Sword of Avalon
novel 2010 The Mists of Avalon
Record
| First published | 2010 |
|---|---|
| Original language |  EN |
| Work type | novel |
| Canon status | |
| First-edition ISBN | 9780451462923 |
| Internal chronology | 6 |
Synopsis
Set at the close of the Bronze Age, as older ways of life are giving way to a changing world, this novel follows a lost prince destined to save his people, provided he can survive long enough to claim that destiny. His fate becomes tied to the forging of a legendary blade, the sword that will one day be known as Excalibur, a talisman only the Lady of Avalon and her daughter hold the knowledge to help a master smith complete. As the prince's enemies close in, the two priestesses must guide the sword's creation and its bearer through trials that will determine whether he lives to fulfill his role. The novel roots the origin of Arthurian legend's most famous weapon in the deep, pre-Roman past of Bradley and Paxson's Avalon.
Where it sits
- Universe: The Mists of Avalon
- Series: The Avalon Series ; position 6 of 6 in the series' recorded order
- Author: Diana L. Paxson
Notes
- From the series record (The Avalon Series): Bradley 'expanded the book into the Avalon series' with Diana L. Paxson. The Forest House and Lady of Avalon were co-written with Bradley (Paxson uncredited on the original cover for marketing reasons, per Bradley's own account); Priestess of Avalon was begun by Bradley and completed by Paxson following Bradley's September 1999 death (Paxson's own site frames it as her solo work; Wikipedia frames it as a Bradley/Paxson collaboration completed posthumously -- both sources agree on the underlying facts, only on how to characterize the split; left stated rather than resolved). Registered Expanded Canon per the credited-authorship-as-bright-line precedent -- all 3 are published under Bradley's name/brand. Books 4-6 (Ancestors of Avalon, Ravens of Avalon, Sword of Avalon) are Paxson's solo continuations after Bradley's 1999 death, published under the 'Marion Zimmer Bradley's [title]' brand. Ancestors of Avalon bridges Bradley's own The Fall of Atlantis to the founding of Avalon; Ravens of Avalon is a direct prequel to The Forest House (young Boudica); Sword of Avalon is set at the end of the Bronze Age.
Neighbouring works
Publication order and internal chronology are tracked as two separate orderings, but they resolve to the exact same sequence for this book, so one combined line is shown instead of two identical ones.
- Reading order, within the series The Avalon Series: position 6 of 6: previous Ravens of Avalon (2007)
Sources
- Diana L. Paxson's own site: The Avalon Series
- Wikipedia: Ancestors of Avalon
- Encyclopedia.com: Diana L. Paxson
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