Very lovely book! I think the prequels to The Mists of Avalon are often judged a little harshly, on account of the fact that they aren't The Mists of Avalon. Zimmer Bradley passed away after publishing the original, but not before leaving behind notes and ideas that were picked up by Diana Paxson. Subsequently, the story telling isn't quite as amazing. On the other hand, Diana tends to focus more on historical figures and events, which adds an interesting flavor to the Avalon story. Certainly worth checking out if you're a fan of the original.