The Mists of Avalon
by Marrion Zimmer Bradley

The ultimate fantasy novel that marries magic, mysticism, paganism, Christianity, Arthurian legend and history. Often billed as a telling of the tale of King Arthur from the point of view of the women that surrounded him, it is much more than that. The immense popularity and draw of this nearly 1000-page book laid the foundation for an entire cycle of Avalon related books, movies, music and contemporary pagan belief.

Set in 5th Century CE, it chronicles the lives of three sisters born of magic on the holy isle of Avalon: Morgouse (foster mother to Arthur’s son), Viviane (High Priestess of Avalon, Lady of the Lake and mother to Lancelot) and Igraine (mother of King Arthur and Morgaine le Fey). With Merlin emerging as a Druid priest, adviser and mentor to Arthur and father of the three sisters, the blood of Fairy and magic is revealed to run deep in Arthur’s line.

The magic and allure of Avalon is well weaved through this book that draws from historical fact, legend and hypothesis to form a superiorly crafted escape into a world where magic runs deep, loves run tragic and the fate of the world of men and world of mists lies in the balance. If you only ever read one fantasy novel in your life, this should be it.