The Hallowed Isle: The Book of the Cauldron and the Book of the Stone

By Diana L. Paxson

Book Overview

In her sweeping and magnificent multi-volume work THE HALLOWED ISLE, acclaimed author Diana L. Paxson brilliantly reinvents the classic myth of Arthur from the unique perspectives of four distinct tribal cultures that shaped Britain in the violent days of the sixth century. Book Three: The Book of the Cauldron In the wake of the departure of the Roman conquerors and the defeat of the invading Saxons -- during the rise of a strange new faith called Christianity -- the princes of Britannia dream of a return to bygone days...while others on the island invoke the magic of a time older still. 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. Book Four: The Book of the Stone A new generation longs for the glory their fathers knew. And Medraut, the son conceived by deceit, lusts for Artor's crown...and his queen. With the king drawn again to battle in Gallia by dreams of Empire, the royal lady Guendivar holds the sovereignty of the isle and must stand fast against the rising tide of revolt. But 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.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0380817594
• ISBN13: 9780380817597
• Release Date: February 2001
• Publisher: Harper Voyager
• Length: 384 Pages
• Weight: 0.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 4.2" x 6.8"

Customer Reviews

Surprisingly Moving

I picked up this book on a whim, not having read the first two books of the series, and not a particular fan of Arthurian fantasy. .... But I was caught up in these characters and the Goddess-magic that surrounds their lives - sometimes subtly, sometimes obviously. The characters are sympathetically portrayed, even Morgause and Mordred. Arthur and Guinevere are real people bearing the burden of larger-than-life roles. The plotting isn't complicated, but the emotions of the characters and their awareness of the profound consequences of their choices, adds a depth and richness to what might have been a simple story. I'm sure that reading the first two books would have added to my appreciation of these two - but the pair stand alone very well.