Ravens of Avalon

Name: Ravens of Avalon
Rating: 4.6 (352 reviews)

by Marion Zimmer Bradley Book 6 in the Avalon series.

First published 2007

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4.5(352)

Before the Roman conquest hardens into occupation, young Boudica studies on Mona and befriends the priestess Lhiannon. Called home to marry Prasutagus, king of the Iceni, Boudica attempts to preserve her family’s position under Roman rule while Lhiannon and the Druids resist the destruction of their sanctuaries.

After Prasutagus dies, Roman officials seize the Iceni kingdom and assault Boudica and her daughters. Boudica unites British tribes in revolt, while Lhiannon confronts the cost of vengeance and the survival of the traditions that will be carried into the Forest House and Avalon.

Mona’s destruction and the Iceni revolt reveal two connected Roman policies: suppression of institutions capable of sustaining resistance and exploitation of client kingdoms once their usefulness ends. Boudica and Lhiannon respond differently, but both confront a system that converts accommodation into dispossession. The novel uses their parallel stories to show why revolt becomes thinkable only after cooperation has failed.