Marion Zimmer Bradley's Ancestors of Avalon

Avalon Series #5

By: Diana L. Paxson

Narrated by: Rosalyn Landor

Length: 14 hrs and 35 mins

Publisher's summary

Tiriki is a Guardian of the Light, but she has grown up in the shadow of the curse of Atlantis. Graceful and gifted, she is the beloved wife and partner of Micail, a spiritual leader and prince. But when disaster divides them, she must find her own path in a new land, and the world she discovers could change her innermost desires forever. Will she find Micail? And if they are reunited, can they find love once again? Damisa has inherited royal blood and royal pride. In Atlantis she was only an acolyte, but in the new land she could become a queen. She is fierce and ambitious despite her tender years, but her heart remains torn. Will she choose the path of the priestess or the path of power?

Hints of this mysterious past have haunted all the novels of Avalon, but until now the full sweep of this rich history has not been revealed. Peopled with the remarkable women who have always inhabited Avalon and set in a world of wondrous enchantment, Marion Zimmer Bradley's Ancestors of Avalon is another spectacular epic that is sure to please Bradley's many ardent fans and anyone who loves spellbinding stories of romance and myth.

©2010 Marion Zimmer Bradley (P)2011 Tantor

Critic reviews

"An elegant stylist, Paxson captures the awe, tragedy and resounding mystery of ancient Britain and mist-enshrouded Atlantis." ( Publishers Weekly)

Grounding and magical

The only thing I would change would be to even out the volume of the narrators voice. While I loved the passion and diversity of the narrator's voice, her voice volume level would go down to whisper that was hard to hear, then back up in the same sentences, making it difficult to hear the story. I had to keep rewinding it, turning it up then back down because then it was too loud, etc.

needs Michael Tsarion's research in it

What did you like best about Marion Zimmer Bradley's Ancestors of Avalon? What did you like least?

was difficult to tell which group it was reading about

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

no

Any additional comments?

please check into Michael Tsarion's research about Atlantians .. very interesting .. did like the idea of them using sounds to move the stones . but . not the enslaved labor

Excellent intro to Mists story!

Even though not as interesting or well crafted as Mists of Avalon, it is an important preface to the series.

Love this narrator

One of the best narrators for a novel such as this. A great spin off the original.

A bit of the flavor of the Bridgerton’s

Historical romance that was great fun. Miss Landor always does a great job and sways me to reading those that she reads.

I love the deep history of Avalon

The performance is great. The story is awesome. it ties in the future and understanding of how things came to be. The story was good enough with this performance that I was deeply invested in the outcome and found myself feeling the emotions of the characters.

skillfully read, but story a bit disappointing

not what I had hoped for as a lead-in to "the mists of Avalon"

Fun Entry in the Series

"Ancestors of Avalon" is just what the title promises, an early episode in the story that culminates in the classic "The Mists of Avalon." It is the sequel to "Fall of Atlantis," an early story by Marion Zimmer Bradley (written before "Mists" although published afterward).

The priests and acolytes of the Atlantean temples of light must flee once again as another group of Atlantic islands is destroyed by earthquakes and volcanoes (there is some evil deity at work here, but his role was unclear to me, perhaps because I didn't read "Fall"). Tirike and Micail (wife and husband, priestess and priest, temple guardians) are separated in their flight. Both of their ships reach Britain's south shore but make landfall at different locations, and each believes the other is dead. Tirike becomes a leader among the people of the marsh, who venerate the Great Goddess and guard her sacred mound and spirit gate that will become the Isle of Avalon. Micail falls in with a conquest-minded group of Atlantean males who want to use his magic powers to, well, get more power. He oversees the raising of Stonehenge. Will he find Tirike? Will realize the error of his ways?

I'm not sure why I made this selection; I read "Mists" but have had little interest in the other prequels. Perhaps some atavistic interest in Atlantis kicked in. It's not a great book; the characters are so shallow and interchangeable that I gave up trying to tell most of them apart. However, there are some lovely lines of poetry embedded in a fast-paced story that is surprisingly enjoyable, and I was pulled in by Rosalyn Landor's hypnotic narration.

P.S. The chronological sequence (as opposed to publication order) of the Avalon story so far is: Fall of Atlantis; Ancestors of Avalon; Sword of Avalon; Ravens of Avalon; The Forest House; Lady of Avalon; Priestess of Avalon; Mists of Avalon

The best Avalon novel in my opinion

Diana Paxson works hard to bridge the Fall of Atlantis with the rest of the Avalon series in this novel and did a very wonderful job of it. The narration is very good.

Disappointed

I wish I could return it! I've read so many of her books I expect better than this 😡I wish this wasn't so hard to get into