Skip to main content

The Forest House (Avalon #2) by Marion Zimmer Bradley: A Book Review

The Forest House (Avalon #2)
Author: Marion Zimmer Bradley
Genre: Historical Fiction, Fantasy
Publisher: Ace
Release Date: 1995
Pages: 434
Source: Personal Collection
Synopsis: The New York Times bestselling science fiction and fantasy author of the Avalon series introduces the prequel to the beloved and enduring classic The Mists of Avalon in this mesmerizing epic of one woman’s legendary role at a turning point in history.

     In a Britain struggling to survive Roman invasion, Eilan is the daughter of a Druidic warleader, gifted with visions and marked by fate to become a priestess of the Forest House.

     But fate also led Eilan to Gaius, a soldier of mixed blood, son of the Romans sent to subdue the native British. For Gaius, Eilan felt forbidden love, and her terrible secret will haunt her even as she is anointed as the new High Priestess. With mighty enemies poised to destroy the magic the Forest House shelters, Eilan must trust in the power of the great Goddess to lead her through the treacherous labyrinth of her destiny.

           My Review: The Forest House is the prequel to The Mists of Avalon. It is also a direct sequel to Ravens of Avalon. The Forest House is a retelling of Bellini’s opera, Norma. Elian is the granddaughter of the Arch-Druid of Britain. She is fated to become a Druid priestess. However, she is in love with a Roman soldier named Gaius. When she becomes High Priestess, she must keep her love for Gaius a secret. However, the British tribes wish to wage war against the Romans. However, Eilan works to bridge between the Romans and the British even if it costs her own life.

     I love the opera, Norma, especially the aria, “Casta Diva”. Therefore, I was ecstatic to read The Forest House. This novel proves to follow the opera very faithfully. It also gives the characters more of a backstory. I also like how it sets up elements for The Mists of Avalon.

      I adore Eilan, who is Norma’s counterpart. I liked how the novel portrays her from a naive child to a mature woman. I love how The Forest House portrays her as a mother. She strives to work hard to make a better world for her son. I also love how she is devoted to her goddess and always follows her will, especially when she doesn’t want to. I love how she remains steadfastly loyal in her love to Gaius, especially when he strays. Therefore, Eilan is a remarkable character.

     I detested Gaius. I hated reading his chapters. Gaius is very ambitious and selfish. He is very unfaithful to Eilan. He frequently disapproves of her when she becomes High Priestess. Yet, Gaius never stops and thinks about Eilan’s dreams, wishes, and goals. Instead, he abandons her and moves from one woman to another. Therefore, I did not think he loved Eilan. The only person he loved was himself.

     Overall, this novel is about forbidden love, war, peace, and belonging. I found the characters to be fleshed-out and realistic. I also love the setting and thought that Ancient Britain had come alive. However, I struggled with this novel especially in the beginning because of its slow pace, and that I did not care for Gaius’s chapters. I think The Forest House is the weakest novel in The Mists of Avalon series so far. Nevertheless, I am eager to read Lady of Avalon! It is still an enjoyable series!

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars


Comments

Popular posts from this blog

The Magnificent Lives of Marjorie Post by Allison Pataki: A Book Review

The Magnificent Lives of Marjorie Post Author: Allison Pataki Genre: Historical Fiction Publisher: Ballantine Release Date: February 15, 2022 Pages: 381 Source: Netgalley/Publisher in exchange for an honest review. Synopsis: Mrs. Post, the President and First Lady are here to see you. . . . So begins another average evening for Marjorie Merriweather Post. Presidents have come and gone, but she has hosted them all. Growing up in the modest farmlands of Battle Creek, Michigan, Marjorie was inspired by a few simple rules: always think for yourself, never take success for granted, and work hard—even when deemed American royalty, even while covered in imperial diamonds. Marjorie had an insatiable drive to live and love and to give more than she got. From crawling through Moscow warehouses to rescue the Tsar’s treasures to outrunning the Nazis in London, from serving the homeless of the Great Depression to entertaining Roosevelts, Kennedys, and Hollywood’s biggest stars, Marjorie Merriweath...

Blog Tour: The Secret Detective Agency (Secret Detective Agency Mystery #1) by Helena Dixon: A Book Review

The Secret Detective Agency (Secret Detective Agency Mystery #1) Author: Helena Dixon Genre: Historical Fiction, Mystery & Suspense Publisher: Bookouture Release Date: March 27, 2025 Pages: 264 Source: This book was given to me by the Publisher in exchange for an honest review. Synopsis:  Meet Miss Jane Treen – the coffee-drinking cat lover dressed head to toe in tweed, who just happens to be a secret super sleuth!       London, 1941: Miss Jane Treen is at her desk, strong black coffee in hand and fluffy ginger cat by her side, when her top-secret government work is interrupted by an urgent call to  Devon . A woman has been found dead in a lake in a place where she shouldn’t have been. Jane needs to gather the clues and find the killer before someone else from the agency gets hurt…       Shy and handsome code-breaker  Arthur Cilento  is bewildered by the arrival of the efficient  Miss Treen and h...

The Last Masterpiecce: A Novel of World War II Italy by Laura Morelli: A Book Review

The Last Masterpiece: A Novel of World War II Italy Author: Laura Morelli Genre: Historical Fiction Publisher: William Morrow Publishing  Release Date: 2023 Pages: 404 Source: Netgalley/Publisher in exchange for an honest review. Synopsis: In a race across Nazi-occupied Italy, two women—a German photographer and an American stenographer—hunt for priceless masterpieces looted from the Florentine art collections.       In the summer of 1943, Eva Brunner is taking photographs of Nazi-looted art hidden in the salt mines of the Austrian hinterland. Across the ocean in Connecticut, Josephine Evans is working as a humble typist at the Yale Art Gallery. When both women are called to Italy to contribute to the war effort, neither imagines she will hold the fate of some of the world’s greatest masterpieces torn from the Uffizi Galleries and other Florentine art collections in her hands. But as Italy turns from ally to enemy and Hitler’s plan to destroy irreplace...