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More copies of this ISBN:

Twilight of Avalon: A Novel of Trystan & Isolde

by Anna Elliott

Twilight of Avalon: A Novel of Trystan & Isolde Cover

ISBN13: 9781416589891
ISBN10: 1416589899
Condition: Standard
All Product Details

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Synopses & Reviews

Publisher Comments:

Book One in the Twilight of Avalon Trilogy

She is a healer, a storyteller, a warrior, and a queen without a throne. In the shadow of King Arthur's Britain, one woman knows the truth that could save a kingdom from the hands of a tyrant...

Ancient grudges, old wounds, and the quest for power rule in the newly widowed Queen Isolde's court. Hardly a generation after the downfall of Camelot, Isolde grieves for her slain husband, King Constantine, a man she secretly knows to have been murdered by the scheming Lord Marche — the man who has just assumed his title as High King. Though her skills as a healer are renowned throughout the kingdom, in the wake of Con's death, accusations of witchcraft and sorcery threaten her freedom and her ability to bring Marche to justice. Burdened by their suspicion and her own grief, Isolde must conquer the court's distrust and superstition to protect her throne and the future of Britain.

One of her few allies is Trystan, a prisoner with a lonely and troubled past. Neither Saxon nor Briton, he is unmoved by the political scheming, rumors, and accusations swirling around the fair queen. Together they escape, and as their companionship turns from friendship to love, they must find a way to prove what they know to be true — that Marche's deceptions threaten not only their lives but the sovereignty of the British kingdom.

In Twilight of Avalon, Anna Elliott returns to the roots of the legend of Trystan and Isolde to shape a very different story — one based in the earliest written versions of the Arthurian tales — a captivating epic brimming with historic authenticity, sweeping romance, and the powerful magic of legend.

Review:

"This pallid, predictable retelling of the Trystan and Isolde myth, taking up the queen's perspective, adds nothing new to the Arthurian canon. Queen Isolde, recently widowed granddaughter of Morgan Le Fay, has inherited Le Fay's second sight but is powerless to control it; horrified and helpless, she watches warriors fight to take her husband's place as head of the Britons' army. The most powerful of them, Marche, takes a shine to Isolde; despite her wishes, even Isolde's closest advisers urge her to marry quickly before she's turned out of her own kingdom. When Isolde makes a connection with a well-informed prisoner, the mercenary Trystan, she discovers that even the castle is no longer safe. After being forced to marry Marche, Isolde flees with Trystan, and they form a cautious bond as mutual enemies of the state. Supernatural elements distract from the political intrigue, and Isolde's clueless navet — even while her informants are dying mysteriously around her — makes her largely intolerable (as well as an ill-suited candidate for queen). Trystan, meanwhile, never manages to crawl out from beneath his own mysterious shadow." Publishers Weekly (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)

Review:

"Elliott's reworking of a timeworn medieval tale reinvigorates the celebrated romance between Trystan and Isolde...Fans of the many Arthurian cycles will relish this appropriately fantastical offshoot of the Arthurian legend." Booklist

Review:

"...Elliott explores and expands on the traditional legends and mythologies of King Arthur and Tristan and Isolde in a unique and delightful way. ... [She] has created a most promising first novel filled with passion, courage, and timeless magic." Jane Henriksen Baird, Library Journal

Review:

From out of the swirling mists of legend and history of 6th century Dark Age Britain, in Twilight of Avalon, Anna Elliott has fashioned a worthy addition to the Arthurian and Trystan and Isolde cycles, weaving their stories together with Isolde's personal one. This Isolde steps out from myth to become a living, breathing woman and one whose journey is heroic. Margaret George, author of Helen of Troy

Review:

Anna Elliott takes the aerie-fairy out of the fabled Arthurian tale of Trystan and Isolde, and gives us a very plausible version. Our heroine has the spunk of a woman of our era, and this Isolde is one we can all admire and aspire to. Anne Easter Smith, author of The King's Grace and Daughter of York

Review:

"This...is a dark vision, inspired by Geoffrey of Monmouth’s account of disunity and treachery among the British leaders, and it maintains powerful tension throughout as it exposes the suffering of those affected by their cruelty and shortsightedness. Strongly recommended." (Editors' Choice) Ray Thompson, Historical Novels Review

About the Author

Anna Elliott is a longtime devotee of historical fiction and fantasy. She lives in Princeton, New Jersey, with her husband and daughter.

Product Details

ISBN:
9781416589891
Subtitle:
A Novel of Trystan & Isolde
Author:
Elliott, Anna
Publisher:
Touchstone Books
Subject:
Tristan (legendary character)
Subject:
Iseult (Legendary character)
Subject:
Historical - General
Subject:
Fairy Tales, Folklore & Mythology
Subject:
General Fiction
Subject:
Arthurian romances
Edition Description:
Trade paper
Series:
Twilight of Avalon Trilogy
Series Volume:
01
Publication Date:
May 2009
Binding:
Paperback
Grade Level:
General/trade
Language:
English
Illustrations:
Y
Pages:
430
Dimensions:
8 x 5.25 in

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