The Mists of Avalon
#1724.13 of 664 ranked universes · full ranking
Books 1 book Status Complete 1983 Reading commitment Low Marion Zimmer Bradley Last reviewed 2026-08-13
Overview
A retelling of the Arthurian legend centered on its women -- Morgaine (Morgan le Fay), Gwenhwyfar (Guinevere), Viviane, Igraine, and Morgause -- and the conflict between the pagan traditions of Avalon and encroaching Christianity.
Mythic fantasy · For Adult
Core Canon: Reading Order (1 work) counts toward ranking
The Mists of Avalon (1983) core · 4.13 (214,769 ratings); A retelling of the Arthurian legend centered on its women -- Morgaine (Morgan le Fay), Gwenhwyfar (Guinevere), Viviane, Igraine, and Morgause -- and the conflict between the pagan traditions of Avalon and encroaching Christianity. Registered as a single-work universe (LOTR-analogy convention).
Library / Expanded (6 works)
The Avalon Series Marion Zimmer Bradley, Diana L. Paxson
| Work | Year | Internal chron. | Canon | Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | The Forest House | 1994 | 1 | N/A | |
 | Lady of Avalon | 1997 | 2 | N/A | |
 | Priestess of Avalon; Wikipedia dates the UK (Voyager) edition to November 6, 2000; Diana L. Paxson's own site lists 2001 (likely the US edition or a later printing). Registered under the earlier confirmed date (2000); the discrepancy is stated, not resolved. | 2000 | 3 | N/A | |
 | Ancestors of Avalon | 2004 | 4 | N/A | |
 | Ravens of Avalon | 2007 | 5 | N/A | |
 | Sword of Avalon | 2010 | 6 | N/A |
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.
Quick answers
- How many books are in The Mists of Avalon? The Mists of Avalon's Core Canon is 1 book, plus 6 more in the wider Library/Expanded material.
- Is The Mists of Avalon finished? Complete (1983).
- How much reading does The Mists of Avalon take? Low reading commitment (estimated from 1 Core Canon book · ~1,009 pages).
- How is The Mists of Avalon ranked? #172 of 664 ranked universes on this site, based on 214,769 reader ratings across 1 Core Canon book. See the full ranking for how this is calculated.
Why is it ranked #172?
Ranked #172 of 664 ranked universes.
- Average reader rating of 4.13 across 1 core book.
- Backed by 215k reader ratings.
- Less than 0.01 behind #171, Babel, or the Necessity of Violence (a finer tie-break level decides the order).
- Below the top-10 average of 4.45.
- A single standalone novel: ranked on that one book alone.
Why explore this universe?
Highly rated · 1 book · Complete · 215k ratings · Ranks #172 overall
Good choice if you want a quick, low-commitment mythic fantasy universe that's already finished, so there's no wait for the next book.
Reading order
A single Core Canon work: no sequencing question to resolve.
Awards (verified)
- Locus Award (Best Fantasy Novel), 1984: won: The Mists of Avalon
Related universes
- Same author Darkover: Both by the same author (Marion Zimmer Bradley); confirmed wholly separate settings, an interstellar science-fantasy 'Lost Colony' world (Darkover) vs. Arthurian Britain (The Mists of Avalon).
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Official resources
Research details
Ranking metrics: weighted average 4.13 across 214,769 ratings on 1 Core Canon book. See Why is it ranked here? above for the full breakdown, or the full ranking.
How do we know this?
Admission: The Mists of Avalon admitted as a single-work universe accepted 2026-08-13
Sources: (see source tier definitions)
- Wikipedia: The Mists of Avalon Tier 2
- sfadb: Locus Awards 1984 Tier 1
Related universes: see the Related universes section above.
Last reviewed: 2026-08-13
Rule: Registered as a single-work universe (LOTR-analogy convention): Core Canon = the 1983 novel only. Expanded = the full 6-book Avalon Series (1994-2010) -- The Forest House, Lady of Avalon, and Priestess of Avalon (co-written with or completed by Diana L. Paxson), then Ancestors of Avalon, Ravens of Avalon, and Sword of Avalon (Paxson solo).