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Twilight of Avalon #1.5
The Witch Queen's Secret
In the shadow of King Arthur's Britain, a young mother will need all her courage to save the Queen's castle from the hands of a traitor... A stand-alone novelette of Trystan and Isolde featuring a secondary character from the universe of Anna Elliott's Twilight of Avalon . Approximately 17,000 words or 55 printed pages in length.
56 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 3, 2010
12 people are currently reading
404 people want to read
About the author
Anna Elliott
82 books418 followersAnna 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.
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.
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
August 12, 2022
Review follows later.
February 22, 2011
The Witch Queen's Secret is a short story set in Anna Elliott's Avalon series, and available for free as an ebook here. It's a very short story, really, and better taken as part of the series than alone -- otherwise it's hard to know why one should care for Isolde and especially for Dera, a secondary character who was invented by Anna Elliott, and hard to know the significance of the appearance of one character in particular -- but as a part of the series, it's enjoyable and fills in a bit of a gap you might well be curious about. It's not specifically Arthurian, apart from the names in the background and Isolde, so if that's the cause of your interest, I suggest you try out Dawn of Avalon and Twilight of Avalon first.
The narration is pretty fun -- it's third person, but also in Dera's voice, so that you get some impression of what she's actually thinking and the words in which she's thinking it. It's a bit less formal than the Isolde-focused narration in Twilight of Avalon.
Looking forward to reading more of Anna Elliott's work.
The narration is pretty fun -- it's third person, but also in Dera's voice, so that you get some impression of what she's actually thinking and the words in which she's thinking it. It's a bit less formal than the Isolde-focused narration in Twilight of Avalon.
Looking forward to reading more of Anna Elliott's work.
July 25, 2011
Dera is a former army harlot who takes refuge with Queen Isolde at Dinas Emrys. When they uncover a dangerous plot, Dera risks everything to help save the queen and her fortress.
I didn't realize that this is set between the first and second books in the Twilight of Avalon series. It is meant to be a stand alone novella about Dera, one of the secondary characters from the series. I found myself a bit lost in the beginning, trying to understand the situation, but this quickly took the backseat to the story.
This is a fast-paced action story about Dera's adventure. It is a bit simplistic, but entertaining. It makes me want to read the whole series, which is a great accomplishment for an accompanying story.
I didn't realize that this is set between the first and second books in the Twilight of Avalon series. It is meant to be a stand alone novella about Dera, one of the secondary characters from the series. I found myself a bit lost in the beginning, trying to understand the situation, but this quickly took the backseat to the story.
This is a fast-paced action story about Dera's adventure. It is a bit simplistic, but entertaining. It makes me want to read the whole series, which is a great accomplishment for an accompanying story.
January 30, 2012
I haven't read any in this series before, and I found this to be a somewhat enjoyable if predictable short story. I liked the characters, and will most likely pick up the novel.
September 9, 2010
The Witch Queen’s Secret is a beautifully woven story around one of the secondary characters in Twilight of Avalon, Dera. We are plunged into war between the Britains and Saxons and learn how, in her desperation to provide for her son Jory, Dera leads her life as an army harlot. Unable to always provide a roof over their head often their nights are spent exposed to the harsh British elements; Jory becomes ill and Dera, fearing for his life, makes her way to the Lady Isolde at Dina’s Emrys to ask for help.
It is at Dina’s Emrys where Dera discovers herself; she accepts the Lady Isolde’s offer to help assist with the sick & wounded, by doing so providing for Jory, knowing that he is safe, warm & happy playing with Lady Isolde’s dog. Dera also falls in love, to her great surprise with Cade, whom she helped, save from a terrible battle wound.
The crux of the story is when Dera offers herself as spy, already established as the army harlot, to root out and pass on a message, from the Lady Isolde from a dying traitor back at Dina’s Emry’s. In doing so, she unknowingly meets Trystan, her saviour and forms an internal bond with the Lady Isolde for not only putting her life before other’s, but her compassion and empathy for the Lady Isolde’s infliction; The Sight.
This story is about a strong woman, compassionate, desperate, a mother, a comrade at arms, a friend and best of all, something special because when do we ever read about the lives of secondary characters, I have often wondered what became of certain characters in books; such a brilliant idea to give readers the opportunity to discover those lives and it must be gratifying as the author to be able to share these stories.
This is a beautifully written Arthurian mini-novella and I devoured it within the hour (much to my disappointment); Anna is truly a novelist one can appreciate, not only is the story well researched and written, but leaves you revisiting it, time and time again in your thoughts…
I very much look forward to reading Dark Moon of Avalon in the coming week.
It is at Dina’s Emrys where Dera discovers herself; she accepts the Lady Isolde’s offer to help assist with the sick & wounded, by doing so providing for Jory, knowing that he is safe, warm & happy playing with Lady Isolde’s dog. Dera also falls in love, to her great surprise with Cade, whom she helped, save from a terrible battle wound.
The crux of the story is when Dera offers herself as spy, already established as the army harlot, to root out and pass on a message, from the Lady Isolde from a dying traitor back at Dina’s Emry’s. In doing so, she unknowingly meets Trystan, her saviour and forms an internal bond with the Lady Isolde for not only putting her life before other’s, but her compassion and empathy for the Lady Isolde’s infliction; The Sight.
This story is about a strong woman, compassionate, desperate, a mother, a comrade at arms, a friend and best of all, something special because when do we ever read about the lives of secondary characters, I have often wondered what became of certain characters in books; such a brilliant idea to give readers the opportunity to discover those lives and it must be gratifying as the author to be able to share these stories.
This is a beautifully written Arthurian mini-novella and I devoured it within the hour (much to my disappointment); Anna is truly a novelist one can appreciate, not only is the story well researched and written, but leaves you revisiting it, time and time again in your thoughts…
I very much look forward to reading Dark Moon of Avalon in the coming week.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 2, 2011
The Witch Queen's Secret is a mini-novella that squeezes itself between the first two novels (Twilight of Avalon and Dark Moon of Avalon) of the author's Trystan and Isolde series.
It tells the story of Dera, a minor character in Twilight of Avalon, who has returned to Dinas Emrys to seek aid from the Lady Isolde when her son, Jory, falls ill. During her time spent at Dinas Emrys, she and Isolde learn of a treasonous plot, and Dera decides to risk her life and become a spy for the Lady Isolde in an attempt uncover the truth.
As with all of Elliott's work, The Witch Queen's Secret is well-written and researched, yet I found myself unable to enjoy this story as much as her others, although Dera is an inherently likeable character: Down on her luck after her husband dies and with a young son to feed she is forced to become an army harlot just to survive, and after such a hard road travelled it is impossible not to want her story to end well. However, The Witch Queen's Secret ends so suddenly that Dera and Jory don't receive the solid conclusion and happy ending that I so badly wanted them to get, and which I feel they both deserved.
I would have liked more - another chapter or two at least! I can't help but feel that it was over just as it was starting to develop and take shape.
It tells the story of Dera, a minor character in Twilight of Avalon, who has returned to Dinas Emrys to seek aid from the Lady Isolde when her son, Jory, falls ill. During her time spent at Dinas Emrys, she and Isolde learn of a treasonous plot, and Dera decides to risk her life and become a spy for the Lady Isolde in an attempt uncover the truth.
As with all of Elliott's work, The Witch Queen's Secret is well-written and researched, yet I found myself unable to enjoy this story as much as her others, although Dera is an inherently likeable character: Down on her luck after her husband dies and with a young son to feed she is forced to become an army harlot just to survive, and after such a hard road travelled it is impossible not to want her story to end well. However, The Witch Queen's Secret ends so suddenly that Dera and Jory don't receive the solid conclusion and happy ending that I so badly wanted them to get, and which I feel they both deserved.
I would have liked more - another chapter or two at least! I can't help but feel that it was over just as it was starting to develop and take shape.
January 29, 2012
This is a short story from Anna Elliott's "Twilight of Avalon" series. It focuses on a minor character from the series, Dera, and her determination to survive and care for her son, Jory. Down-on-her-luck Dera relies partially on Isolde, who does her best to protect both mother and child.
For those who are fans of Marion Zimmer Bradley's "Mists of Avalon" (and related novels by her), the "Twilight of Avalon" series may be of interest. Like Bradley, Elliott has female characters capable of the "the sight", scrying, and knowledgeable about healing - realistic Witchcraft. This short story is well-written and satisfying, drawing the reader into the Avalonian world.
Having not read the series, I probably missed a few things... However, I didn't feel as though I needed to read the series first, to understand the plot of this novella. Taking a story about a smaller character from a larger world, and making it interesting in and of itself takes talent. :) Dera is a strong, intelligent character, a devoted mother, and I found her likeable.
This was my first exposure to the series, and after reading this (especially since Isolde is my favorite character in Arthurian legend), I will definitely seek out the original trilogy.
For those who are fans of Marion Zimmer Bradley's "Mists of Avalon" (and related novels by her), the "Twilight of Avalon" series may be of interest. Like Bradley, Elliott has female characters capable of the "the sight", scrying, and knowledgeable about healing - realistic Witchcraft. This short story is well-written and satisfying, drawing the reader into the Avalonian world.
Having not read the series, I probably missed a few things... However, I didn't feel as though I needed to read the series first, to understand the plot of this novella. Taking a story about a smaller character from a larger world, and making it interesting in and of itself takes talent. :) Dera is a strong, intelligent character, a devoted mother, and I found her likeable.
This was my first exposure to the series, and after reading this (especially since Isolde is my favorite character in Arthurian legend), I will definitely seek out the original trilogy.
February 12, 2012
The Witch Queen's Secret is a stand alone book but is part of the Twilight of Avalon series. This short book is between the first and second book in the series. While I have not read either the first or second book this was an interesting book The following is my review of the book. this is my opinion and not a paid review. To form your own opinion please support the author and purchase your own copy of the book.
This short book can be read in under an hour. but that does not take away from the book. It has Isolde who was once Queen as a secondary character but the main story is about Dera.
Dera was once an army harlot. At one time Isolde helped Dera when she was pregnant with a girl child. Isolde does not hold this again Dera like most women of that time would. This story is about Dera helping Isolde and returning the favor of the help she received int he past.
While a lot of the story did not make sense to me because I had not read the first book in the series it was easy to get pass that.
If the reader is planning on starting this series I recommend reading the first book in the series to help understand this book.
The bunnies and I give this book 3 Carrots.
This short book can be read in under an hour. but that does not take away from the book. It has Isolde who was once Queen as a secondary character but the main story is about Dera.
Dera was once an army harlot. At one time Isolde helped Dera when she was pregnant with a girl child. Isolde does not hold this again Dera like most women of that time would. This story is about Dera helping Isolde and returning the favor of the help she received int he past.
While a lot of the story did not make sense to me because I had not read the first book in the series it was easy to get pass that.
If the reader is planning on starting this series I recommend reading the first book in the series to help understand this book.
The bunnies and I give this book 3 Carrots.
January 23, 2016
This is a very short novella, a mere moment in time. It takes place between the first and second book in the Twilight of Avalon series. It is the story of Dera, an army whore who finds herself being offered shelter by Queen Isolde at Dinas Emrys if she would agree to help out with caring for the wounded. Dera has a 2-year-old son to care for and having a dry place to sleep and food to eat is the best she could hope for, and she readily agrees to the arrangement. When a wounded man bursts into the workroom spouting off about traitors against King Madoc, Dera volunteers to go and warn the king on the battlefield that he must return to Dinas Emrys before it is overrun by the traitor Marche.
Not knowing any of the backstory, this tale would have been more enjoyable if I knew the story between Isolde and Dera more intimately. That being said, there wasn't much character development and I found the choppy sentences distracting. I am not a fan of this type of writing and I don't think I'll be buying any of the other books in the series. The book description sounded intriguing so I took a chance on this free novella. Unfortunately, I was disappointed.
Not knowing any of the backstory, this tale would have been more enjoyable if I knew the story between Isolde and Dera more intimately. That being said, there wasn't much character development and I found the choppy sentences distracting. I am not a fan of this type of writing and I don't think I'll be buying any of the other books in the series. The book description sounded intriguing so I took a chance on this free novella. Unfortunately, I was disappointed.
December 9, 2011
Another of Anna Elliott's Avalon short stories, "The Witch Queen's Secret" is a different perspective on the tale of Tristan and Isolde.
In this book, Dera finds herself helping Isolde as a healer ... and learns some things about the Cornish queen that she did not know.
Elliott's naming conventions had me confused at one point, but once I caught on I was able to apply my knowledge of Arthurian legend to "get" who the characters were and how they fit together.
An entertaining read read for Arthurians.
In this book, Dera finds herself helping Isolde as a healer ... and learns some things about the Cornish queen that she did not know.
Elliott's naming conventions had me confused at one point, but once I caught on I was able to apply my knowledge of Arthurian legend to "get" who the characters were and how they fit together.
An entertaining read read for Arthurians.
November 22, 2013
The story was a little too short, but entertaining non the less. We get to delve into the days of medieval folklore where sword fighting is at its best.
A good preview of what is to come in Anna Elliott's other books in the same genre.
I look forward to finding out more in her other books.
I would recommend this book to those readers out there that love a medieval type fantasy novel.
well done Anna.
A good preview of what is to come in Anna Elliott's other books in the same genre.
I look forward to finding out more in her other books.
I would recommend this book to those readers out there that love a medieval type fantasy novel.
well done Anna.
February 3, 2016
I have never quite read a story like this. I'm not big on the Arthurian Saga anyway, but I have to say that this takes a new twist to the story. I will probably try to read the trilogy too, whenever I have time. It sounds interesting. I recommend reading this. This story is a stand-alone, that can be tied in between book 1 and 2 of the trilogy.
April 9, 2013
I got this as a free kindle book. It's a lot shorter than what I usually look for in a book and the setting wasn't quite my style. The story line was (for me) too simple, there was no unexpected drama or hidden secrets.
December 2, 2013
I found this very well written with great characters. Despite it only being a short book/novella I found it very easy to pick up the plotline. As this was intended as a further character development piece I think that I shall be hunting out the books from this series
September 10, 2010
This short story was enough for me to discover I would like to read Anne Elliott's Avalon books!
October 7, 2010
I really enjoyed this. And I am thrilled I bought my Nook, because had I not bought it I never would have found this author or her books. What fun. There are fun characters. And good adventure.
January 28, 2011
a novel for today's morning walk and lunch.
August 17, 2011
First time reading this author and generally enjoyed her storytelling. Look forward to reading more of her work in the future.
February 26, 2012
A happy speedbump in the story.
to-read-owned
February 13, 2016tbr
June 16, 2012
this is a short story involving lady isolde and dera. They are trying to help with the war in England. This story was okay but really short.
June 17, 2012
Quick and entertaining read.
March 30, 2014
Short story
July 6, 2011
I ENJOYED IT TREMENDOUSLY. WISH I HAD THE REST OF THE STORIES..
December 1, 2011
got it for free. was a neat read.
April 24, 2017
mm i feel like i've outgrown this particular style of historical fantasy, like maybe i would've been all about this back when i was a teenager reading mists of avalon. i also probably would've cared more if i'd read the series this is supposed to be part of
2.5 stars
2.5 stars
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews