 'speed-reading,' as I had to do more and more with this book, which is not at all my usual method of reading novels. I like to find authors who lure me with every single word. Paxson does not.
It took me forever, months and months, to slog through a mere 350 pages that with other authors can take me about a day. The last two or three chapters were finally quite good, as were the first couple. The rest of the book could be condensed down to about a chapter or two, but then we wouldn't have a tome, would we? Just a precursor of a script for film or TV, either of which this book lends itself far more than to the written word. But given how much I loved "Mists of Avalon" when I read it 30 some years ago, I intend to slog through the rest of the prequels Paxson wrote. I trust I will be doing a lot of scanning and 'speed-reading,' as I had to do more and more with this book, which is not at all my usual method of reading novels. I like to find authors who lure me with every single word. Paxson does not.
September 19, 2018
Turns out this was pretty flat, with boring plot and boring characters and boring writing. But, it also turns out that at the end of the day my favorite thing to read is trashy fantasy. So I read it! 😂
January 25, 2024
Ancestors of Avalon is the direct sequel to The Fall of Atlantis. It is also a prequel to The Mists of Avalon. Tiriki and her husband, Micail are both the high priestess and high priest of Atlantis. They are also part of the royal family of Atlantis. Yet, their comfortable life is shattered when they feel earthquakes and know that their beloved island is about to fall into the sea. They also learn that they are to found a new temple in a distant land. When Atlantis falls, Tiriki and Micail are separated. Yet, they managed to settle in different parts of Britain. Could Tiriki and Micail find each other again? Also, could they both fulfill their destiny by building a new temple?
In The Fall of Atlantis, Tiriki was a very mischievous girl and was very loving. In Ancestors of Avalon, Tiriki has become a mature, young woman. She is deeply devoted and loves her husband. She wants to become a mother. Tiriki must also learn how she can adapt to a new environment. Thus, I really admire Tiriki as she continues to hope to be reunited with her husband.
Overall, this novel is about love, loss, and hope. I love revisiting the characters from The Fall of Atlantis. I like the new characters in the book. I really loved the world-building in Ancestors of Avalon, especially the creation of Stonehenge. There were some parts of the book that I thought dragged a bit. Still, there is plenty of magic, romance, and feminism that will make this novel very enthralling. It is an incredible joy getting to know these characters and their journey. I can’t wait to read Sword of Avalon to learn how Tiriki and Micail have impacted the series! Thus, the Avalon series has been a very compelling and enjoyable read so far! I’m excited to get into the world of Avalon!
In The Fall of Atlantis, Tiriki was a very mischievous girl and was very loving. In Ancestors of Avalon, Tiriki has become a mature, young woman. She is deeply devoted and loves her husband. She wants to become a mother. Tiriki must also learn how she can adapt to a new environment. Thus, I really admire Tiriki as she continues to hope to be reunited with her husband.
Overall, this novel is about love, loss, and hope. I love revisiting the characters from The Fall of Atlantis. I like the new characters in the book. I really loved the world-building in Ancestors of Avalon, especially the creation of Stonehenge. There were some parts of the book that I thought dragged a bit. Still, there is plenty of magic, romance, and feminism that will make this novel very enthralling. It is an incredible joy getting to know these characters and their journey. I can’t wait to read Sword of Avalon to learn how Tiriki and Micail have impacted the series! Thus, the Avalon series has been a very compelling and enjoyable read so far! I’m excited to get into the world of Avalon!
not-finished
February 5, 2017Die Ahnen von Avalon (Marion Zimmer Bradley) von Diana L. Paxson
Die Ahnen von Avalon berichtet von den Ursprüngen des magischen Ortes aus Marion Zimmer Bradleys größtem und bekanntestem Roman, Die Nebel von Avalon. Viele Jahrhunderte vor den Tagen König Arthurs sieht das Inselreich von Atlantis seinem Untergang entgegen. Vor langer Zeit haben die Atlanter eine Kraft freigesetzt, die ihnen nun zum Verhängnis wird.
Tiriki und Micail, die einander liebenden Hohepriester der Insel Ahtarrath, werden auf der Flucht aus ihrer im Meer versinkenden Heimat getrennt. Beide landen sie in Britannien, wo sie sich fremden Barbaren und einer feindseligen Natur gegenübersehen. Nach und nach gelingt es Tiriki, ein Band zwischen dem Glauben der Einheimischen und dem ihren zu weben. Doch welche Rolle spielt dabei der Omphalos, jener magische Kristall, den die Atlanter aus ihrer Heimat mitgebracht haben und dessen große Macht womöglich auch eine ungeahnte Gefahr darstellt?
Aus den Aufzeichnungen der verstorbenen Marion Zimmer Bradley hat Diane L. Paxson eine Frühgeschichte des Avalon-Mythos gewoben.
Nach knapp 100 Seiten konnte mich das Buch leider, leider immer noch nicht fesseln. Schade, ich hätte es gerne gemocht. Da sieht man mal wieder, das Talent nicht kopiert werden kann.
Die Ahnen von Avalon berichtet von den Ursprüngen des magischen Ortes aus Marion Zimmer Bradleys größtem und bekanntestem Roman, Die Nebel von Avalon. Viele Jahrhunderte vor den Tagen König Arthurs sieht das Inselreich von Atlantis seinem Untergang entgegen. Vor langer Zeit haben die Atlanter eine Kraft freigesetzt, die ihnen nun zum Verhängnis wird.
Tiriki und Micail, die einander liebenden Hohepriester der Insel Ahtarrath, werden auf der Flucht aus ihrer im Meer versinkenden Heimat getrennt. Beide landen sie in Britannien, wo sie sich fremden Barbaren und einer feindseligen Natur gegenübersehen. Nach und nach gelingt es Tiriki, ein Band zwischen dem Glauben der Einheimischen und dem ihren zu weben. Doch welche Rolle spielt dabei der Omphalos, jener magische Kristall, den die Atlanter aus ihrer Heimat mitgebracht haben und dessen große Macht womöglich auch eine ungeahnte Gefahr darstellt?
Aus den Aufzeichnungen der verstorbenen Marion Zimmer Bradley hat Diane L. Paxson eine Frühgeschichte des Avalon-Mythos gewoben.
Nach knapp 100 Seiten konnte mich das Buch leider, leider immer noch nicht fesseln. Schade, ich hätte es gerne gemocht. Da sieht man mal wieder, das Talent nicht kopiert werden kann.
September 25, 2018
Not having read any of the other books in this series Icannot compare Diana to Marion. So my rating is on the story alone which I thought was okay. I feel that the characters were kinda dull.. Mikhail made me mad and it seems the end was wrapped up in a page or two. I think this could have been a novelette and saved much of the confusion on the characters that didnt matter so much to the story like cardboard stand ups.. ex Aldel who died senselessly. Anyways... My Mom loved Marion and her series so with this book out of the way I’m curious to how Mists of Avalon will be 🤞😻
May 20, 2024
Como sempre uma escrita genial que nos levou aos primordios daquilo que se irá tornar a Avalon que a gente conhece hoje em dia. A historia de Tiriki e Mikail e todos aos seus redor levam nos aos poucos de encontro ao mundo magico das lendas que hoje conhecemos. Gostei muito deste volume.
July 9, 2010
So I finally picked this book up for the second time. The first reading was awful -- The Fall of Atlantis, crappy as the writing is, at least had a point. On first read, most of this book just seemed like a whole bunch of people that I had no reason to care about flailing about, crying "woe is me!" And then suddenly the last third or so has the big "reveal" that these Atlanteans, these ancestors of the Avalonians, surprise surprise, built Stonehenge -- and destroyed it before it was finished in an attempt to magically attack their own people! And then Tiriki and Micail get back together and live happily ever after, the end. Wait, what just happened?!
On this second read, the bulk of the book at least made a little more sense, and the characters -- at least those at the Tor -- felt a little more fleshed out. But those with Micail at Belsairath remained mostly flat, two-dimensional; many of the priestly caste were just long, strange names with little personality to them other than blindly going along with Tjalan. Micail himself did little to live up to his parents, Domaris and Micon; they could also be accused of being overwrought, but they at least did things. Micail just sits around letting things happen around him.
Tiriki was a little more interesting to me, and though she started out as pathetic as I remembered, she grew over the course of the book. I do wish more time had been spent on developing the marsh people, especially as their descendants have some of the same names in other books in the series. I would have liked more detail givien to Iriel and Otter's relationship; I would have liked to have seen more of Domara's development, rather than just having Tiriki tell Micail (and us) about her at the end.
In short, it's clear that while MZB may have had a hand in this book, it wasn't written by her, and I'm sad to say Diana Paxson doesn't do nearly as much as she could have to fill it out and give it the kind of impact that the previous Avalon titles had. My two-star rating of "it was OK" stands.
On this second read, the bulk of the book at least made a little more sense, and the characters -- at least those at the Tor -- felt a little more fleshed out. But those with Micail at Belsairath remained mostly flat, two-dimensional; many of the priestly caste were just long, strange names with little personality to them other than blindly going along with Tjalan. Micail himself did little to live up to his parents, Domaris and Micon; they could also be accused of being overwrought, but they at least did things. Micail just sits around letting things happen around him.
Tiriki was a little more interesting to me, and though she started out as pathetic as I remembered, she grew over the course of the book. I do wish more time had been spent on developing the marsh people, especially as their descendants have some of the same names in other books in the series. I would have liked more detail givien to Iriel and Otter's relationship; I would have liked to have seen more of Domara's development, rather than just having Tiriki tell Micail (and us) about her at the end.
In short, it's clear that while MZB may have had a hand in this book, it wasn't written by her, and I'm sad to say Diana Paxson doesn't do nearly as much as she could have to fill it out and give it the kind of impact that the previous Avalon titles had. My two-star rating of "it was OK" stands.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 22, 2009
So THAT'S how they made Stonehenge! =)
This was a fun book, although I thought it was a bit slow in parts. But I enjoyed seeing the formation of the priestesses that I loved so much in The Mists of Avalon.
I was a little disappointed that Paxson didn't really get into as much detail as I think she should have with telling us about the native tribes, the Marsh Tribe especially. She touched on their magic and knowledge, but it wasn't really fleshed out well enough. I would have liked to see it merge with the Atlantean knowledge a bit more fully, not just have it be so eventually without any real description. But maybe she was going for mystery, since Avalon is shrouded in it anyway. I can go for that.
At first I wasn't sure I liked Tiriki. I thought she was a doormat. But she really grew into herself in the marshes, and became the first Lady of the Lake as we knew the role in MoA. I enjoyed the wise woman Taret immensely and wish she had a bigger part.
Micail I don't think I really liked. He was too weak to prevent the abuse of power, too chicken to speak up when he knew he should. He did redeem himself a bit at the end, but by then I think it was too late. As a result of his inaction and weakness, his relationship with Tiriki was fundamentally altered. A good thing, certainly, and he did become Merlin, but it was more a default than anything. I don't think I would have chosen him to be Merlin if there was someone else around. Chedan would have been better, and really he was the first Merlin. He fit the role much better.
I think this one had its flaws, but overall it was still a good addition to the Avalon series Paxson has continued since Marion Zimmer Bradley's death. I would certainly recommend it to anyone who enjoys fantasy or a distant link to Arthurian legends.
This was a fun book, although I thought it was a bit slow in parts. But I enjoyed seeing the formation of the priestesses that I loved so much in The Mists of Avalon.
I was a little disappointed that Paxson didn't really get into as much detail as I think she should have with telling us about the native tribes, the Marsh Tribe especially. She touched on their magic and knowledge, but it wasn't really fleshed out well enough. I would have liked to see it merge with the Atlantean knowledge a bit more fully, not just have it be so eventually without any real description. But maybe she was going for mystery, since Avalon is shrouded in it anyway. I can go for that.
At first I wasn't sure I liked Tiriki. I thought she was a doormat. But she really grew into herself in the marshes, and became the first Lady of the Lake as we knew the role in MoA. I enjoyed the wise woman Taret immensely and wish she had a bigger part.
Micail I don't think I really liked. He was too weak to prevent the abuse of power, too chicken to speak up when he knew he should. He did redeem himself a bit at the end, but by then I think it was too late. As a result of his inaction and weakness, his relationship with Tiriki was fundamentally altered. A good thing, certainly, and he did become Merlin, but it was more a default than anything. I don't think I would have chosen him to be Merlin if there was someone else around. Chedan would have been better, and really he was the first Merlin. He fit the role much better.
I think this one had its flaws, but overall it was still a good addition to the Avalon series Paxson has continued since Marion Zimmer Bradley's death. I would certainly recommend it to anyone who enjoys fantasy or a distant link to Arthurian legends.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 5, 2015
VAGUE SPOILERS AHEAD
Wow, there are a lot of negative reviews for this one.
I think it's a good addition to the series. Let us not forget that Diana L. Paxson did work closely with Marion Zimmer Bradley so it's not as if some random person is coming in and hijacking MZB's series. And her writing is very good, with the exception of the one thing I loathe most about fantasy novels, the ridiculous names. The list of characters takes up 6 pages at the beginning and I kept getting all the side characters confused!
It seemed a bit too focused on angsty-men-in-power in the beginning, as well as somewhat "yay! colonialism!," but that soon ended, mostly. Or at least it did in the group at the Tor, while the storyline at Belsairath still focused on that but in a more critical way. In any case, Tiriki, Damisa, and Elara are all great characters.
The central love story isn't my favorite, ostensibly because Tiriki and Micail are meant to be previous incarnations of Igraine and Uther... so in the same way in Mists I love Igraine but don't care too much about Uther, I care so much more about Tiriki than I do about Micail. But at least it's not like The Forest House where it's half really interesting and half Gaius's manpain. Also I don't like how the Damisa/Selast romance ends with hetero love conquering all. But at least, like I said, Damisa is a great character and her response to the situation was interesting even though at the very end of the book she gets together with Reidel.
Wow, there are a lot of negative reviews for this one.
I think it's a good addition to the series. Let us not forget that Diana L. Paxson did work closely with Marion Zimmer Bradley so it's not as if some random person is coming in and hijacking MZB's series. And her writing is very good, with the exception of the one thing I loathe most about fantasy novels, the ridiculous names. The list of characters takes up 6 pages at the beginning and I kept getting all the side characters confused!
It seemed a bit too focused on angsty-men-in-power in the beginning, as well as somewhat "yay! colonialism!," but that soon ended, mostly. Or at least it did in the group at the Tor, while the storyline at Belsairath still focused on that but in a more critical way. In any case, Tiriki, Damisa, and Elara are all great characters.
The central love story isn't my favorite, ostensibly because Tiriki and Micail are meant to be previous incarnations of Igraine and Uther... so in the same way in Mists I love Igraine but don't care too much about Uther, I care so much more about Tiriki than I do about Micail. But at least it's not like The Forest House where it's half really interesting and half Gaius's manpain. Also I don't like how the Damisa/Selast romance ends with hetero love conquering all. But at least, like I said, Damisa is a great character and her response to the situation was interesting even though at the very end of the book she gets together with Reidel.
April 30, 2013
Mais um livro da saga Avalon, mas que não chegou a ser editado em Portugal. E eis que um dia, sem andar à procura do livro, a versão mobi me "apareceu" à frente e mesmo sendo em português do Brasil, acabei por pegar nele e ler.
O livro começa ainda em Atlântida mesmo antes da sua "queda", onde alguns habitantes e sacerdotes conseguem fugir em barcos e chegar às Ilhas Britânicas.
Grande parte do livro é passado já nas ilhas Britânicas, em que acompanhamos dois grupos que atracaram em locais diferentes, onde nos vão relatando o seu dia-a-dia e as suas dificuldades, como também a sua convicção em manter a sua religião.
Foi interessante ter mais informação sobre o Tor e Stonehenge, no entanto senti-me perdida com tantas personagens, o que não me permitiu retirar tanto prazer da história como gostaria, pois consultava várias vezes o glossário. Outro factor que deverá ter tido também influência, foi ter lido em brasileiro, pois às vezes estranhei algumas palavras.
No entanto, li finalmente o livro, pois há anos que esperava que fosse editado em Portugal (e ainda continuo à espera).
O livro começa ainda em Atlântida mesmo antes da sua "queda", onde alguns habitantes e sacerdotes conseguem fugir em barcos e chegar às Ilhas Britânicas.
Grande parte do livro é passado já nas ilhas Britânicas, em que acompanhamos dois grupos que atracaram em locais diferentes, onde nos vão relatando o seu dia-a-dia e as suas dificuldades, como também a sua convicção em manter a sua religião.
Foi interessante ter mais informação sobre o Tor e Stonehenge, no entanto senti-me perdida com tantas personagens, o que não me permitiu retirar tanto prazer da história como gostaria, pois consultava várias vezes o glossário. Outro factor que deverá ter tido também influência, foi ter lido em brasileiro, pois às vezes estranhei algumas palavras.
No entanto, li finalmente o livro, pois há anos que esperava que fosse editado em Portugal (e ainda continuo à espera).
January 3, 2021
This was the prequel I've been hoping for from The Mists of Avalon.
The other prequels never really did it for me but this one is a true prequel in that these are the characters that were in the ending of The Mists of Avalon. We see meet the people who will become the first Merlin and the First Lady of the Lake. I was really hoping we were going to see creation of the magical mists but no such luck. Perhaps it was in one of the other prequels....I can't recall.
The imagery was beautiful. My only boo-hoo about this is there were so many character names that the book has 5 pages of who is who. That is a bit much for a book under 300 pages. Why even give some of these people names? I kept having to reference back so keep track of the lesser than less characters.
Would I read it again? Maybe on a cold wintery night....with plans of reading The Mists of Avalon right after it. Maybe I will do that now.... its not like I'm going anywhere thanks to Miss Rona.
The other prequels never really did it for me but this one is a true prequel in that these are the characters that were in the ending of The Mists of Avalon. We see meet the people who will become the first Merlin and the First Lady of the Lake. I was really hoping we were going to see creation of the magical mists but no such luck. Perhaps it was in one of the other prequels....I can't recall.
The imagery was beautiful. My only boo-hoo about this is there were so many character names that the book has 5 pages of who is who. That is a bit much for a book under 300 pages. Why even give some of these people names? I kept having to reference back so keep track of the lesser than less characters.
Would I read it again? Maybe on a cold wintery night....with plans of reading The Mists of Avalon right after it. Maybe I will do that now.... its not like I'm going anywhere thanks to Miss Rona.
June 19, 2012
Not impressed. MISTS OF AVALON, despite being totally bogus in its 'historical' aspects (guess what? 'Celts' didn't worship some prime Mother Goddess, nor were they a particularly peaceable people)at least had the 'right' feel to it, enough to convince a LOT of readers that this was indeed what ancient Britons were like.
Now in ANCESTORS we have Atlanteans building Stonehenge. Gee, heck, I guess those dumb old Britons were nothing but stupid savages who couldn't figure out how to raise a monument on their own and needed some outsider to help them along (this goes right in with the old antiquarians believing that Romans, Danes, and Greeks had a hand in the building of Stonehenge--all wrong of course.)
I know this is a fantasy novel, and I love fantasy, but whereas MISTs seemed firmly in the historical/fantasy genre, this was dipping over into pure fantasy and not working.
Now in ANCESTORS we have Atlanteans building Stonehenge. Gee, heck, I guess those dumb old Britons were nothing but stupid savages who couldn't figure out how to raise a monument on their own and needed some outsider to help them along (this goes right in with the old antiquarians believing that Romans, Danes, and Greeks had a hand in the building of Stonehenge--all wrong of course.)
I know this is a fantasy novel, and I love fantasy, but whereas MISTs seemed firmly in the historical/fantasy genre, this was dipping over into pure fantasy and not working.
November 23, 2015
"Mas lembre-se: o enigma do destino é que continuamente escolhemos o castigo que merecemos. E, de maneira geral, não é o que pensamos estar escolhendo na ocasião."
January 11, 2024
the premise of the book, the previous reincarnations of uther and igraine mentioned in the mists, worked really well as a prequel
February 20, 2018
Bevor ich völlig vergesse, was ich hierzu sagen wollte ... "Die Ahnen von Avalon" war mein erstes Avalonbuch überhaupt. Irgendwie irritierend, wenn man bedenkt, dass es gar nicht von Marion Zimmer Bradley ist und auch ansonsten in der Reihenfolge der Bände keinen logischen Sinn macht, es als erstes zu lesen. Andererseits begann damit meine Faszination für MZB, wegen der ich zu Darkover fand, und das ist gut so.
Es geht mit Tiriki und Micail weiter und einigen anderen Randcharakteren aus Atlantis, die hier wieder auftauchen. Es ist eine gute Brücke zwischen den Bänden, aber eben ... eine Brücke. Hier hat sich Diana Paxson Jahre später gedacht "ach, ich stückel das jetzt mal zusammen und gebe ihm eine logische Reihenfolge" und irgendwie merkt man das. Vieles Geheimnisvolle muss plötzlich erklärt und verwissenschaftlicht werden, wenn man es so nennen will. Charaktere kommen zu kurz, weil sie der Handlung untergeordnet werden. Und sowieso sind alle männlichen Charaktere nur völlig zweitrangig - was ist denn bitte mit Micail passiert? Bei seinem Vater war das nie so schlimm, dass er ohne seine Geliebte nicht funktioniert hat.
Die Ahnen sind leichter zu lesen als noch "Das Licht von Atlantis", aber ich weiß nicht, ob das an Paxson oder dem Verlag oder der Ausgabe liegt, wo einfach mehr Platz zwischen den Zeilen gelassen wird als in den älteren anderen Bänden. Dennoch hatte ich weniger Vergnügen als bei Bradleys eigenen Werken.
Es geht mit Tiriki und Micail weiter und einigen anderen Randcharakteren aus Atlantis, die hier wieder auftauchen. Es ist eine gute Brücke zwischen den Bänden, aber eben ... eine Brücke. Hier hat sich Diana Paxson Jahre später gedacht "ach, ich stückel das jetzt mal zusammen und gebe ihm eine logische Reihenfolge" und irgendwie merkt man das. Vieles Geheimnisvolle muss plötzlich erklärt und verwissenschaftlicht werden, wenn man es so nennen will. Charaktere kommen zu kurz, weil sie der Handlung untergeordnet werden. Und sowieso sind alle männlichen Charaktere nur völlig zweitrangig - was ist denn bitte mit Micail passiert? Bei seinem Vater war das nie so schlimm, dass er ohne seine Geliebte nicht funktioniert hat.
Die Ahnen sind leichter zu lesen als noch "Das Licht von Atlantis", aber ich weiß nicht, ob das an Paxson oder dem Verlag oder der Ausgabe liegt, wo einfach mehr Platz zwischen den Zeilen gelassen wird als in den älteren anderen Bänden. Dennoch hatte ich weniger Vergnügen als bei Bradleys eigenen Werken.
April 1, 2019
I hoped Paxson’s writing style would fit me better than Bradley’s, but so far we are not off to a great start…
I don’t really understand the purpose of this book? It is very much a prequel to the whole Avalon story, as we see how to originally came into being and the circumstances surrounding it, but did we really need it when it feels so half-heartedly and disconnected?
In Ancestors of Avalon we follow a cast of characters who are just that: the ancestors of Avalon. These ancestors are refugees from Atlantis – of course they are – and comes to Britain in two different groups and we get to see two different attempts at saving whatever knowledge they brought with them from Atlantis and establishing a presence in a new country. One group’s approach is, of course, more sympathetic than the other.
There was pretty much nothing that worked for me in this book: the main love story was incredibly weak, the characters were bad and their motivations made zero sense, the set-up for the story and overall world-building was non-existent. So much could have been done with the Atlantis angel, but we got nothing from it and it might as well have been any other island. It felt like the Atlantis name was just used for the sake of a namedrop…
I cannot recommend this to anyone with a good conscience.
I don’t really understand the purpose of this book? It is very much a prequel to the whole Avalon story, as we see how to originally came into being and the circumstances surrounding it, but did we really need it when it feels so half-heartedly and disconnected?
In Ancestors of Avalon we follow a cast of characters who are just that: the ancestors of Avalon. These ancestors are refugees from Atlantis – of course they are – and comes to Britain in two different groups and we get to see two different attempts at saving whatever knowledge they brought with them from Atlantis and establishing a presence in a new country. One group’s approach is, of course, more sympathetic than the other.
There was pretty much nothing that worked for me in this book: the main love story was incredibly weak, the characters were bad and their motivations made zero sense, the set-up for the story and overall world-building was non-existent. So much could have been done with the Atlantis angel, but we got nothing from it and it might as well have been any other island. It felt like the Atlantis name was just used for the sake of a namedrop…
I cannot recommend this to anyone with a good conscience.
February 5, 2019
This book is a direct sequel to "The Fall of Atlantis" and is basically book 1 in the chronological order of the Avalon series (Atlantis being book 0). This is the book in which Atlantis actually falls, and the survivors head to Britain and establish colonies there. It's an okay book, but it's slow-going, and there are way too many characters, most of whom don't do much; they could have been consolidated into fewer characters. The most interesting ones, to me, are Tiriki and Damisa. Seeing the Damisa/Selast romance break up was heartbreaking, and it just seems wrong that they each end up with a man and seem to be satisfied. Also, a lot of the characters seem to want to hold on to the traditions and customs of Atlantis (such as arranged marriages and ceremonial crap), even though it no longer exists. I kept rolling my eyes at that and kept wishing the characters would just say "Screw it all" and follow their hearts. The People/Places list before the story actually spoils parts of the story, so you might not want to read it until after. Oh, and the name Avalon isn't even mentioned in the story; I guess that comes later.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 30, 2018
I find these stories really draw you into the fantastic world created by Marion Zimmer Bradley. It is as if you are lost in the mists of time and place. In the Ancestors of Avalon, we are witness to the loss of the island of Atlantis. Now where will the priests and priestesses of the legendary sea kingdom make their new home and how will that shape their destiny? Interesting challenges and characters are all part of this mystical world and yet we recognize something of ourselves in the way that there is a challenge within each of us between the spiritual and the material. There is the struggle for survival and there is the nourishment of the soul. These two need not be at odds, yet it is the age old question of how we balance the two. Yes, this is a fantasy novel, but the challenges are all relatable.
August 27, 2020
I love this woman!
Il titolo che ho scelto è già una rappresentazione chiara del mio approccio con questo libro: Tiriki forever!
Sono stata letteralmente travolta dal fervore, il coraggio e la forza, anche nella debolezza femminile, che la Zimmer & Paxson hanno infuso in questo incredibile personaggio da cui è poi ha avuto vita parte del culto dei libri seguenti.
Lo strano di questa serie è che tutto è nato dall'ultimo libro a cui sembra non ci sarà mai un sequel ma è molto il cammino a ritroso percorso e che mi ha portato a leggere questo secondo volume come ultimo.
E' impareggiabile come la trama mi abbia entusiasmato, reso tanto partecipe alla bigottaggine di parte dei naufraghi e spirito di sopravvivenza in pace ed armonia di altri di loro. L'alba è il preludio vero di molte cose ma anche una anticipo di quello che sarà il potere femminile per sempre fino a Morgana!
Il titolo che ho scelto è già una rappresentazione chiara del mio approccio con questo libro: Tiriki forever!
Sono stata letteralmente travolta dal fervore, il coraggio e la forza, anche nella debolezza femminile, che la Zimmer & Paxson hanno infuso in questo incredibile personaggio da cui è poi ha avuto vita parte del culto dei libri seguenti.
Lo strano di questa serie è che tutto è nato dall'ultimo libro a cui sembra non ci sarà mai un sequel ma è molto il cammino a ritroso percorso e che mi ha portato a leggere questo secondo volume come ultimo.
E' impareggiabile come la trama mi abbia entusiasmato, reso tanto partecipe alla bigottaggine di parte dei naufraghi e spirito di sopravvivenza in pace ed armonia di altri di loro. L'alba è il preludio vero di molte cose ma anche una anticipo di quello che sarà il potere femminile per sempre fino a Morgana!
January 5, 2019
This was my least favourite of the series. It took me FOREVER to actually finish the book. I just don’t like Diana’s writing as well as Marion’s. I could feel the shift in the writing in The Priestess of Avalon. Also, while you recognized some of the incarnations, I always thought Micail was meant to be the former self of Arthur. And as Merlin was likely Morgaine’s father, that’s just downright creepy. But then again, I guess incest comes with the territory since Arthur did father Morgaine’s child. *smh* Overall, this novel just leaves the reader wanting far too much. But I’ll finish out the series with Ravens of Avalon when I can muster the strength just to say I’ve read the whole series. I hope it’s better than this one.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 30, 2021
I got real excited when I saw this book, because I probably read "The Mists Of Avalon" 10 times during my tween - young adult years, and the only other book of Bradley's I've read I also loved. I would have been better served, though, if I'm managed to notice that the book isn't actually by Bradley. No, this book is by some hack who puts Bradley's name on the front in a font bigger than hers. Frankly, I feel ripped off. I wanted back into her head, not to read some fairy tale bullshit fantasy story you'd cooked up in your delusions of being a writer, Paxson.
(Admittedly, I'm taking out on Paxson what was probably foisted on her by the publisher, but really, what novelist borrows someone else's name? For shame.)
(Admittedly, I'm taking out on Paxson what was probably foisted on her by the publisher, but really, what novelist borrows someone else's name? For shame.)
August 22, 2020
There was almost no conflict, and it took me a really long time to figure out that there were 2 separate settlements. Egregiously boring. Won't even bother with the rest of the books (except for the original!) I started this one in order to read all the books in chronological order, but now I have no desire to do so. I'm skipping straight to the Mists of Avalon.
World - 2/5 (Couldn't "see" anything)
Characters - 2/5 (Couldn't distinguish anyone or give a flying monkey's rear about what they wanted. What did they even want? Who knows.)
Writing - 2/5 vapid
Plot - 2/5 I'm sorry, there was a plot?
World - 2/5 (Couldn't "see" anything)
Characters - 2/5 (Couldn't distinguish anyone or give a flying monkey's rear about what they wanted. What did they even want? Who knows.)
Writing - 2/5 vapid
Plot - 2/5 I'm sorry, there was a plot?
May 13, 2022
Micail and Tiriki are priests in Atlantis--Guardians of the Light. They know Atlantis is doomed and that they are destined to rebuild elsewhere. That new land is Britain, but they are separated from each other during the journey. Tiriki founds a colony at the Tor--the roots of Avalon. Micail builds Stonehenge, designed primarily as a weapon. But greed among some of the other Atlanteans turns things sour. Micail and Tiriki find each other again, but almost lose each other to the conflict. All is resolved in the end, however.
Tiriki is the first Lady. Micail is the first Merlin. Tiriki will be later reincarnated as Morgaine.
Tiriki is the first Lady. Micail is the first Merlin. Tiriki will be later reincarnated as Morgaine.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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