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Imagine that a shy graduate student has discovered the legendary necklace Brisingamen -- whose wearer bears the powers of the goddess Freyja, mistress of love and war...

Imagine that Freyja's enemy, Loki, has come to San Francisco to steal it back, so that he can release his fiery reign of terror...

Imagine that only Karen Ingold can stop him. Together with her unlikely allies -- a one-eyed biker, a red-bearded carpenter, and a spinsterly Tarot reader -- Karen must follow her enemy to a twilit world of myth and magic... not unlike our own.

Imagine the Abyss, where Heaven and Hell prepare their forces for the ultimate war...

Imagine eight men and women--swept into this Otherworld by computer, magic, and drug-generated living dreams--all humanity dependent on their choices for its future freedom... or slavery.

Imagine a modern city, become a battleground in this most ancient of conflicts.

Now, let the struggle begin.

In this fantasy retelling of King Lear , Paxton intriguingly posits that the daughters' treatment of the old king demonstrates a conflict between matrilineal and patrilineal cultures. Leir, a leader of the Quiritani people from the Great Land, conquers the Painted People of Iron Age Britain. He fathers a daughter with each of three major queens, his favorite child being the youngest, Cridilla, who is trained, like her sisters, to join a long line of women warriors. When famine overtakes the land in Lier's old age, his oldest daughters secretly agitate his overthrow and a return to the rule of the Goddess. Cridilla, who loves a chieftain of the Quiritani of the Great Land, refuses to join her sisters when they make their false and honeyed promises to the king and is banished when her pregnancy is revealed. Later, Cridilla determines to battle her sisters and save her father, since she realizes that the old ways cannot return.

Set in ancient, magical Scotland, this is the story of Maira, a proud and beautiful Celt, trained in warfare as well as womanhood. Carric loves her but he belongs to an enemy tribe and she has vowed to kill him.

This haunting retelling of the tale of Tristan and Iseult (here called Drustan and Esseilte in accordance with Celtic legend and language) goes back to early versions, before Mallory and Wagner, to explore the nature of love, duty and loyalty. The story is told by Branwen, cousin and companion to Esseilte, daughter of the High King of Eriu (Ireland). The two young women save the life of a badly wounded harper, later discovered to be Drustan, who had killed Esseilte's beloved uncle and Branwen's father, Morholt, in battle. Drustan seeks Esseilte's hand for his uncle, Marc'h, King of Kernow (Cornwall), an alliance arranged for political reasons. On the way to Cornwall, Esseilte tries to poison Drustan, but the potion they both drink turns out to be a love filtre prepared for Esseilte and Marc'h. Thus the tale is set in motion, with passion and hate binding the lovers together. With Branwen's aid, they are able to deceive Marc'h on the wedding night: Branwen, close in appearance to the queen, sleeps with the king and falls in love with him. For a while Esseilte and Drustan escape detection, but eventually they are caught in circumstances that cannot be ignored, leading to the tragic denouement. This is a complex tale, interweaving the political and religious conflicts of the sixth century, when the ancient Druid religion still had a strong hold.

The amazing prequel to Marion Zimmer Bradley's bestselling The Mists of Avalon. Inside the walls of the Forest House, in a remote part of Britain, a secret sect of Druidic priestesses guards the ancient rites of learning, healing, and magic against the onslaught of invading Romans.

The story is told from the time when Gawen, heir to the royal line, secured the sanctity of Avalon and established it as a sacred place, through to Helen, British princess, and finally of Viviane, who herself must face a new invader and a new danger to Avalon.

Helena. Beautiful, young, enigmatic. She's a daughter of the Holy Isle who became a Christian Saint and the heroine of Welsh legend. In 296, the emperor Contantius come to Britian and falls in love with Princess Eilan, known as Helana to the Romans. She is also the daughter of King Coel and the high Priestess of Avalon. Helena see's a chance to marry the bloodlines of ancient royal families, and their myths and traditions. But she has to contend with the politics of Rome, the ill fortunes of war and the irresistable rise of a powerful new religion...

The last instalment in the Epic Avalon series by Marion Zimmer Bradley The Ancestors of Avalon is the story of the priests and priestesses - the ancestors in body and spirit of the characters who reappear in the other Avalon books - who flee the destruction of Atlantis and take refuge in the mist-shrouded isle of Britain. But once landed at Belerion the survivors are torn, do they look north to the midlands and seek to lead the Wessex kings, or do they explore the mystical Tor and reestablish their magical traditions within a spiritual kingdom. It is they who teach the Neolithic inhabitants how to move the mighty stones, and carve the spiral pathway around Glastonbury Tor but can they survive the battle against each other.

Diana L. Paxson expands Marion Zimmer Bradley's beloved and bestselling Avalon series in a dramatic new installment. Marion Zimmer Bradley's Ravens of Avalon is the prequel to The Forest House and tells the story of the Roman conquest of Britain and the origin of the Forest House that preceded the return to Avalon.

Marion Zimmer Bradley's Ravens of Avalon follows the journey of Boudica, a Celtic princess, and Lhiannon, a priestess who is Boudica's mentor on the Druid isle. When the Romans conquer Britain, Lhiannon fights them while Boudica is married to a king who has surrendered. Theirs is a great love story, but when he dies, the Romans brutalize her and her daughters. In rage, Boudica raises the British tribes and nearly succeeds in driving the Romans from Britain, claiming a place in history. Lhiannon survives and becomes the guardian of the Druid traditions in the new Roman Britannia as high priestess of the Forest House.

Epic in its sweep and peopled by the remarkable women who have always inhabited Avalon, Marion Zimmer Bradley's Ravens of Avalon expands the legendary saga that has enchanted millions of readers over the years and is sure to please Bradley's loyal readership and anyone who loves wonderfully told stories of history, myth, and fantasy.

Marion Zimmer Bradley's legendary saga of Avalon's extraordinary women continues with a tale of fiery visions, a lost king, and a forthcoming destiny.

Epic in its sweep and peopled by the remarkable women who have always inhabited Avalon, Marion Zimmer Bradley's Sword of Avalon expands the legendary saga that has enchanted millions of readers over the years and is sure to please Bradley's loyal readership and anyone who loves wonderfully told stories of history, myth, and fantasy.

A boy raised in secret after traitors kill his parents will return to Avalon - and when he does, he'll be faced with a formidable task: to prove his worth as a son of the kings and priestesses of his land and lead his followers to victory, wielding the newly-forged sword Excalibur.

Table of Contents:

• 1 - Introduction - (2004) - essay by Diana L. Paxson
• 3 - Sword and Sorceress - poem by Jennifer G. Tifft
• 5 - Dawn and Dusk - short story by Dana Kramer-Rolls
• 21 - Spell of the Sparrow - short story by Jim C. Hines
• 35 - The Woman's Place - short story by Susan Urbanek Linville
• 53 - Kin - [Eliana's Song] - short story by Naomi Kritzer
• 68 - Child's Play - short story by Esther M. Friesner
• 92 - Ursa - short story by Jenn Reese
• 100 - Red Caramae - short story by Kit Wesler
• 106 - Parri's Blade - short story by Cynthia McQuillin
• 122 - Necessity and 'The Mother' - short story by Lee Martindale
• 133 - Sun Thief - short story by K. A. Laity
• 143 - Lostland - [Ruana Rulane] - short story by Rosemary Edghill
• 163 - Plowshares - short story by Rebecca Maines
• 177 - Step by Step - [Temple Cats - 1] - short story by Catherine Soto
• 187 - Favor of the Goddess - short story by Lynn Morgan Rosser
• 200 - Rose in Winter - short story by Marie M. Loughin
• 223 - Kazhe's Blade - short story by Terry McGarry
• 241 - The Skin Trade - [Skin] - short story by Heather Rose Jones
• 258 - Multiple Choice - short story by Leslie Fish
• 271 - Oulu - short story by Aimee Kratts
• 288 - A Kind of Redemption - short story by John P. Buentello
• 296 - Journey's End - [Cynthia, Daughter of Euelpides] - short story by Dorothy J. Heydt
• 305 - Love Potion #8-1/2 - short story by Marilyn A. Racette

Wounded in Body and Spirit, King Artor summons the Lady of the Lake, his mother Igierne, to use the power of the Cauldron to heal a troubled, wartorn land. But a darkness is emanating from high places and it threatens to devastate a realm.The king has been drawn again to battle in Gallia, and Medraut, the son conceived by deceit, Iusts for Artor's crown and his queen. If the rightful Defender of Britannia does not return in haste to reclaim his kingdom, the hallowed isle will be ripped asunder and no power will heal the land.

A Saxon of royal blood, Oesc has fled the drowned, doomed country to which he is heir in order to claim rich lands in Britannia. Though sworn to the spirits of his new home, he tryly serves an older god... and a darker sorcery: the power of the Spear. But the Spear's magic is opposed by that of the Sword of Rome, a weapon now wielded by young King Artor, and before him by Artor's father Uthir. In Uthir's hand, the blade slew Oesc's own father, and now vengeance burns fiercely in Oesc's heart--a lust for revenge that could destroy a greatness before it fully flowers.

Destiny lies in the clashing of magic steel. The hope of all Britain rests in the hands of the warrior sons.

The Romans came, conquered, and departed, leaving behind them a strange new religion called Christianity. The princes of Britannia have driven back the invading Saxons and dream of a return to bygone days, while others on the island invoke the magic of a time older still. For the revered ancient goddesses Eve on in the hearts and memories of the proud royal women of the old British tribes. And now, King Artor -- wounded in body and spirit -- proclaims that the sword and the spear must be put to rest, and summons his mother Igierne, Lady of the Lake, to use the powers of the Cauldron to heal a troubled, wartorn land. But old jealousies and new power struggles threaten disaster, as Artor's sister Morgause hides a deadly secretand a darker magic. It is Guendivar the queen who holds the key to their survival, if she can master her own power in time.For a darkness is emanating from high places -- and it threatens to devastate a realm.

After years of conflict, Britannia finally knows peace and Artor reigns from his throne at Camalot. But discontent rumbles through the kingdom. A new generation longs for the glory their fathers knew. Medraut, the son conceived by deceit, lusts for Artor's crown -- and his queen. Dreams of an empire draw the king to Gallia to battle again, leaving the sovereignty of the isle in Guendivar's hands. As Artor's painful absence grows longer, the land cries out for its champion -- and even the queen doubts his return. With the rise of revolt home to a country in turmoil. Only he can heal the land and reclaim the kingdom -- or else the hallowed isle will be ripped asunder once again.

A darkness born and bred for revenge shadows the nation. But one hope shines -- the Defender of Britannia.

A science fiction story written by the author of "White Mare, Red Stallion", "The White Raven" and "The Paradise Tree". This is the first book of the chronicles of Westria, a fantasy of a young King's quest for love and magic.

A Queen to be Mistress of the Jewels of Westria, and wield their magical thrall over the elements. A Queen to conquer the mysteries of the Kingdom, as she had conquered the King's heart.

But the young and gentle Queen little suspected treachery in the magical spheres of the Westrian court, where jealousy festered and a sorcerer bridled at her powers.

Now her beloved King lay gravely ill, and the hands of sorcer sought to seize the sacred Jewels themselves. Now the Queen alone must battle the Kingdom's darkest threat since the Cataclysm, as whirlwinds of destruction descend upon fair Westria.

He was master of magic, music, and the sword.

Silverhair the Wanderer

His path led him through a world of sorcery and strike; through a life of minstrely and magic. His quest was to master the mysteries of ancient craft and lore; his goal was to find and rescue those torn from him by war.

Once he was Farin of Hawkcrest Hold; and then Farin Harper, Knight of Westria.

Now he was simply -- Silverhair the Wanderer.

Protected only by his sword, his harp, and his songs, pursued by a powerful evil wizard, Silverhair's road led to goddesses and ghosts, man-monsters and madness, scholars and shapeshifters, the palaces of royalty and the tents of ragged nomads. But for all the perils he braved, for all the dangers he conquered, Silverhair's goal remained unseen, elusive, a mystery beyond solution...

Because his beloved sister and her son, heir to the throne of Westria, had vanished -- utterly vanished -- from the face of the earth.

Caolin, the royal traitor who once nearly destroyed Westria, has risen again on the Red Mountain. Infinitely more powerful than before, now he is the Wolfmaster, the Lord who wields the fear at the heart of the Universe. And the weapons to stop him -- the Jewels of Power -- are lost to the world, while Westria, leaderless for a generation, drifts toward doom.

Westria has one hope. Julian -- the lost son of King Jehan and Queen Faris -- is alive.

But Julian is untrained, untested, unblooded, and unknown, his claim to the Crown disputed. To prove his birthright, Julian, Silverhair the Wanderer, and the Regent's children, Frederic and Rana, must journey to gain the support of Westria's unearthly guardians -- the Lord of the Trees, the Lady of Earth, the Guardian of Men, the Gnome-King... and Julian must find, then wield, the awesome first Jewel of Power, the Earthstone...

Before the Blood Lord's sorcery and assassins locate and destroy them all.

Julian, the long-lost son of Queen Faris and King Jehan, has returned to hear the kingdom of Westria. But he cannot prove his heritage and gain the throne except by searching out and mastering one by one the four great Jewels of Power lost in the magical cataclysm that destroyed his parents years ago.

And Caolin, the jealous Blood Lord, the Sorcerer who was the author of the great destruction, still lives. The Jewels alone stand between him and utter dark power, from which Westria will never recover. Caolin's lust for Julian's death knows no bounds.

And the Sea Star lies hidden, waiting to be found, to be mastered, for good or evil.

The King is Dead, the Land ruled by a Regent. Prince Julian, the lost son of King Jehan, has returned to claim the crown. But he must first prove his right by finding and mastering the four jewels of power lost in the magic war that killed Jehan. Julian has gained two of them, The Earthstone and The Sea Star. Now he must survive the quest for the wind crystal.

Prince Julian, claimant and true heir to the throne of Westria, must recover and master the four jewels of Power lost in the cataclysmic magical battle that killed his father. Now three of the four are Julian's. What will be the cost to the kingdom, what price will Julian have to pay to attain the fourth – from the mouth of a volcano.

A new story and a new generation grows as Diana Paxson returns to Westria, her classic fantasy realm, in the first new novel in that land in more than a decade. Prince Phoenix has always been a bit restless, never quite measuring up to the expectations of his father King Julian. Sombra, Phoenix's childhood friend, believes in him, but she has her own duties as a student of the College of the Wise. Their relationship surpasses friendship, but their responsibilities take precedence over their feelings. Then Phoenix is abducted in a raid and sold to slavers. Eduring pain and humiliation, Phoenix must find a way to survive, even if that means losing his sense of self, and becoming a danger to the people that he loves.

While King Julian searches for his lost son, a growing army of fanatics led by the charismatic Mother Mahalial is conquering land after land, and its final destination is the golden land of Westria. The only person that can sense Phoenix's plight is Sombra, and her attempt to rescue him may decide the fate of the kingdom.

In a novel inspired by the myth popularized by Wagner's Ring Trilogy, Paxson recounts the first part of the Nibelungenlied legend. Children Brunahild and Sigfrid are raised along their fated paths, each immersed in the special knowledge that will mold them into leaders of their people. Soon they are drawn together in a union of perfect love and heroic glory.

Trapped in the court of the Burgund by an insidious magic, champion warrior and shape-shifter Sigfrid Sigmundson is thrust into battle against Brunahild, the woman he once loved, in order to win her for another man.

The legendary warrior Sigfrid Sigmundson was destroyed by a wronged lover's pain, the faithlessness of royal friends and the will of a god - impelling Gudrun, his grieving widow, to seek isolation in the charcoal burners' forest. Now duty demands she wed again. But the beautiful princess of the Niflungar can neither forgive nor forget a murderous treachery that must be answered in kind - even as she agrees, for the good of her people, to become the bride of the scourge Attila, he who will be Khan of Khans and master of the Sword of War. Yet it is the bitter blood of kinship that poses the greatest threat to a family already poisoned by hatred and guilt - as they await the final, fateful knotting of the twisted destiny they themselves have wound