Book Description
Not since The Mists of Avalon has there been such a powerful and mesmerizing portrait of goddess-powered womanhood and women's spirituality. In Priestess of Avalon, the legendary Marion Zimmer Bradley once again reaches back in time to create a magnificent prequel to her undying classic of Camelot.
Priestess of Avalon tells the timeless story of Eilan-known to the Romans as Helena-a British princess raised on the holy isle of Avalon as she grows from maiden to mother to wise woman. It is Helena's destiny-at a crucial turning point in Western history-to bridge the pagan world of the goddess and the new Christian empire founded by her own son, Constantine. When Helena embarks on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land she will find the intrinsic truth that transcends both the old religion and the new.
The legions of fans who cherish The Mists of Avalon will find its promise brought to rich fulfillment in Priestess of Avalon. For those new to the series, undreamed-of enchantment awaits.
Abridged. Four Cassettes, six hours
Customer Reviews:
Not Free SF Reader.......2007-09-03
Fails to capture any of what makes the first book more special. There is no Arthur, no Merlin, no Morgan, none of those characters at all really, but more of other priestesses that on reading, that I had no interest in. I guess it boils down to the less Arthuriana, the lower the rating, for this series.
A wonderful ending to a magical tale!.......2007-08-20
Mists of Avalon ranks up there as one of my favourite books of all time, but I am glad that I took the time to read the other books about the mystical place called Avalon. I think that these books are so important that all women should read them. This particular book highlights the blending of the old ways with the new ways which at this time (from 250 - 350 AD)is the Christian religion. This book delves into the life of one remarkable woman who plays a key role in the making of history. She also bridges the old pagan ways with the new Christian empire. This woman is Helena, the mother of the Emperor Constantine. Helena starts out as a priestess on Avalon, but follows her heart and her lover which takes her out to the wide Roman empire, far from the insular safety of Avalon. She gives birth to a son who is destined to rule the world. But the most remarkable thing about this book is the way that Ms. Bradley, and in her absence, Diana Paxson deals with the aging process. We watch spellbound as Helena ages and the last third of the book occurs from when she is in her sixties until the end when she is in her eighties. I don't know if I've ever read a book that dealt so pasionately with aging and dying. It was a revelation to me. I laughed and cried with Helena as she goes through her life's journey. This is a marvelous and wondrous series about a magical and mystical place called Avalon.
Series being misread?.......2006-08-06
I am rather dissapointed with the other reviews. It sounds to me like everyone else who has read the book/series is completely missing the societal overtones of the entire series, but most notably with Priestess of Avalon. Not a single person has mentioned what a wonderfull book this is in respect to teaching/reminding us of religious tolerance and womens rights. The entertwining stories of the series are entertaining but I think these most important points are being missed by the other readers and perhaps everyone should reread them with that in mind. Certainly a great series for teenagers as it is easy to read and many good lessons in life can be taught by reading them (so long as you have an open mind).
All in all this is a good book but a bit dry compared to the others in the series.
Rich Story.......2006-07-19
Priestess of Avalon is a rich story of color, flavor, and texture. The details given make it so I felt that I had seen and heard as the main character did. The story is told in first person--a change from the rest of the books in The Mists series--that I find effective, and somewhat more insightful. I could almost feel myself age with her, as she was a girl in the beginning, growing through her life, then as mother, and finally as crone.
The placement of this book is rather tricky in "The Mists of Avalon" series. I tried very much to figure out whether I should be reading this book before "Lady of Avalon", after, or before "The Forest House." I found that it actually falls in between the first and second sections of "Lady of Avalon." The whole series starts with "The Fall of Atlantis," then continued in "Ancestors of Avalon," a break of time then, but the following novel is "The Forest House" which is immediately followed by the first part of "Lady of Avalon." The story in "Priestess of Avalon" starts the story that is continued in the second part of "Lady of Avalon" which actually follows Dierna's story once she becomes a priestess. I hope that helps others figure out the order if they are trying for a chronology as I was.
Great glimpse into Roman "history".......2005-08-03
Bradley weaves a beautiful tale of fact and fiction in "Priestess". Helena, mother of Constantine, is the central character. As a historian, it was a great treat for me to read such a lively account of this period of Roman history. While I am aware that Helena was, in all likelihood not a pagan priestess, it is a wonderful myth. There are enough elements of truth and solid historical fact to make the story stronger than that of "The Mists of Avalon", whose all-too-familiar plot dragged a bit.
Book Description
The Lady of Avalon is the Goddess who dwells on the Isle of Avalon, the mysterious otherworldly paradise which lies across the waters, beyond the mists. A Priestess or Priest of Avalon is one who devotes her/himself to the service of the Lady of Avalon, to Her sacred land and to Her people. This is an ancient, yet ever new, spiritual calling which speaks to many women and men in the present day, for this Great Goddess is the missing piece of our modern picture, the Divine Feminine, the Lady of our hearts. This book provides an inspiring and exhilarating journey into the Heart of the Goddess, • the Mysteries of Avalon • the renewed Priestess of Avalon tradition • the Goddess way in the sacred land • the experiences of other Priestesses who have also chosen this spiritual path
Customer Reviews:
Priestess of Avalon Priestess of the Goddess.......2007-04-10
I have the honor of meeting Kathy and being bless by her at a womens retreat we had her come to. I have to say she is the embodyment of the Goddess on earth. Ive read all her books and I have to say I am never disapointed. This is a beutiful book and it was a wonderful read. I recomend it highly to anyone studying the ancient path.
My blessings to all who travel through the mist.
Chris Maher
A priestess of Avalon
Average customer rating:
- Wonderful book!
- Keys to Remember
- I loved this book!
- A Call to Today's Priestesses
- As rich and completely engaging as her first....
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The Keys to Remember
Jodine Turner
Manufacturer: Xlibris Corporation
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 Contemporary
| General
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
Literary
| General
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
Similar Items:
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The Awakening: Rebirth of Atlantis
ASIN: 1413470998 |
Book Description
In this award winning continuation of the Goddess of the Stars and the Sea trilogy, humankind is once again on the threshold of a spiritual evolution. In fourth century England, six year old Rhianna is kidnapped and raised in a Christian Abbey but has never forgotten grandmother
Customer Reviews:
Wonderful book!.......2006-03-04
This is the second book in a trilogy by Jodine Turner. The first book snuck up on me disguised as a novel. Then I had to read the 2nd book and I'm waiting not so patiently for the last of this trilogy. If you want to understand the Goddess Energy pouring onto our planet at the present time, this is a good place to start. Jodine Turner has kept it light by turning history into a novel format. This is part of our history.
Keys to Remember.......2005-07-10
Jodine's books are awesome! Her descriptions of the goddess mystery schools and processes reveals much of the power contained in the journey and commitment one must make in order to receive enlightenment. These are must reads for seekers. I eagerly await her next book.
I loved this book!.......2005-06-16
I just devoured this second installment of the Goddess of the Stars and the Sea. When I got to the part about the release and initiation at the levels of the labyrinth on the Tor, I thought, "This is going to become a classic on everyone's shelf!" I think Jodine has done a fine job of transmitting the magic and power of this Goddess lineage, and I can't wait to read the third one. It's clear that she is bringing through a very potent voice and that it resonates in her cells.
A Call to Today's Priestesses.......2005-06-13
As a contemporary priestess of the Divine Mother and the steward of a contemporary women's mystery school, the Temple of the Sacred Feminine, I enjoy reading books about women's initiation and the path of the priestess. This book captivated me because it is jarring the collective memories and pointing to the emergence of the priestesses of the Mother who are here on the planet today. The priestesses are awakening, as is the imperative of their call to service in distinctly feminine ways. I felt a sense of recognition with the characters as well as the unfolding of the priestess path. I especially loved the main character's initiatory journey through the labyrinth and the desciptions of where each portal took the woman within herself.
The story is well-constructed, it held a tension that engaged me right to the end, and I found myself emotionally involved with the characters and their challenges. This book will quicken the latent memories of women called to the priestess path, and hopefully catalyze a journey or search for those not already on this path. The path of the everyday priestess is here, now, and so needed for the awakening and healing of the planet and her people.
As rich and completely engaging as her first...........2005-06-05
I found Jodine's second installment to be as rich and completely developed a story as her first wonderful book, "The Awakening." This writer's ability to create vivid pictures, transport us into the historical setting of her stories and engage us deeply with each of her characters, is magical, mythical story-telling at it's best.
My teenage daughter read "The Awakening" and was after me to hurry up and finish "Keys to Remember" so she could devour it!
I think this trilogy is a wonderful gift for teenage girls that enjoy historical fantasy.
We both wait in anticipation of the 3rd in this marvelous series. Thank you Jodine and bless your creativity that more of the Goddess continues to flow to us through your writing!
Customer Reviews:
Rich Story.......2006-07-19
Priestess of Avalon is a rich story of color, flavor, and texture. The details given make it so I felt that I had seen and heard as the main character did. The story is told in first person--a change from the rest of the books in The Mists series--that I find effective, and somewhat more insightful. I could almost feel myself age with her, as she was a girl in the beginning, growing through her life, then as mother, and finally as crone.
The placement of this book is rather tricky in "The Mists of Avalon" series. I tried very much to figure out whether I should be reading this book before "Lady of Avalon", after, or before "The Forest House." I found that it actually falls in between the first and second sections of "Lady of Avalon." The whole series starts with "The Fall of Atlantis," then continued in "Ancestors of Avalon," a break of time then, but the following novel is "The Forest House" which is immediately followed by the first part of "Lady of Avalon." The story in "Priestess of Avalon" starts the story that is continued in the second part of "Lady of Avalon" which actually follows Dierna's story once she becomes a priestess. I hope that helps others figure out the order if they are trying for a chronology as I was.
Average customer rating:
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Priestess of Avalon
Marion Zimmer; Bradley
Manufacturer: Voyager
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Avalon
| Fantasy & Adventure
| Series
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: B000O8W484 |
Average customer rating:
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Priestess of Avalon
Marion Zimmer Bradley
Manufacturer: Voyager
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Fantasy
| Science Fiction & Fantasy
| Subjects
| Books
| Alternate History
| Anthologies
| Arthurian
| Contemporary
| Epic
| General
| Historical
| History & Criticism
| Magic & Wizards
| Series
General
| Bradley, Marion Zimmer
| ( B )
| Authors, A-Z
| Science Fiction & Fantasy
| Subjects
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Paperback
| Bradley, Marion Zimmer
| ( B )
| Authors, A-Z
| Science Fiction & Fantasy
| Subjects
| Books
Avalon
| Fantasy & Adventure
| Series
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0006483763 |
Book Description
Medieval Dark Fantasy: An epic romance is featured in this masterfully written novel. Kamara Lania is a pacifistic priestess whose goal is to unite the realm with the divine love. Meanwhile, a violent self-serving warlord, Kayenté Ketola, is acquiring dominion of the realm on his journey to become King. They are both thwarted by a supernatural being "The Cold One" who is consuming the world because good and evil in their extremes, always fall. Mystical interplay, characteristic of Shakespeare, throws the Priestess and the Warlord into a harrowing and complicated, even comical transformation where they each must become more like the other to save the world. This novel impassions the heart, unleashes laughter and pumps adrenaline. The plot erupts with mysticism, magic, and romance as the mystery unravels with unpredictable twists and turns in the spirit of Hitchcock, while richly exposing the psychology of the human struggle, highlighted by entanglements with supernatural beings. This novel promises to entertain and to lighten the darkest most secret corners of the hidden self, while imparting wisdom needed in today's world.
Excerpt:
Michael said, "What was that thing you were trapped in?"
Kamara began to feel her breath slowing and her teeth chattering lessen. "It was The Cold One's attempt to draw me to him." She gasped suddenly, expelling pain. Her next breath rose, and a giant wave of emotion crashed down upon them all. "It was the hell of your Old World Michael--of the world, I guess. I hope not. It was grim and bitter, infected with greed, plagued with sorrow; brazen hatred coursing through blood, innocence twisted and tortured, turned evil by the quiet whispers that beckon madness, wilting the flower and crushing the seed! It was the crawling seeping sickness of hysteria permeating the helpless. It was the shadows of deception laughing at the shock on purity's face. It was hideous and horrible, and too much to bear! However did you survive it, Michael? How does anyone? How!"
A deep voice resounded in her ear. "Sometimes you have to use a sword."
The strange voice and forbidden words fell into her ears like stones, and her tongue threw them out. "What did you say?"
"I said--"
Michael blurted, "Kamara, may I present Lor," Michael caught his mistake. "Ka." That was a mistake too. Rescuing Kamara had distracted him from the ruse, and for a moment he couldn't remember the fictitious name. But it came to him in a burst. "James!"
"Lorkajames?" asked Kamara, realizing it was Lorkajames, not Michael, whom she laid upon. And she was most embarrassed.
Customer Reviews:
Awesome book!.......2007-09-30
This epic novel moved me in ways I never thought imaginable. It was not about the battle between dark and light, as much as the nothingness that in parable to modern day life, makes us zombie-like, doing what we feel we must even when it makes us feel dead inside, even though something within us is crying to be free. The multi-level plot empowered with romance and magic, and supernatural events, was further endowed with laughter, and tears, all making the human think, imparting insights into one's modern day life. Though it rings along with the vibration of the days of King Arthur and Camelot, it carries with it something you just never want to let go of, and when the book ends, you simply want more. It is written in a way that many can relate and even perhaps find more balance in their own life. I loved it. And I wish there would be a sequel!
I loved this book........2007-09-05
This is an exciting, entertaining, and most enlightening epic story that =
takes place in the Dark Ages. I couldn't put it down. It is completely =
enthralling, lots of love, war, magic, and mystery. I laughed and cried, =
and was deeply touched by the layers of plot woven together culminating =
into a striking symphonic end. I recommend this book for those aching to =
read something they will never forget.
An amazing read!.......2007-09-03
This book takes you on a journey to a time when the light takes a stand against the darkness. An epic story filled with romance, adventure,and wisdom.
Book Description
Harvard art historian Sweeney St. George investigates the murder of a man wearing Revolutionary War clothing in Concord, Massachusetts As gravestone expert Sweeney St. George tours burial sites of the Civil War, she stops to watch a battlefield reenactment in Massachusetts. There, she meets Pres Whiting, a boy whose family is in the gravestone business. When Pres discovers a dead man in a Revolutionary War-era British soldier's uniform, Sweeney and Cambridge homicide detective Tim Quinn jump on the case.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent thruout, with the one Standard Flaw in Mysteries!!.......2006-07-09
Why does it seems that in all mysteries, the witnesses, bystanders, etc. practically seem unaffected by the horror of the murder? This is so common that I still give this one 5-stars since, this complaint aside, this is about about good as a comtemparary mystery can get!! We start out here where a 12 year old boy, with cancer, discovers a body in revolutionary war costume, in the woods near a shack, and meets up with our heroine, cemetary and tombstone investigator Sweeney St. George.The resulting mystery is a real puzzler, and interesting Revolutionary War, Concord battle Re-enactors, and Minuteman lore are wonderfully drawn into the story. Having checked out these sites along with the tombstones, I found this sideline as interesting as as the plot! And the solution here was truly fine, not a stretch at all, in fact the most likely motive and circumstance as well, one I did not know till the explanation at the end. So this is a really good mystery, despite my gripe as noted at the beginning of this review!
Good Start, Interesting Middle, Weak Ending.......2006-04-29
SSTaylor is unique if not interesting. He alter ego Sweeney St.George is a professor who teaches "funerary" art. So how does anyone make a living doing this? Sweeney's dad was a semi-famous artist who committed suicide and left her over one hundred canvases which she is selling off a few at a time. She has had a sad life, loosing her dad and then a man she loved (Colm) to a bombing in Ireland. (Gee, do you get the feeling of death here.)
This story is based in Concord, Massachusetts, and involved a murder during a Revolutionary 'Re-enactment'. What makes the story work is a parallel secret running along with the murder investigation and Sweeney's search for background about a stonecarver/revolutionary war hero from the area. "As I have read in another book, sometimes the first murder, is really the second." Aye, there's the rub (pun intended).
Her involvement with men, always disorderly to say the least, includes a Cambridge Police Detective (with a baby girl who Sweeney babysits for), an English Aristocrat (Ian) and an old platonic boyfriend.
I found the relationship with the detective and his daughter to be a forced, based on the original Sweeney we met in "O'Artful Death". Not to mentions the 10yold boy (Pres) who is dying from leukemia, and becomes Sweeney's 'assistant'. SST is trying to hard to soften her. As is her relationship with Ian, who she met in the last book, and by trying to tie up loose ends with Toby, the old boyfriend.
I know that SST is trying to mold SSt.G into a more rounded character. But, it seems to me like she's trying to hard. The next book in the series is out this September, we'll see how she does. Until then I'll reserve my judgement.
Cannot wait for the next book!.......2006-04-23
Sarah Stewart Taylor gets better and better.
This was a very interesting mystery. Great setting. Intriguing characters.
I love the historical beginnings of her books.
Any prospective reader, however, should start with O Artful Death, proceed to Mansions of the Dead and then Judgement of the Grave. You have to develop your interest along with the characters to understand who they are and how they interact. The characters are so very real the reader begins to care about them.
LOVED IT!!!!!!!!
Attend the graveyard tales of Sweeney St. George.......2005-11-03
With "Judgment of the Grave," her third Sweeney St. George mystery novel, Sarah Stewart Taylor reaches an important crossroad with her amateur sleuth, who is an art historian with an interest in funereal art. If there is going to be a formula to Taylor's novels a third novel is the point where it becomes painfully obvious. However, while all three novels begin with a prologue in the past that give us some vague background on past events and while Sweeney's interest in gravestones, mourning jewelry and the like provide her link to one or more murders in the present, I am happy to report that Taylor is making a concerted interest to keep her character more grounded in reality and less in the fictional world where amateur sleuths stumble across murders on an almost monthly basis.
By the end of "Mansions of the Dead," her second novel, I suspected that Taylor was taking pains to avoid going in the wrong direction by telling us more about Detective Tim Quinn than we really needed to know. When Quinn's wife committed suicide at the end of the novel, apparently a victim of post partum depression, it seemed an almost gratuitous infliction of pain on a supporting character. But I suspected that Quinn was being groomed by Taylor to play a more active role in mysteries to come, giving Sweeney a legitimate liaison (if not more) with the police. Indeed, it is Quinn more than Sweeney who is at the nexus of the criminal investigations at the heart of "Judgment of the Grave," and that is all right with me because it allows Sweeney to focus on her strengths in terms of historical research. Sweeney might not solve the case, but once again she finds the key piece of evidence.
Once again Taylor tweaks my interest early on in her novel by touching on something I find fascinating, which in this case would be reenactors. I have been to some Civil War reenactments and while trudging up the Freedom Trail in Boston towards the Bunker Hill monument, walking past the Copp's Hill Burial Ground, we past a reenactor dressed up as a British Redcoat. Sweeney is in the South Burying Ground in Concord studying the work of a colonial stonecutter, Josiah Whiting, when she meets up with one of his descendants, 12-year-old Pres Whiting, who has been undergoing chemotherapy. Her concern for the young boy leads Sweeney to follow him home, but along the way Pres discovers the corpse of someone dressed up in a Revolutionary War uniform.
Meanwhile, back in Boston, Quinn has been assigned to a missing person case involving a history professor who up in Concord for a Minuteman reenactment. You might be inclined to think that Quinn's missing person and the corpse discovered by Pres would be one in the same. But that is far too obvious for a Sweeney St. George mystery. Besides, it turns out that there are other questions to be asked about Josiah Whiting than why the carvings on his gravestones changed before he disappeared and was presumed killed somewhere on Battle Road as the British regulars retreated from Concord back to Boston. After all, you should never presume anything in one of these novels but pay attention to everything because it could be a clue and then, when Quinn and Sweeney start eliminating clues and suspects, make you best guess as to who did it.
I am always in the ballpark with these mysteries, but I never quite put them together, which is like riding in the curl of the wave with these novels. You do not want the solutions to be so obvious that you do not enjoy the story, nor do you want to be so far behind that you lose the sense of participating in solving the crimes. So as far as I am concerned Taylor is doing it just right. Granted, it is easy for me to identify with Sweeney's vocation, but I also think she has a much broader appeal than to readers who share my admittedly eclectic tastes.
Finally, I can understand that some readers will be bothered by the fact that Sweeney is dealing more with her personal life than with the mysteries at hand, but I see the net effect being keeping the character real, especially after having read all three novels in a fortnight. Besides, in her second novel Taylor spent more time developing the supporting characters and I can appreciate the desire not to discard all of them when she gets to the final page. But I always find what Sweeney is researching to be interesting without any corpses being part of the equation. In fact, if Taylor wanted to do an entire mystery in which all of the dead and all of the evidence was in the past and not the present that would be fine with me.
The Verdict Is In - Another Winner.......2005-08-04
Sweeney St. George is in Concord doing research for an article when she meets Pres Whiting. The twelve-year-old tells her about his ancestor Josiah who carved grave stones before he disappeared during the start of the American Revolution. Sweeney is intrigued by his unusual death's heads, so she decides to do further research on him.
Heading home, Pres and Sweeney find the body of a man dressed in a costume from one of the many reenactments that take place nearby.
Meanwhile, Detective Tim Quinn is working on his own missing person case. A history professor researching Josiah Whiting in between reenactments in Concord has vanished. Why did his wife take so long to report him missing? Is he the body Sweeney has discovered? And what is the explosive revelation he had in his book about Josiah?
Once again, Sarah Stewart Taylor has written a great book. She expertly weaves mysteries of the past and present together. I especially enjoyed the historical setting of the Revolutionary War since it's one of my favorite times of American history. The writing style continues to pull you in, and the events and characters have a decidedly dark edge to them, as you would expect from a series dealing with funeral art. There are some very cool twists in the plot; the fact that I spotted a couple before Sweeney didn't dampen my enjoyment of them at all.
This book has a serious flaw, however. Tim Quinn has been elevated to co-star status, but he seems to be trying to take over the book. I didn't actually count, but it felt like he had more page time then Sweeney did, and his sub-plot about finding day care for Megan slowed down the first third of the story. He also felt like he got more character development this time around. This is all compounded by the fact that I don't like him nearly as much as Sweeney or even Toby, who only got a cameo roll in this book.
Overall, this is another great book in a fascinating series. I'm certainly looking forward to Sweeney's next case.
Average customer rating:
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From fact to judgment
Harold Frank Graves
Manufacturer: MacMillan
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
General | Words & Language | Reference | Subjects | Books
Rhetoric | Words & Language | Reference | Subjects | Books
General | United States | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B0007DEQQO |
Average customer rating:
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Design judgment test
Maitland Graves
Manufacturer: The Psychological Corporation
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B0007F79IE |
Average customer rating:
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Gospel beyond the grave, and the judgment that will follow
Ingram Moody
Manufacturer: F. Watmuff, Printer
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
General | Theology | Christianity | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
Eschatology | Theology | Christianity | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B0008CWI00 |
Books:
- Rage of Angels
- Recessional
- Revenge Of The Middle-aged Woman
- Rose Madder
- RUGER AND HIS GUNS: A History of the Man, the Company and Their Firearms
- Seventh Heaven
- Shadows of Yesterday
- Ship Fever
- Shoot Don't Shoot: A Joanna Brady Mystery
- Shotgun Bride (McKettrick Cowboys Trilogy #2)
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- History: Fiction or Science
- City And Soul: Uniform
- The 2007 Import and Export Market for Glycerol
- Twelve Mile Limit
- Writing and Reading Across the Curriculum
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- Cezanne's Composition: Analysis of His Form With Diagrams and Photographs of his Motifs
- The Split and the Structure: Twenty-Eight Essays
- Trees in Britain, Europe and North America
Lady of Avalon (Marion Zimmer Bradley's Avalon #3)
The Forest House (The Mists of Avalon: Prequel)
The Fall of Atlantis
The Mists of Avalon
Marion Zimmer Bradley's Ancestors of Avalon
