Avalon

A review by Sidney Durham

© 2000 Used here by permission of author.

Avalon by Lynne den Hartog is available for purchase through Renaissance E Books. Note Bene: When ordering REB e-books, select 'ENE' from the resellers' drop down menu.

Lynne den Hartog is a good writer. I already knew that. And she's good at writing romantic stories. I already knew that. And she's also good at writing stories that seem to border on mythological. I already knew that as well.

So when I saw the title of this book, I wanted to read it. Could it be that Lynne had written a book about Avalon, the land of heros, where King Arthur was taken when he was thought to be mortally wounded?

I was anxious to find out.

Well, it's not a book about King Arthur. There's no shining armor in this story. You see, Avalon is also the name of a place of Celtic mythology, an island paradise in the west. Lynne has written about something even more magical than Excalibur.

But that wasn't the end of my surprises. This isn't a book of stories, but it contains stories. You see, some of the chapters in this book are stories Lynne has shared with some of her ERA friends in the past, and I had had the good fortune to read a few of them. And when I read them, I thought they were wonderful stories.

But it seems that all along Lynne was working on a secret project. The things Lynne had shared with us weren't simply stories, they were episodes in a beautiful book she was writing. What appeared to me to be simple, unconnected and lovely tales were actually pieces of a glorious tapestry Lynne was making -- and what I once thought were stories were actually a series of events connected by golden thread, making this book into a superb reading experience.

This is Lynne's best work. I was so captivated by this book that once I had sat down started reading it I did not stand again until I was finished. Buy the book, and when you do, make sure you have a lot of free time ahead of you before you start reading.

Avalon by Lynne den Hartog

"Donna caught a glimpse of her face in the mirror on the wall and turned pale.Ê The reflection was misty but her image was not alone.Ê There were other faces flashing before her eyes.Ê A young girl, clad all in white, her eyes filled with fear; a limping man, arms outstretched, searching for something just out of reach; a figure, clothes ripped and torn, with blood streaming from his face; and many more.Ê She closed her eyes in fear and when she opened them again, the images had disappeared Ð at least...Ê Standing behind her she saw the one vision she had expected to meet there ... Gwydo."Ê A gripping tale of Celtic mythology centered around the mysterious "Avalon," a beautiful romantic cottage in the remote wilds of Wales.Ê Yet, this seemingly innocent location is the setting for an eternal conflict between Good and Evil Ð a portal between Life and Death, where star-crossed lovers are fated to play out their dreams and nightmares throughout time.

Avalon is an ideal Halloween gift, providing excellent stories to read aloud at an adult Halloween party!Ê The striking cover graphic is by Patti Gregson.

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