Ms. Hen reviews The Mists of Avalon

 

The Mists of Avalon

Marion Zimmer Bradley

Ballentine Books 

1982

 

Ms. Hen decided to read this book because a rooster friend recommended it to her. She wanted to wait until the depth of winter to consume this, since it is lengthy. She pictured herself spending a lot of time inside, away from the cold, reading this magical tale.

This novel is a reimagining of the legend of King Arthur, from a feminist perspective. The priestesses of Avalon keep the old traditions alive, and the Lady of the Lake, the one who gives the sword Excalibur to Arthur, is the head of the community. Nobody can get to Avalon unless that person can call the barge to take them across the lake to get there. Morgaine is the foster daughter of Viviane, the lady of the lake, and Morgaine is supposed to be her successor.

This novel revolves around Morgaine. When she is young, she has to take care of her brother, Arthur, which she doesn't enjoy. Her mother, Igraine, marries King Uther after Morgaine's father dies, who gets sent away to live in Avalon with Vivianne, to learn to be a priestess. She travels to the king's wedding, and is invited by Gwenhwyfer to be one of her ladies in waiting, and unbeknownst to the queen, Morgaine gave birth to her brother Arthur's child. Morgaine keeps this a secret for as long as she can. Gwenhwyfer and Arthur do not have any children.

This is a long novel, and it contains too much to summarize in a small review. Even though the book is over 800 pages long, it is a fast read, and action packed. Ms. Hen became mesmerized by all the characters, and the depth of the writing. 

Ms. Hen admires the worldbuilding through historical legend in this novel. She likes the feminist viewpoint and the Druids with their traditions. She did some research on the legend of King Arthur, and the story has been around for thousands of years, but every so often, a renewed interest appears.

Ms. Hen thinks this novel is a big time commitment, but it's worth it. She enjoyed reading about the myths and legends of King Arthur, the Lady of the Lake, and the Druids, during the dark of the winter. The Druids pay attention to the seasons, and the winter is the time to rest and rejuvenate. Ms. Hen recommends resting and reading this novel at the same time...