If you’re not much into Arturian legend, then the Sword of Avalon will help fill in some of the gaps, albeit with vast liberties taken with the storyline. What do we know of King Arthur and his knights? A fair bit, even if the original legends are clouded in the mists of time. Diana Paxson takes Homeric myths and combines them with Britannic legends to weave a melange of stories from all over Europe. You have the sword-forger Velantos, whose famous sword Excalibur will grant victory to its bearer, for its made of a new metal, steel. The Bronze Age is over and with it, the Age of Heroes. Their echoes ring loud and true in the ears of the inhabitants of Avalon, who worship the gods in their own Celtic fashion. Stonehenge figures prominently, though any mention of druids is conspicuously absent.
You have the king, Mikantor who is sent off the island to survive, is enslaved and returns triumphantly. You have the arch-nemesis, Galid, a man as bad as any that come in that day and age. You have the usual rounds of sorcery and magic beliefs, along with the typical pains and pleasures of being human. All in all, a fair book, but perhaps not the best one to start the Avalon series with. I’m not a big fan of reading series in order, since they all fit together in your head anyway. Despite a weak start, I have a feeling the other books in the series will be stronger contenders.
ISBN: 97-0-451-46292-3