The Forest House is prequel to the book Mists of Avalon, which I love. I have been looking for the rest of of the Avalon books at thrift stores when I go but so far I have only found one. My friend Vanessa loaned me this and I loved it. Not quite as epic as Mists of Avalon but still great. The story is set in the first century in Britain and follows a Druidic priestess and a Roman officer who fall in love, but aren't allowed to be together. Although they have to be apart, they both work at keeping the land safe and peaceful.Marion Zimmer Bradley writes really well, she is very good at writing about history and emotions, she really makes you feel like you are learning something while you are reading a novel. Everything that I have read claims that she weaves the history seamlessly into the fiction so that any real historical characters are portrayed as accurately as possible. She does write from a very feminist prespective, something that usually bothers me. I really like her style though, she obviously believes in the power of women, but it is also obvious that she believes that men and women belong together and that they are at their best when they are together.
My favorite part of the books is reading about the Drudic priestesses and their way of life. They worship the Goddess and live in a sanctuary of sorts where they keep the ancient traditions of healing and worship. The sanctuary is in a somewhat troubled position during the time period of this book but I still love the way that live, very committed and focused, very accepting that everyone worships in their own way. I love the way that they are always looking for the power in the natural aspects of the world around them.
I totally recommend reading this book if you have already read Mists of Avalon and liked it, but if you haven't I would start there.
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