What do You think about A Espada De Avalon (2010)?
In general, I like what Paxon has been doing with the Avalon series. Ancestors of Avalon was an engaging read, Ravens of Avalon was visceral and moving, and in as much as Paxon's writing invariably weaves a thick spell transporting the reader through time and space, I didn't love this book as much as I have loved the past books.While there were parts in which the writing was so vivid and compelling I forgot to breathe for entire pages, the themes common to all of the Avalon books sometimes seemed to be stronger forces than the characters or the conditions. Many of the trials and tribulations suffered by the hero seemed to have been created solely for the purpose of adding to the list of what Mikantor endured. While elevating his standing as the classic hero archetype, they did little to further the plot or to really illuminate his character. While consistent with the theme that each new trial was a new forging of his character, juxtaposed with the heavy smithing theme of the book, it often fell flat.Similarly, parts of the story which seemed to offer a great deal of opportunity for deep character development were often written through in the matter of a paragraph while great detail was often devoted to banalities which neither added to the tale nor helped draw the reader further into it.As a fan of this series, of Bradley's, and of Paxon's, I feel as though this book must have been rushed to print before it was ready. I would make an allusion to the forging of iron, but alas, at this point, I am tired of them.The imagery is powerful, and the feminist themes are still strong, both of which are hallmarks of the series. However, I feel this book could have been so much more, and at times, I was also disappointed with the shoddy editing.Of course I'd recommend it to anyone who enjoys the series, and I appreciate that one can read each of the books in the Avalon series independently, but it is not the brightest star in that constellation.
—edwina500
This book is paced quite oddly and I found it hard to latch onto the story for the first 150-200 pages. Paxson doesn't manage to convey the passing of time all that well, so I often found myself quite lost when exactly time has passed and how much. This gets better in the last half of the book when large periods of time aren't skipped anymore.Even though the main story is quite predictable most of the time, each character tells his or her own story and I never had the feeling I was reading a prop. However, large parts that should develop a character -- mainly Mikantor/Woodpecker -- are skipped or just mentioned in passing and should have been told on page.I was also very intrigued by and impressed with the details the author managed to work into the book. The chapter on the smithing of the Sword of Stars -- the legendary Excalibur -- is easily my favourite.In conclusion: After you get over the pacing, Sword of Avalon is a good read that can actually be enjoyed on its own but might make you curious for more.
—Pitchfork
The poor Bronze Age description kinda ruined this book for me. Boring characters did the rest.
—miles
4 1/2 I love just about any story about Avalon. This one did not disappoint me.
—PeachButterfly
This was definitely the best of the Paxson books.
—Johnaayyy
