Table Of ContentPraise for the novels of Avalon
The Forest House
The setting evokes a fascinating time of change…. The mythic elements grow to hint satisfactorily at the
Arthurian wonder to come…. The stuff of legend.”
—Locus
"A historical novel with a mythic undertone…distinctive enough to achieve success in its own right [and]
likely to appeal to a wide audience.”
—Chronicle
"A seamless weave of history and myth.”
—Library Journal
"The sure touch of one at ease in sketching out mystic travels.”
—Kirkus Reviews
Marion Zimmer Bradley’s Ancestors of Avalon
"Magical….[The Mists of Avalon] devotees won’t feellet down by Ancestors…. Provides plenty of
pleasurable reading hours.”
—Fort Worth Star-Telegram
"An elegant stylist, Paxson captures the awe, tragedy, and resounding mystery of ancient Britain and mist-
enshrouded Atlantis.”
—Publishers Weekly
"Paxson fashions an entirely new entry in the Avalon saga…. [Her] storytelling features the requisite veins
of mysticism, but, like Bradley, she excels at bringing the vast sweep of imagined history to an accessible
level…. A rich and respectful homage that will dazzle readers longing to revisit Bradley’s sacred, storied
isle.”
—Booklist
"Once again, Diana L. Paxson has beautifully elaborated on Marion Zimmer Bradley’s beloved Avalon saga
with this dramatic new installment…. [An] extraordinary journey.”
—SFRevu "Paxson is an excellent choice as successor to Bradley for this series. Her style and the details of
the plot retain the sense of the mysterious past and the feminist awareness that was an underlying theme in
the originals.”
—Chronicle
"Ancestors of Avalon may be the best of the Avalon tales. The story line stands alone due to the strength of
the characterizations…yet also interconnects the myriad plots from the previously published books.”
—Midwest Book Review
Priestess of Avalon
"The message that all religions call on the same higher power should go over well with fans of Mists [of
Avalon]. Paxson’s own skill at bringing historical characters and places to vivid life enriches Helena’s
story.”
—Publishers Weekly
"Stunning…this rich and moving novel merits its place beside Bradley’s fantasy classic.”
—Booklist
"A guilty pleasure for history buffs, and a sure hit for the goddess crowd.”
—Kirkus Reviews
"Bradley creates a powerful tale of magic and faith that enlarges upon pagan and Christian traditions to
express a deeper truth.”
—Library Journal
Lady of Avalon
The National Bestseller
"Combines romance, rich historical detail, magical dazzlements, grand adventure, and feminist sentiments
into the kind of novel her fans have been yearning for.”
—Publishers Weekly (starred review) "The prose is as smooth as those sacred stones on which so many
interesting things take place.”
—Kirkus Reviews
"Bradley’s women are, as usual, strong and vibrant, but never before has she so effectively depicted the
heroic male…. An immensely popular saga.”
—Booklist
OTHER BOOKS IN THIS SERIES
The Mists of Avalon
Lady of Avalon
Priestess of Avalon
Ancestors of Avalon
MARION ZIMMER BRADLEY
the forest house
ROC
Published by New American Library, a division of
Penguin Group (USA) Inc., 375 Hudson Street,
New York, New York 10014, USA
Penguin Group (Canada), 90 Eglinton Avenue East, Suite 700, Toronto,
Ontario M4P 2Y3, Canada (a division of Pearson Penguin Canada Inc.)
Penguin Books Ltd., 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England
Penguin Ireland, 25 St. Stephen’s Green, Dublin 2,
Ireland (a division of Penguin Books Ltd.)
Penguin Group (Australia), 250 Camberwell Road, Camberwell, Victoria 3124,
Australia (a division of Pearson Australia Group Pty. Ltd.)
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New Delhi-110 017, India
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Auckland 1311, New Zealand (a division of Pearson New Zealand Ltd.)
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Rosebank, Johannesburg 2196, South Africa
Penguin Books Ltd., Registered Offices:
80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England
Published by Roc, an imprint of New American Library, a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
Previously published in Viking hardcover and Roc trade paperback editions.
Copyright © Marion Zimmer Bradley, 1993
All rights reserved
ISBN: 978-1-1012-1272-1
REGISTERED TRADEMARK—MARCA REGISTRADA
Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced,
stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic,
mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise), without the prior written permission of both the
copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.
PUBLISHER’S NOTE
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s
imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business
establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-
party Web sites or their content.
For my mother, Evelyn Conklin Zimmer, who
has borne with my working on the book for
most of my adult life
To Diana Paxson, my sister and friend, who anchored
this book firmly in time and space and added Tacitus
to the cast of characters
CONTENTS
AUTHOR’S NOTE
PEOPLE IN THE STORY
PROLOGUE
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
CHAPTER NINETEEN
CHAPTER TWENTY
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
CHAPTER THIRTY
