Ravens of Avalon (2007)

After reading this book, I did a little research about the historical Boudica. For the most part, I would say that Paxson holds well to the historical record of Boudica while incorporating the mythology of Marion Zimmer Bradley's Avalon series. From the outset, I expected the battle that Boudica is famous for to occur within the first half of the book, but the whole thing actually leads up to it as the final climax.
The book progresses in typical Bradley fashion, following the lives of Boudica and Lhiannon as they intersect and divide, like two parallel lines on a page. The sub-plots build and taper off, dealing with the typical issues of romance, religion, and cultural differences. Lhiannon stays in her role as priestess, seemingly never allowed to realize her full potential, despite prophecy and ambition. Boudica leaves Mona to be wed to the powerful King Prasutagos in the midst of a Roman takeover. Despite the power that these two women are certain resides in Brittania, their people lack the organization and man-power of the Roman Empire. Defeat after defeat only gives them more reason to seek out peace.
Lhiannon's role seems to be that of victim, as she loses first in religious ambition, then in romantic ambition, and finally losing her best friend. Even so, I can't help feeling sorry for her and hoping that something will work out in her favor. The one thing that seems to go her way is when she adopts a girl, Caillean, whom the reader never actually gets to meet.
Boudica's role morphs as the plot progresses from wife, to mother, and finally to Queen. For me, the most moving sub-plot was Boudica's miscarriage - I cried. This also involved the only "loose end" that really bugged me - the Morrigan addressing her lost son without really giving her an answer. Despite that, what drove her to become the great Queen that she is most known for is her love for her children and her anger at their treatment by the Romans. The way that she responded to these kinds of injustices are what humanized her and made her choices relateable. In the end, it was obvious that though she knew she had no room for regret in her choices, she likely wondered if there was truly any way that the peoples of Britannia could have defeated the Romans.
Though this book did take a long time for me to read, I still felt that it stayed true to the writing style of the late Bradley and was an appreciated addition to the Avalon series. ( )

Quite enjoyable but not to be compared with 'Mists' or 'Atlantis' ( )

I don't think any of the prequels that have come out since Mists of Avalon are as good as the one that started them all, but I read them all just the same, to be able to visit that sacred isle. Ravens is about Boudica (and we all know how that ends) and a priestess, Lhiannon. I loved the stories of priestess training, the liturgy and ritual scattered throughout the books, and the gods that are present in the tale. Reading this reminded me how much my concept of what it means to be a priestess comes from these books, and why in my mind, a priestess should always wear blue. ( )

It was good to see Boudica's story- she deserves telling. I'm not certain that the Romans would have killed all the druids though- it's been my impression that as long as you say their Gods are okay, too, they left you alone. There were also aspects of Lhiannon's story that I wasn't big on- like the constant struggle with choosing between being head priestess and being with Ardanos. ( )

Set not too long before the events on The Forests of Avalon/The Forest House following alternatively Priestess Lhiannon and Princess Boudica. The two meet when Boudica goes for training on the Druid's Isle. Boudica doesn't have as great a gift as some of the other Priestesses and trainees, but she does have a bond with the Goddess of War Cuthubodva. When the Romans attack England both women leave on seperate journeys but their paths often cross.

Boudica leaves the Island to get married to Prasutagos who becomes King. Together they overcome early insecurites and truely fall in love and have two beautiful daughters. Prasutagos suffers a kick to the stomach from a horse which leads to complications later on in his life and he dies leaving Boudica to rule alone. She is soon set upon and beaten by a group of Romans who also rape her children. Boudica lets in Cuthubodva and starts her own war against the Romans inciting her people to join her.

Lhiannon faces her own challenges. The man she loves is a fellow Druid but they are seperated early on at a battle and both beleive the other to be dead. They both survive and eventually meet up only for Lhiannon to find many things have changed. She is destined to be the High Priestess, but can't quite seem to get there as a rival causes problems. She witnesses much death and misses her friend Boudica. When the final battle comes Lhiannon must put aside her demons and stand by her friends side.

I loved this story. It really swept me up and it was a great addition to the series originally begun by Marion Zimmer Bradley. Diana Paxson worked with her and picked up the series after Marion's death in 1999. A blend of Celtic mythology, druid lore and fantasy with a splash of historical truths (although there are many embellishments), if you haven't read this series I strongly advise picking it up if you are interested in any of the above. ( )