Synopsis: The mythic legend of King Arthur, vividly retold through the lives of the amazing women who wielded power from behind the throne. Details: Adult book, fantasy, published April 1984, 876 pages.
I probably wouldn't have pick this book up myself to read, mainly because of its size, but my mom picked this one up from a school book sale she was working at and thought I might like it. For the first 300 pages, I thought The Mists of Avalon was a really good book and would be in my favorites pile. But after the incest incident, it threw me off. In addition to that, I did not like the intense concentration on "the Goddess" and their whole religion. At times, it felt like I was reading a religious book rather than a fantasy book.
I couldn't help but compare The Mists to Juliet Marillier's books. Marillier is one of my all-time favorite authors. She has characters that you can relate to and sympathize with, very interesting plots, she describes the scenery in lush detail, and her dialogue is easy to read. Marillier's characters also worship "the Goddess," but that part doesn't take over the book like I felt The Mists did. Perhaps if I agreed with the philosophy of their religion, I would've enjoyed it a bit more.
Midway through the book, I lost interest and it seemed to take forever to reach the end. It kept going on and on. Some parts got me sitting at the edge of my chair, but those were few and far between. I skimmed the last 40 pages because I wanted to finish it so bad.
