the edge of the lake of Avalon. Shortly afterward, Teleri leaves Allectus and finds her way back to Avalon, where she is reunited with Dierna, completes her training and eventually becomes her successor. Part 3 This part opens as the High Priestess Ana sends the Druid bard Taliesin to escort her third daughter, Viviane, to Avalon. Viviane had been fostered on a farm, but when she is fourteen years old, her mother recalls her to Avalon to take the place of her two older sisters, who had died. Since Viviane's strong temperament is similar to her mother's, the two often clash. Viviane completes her training as a priestess, but Ana refuses to allow her initiation, forcing Viviane to remain a novice—and a virgin—for much longer than usual. Although Viviane chafes at what she considers to be an unjust restriction, her virgin state enables her to become the first woman in centuries to handle the Holy Grail, which is kept by Taliesin's order of Druids. Finally, Viviane is initiated when she becomes the lover of the British chief Vortimer. When Vortimer dies, Viviane returns to Avalon carrying his child, a daughter who lives only three months. Meanwhile, Ana has become pregnant, but is too old to give birth safely. She and Viviane forgive each other as they await the birth. Ana dies in childbirth, but the baby, Morgause, survives. Viviane, whose breasts are still producing milk, becomes wet-nurse and foster-mother to her half-sister. The end of the book leads to the storyline of The Mists of Avalon. Release details 1997, USA, Penguin Putnam Inc. , Pub date June 1998, Paperback Reception The novel received a mixed reception, and was less successful than The Mists of Avalon. Publishers Weekly called Lady of Avalon a "splendid" prequel that "combines romance, rich historical detail, magical dazzlements, grand adventure and feminist sentiments into the kind of novel [Bradley's] fans have been yearning for." References Works cited 1997 American novels American historical novels American fantasy novels Avalon Series Modern Arthurian fiction Novels by Marion Zimmer Bradley Novels set in Roman Britain Viking Press books