Dark Moon of Avalon: A Novel of Trystan & Isolde

Twilight of Avalon #2

by Anna Elliott

She is a healer, a storyteller, and a warrior. She has fought to preserve Britain’s throne. Now she faces her greatest challenge in turning bitter enemies into allies, saving the life of the man she loves . . . and mending her own wounded heart. The young former High Queen, Isolde, and her friend and protector, Trystan, are reunited in a new and dangerous quest to keep the usurper, Lord Marche, and his Saxon allies from the throne of Britain. Using Isolde’s cunning wit and talent for healing and Trystan’s strength and bravery, they must act as diplomats, persuading the rulers of the smaller kingdoms, from Ireland to Cornwall, that their allegiance to the High King is needed to keep Britain from a despot’s hands. Their admissions of love hang in the air, but neither wants to put the other at risk by openly declaring a deeper alliance. When their situation is at its most desperate, Trystan and Isolde must finally confront their true feelings toward each other, in time for a battle that will test the strength of their will and their love. Steeped in the magic and lore of Arthurian legend, Elliott paints a moving portrait of a timeless romance, fraught with danger, yet with the power to inspire heroism and transcend even the darkest age.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Arthurian, Fantasy, Historical, Fiction, Romance, British Literature

448 pages, Paperback

First published September 14, 2010

About the author

Anna Elliott is an author of historical fiction and fantasy. She enjoys stories about strong women, and loves exploring the multitude of ways women can find their unique strengths. She was delighted to lend a hand with the Sherlock & Lucy series, and thrilled to continue a new spin-off series featuring Becky and Flynn. Her first series, the Twilight of Avalon trilogy, is a retelling of the Trystan & Isolde legend. She wrote her second series, The Pride & Prejudice Chronicles , chiefly to satisfy her own curiosity about what might have happened to Elizabeth Bennet, Mr. Darcy, and all the other wonderful cast of characters after the official end of Jane Austen’s classic work.

WEBSITE: http://sherlockandlucy.com
INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/sherlockand...
FACEBOOK READER GROUP: https://www.facebook.com/groups/77782...
AMAZON: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Anna-El...

Anna lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and five children.

Reviews

[Amy Bruno · Rating 5 out of 5]

The resplendent world of Anna Elliott’s Trystan and Isolde continues in Dark Moon of Avalon, book two of the phenomenal Twilight of Avalon trilogy.

As book two opens we find Isolde and Britain’s High King Madoc, long-time enemies, now allies plotting a way to defend Britain from Lord Marche and his Saxon collaborators. Trystan has returned to Dinas Emyre in search of Isolde’s help and together they set out to save their friend and gather support for the fight against Lord Marche, all easier said than done. Isolde’s gift of sight has also returned though it proves more often a curse than a blessing and only gives her the vaguest of visions. And just as in TOA, their mettle and tenacity will be tested relentlessly against some pretty nasty foes.

While on their journey, Trystan and Isolde will also have to confront the emotions that they have been feeling for each other, ones that they’ve been suppressing for so long and for this reader it was a total “YES!” moment. Their love is so much like my own with my husband. A relationship started from a strong friendship and built with trust, understanding and unconditional love. Able to know each other’s minds better than their own, they are like two broken halves making one complete person. Now that’s true love!!

Anna Elliott’s wonderful menagerie of characters are all accounted for, along with some new faces that you will either loath or love. My personal fave is still Kian, though sadly we didn’t get to spend too much time with him in book two, but Anna has said he will be back for the final book so I’m stoked about that. I guess I have a thing for the “old gruff” as Anna refers to him and love this quote of his:

“Don’t mind for me lass. I’ve been a sight closer to death than I am now. I’m not that easy to kill.”

In conclusion, I loved, loved, loved this book equally as much as I loved the first book, Twilight of Avalon and while I can’t wait to read the final book I know I will be super sad to leave the lovely world that Anna Elliott has brilliantly brought to life.

The final and third book in the trilogy is titled Sunrise of Avalon will be released in 2011. One enemy has been weakened but the final battle for Britain and Trystan and Isolde against Lord Marche is yet to fight.

[Lauren Stoolfire · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dark Moon of Avalon (Twilight of Avalon #2) by Anna Elliott is a fantastic sequel. If you're at all interested in historical fantasy, Arthurian retellings, or Trystan and Isolde this is an absolutely must read. I'm so glad I just happened to take a chance on this series because so far the first two installments have been a couple of my favorite reads of 2021. I can't wait to read the finale, Sunrise of Avalon.

[Nicky · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was given this by a friend who really loves Anna Elliott's work, at the same time as I got the first book, Twilight of Avalon. I'm glad I got round to reading them. It's a retelling of the Tristan and Isolde story, but one that inclines toward something that is at least basically plausible historically (though there's fantasy elements as well). As such, it doesn't have all the trappings of the usual Tristan and Isolde stories: for example, Isolde is only briefly married to Mark, and Mark is Tristan's father, rather than his uncle, and there's never any love between the two.

The thread of the romance between them is more developed in this book than in the first, ending quite well. There's a happy ending, too, in a sense, although it remains open for the third book of the trilogy.

Several secondary characters from the first book remain: Kian and Hereric, and men from the council. I felt quite drawn to Madoc; I was a little sad that there wasn't more time spent with him.

Despite it being four hundred pages ish long, I didn't find it a long/difficult read at all. I read it within a day -- if I hadn't had other things to do, I'd likely have read it all in one go.

For those who were wondering about the theme of rape from the first book: it remains in the background as a threat, here, which I think is realistic enough. There's nothing gratuitous. And Isolde doesn't just magically get over what Mark did to her -- it takes her time and effort.

[Belinda Vlasbaard · Rating 4 out of 5]

4,25 stars - English Ebook

Review follows later.

[Marie Burton · Rating 4 out of 5]

In May of 2009, I read Anna Elliott's debut novel (which was a favorite of the year for me) Twilight of Avalon and I found myself immersed in Arthurian legend that was told with intoxicating ease that drew me into Dark Ages Britain. I was eager to read book two, Dark Moon of Avalon, but once I finally received it I had to put it aside in the priorities list. Which was unfortunate because upon opening Dark Moon I was struggling to see where we were in the time line, as over a year had passed since I read the first book in the trilogy. Soon enough I was beguiled by the storytelling and I was once again falling in love with Anna Elliott's story of the two star-crossed lovers. Anna's writing is deeply and thickly rooted within its story that you have to pace yourself with her writing so that you do not miss anything. This is not the love story you would think it would be at first glance, it is the author's reimagined history of a very early Britain as it struggles to become the kingdom that its leaders know it can be.


Dark Moon of Avalon begins as Isolde is asked by King Madoc to go to the council meeting to visit with the Irish King Goram, with hopes of uniting certain leaders with those that would be beneficial for the salvation of Britain. What follows is a long journey to meet with these leaders which is fraught with peril along the path. Lord Marche is the enemy that Isolde was once married to from Book one who now haunts her dreams with visions of Marche and Trystan locked in a fierce sword fight. Isolde is lucky to have trustworthy allies at her side as she makes her journey, and she finally meets up with Trystan who agrees to guide her towards a meeting King Cerdic, someone who is of doubtful character, but can help turn the tide of war in a positive turn for Britain if he agrees to her courageous plan.

Not a story that is told to be an action-packed adventure, this is a character-driven heroic tale of good vs. evil, with strong tones of true love and honor. Enchanting, intriguing and powerful writing makes this a story to be savored as we get into Isolde's head and heart along her journey, making us thoroughly respect and admire Isolde's strength of character and bravery. We witness Isolde struggling with romantic feelings for her childhood friend as she keeps the distance between them just enough to be laced with tension. The reader is treated to the author's reimagined Dark Ages setting that evokes the magical Arthurian theme but also offers a whole new twist to the traditional Tristan and Iseult tale. Anna Elliott's love story of Trystan and Isolde is virtuous and sweet,with the wonderful ending in book two which leaves us on tenterhooks awaiting the final installment in the trilogy.

[MasterSal]

Omg I can’t take it anymore - I am reading each sentence like 3 or 4 times and I still don’t care. Perhaps historical fiction and I need a break - or I should have gone up on the series after a middling experience with book 1.

DNF at page 45

[Anna · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really like Twilight of Avalon, but this second book in the series was boring. The characters, who are recreations of Tristan and Isolde, are still interesting and the minor players are well fleshed out. However, the constant redundancy in this book was painful. Elliot repeated the same ideas over and over again, as if I hadn't read them a few chapters or sometimes even a few pages ago. It was like a bad college paper where you have to fill out the page requirements, but you really have nothing else to say.

[Carina · Rating 2 out of 5]

This second book is better than the first one. I felt enough emotional connection to the characters to read it. Honestly though, after reading the first book I would NOT have bought this second one... but I made the mistake of buying the entire trilogy before starting it.

Again, this book is also unnecessarily long. So many boooooooring scenes and so many misunderstandings.

I found it hard to like any character, really.

[Sydney Moore · Rating 3 out of 5]

Originally reviewed on StoryGraph: 2.75 ⭐️ rounded up

I enjoyed this book more than the first, but it's still not one of my favorites. In my review for the previous book, I had said that I wasn't sure where the romance was going because I feel like they didn't lay any groundwork for feelings to grow in this one. It seemed like the author just wanted the characters to be in love, so she wrote that they were from the very beginning of this book. Like I said, there were no moments in the first book that came off as romantic or attraction and in fact they both said the other was like a sibling.

Then in this book, Trystan's feelings are just so overwhelming and he can't stand to be around her because he loves her so much and has been in love with her since she was a child. And same for Isolde. She's scared of how much she loves him and apparently told her grandma that she'd love him when she was younger. But all of this came out of left field. We didn't get to go through the journey of the characters discovering their feelings or growing them for each other, because they're just in love since the author tells us so.

I really found it hard to buy in the beginning with Trystan. He would think that he's absolutely in love with her, but his words and actions did not match at all with that. And it wasn't even that he was thinking about actively fighting his feelings by saying something different, or at least the author didn't say that's what he was doing. Honestly, it came across as really lazy writing where she didn't want to write this slow burn romance, so she skipped to them being in love.

I liked the storyline in this one more than the first. I'm a sucker for when the love interests have to travel alone together, and we did get some of that in this book. Also the direction of the book was much more clear in this one and Isolde actually did what she set out to do. I felt like she was taken more seriously in this one and I enjoyed seeing her turn the tides of the battle in the end because of her smart, but reckless idea. I really really liked Fidach as a character. Having him save her when the prison was burning down was so unexpected, but interesting when he explained his morals. I do like a complex character. Although, I was totally expecting Trystan to save her and my romantic heart was so ready for an epic rescue, but realistically, the author wrote what was more likely.

Like the first book, this one focused on rape way too much again. I get that Marche is a bad guy. I don't need to see Isolde reliving her trauma throughout the whole book and seeing the aftermath of him raping a six year old. It was just unnecessary and didn't add anything to the book. I really hope that both him and rape in general aren't focused on in the next book.

The ending with Trystan and Isolde getting married was fine, I thought we'd get some pining and moments and they'd end up together in the next one. I just wanted more grand romantic gestures to get myself more invested in their relationship. I'm not a fan of pregnancy in books, so I'm not really looking forward to seeing that in the next one, especially if Trystan still has his violent PTSD, but we'll see.

I will be finishing out the trilogy since I already bought the next one. I am interested to see where the story goes as far as the politics and I feel like I don't have a good idea what direction it'll go in. I wouldn't recommend this book because I don't know anyone that would enjoy the style and while this book was better than the first, it's not worth reading the first one to read this one. I might change my mind with the final book, but I doubt it.

[Zora · Rating 2 out of 5]

This dragged. Also, the two lovers keep doing the same things over and over. He sneaks away. She sneaks away. They get hurt. They get captured. It's really quite repetitive. A disappointment after the first book.

Writing is fine. Characters are fine. But maybe this should have been one long novel, not three.

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very strong second book in a trilogy. I loved every minute, all my patient waiting really started to pay off...

Read my full review of this series at: http://mamashomebookin.com/twilight-o...

[Andromeda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm gushing with love. All the feels. My heart is so full 🤧
This one has less of the griefs like the first book and more of the heartwarming part. Tho heartache is still present.

*Full (sane) reviews will be coming for all three books fo sho*

[Babs McGee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very meh.  Draggy and repetive. Other than a few glimpses of spunk, Isolde seems to have completely lost all her personality and depth. 
For an epic love story of legend ... sadly, their (finally) confessing their love and coming together was superbly underwhelming.
Book 3 isn't in my future.

[Summer Martin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a bit disappointing in the relationship building. Isa went from vomiting at the thought of a man’s touch to hopping into Trystan’s sick bed pretty quickly. Not much hand holding or actual pining. We are just told they love each other because they have history.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

"You train for it - day in, day out, snow or sleet or pouring rain. How to fight with a sword. Handle a shield. Throw a knife. Ride a horse into battle. You practice every day until you can barely stand up you're so tired at the end of it all. But you keep going. You get better. Better able to aim a spear, wield a sword. And then you actually fight a battle one day. And you realize that all of it - your whole life - has been directed at just one thing: teaching you how to kill. And that's all you know. How to fight to the death and win." Dark Moon of Avalon by Anna Elliott

Dark Moon of Avalon is the second book in Anna Elliott's trilogy based on the legend of Trystan and Isolde.

Free from her forced marriage to the nasty King Marche, Isolde once again takes up the role of healer in the infirmary at Dinas Emrys, under the watchful eye of new High King Madoc and the Council. Skirmishes are taking place daily between Britain and the Saxons, and with British Kings having turned their coats to side with the Saxons, Britain is in desperate need of reliable allies.

Isolde decides that their only hope of beating the Saxon forces lies in King Cerdic, a Saxon king who was once allied with her long-deceased father, Modred. Enlisting Trystan as her guide and guard, she persuades King Madoc to let her make the dangerous treck through Saxon territory in order to meet with King Cerdic.

In love with Isolde but haunted by past battles and time spent as a slave, Trystan believes himself unworthy of her, although to the reader it is clear that Isolde feels the same way about him as he does of her. However, Isolde carries deep scars from her marriage to Marche, and fears that events in her past would diminish any affection that Trystan might hold for her. The journey they take together to find King Cerdic and secure his support for their cause becomes a journey of righting past wrongs and learning how to mend old wounds so they can start to face a possible future together.

Aside from a little repetition, Dark Moon of Avalon is an otherwise well-researched and beautifully written story that the author pieces together almost perfectly. Elliott's characters are wonderfully developed and impeccably brought to life, so much so that my favourite happens to be Cabal the war hound. For me these characters became so familiar that I needed to spend every waking hour with them, and then when I slept they joined me in my dreams. By the time I'd finished the book I felt I knew them inside-out, as if they were old friends! It was impossible not to dive straight into the final book...

The authors passion for her characters and the story being told is evident, and to quote my review of Twilight of Avalon - an opinion I wholeheartedly share for Dark Moon...: "Anna Elliott has pulled Trystan and Isolde out of the depths of legend and placed them in an historical context that makes the characters and events of this story appear real, tangible and believable, weaving through it just enough magic to maintain the element of mystique and intrigue that brought about the legend in the first place".

I highly recommend this book, but please note that it should only be read in its correct order (after Twilight of Avalon and before Sunrise of Avalon), otherwise it will likely end up being confusing and the emotional effect of the story as a whole will be lost.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ni moi sans vous, ni vous sans moi
Neither me without you, nor you without me
-Marie de France


Anna, you have me completely spellbound by your beautifully written, enchanting Arthurian world of Trystan and Isolde. Dark Moon of Avalon more or less plunges us straight back into Britan’s political instability, Isolde and the High King Madoc seemingly reach a point of mutual understanding, and religious beliefs (as past tensions) set aside, in order to plot against Britains enemies including Lord Marche, who continues to haunt Isolde’s dreams.

Book Two sees Trystan returning to Dinas Emrys to seek out Isolde, as Hereric has been mortally wounded and Trystan believes his only chance of survival is with Isolde’s knowledge and understanding in the herb craft of healer. Like pieces of a puzzle fitting into place, Isolde convinces the High King to allow her to travel through the Saxon lands in order to seek out King Cerdic, an ally of her deceased father Modred, to win his armies over to support Britain’s war against Lord Marche and Octa of Kent.

This novel, like the original legend, sees Trystan and Isolde taking a boat on a long journey together with Hereric and Cabal; they are forced to confront their fear and built up emotions including their love for one another. Their love began as children, a friendship; together with mutual understanding, trust and unconditional love; when this realisation is admitted to the reader, you can’t help but feel all warm and gooey inside; this is the kind of love that makes your heart skip a beat, you want to close your eyes and make the moment last forever, and to know that kind of love, to have a soul mate who knows your mind better than yourself, a person who completes your other half, it’s a true and rare thing.

Anna’s Arthurian world is always a treat to read and I forced myself to read this novel as S-L-O-W-L-Y as possible so I could live in her world just that little bit longer. Her characters are wholesome, whether hero or villain, you can empathise with them and picture them as though standing right on the battlefield or inside Dinas Emrys. I have a few personal favourites which include Kian and Cabal (yes, he is the war hound, a much loved war hound and more human than dog emotionally it seems in any case); and I also found myself quite taken by the chivalry of Trystan’s comrades at arms and loyal followers including a quirky pair of twins.

I loved this book every bit as much as I loved the first book, Twilight of Avalon. In fact, I probably loved reading this book a little bit more because it gave the main characters an extra depth to their already strong character. The historical content, combined with the Prologue told by Morgan make this an absolute Arthurian treat. If you haven’t already read the first novel, please do along with the two short companion stories Anna has written you won’t be disappointed!

To note: The French exerpt by Marie de France was taken from her Lais ”Chevrefoil” which included twelve short stories which centred around Medieval Courtly love. I thought it best summed up the love between Trystan and Isolde.

[Christina (Confessions of a Book Addict) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dark Moon of Avalon picks up where the first book in the series, Twilight of Avalon, left off. Trystan and Isolde plan on doing whatever it takes to make sure Lord Marche doesn't end up on the throne. Isolde has become somewhat of a diplomat and and tries to gain support from other leaders so they can fight Lord Marche. Of course, Trystan comes along for this adventure and their strong friendship blossoms into something more. Dark Moon of Avalon by Anna Elliott is a must read for fans of Arthurian legend as well as historical fiction; readers will come to love this version of Trystan and Isolde.

One of my favorite things about this novel was the romance between Isolde and Trystan. It wasn't overdone, because at this point in their relationship, it was mostly longing glances and unspoken feelings. In other words, there was a lot of tension; however, readers will be happy to hear that there are a few moments of realization for both characters towards the end of the novel. I also love the fact that Isolde and Tristan's relationship is based on their mutual respect for one another, a long lasting friendship and trust. This isn't a relationship that they have simply jumped into head first; in fact, it is quite the opposite. And for me, that is what makes a captivating and believable love story.

When I reviewed Twilight of Avalon, I professed my love for Elliott's version of Isolde. She is daring, bold, independent, knowledgeable, and determined. She's everything you could want in a leading lady; I know that even modern readers will appreciate her. She's definitely before her time. Just like in Twilight of Avalon, I also was fascinated by her gift of the Sight and her talent to heal. Lastly, Isolde dealt with a lot of emotions and left over feelings from dealing with Lord Marche and Con's death. She had to work through all of her emotions as she dealt with a lot in book one. I thought it was pretty realistic how she slowly transformed and essentially mended her broken heart.

The end of Dark Moon of Avalon had me hooked right up until the last line; I cannot wait to see what happens as Elliot leaves us with a cliffhanger. Thankfully Sunrise of Avalon comes out in 2011 and I know the inevitable must happen, which makes me very nervous.....Lord Marche and Trystan must meet once again. All in all, I highly recommend this series for fans of historical fiction and readers who want to be swept away.

[Bird · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a tough read for me to get through. I won it through First Reads, and it arrived within a week(!), and I started it right away. Then proceeded to set it down the next day and went onto a different book. If it weren't for the fact that I won it in a giveaway and thus felt compelled to read and review it, I'm not sure I would have gone back to it.

Part of the difficulty lay in my not having read the first book in the trilogy. For about the first quarter of the novel, I floundered around a bit, trying to keep characters and their relationships/alliances straight, and figure out the timeline of events that happened in the previous book. While a bit frustrating, I can hardly fault the author for that. And while it hampered me in the beginning, I soon got into the swing of things.

I admit that I like my historical fiction to tend toward the romance end of the spectrum. While there is a love story running throughout the book, it is a (very minor) subplot rather than the main focus. There are many dark, depressing parts of the story, and without a strong romantic storyline to bolster me up, I found my interest waning at times.


***SPOILERS***
The ending bothered me a bit. I realize that it was necessary to setup the final book, but I didn't agree with Isolde's decision not to tell Trystan she was pregnant. Characters withholding information from one another because they think the other can't handle it always irks me, and this was no exception. And how could Trystan leave? I don't care if he felt honor-bound to Fidach. You just married Isolde after both of you almost died, and now you're leaving her to track down some former leader who might (and probably is) already dead? Where's the honor in that?! Yes, I wanted a happily ever after ending, but we didn't even get a happy-for-now one!

And I also didn't like them not being able to admit their feelings for one another, especially how Isolde wouldn't even admit it to herself. It felt childish, even though it was because she had lost others she loved before. And why was Trystan so sure he wasn't good enough for her? There were points near the end of the novel where it seemed like he was considering leaving her because it would be "better for her in the long run." If that had happened, I would have been furious.

[Melanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I reviewed this book for Romance Reader At Heart website.

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:


I advise all who read this version of the legendary lovers to throw everything they ever read about them out the window. This is much more than a romance; this has the feel of an epic tale and saga, filled with rich details of history and lore combined.

Isolde, accompanied by Trystan, is on a mission to persuade some of Britain's kingdoms to ally themselves with King Madoc in a fight against Lord Marche. Trystan and Isolde have grown up together, but now she is wife to Trystan's father, Lord Marche. Neither is willing to voice their true feelings for the other--Trystan, because of his deep feelings of guilt, and Isolde, from her own fear and self-reasoning. Their journey is fraught with danger, while both struggle to come to terms with their hidden desires. Their journey toward admitting and accepting the love they feel for each other is so poignant and real that the reader aches and rejoices as the story develops. And while some might think the pacing of this book is slow, I loved it and thoroughly enjoyed the initiation into a world filled with magic and danger; despair and sacrifice; passion and love.

I'm in awe of how real this book felt. The author has given so much care to every detail and aspect of it. Her characters were perfectly drawn then filled with colorful brush strokes, so that everything just jumps of the pages and magically draws the reader in. There is no escaping the pain that our hero and heroine feel at hiding their love and pain from each other, and there is no shortage of joy on the part of the reader when they finally confront their deep love for one another.

I have to admit that reading the second book in this series had me lost (and I don't like to be lost), so I bought and read the first one in this series as well. I also went to the author's website and downloaded (free of charge in a PDF file) DAWN OF AVALON, a prequel to TWILIGHT OF AVALON, and THE WITCH QUEEN'S SECRET, a TWILIGHT OF AVALON short story. In doing so, I thoroughly got to enjoy this beautiful tale of secret love and friendship; war and betrayal; magic and legend. I would also recommend the stories be read in order, especially now that she'll have the third book, SUNRISE OF AVALON, out shortly.

Melanie

[Terry (Ter05 TwiMoms/ MundieMoms) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book better than the first one although it kind of got off to a slow start for me. The books are a different twist on the Arthur legend (they take place after Arthur's death) and different than the Tristan and Isolde legend I have read and that is in the movie (which is a favorite of mine and thus I pictured Trystan as James Franco throughout the books- nice). I rated the first book four stars but really had rounded it up from a 3.5 to a four. This one I will give a four to more willingly. I think the slow start was the lack of Trystan in the early part of the book after already reading an entire book waiting for something to develop between this legendary pair! I like Trystan a lot in this book, and Isolde is a good realistic character, but there are times I want to shake her. When life can be lost in an instant and danger is on all sides, it seems like it would be prudent to tell people what you know and what you feel because tomorrow may be too late. This is a tense book, not what I would call a relaxing read, but if you like the history and legend of 6th century Britain, it gives the reader a good taste of the times. The side characters came alive for me better in this book than in the previous one, friend and foe alike, as I found them a bit hazy in the first book. I always enjoy there being a dog or a cat in a novel, and Cabel, the war hound, was in both books. He had been the High King and Isolde's husband Con's dog and after his death in the previous book is now devoted to Isolde.

I put the third book of this trilogy on my TBR list and do hope to have some kind of "not tragic" ending for Trystan and Isolde. I know the usual ending of the legend, but so far legend has not played out in the traditional way.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

4****

Dark Moon of Avalon by Anna Elliott is a quite good read. Set in the time period shortly after King Arthur’s death, “Dark Moon of Avalon” tells the tale of Isolde, a healer who has clear visions of the past, present and future.

In a land filled with tumultuous chaos, with wars being waged quite regularly for kingdoms, Isolde suddenly finds herself being offered for marriage - and knows that she really has no say in such matters. If King Madoc decides Isolde is part of the bargain - then she is. However, Isolde has other ideas in order to help solve the dangerous situation that has arisen, and save her from an unwanted marriage.

As a healer, Isolde knows that life is often brutal and she is frequently required to attempt to heal men have been badly wounded in battle. Time and time again she is forced to make tough medical decisions - and left wondering why men must war. On occasion, the best she can do for the wounded is to ease their way into the great beyond.

As if life wasn’t complicated enough, however, Isolde is suddenly forced to face a deep love for a man she has known since childhood and that she has long kept secret - and denied even to herself. When that man, Tryston, suddenly appears in her herb room, Isolde must find a way to deal with both her feelings for him and find a way to raise more troops for Madoc’s army - before they are attacked by one of the most ruthless kings around - Marche.

Isolde must make an incredibly important journey and is forced to travel with Tryston for her protection from outlaws and other dangerous enemies.

I received this book for free to review from Bookdivas.com. I am a member of Bookdivas, Librarything, Goodreads and the Penguin book club. DBettenson

[mari · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a big fan of English Historical Fiction, so I was very excited to get a copy Dark Moon of Avalon. This was not a book I had heard of before but it sounded like a book I would enjoy.

"The young former High Queen, Isolde, and her friend and protector, Trystan, are reunited in a new and dangerous quest to keep the usurper, Lord Marche, and his Saxon allies from the throne of Britain."

My only knowledge of Trystan and Isolde comes from listening to the music by Wagner and the movie with James Franco, so I really enjoyed reading and learning about them in Anne Elliot's book. The story is captivating, filled with the legend of King Arthur and the love between Trystan and Isolde carry it along.

The Prologue, and the way it is written, had me a bit worried. Written in the first person and stylized to sound poetic perhaps. It would have been hard to read the whole book this way. Thankfully, I didn't have to.

Dark Moon of Avalon, which was released in September, is the second book in the trilogy. The first book is Twilight of Avalon and the last book, Sunrise of Avalon, will be available September 2011.

I do wish I had read the first in the series but it did not ruin my enjoyment of Dark Moon. This most definitely can be read as a stand alone book. I look forward to reading the first in the series and getting the last in the trilogy.

[April · Rating 4 out of 5]

DARK MOON OF AVALON by Anna Elliott is a historical fiction/fantasy set in sixth century in a land far far away in Britain,and Ireland. It is well written with depth,details and some historical facts. It has magic,myths,legends, war, fear, romance,betrayal, Arthurian legend,medieval tales,danger,bitter enemies,healing,political,military,honor,trust, wounded hearts and love that last throughout time. This is a story that will last the test of time of love,honor and hope. The hero, Tristian, most learn to deal with his past hurts,his father was brutal,a king,cruel and out to destroy him.The heroine, Isolde,is a High Queen, a healer,accursed of being a witch, married twice not by choice but for survival.Once to Tristian's evil father,once as a child of only twelve to a young king who was betrayed my Tristian's father and murdered by him. If you will enjoy this fast paced,page turning story based on myths and legends during medivial times especially if you enjoy magic, love,danger, sacrifice and the trials of young love.This book was received for the purpose of review from the publisher and details can be found at Touchstome,a division of Simon and Schuster and My Book Addiction and More.

[Jayme · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this one off of Goodreads FirstReads. I must say that this book got to me insanely fast (5 days) and that I have really enjoyed reading it.

First off, I must say that I adore how Elliot portrays Isolde and that I really enjoyed getting inside Trystan's head in this book. There were several parts in this book that dragged a bit but mostly I found myself turning page after page wanting to see what was going to happen next. One of the small things that kind of got of my nerves though was the fact that it seemed that every time Isolde woke up it took her several second for her memory to come back. The fact that this happened every morning seemed odd to me and after about the 8th time I read this event I was going enough already. The ending of this one though was extremely satisfying, while it did leave an opening for the third book, I found myself much happier with this ending than I was with the ending of the first book. All in all, I can not wait for the third book.

[Jessica Gadziala]

While I loved the first novel, I think this one very much surpassed it. Trystan and Isolde's stories continue with a bunch of old characters, but also many new. The plot is more complicated and the characters better developed. The plot focuses much on surviving, not, I felt... the love story about Trystan and Isolde. Of course it is always an underlying factor, but it didn't seem to really get lovey-dovey until the last chapter or two and even then, it was subtly done and still somehow as an undercurrent to the larger issues at hand- Octa and Marche and the ever-present threat of capture, torture and death at every turn. In this installment, friends turn enemies and enemies become allies and you are never quite sure who is, afterall, on the side of good... which of course is what makes the story captivating. It ends on a cliffhanger with both happy and sad news and has one wondering what Anna Elliott has in mind for the next installment.

[Meagan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The only thing stopping me from giving this book five stars is the beginning is so boring. I found myself having to push myself to read all of this. Especially the beginning, it's pretty much all of the first book over again. Isolde's troubles, remembering her past trying to stop the war from happening. It only really got good when Isolde was in that mercenary camp. Because that was different. Isolde pretty much has stayed a one dimensional character which is very disappointing. Her thoughts don't really change all that often, until the moment she confessed her love for Tristian and she changed a little bit. I'm happy that they did get married though. I want to see the repercussions of it from Madoc who was trying to confess his love and marry Isolde in the beginning of the book. But I'm gonna put off reading the last book for a while. Because I have a feeling even though it's the climax of the story the first part is just going to be boring.

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

i won this on first-reads. I haven't read the first book of the series, and I was completely confused after the first 30 pages. Thankfully, I found a character guide, but it still didn't answer all of my questions. It took me about 100-150 pages for me to actually get into the book and want to finish it. There are a lot of introspective moments for Isolde and they got a little old. Sometimes, Elliot's writing was repetitive but sometimes it's like she left out entire sentences and jumps from one idea to the next. I didn't feel a real kinship with any of the characters like I usually do in books. I didn't feel that Trystan and Isolde had real chemistry together. The ending is clearly left open for a sequel. Also, the titles of her books follow Stephenie Meyers' ... TWILIGHT of Avalon, Dark MOON of Avalon....PLEASE tell me the next book isn't called ECLIPSE of Avalon.

[Sue · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yay for love! It's pretty rare to have any sort of Arthurian lore to have anywhere near a happy ending, so l'm gonna go ahead and call this a win. (Granted, this is the 2nd book in the series, so it ain't over yet.) Was this the best book of this kind? No, it is not, especially since l just finished 'Mists of Avalon' by Marion Zimmer Bradley and, by comparison, well, there isn't one, really. However, l enjoyed the fast pace, the lovable characters and mostly l loved Isolde's emotional arc. You really feel her working through her issues and coming to terms with her past. l am left with a wanting to finish this story and a hope that everything works out for Trystan and lsolde in this interpretation.

[K · Rating 4 out of 5]

Continuing the story of Isolde and Trystan that began in Twilight of Avalon, Elliot continues to weave a story w/ a unique twist on the legends we know. Although the first book was good, I def enjoyed this one better. I liked seeing the relationship deepen between Trystan and Isolde, and getting each of there point of views. The ending was def a surprise that I can't wait to see how it unfolds in the next book. As w/ the first book, I am absolutely loving the the back drop of the Arthurian legends interwoven into the main story. After reading this book, I am def interested in their next book, and would recommend this book to other readers. I would also def encourage reading the first book before this one.

[Samantha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Honestly, it's a good story, but I am so tired of the repetitive character descriptions. Basically everyone's nose is broken and inexpertly set and all the Celts have beady eyes, and everyone is basically unattrative unless they are the main characters or bad, and how much poppy juice CAN one woman carry around with her? Seriously, i could go on...Beyond that, it's a good story, but the character descriptions are extremely repetitive and thus bothersome.