Women of Arthurian Legend

The story of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table is well known throughout the world. One of the classic tellings of the tale is T.H. White's The Once and Future King, which follows young "Wart" as he meets Merlin the Wizard, pulls the magnificent sword Excalibur from the stone, and rules as the King of England.

But Marion Zimmer Bradley's The Mists of Avalon spins the story from the female point of view. In this book, the main character is Morgaine (Morgan Le Fay), Arthur's half-sister. Taken to Avalon as a child, she is raised with magic and charms to be a pagan priestess. Determined that the old pagan ways must not be ousted by the new Christian religions, Morgaine acquires the allegiance of Arthur. However, once the religious Gwenhwyfar (Guinevere) steps into position as Arthur's great love and queen, the women struggle for power in an epic battle for control of England. Although The Mists of Avalon is chronologically the last book in the Avalon series, it is highly recommended as the starting point on your journey into Camelot.

"Even in high summer, Tintagel was a haunted place; Igraine, Lady of Duke Gorlois, looked out over the sea from the headland. As she stared into the fogs and mists, she wondered how she would ever know when the night and day were of equal length, so that she could keep the Feast of the New Year."
~Opening line from the first book of The Mists of Avalon