Dawn of Avalon

Twilight of Avalon #0.5

by Anna Elliott

He would become the most powerful wizard in the history of Britain--Merlin. She would become Britain's most storied sorceress--Morgan le Fay. But before they were legends, they were young. And they were lovers. Together, in the sunlight of one day long ago, they saved a kingdom. Dawn of Avalon is a stand-alone novella from the universe of Anna Elliott's Twilight of Avalon . (Approximately 25,000 words or 80 pages.)

Genres: Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Arthurian, Fiction, Ebooks, Romance, Historical

78 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 10, 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

[Isa (Pages Full of Stars) · Rating 1 out of 5]

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I gladly read any book that's inspired by Arthurian legends and Morgan is my favourite character from the legends, but I'm sad to say that I didn't really liked this short story.

I first read the first couple of chapters of Twilight of Avalon and couldn't get into it, so I decided to start with this free short story, but this just wasn't my cup of tea. The first part was very confusing, I couldn't figure out what's going on and who's point of view it is. I know that the element of surprise was intentional, however it didn't work for me and left me puzzled. The writing style also added to that, because there was a lot of very long, complex sentences written in a way that I've never seen before. I'm not a native English speaker, but I read a lot of books in English, yet it's the first time I've seen such sentences. As a result, this short story felt very long winded and wordy, while the story itself wasn't that complicated.

On top of that, I was slightly confused with the characters. In Twilight of Avalon, Isolde mentions that Merlin was already an old man when Arthur was born, but here he's about 18/19-years old when Arthur is 13 and Morgan about 17? Maybe I miscounted, but again, I was very confused. Unfortunately, I also didn't get the romance between Morgan and Merlin at all. The circumstances of their meeting were unusual, but I didn't get any chemistry or romantic attraction between them. It all blew up within one paragraph but there was no build up.

To sum up, I wanted to read this short story to get more familiar with the world created by the author and maybe change my mind about this series, however I think it's just not for me. I'm disappointed because I love reading books inspired by Arthuriana, but hopefully I will have better luck with the next one.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

‘At the bottom you will see two hollow stones, and in them two dragons sleep.’ - Historia Brittonium

Once again Anna enchanted me into her Arthurian realm; this time with the story of Morgana and Merlin.

I was touched by the mutual understanding between these two characters, and the realisation that their fate was inevitable; woven into the fabric of their soul. The young Morgana acknowledges that her eventual union with her half brother Arthur would see her birth a son Modred, who would ultimately betray his father and result in death. Consequently, The Sight, allows Morgana to see her other potential paths (as she envisages them) if she were to abort Modred, if she were to enter into the services of the church (a nunnery); each thread leading to the same end: The death of Arthur.

Under the persona of an assistant boy to Bron (Vortigen’s druid), as a healer, Morgana tends Merlin's wounds as a result of having Vortigen interrogate him. Morgana senses an inner strength within Merlin, but doesn’t pick up on his otherworldly abilities until she later assists with his escape, and they share an intimate moment together, Morgana then realises that Merlin sees what will be or may be. Merlin speaks of seeing the aftermath of battle, of walking through body strewn fields, of being a soldier, but also of standing alongside the King, seemingly confused with whether he is seeing what is or will be. Merlin seems troubled, lost and confused but Morgana assumes this is largely due to the amnesia as a result from being struck on the head during Vortigen's interrogation.

Morgana is a strong character indeed, not the son & heir, her father Uther Pendragon had craved, she is set aside; resulting in Morgana's constant effort to impress her father, to be the daughter who could be just as much of value and honour as her half brother Arthur. After Vortigen’s downfall at Dina’s Emrys, Morgana bathes in the praise of her father as he acknowledges her forewarning stating that only the daughter of the Pendragon would have such strength of courage to walk alongside the enemy and being a young women at that; Morgana's moment with her father shatters in seconds as he learns Arthur was wounded, although not mortally so, rushes to his side; Morgana acknowledging she is only a women, not the heir to the British Kingdom, and will always remain so, Merlin reassuring Morgana that in his own way, Uther "does love you”.

I liked how this story bought together two of the most circumspect characters in Arthurian Legend; Morgana and Merlin. Morgana is almost always portrayed as the temptress who wooed Arthur into getting her with child, knowing the son would be his fate. Morgana was always portrayed as being jealous of Arthur and Guinevere as well as of the power and station Merlin held. And then there is Merlin, who is almost always portrayed as the father like figure to Arthur, powerful druid and keeper of secrets; he who knows all and who is willing to sacrifice anything for Arthur and Britain. Almost always, Morgana and Merlin are spoken of as enemies; yet in Anna's retelling they are of one breathe. United. Or at least, mutually so.

Out of Anna’s two beautifully written (and free to download from her website) short stories, I most enjoyed this story; mainly due to my childhood fascination of Merlin and the otherworld, but also because of its strong focus on Welsh legend (Legend of the Two Dragons) and also the different approach Anna took with the retelling of the story of Morgana and Merlin. Anna is truly a gifted storyteller and I couldn’t possibly recommend this short story enough; as far as favourite Arthurian writers go; Anna would have to be my favourite.

[Zixuan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Despite it being a free Nookbook, I actually really liked the story and plot of this book. I've always liked fantasies in the Authur time period and I think Elliot did a good job of portraying her characters and story in this book.
The only critic I would have for this book is the confusion that struck me in the beginning. It also seemed really slow and I could figure out whose point of view the story was told from until Merlin called Morgan "Lady". I also think this book could include more adventure and action scenes, but the slight touch of romance was really good.

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dawn of Avalon by Anna Elliot is a prequel to her Twilight of Avalon Trilogy, which so far includes Twilight of Avalon and Dark Moon of Avalon both of which focus on the romance of Tristan and Isolde. Set in Arthurian England Dawn of Avalon looks further back at the beginning of the romance between Morgan and Merlin and establish the family relationships prior to the events of Elliott's other novels. As this novel is set apart in time, it stands alone as a complete, if short, work and it is not necessary to be familiar with the Elliot's other books to enjoy it.


Morgan is a seer and a healer who is serving in the camp of Uther's enemies with the hope of assisting in his down fall. Disguised as a young boy and assisting in the torture of an enemy soldier, she finds that her cover may be blown and must make a choice whether to save the soldier's life and risk her own or allow him to die. It is this choice and the possible consequences she can foresee which force Morgan to confront her anger and doubts about who it is foretold she will become and question her commitment to her country.


While this is, at its heart, a romance, Elliott skillfully puts us in the mind of a young woman of great power who has to make choices which impact much more widely than just herself. The novel is fast paced as the event progress and I felt swept along with the predicament the characters find themselves in. While you might expect this 'free' novel to merely advertise Elliott's other novels, it is a fully complete, stand-alone novel with an engaging plot and characters. This type of publication is one of the many hidden gems of the ePublishing industry, and one I hope many other authors will take note of.

[Nicky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dawn of Avalon is a short story based on Anna Elliott's Twilight of Avalon trilogy, available for free download in a range of formats here. A friend of mine is very enthusiastic about her work, and with that and since I can't get hold of Twilight of Avalon just now, I decided to read this now. I wish there'd been more of it: it was a world and interpretation I definitely enjoyed, but I wanted to know Merlin and Morgan even better. I don't know how much they might come into the books themselves, since this is a prequel.

Anyway, it's an enjoyable story, and the writing is nice -- a touch archaic in some of the phrasing, but not in an obtrusive way: it faded into the background after a few pages. Just enough to make Morgan's voice work and not feel too modern.

Looking forward to getting hold of the books sometime.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Before they were famous, Merlin and Morgan le Fay were young. This is the story of the day they met and saved the kingdom they knew.

This was a short little action story with a bit of romance. Based on the description, I expected more emphasis on the relationship between Merlin and Morgan, but was content with the action-based plot.

This was a great glimpse in Arthurian tales, and left me wanting to dive into the author's full length novels.

[Ruth Harwood · Rating 3 out of 5]

A mini-novel - probably 150 pages, but a great little read to while away an hour or maybe two in the afternoon before getting to the rest of the series, not sure I thought much of it, it was short and though I enojyed it, I felt more could have been made, and it felt unfinished when I put it down, which I'm sure was meant to whet my appetite, but I've read a lot of Arthurian books and I find there's very little in them that's new and original enough for me to love them.
The characters were realistic, and the events were original as such books go, I just didn't want to move on to the next in the series, a personal opinion that I'm sure will be refuted by many!

[Nann Nichols · Rating 2 out of 5]

I can see that this book was well researched but it didn’t grab-hold of me. I did enjoy this different spin on a relationship between Merlin and Morgana le Fey, but I just felt bogged-down in the style of writing. I love lore & legends of Avalon, but not this one. Again there’s nothing “wrong” with this book, but it just wasn’t for me.

[Joleen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’ve had this book many years so I thought I’d finally see what it was.

Well, I’m glad this was short. A bit confusing as I have no knowledge of Merlin's origins, nor who most of these characters were.

YA fantasy; not my favorite genre.

[Brenda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Don't care for the setting. Won't read the series.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Moments of this were beautifully written while others still made this feel longer than necessary.

[Kristin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This wasn’t bad, as a standalone. I think I might have liked it more if I had read the other books (as it is a prequel).

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

From the mysterious mists of history and legend comes a delightful, unique Twilight of Avalon: A Novel of Trystan and Isolde by Anna Elliott. This novel takes the traditional Arthurian legends surrounding the famous lovers and expands on them in a surprisingly deep and enjoyable way that will keep readers hooked and thirsty for more.

Twilight of Avalon is told from the viewpoint of Isolde, the grandchild of the legendary Arthur Pendragon and his half-sister Morgan the sorceress. The story begins with Isolde coming to terms with the untimely death of her husband, King Constantine, and the unexpected collection of suitors now vying for Isolde's hand. Without a husband, father, or brother, Isolde is suddenly alone in a man's world and must learn to navigate the wild world of court intrigue, political betrayal, and religion.

Isolde wishes to marry no one after Constantine's death, despite the fact that she may be forced to marry for purely political reasons. Using her intelligence and kindness (as well as some aid from the Saxon prisoner, Trystan), Isolde must outwit the forces of Marche, the likely killer of her husband, and find a way to survive on her own. Isolde and Trystan match wits with Marche and other men of the kingdom, trying to find a means of revenge while living to see the next day. It isn't long until the religious leaders of the time accuse Isolde of being a witch, and plan to use these accusations to destroy her.

Isolde's story did started out very slow. In fact, it wasn't until page 100 or so that it started to pick up, and things immediately got vicious and interesting... but quickly confusing. The confusion stems from the fact that the plot was very involved and had actions going on constantly. While this keeps the plot from getting dull, it can be easy to get lost unless the reader is paying very close attention to every detail.

This, however, is easily overlooked due to Elliot's precise, knowledgeable writing style that occasionally crosses the line into poetry. Elliot's writing sounds like a well-trained storyteller who actually witnessed the turbulent events of the story first-hand. The tale is gritty, grueling, and dark - a far cry from the overly-romanticized bard songs that most readers are familiar with.

Twilight of Avalon is a compelling tale of a woman trying to survive while forming a bond with an unlikely friend. Even though the story has a long way to go, Twilight of Avalon is the first novel in a trilogy that is sure to bring readers back for more.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anna Elliott's novella Dawn of Avalon is set at the beginning of Arthurian legend, and tells the story of Morgan first meeting Merlin, and of Merlin first meeting the King Arthur.

The narrator of this tale is a young Morgan Le Fay, half-sister to Arthur, who holds the power of The Sight (an ability to see the future). Dressed as a boy and under the guise of assistant to the Druid Bron, Morgan is sent into Dinas Emrys to spy on Vortigen, enemy of her father, Uther. Whilst at Dinas Emrys, her abilities as a healer are required to tend to the wounds of a young Merlin, captured by Vortigen, and tortured endlessly for information that Merlin either cannot or will not divulge.

Merlin cannot remember his past, but like Morgan, he too can see the future, and as such they are both aware of the roles they will play in the life and death of their future king, Arthur. Together they set in motion the events that will bring about the defeat of Vortigen, and give birth to what is known today as the Arthurian legend.

Elliott has made Morgan Le Fay an innocent, likeable character, aware of what she will become but knowing she is powerless to stop it. Merlin is represented as a young man with no past, perfect to be moulded into the legendary wizard. The manner in which Elliott brings these two characters together feels as though it was the will of the Gods, who have carefully steered each onto the other's life path.

Even though Morgan and Merlin play important roles in Arthurian legend, it was refreshing to read a story where Arthur himself plays a minor part: It may be Arthur who becomes the focus of the myth, but it was the people around him that made it happen.

For me, Morgan Le Fay has always been one of the most intriguing characters of King Arthur's court, and I love that she is the narrator of this story. Elliott's passion for Arthurian legend is evident in this novella, which is well-researched, brilliantly written and easy to read. Elliott brings these characters out of myth and legend and makes them feel like real people.

The only disappointment was that this wasn't a full-length novel: Since having finished it, I find myself often thinking of this story, and of Elliott's Morgan and Merlin, who have clearly left a lasting impression. I harbour not-so-secret hopes that Elliott re-works this as a novel, or uses it as the beginning of another Arthurian-based series, from the perspective of these two characters.

[Alanna Jenkins · Rating 1 out of 5]

Dawn Of Avalon is a prequel to the rest of her series, and follows the story of Merlin and Morgan le Fay before all of what we know to be the normal Arthurian legend. Morgan is a young woman who is tending to the wounds of a prisoner, while undercover with her father’s enemy. She knows she has the gift of foresight, but is not expecting the reaction and emotions she feels when tending her prisoner, a young Merlin. They attempt to figure out the connection between them, while trying to escape the clutches of the man in charge of the prison where they both reside.

All in all, I was expecting more from this novel. The first section of the story was very hard to follow and I found it near on impossible to figure out who was narrating the plot at this point; it was a big jumble of violence and dark imagery that I couldn’t make head or tails of. Because of the confusion at the start, I found it very hard to gain any sense of affinity with either of the main characters which carried through the rest of the story.

Adding to this lack of affinity was the fact that neither character had any features or characteristics that were recognisable from the Morgan and Merlin that we have all been accustomed to reading about and seeing on TV. Writing about such well-known characters can be a minefield – the challenge is to do something fresh with the characters, while not diverging away from what makes them so loved in the first place. This is something that, in my opinion, is not something that the author managed in this case.

The book was sold as Morgan and Merlin having one perfect day together before all of the drama that we are so familiar with taking place, but I don’t feel that this was what I got. This “perfect day” spanned only a matter of pages in the novel and felt very abrupt and forced – there was no real indication of a building romance between the two until that point. There was no real striking moment of chemistry between the two and therefore I didn’t buy into the romance that ran through the last third of the novel.

This is all just my opinion and I wouldn’t wish to stop anyone from trying this novel for themselves, as I’m sure there are plenty that would derive enjoyment from it, but for me it was just too far from what I am familiar with in terms of the Arthurian legends and unclear in it’s plot that I struggled to enjoy it.

[Leah · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a prequel to the series of books written by Elliott, but it was written after she completed the series so this can be read as a stand-alone. It's about Morgan and Merlin and what could have happened upon their first meeting and if they fell in love. Based on the summary of the book, I thought there would be more romance, but nothing happens until literally half-way through and then it is only a description of a kiss. A pretty tame kiss, as far as literature goes, in my opinion. They only exchange short kisses thereafter so I'm not quite sure where the "lovers" part comes into play.
Elliott is very good at describing surroundings and situations and paints a pretty vivid picture of the scenes, without going overboard.
This book was decent. I'm not sure it's one I would jump to recommend but it was entertaining enough to keep my attention to finish it. I would ideally like to give it at 2.75 star rating maybe? I didn't enjoy it as much as some of my other 3-star books but it wasn't awful either.
It's pretty short. 180-pages according to my Nook. I think I downloaded this as a free book so for a free book, it was good. I'm not sure I'd pay a high price for it though. I also can't say if it was a 500 page book if I would have finished it. 180 pages were enough for me. I didn't really feel connected to any of the characters.
For me, the best emotionally-stirring scene happens at the end between Morgan & her father, but it's extremely brief and left me wishing the book had been more about that relationship than anything else.
I was able to finish this short book in a couple days but don't think I'll be rushing to read the other series.

[Melissa · Rating 2 out of 5]

The begining chapter was difficult to follow and I'm still not entirely sure who was narrating at that point. The following story however was intriguing enough and well written. I know very little about any Authorian history or lore, I suppose a better opinion could be formed if I had. I give this two stars simply because it's not my typical reading material and it didn't quite captivate me to the point of wanting to seek out additional material in this genre or the trilogy to which this is a prequel. If you're looking for a review from someone who knows more of this genre or King Author or Merlin, etc. I am not it ^.^

A few things worth remembering:

"To a healer, compassion is neither gentle nor tender, but hard and keen as a blade." (Location 544, Kindle)

"For if the weavings of our lives are spun of both joy and sorrow, the fabric of that morning seemed destined to be cast from threads of joy alone." (Location 841, Kindle)

"I have today. And I have at least one morrow. Perhaps the promise of one tomorrow in the sunlight is all any of us can ask for or need." (Location 1273, Kindle)

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Dawn of Avalon" is a prequel novella to Anna Elliott's "Twilight of Avalon" series. In this story, we have Merlin and Morgan meeting in the earliest days of the Arthurian sagas -- with Merlin imprisoned by Vortigern.

As a long-time reader of Arthurian legends (and a former member of the International Arthurian Society), I can say with certainty that Elliott has researched the tales and the time period very carefully. She understands all of the relationships (which are convoluted indeed) between the characters populating the lore. She even starts where many books do not: with Vortigern's plans to sacrifice a Druid because his planned tower keeps collapsing.

I enjoyed the book, although I found some of the prose a trifle clumsy (which is why I took off one star). It's a tricky thing to write description in historical fiction where the spoken word is more archaic; sometimes authors make descriptions archaic as well, which can cause a reader to stumble a bit.

Fans of Arthurian legend are sure to enjoy this tale.

[Sandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating prequel! I really love the characterization of Morgan here, and though the other characters also seemed quite cool, they weren't quite as fleshed out and Morgan simply takes the cake for me. Or maybe that's just because I'm such a big fan of Morgana in general.

This (free) prequel was very nice indeed, and I feel quite inspired to read the rest of the series now, even though that mostly seems to feature Tristan & Isolde instead. But then Morgan wasn't the only good thing in this prequel, the world-building seemed a good mix between historical fact and history, and I love that it's dealing with religion, quite like Mists Of Avalon. The writing style was also pleasant, so I shall not feel too sad about abandoning my dear Morgan to find out more about fascinating Isolde instead. Still, I can't help but admit that seeing Morgan develop in the actual series would've been very nice indeed. But we can't have it all, I suppose.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have read Anna Elliott's Avalon trilogy and I loved it, therefore I was intrigued to read this prequel. It is told from the point of view of Isolde's grandmother Morgan, who was the distant voice from the past and acted as the narrator all through the trilogy. However in this story we meet Morgan in the present tense, giving her a refreshingly young voice that I enjoyed having as the protagonist of the story.
I thought the content of the story was excellent, as was the context, but unfortunately it was just too short for me to form any kind of emotional attachment to Morgan and Merlin. Mostly what I gained from this prequel was a deeper understanding into how and why the world Isolde lived in came into existence. Meeting Uther Pendragon was a nice literary touch, as he was often mentioned by reputation in the trilogy but we never met him first hand. Again, I would have liked to have read more.

[Rachel · Rating 1 out of 5]

Absolutely pointless. This is supposed to be a romance book judging by the description, but there was like, barely ANY romance in it. At one point I was thinking, is the author trying to imply something, or am I just waiting for something to happen here? I am a huge fan of Arthurian literature, and I was excited to read this. What a disapointment! It was a quick read, but most of this "love story" was filled with torture, battles, and too many unnecessary words. The violence wasn't even that graphic, it jsut dragged on. And when a short book drags, you know it's a bad thing. And might I point out that the author has no writing skills. Some of the sentences were constructed in the most confusing way possible, or just didn't even make sense.

Bottom line is, if you want to read something Arthurian, stick to a classic such as Le Morte de Arthur or Idylls of the King.

[Merissa (Archaeolibrarian) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Most people, if they have any interest in King Arthur or Avalon, have heard at least one story about Morgan(a) le Fay and Merlin being lovers. Most of the stories also start the same way, with Morgan being the daughter of Ygraine of Cornwall. This story takes a different stance.

In this story, Morgan is the daughter of Uther's first wife, who he killed on the charge of adultery once he had seen Ygraine. She meets Merlin as he is being tortured by Vortigern and helps him to escape. They have one night together with the hope of more.

This is a SHORT story/novella with plenty of "history" to back up the story. It only took me about half an hour to read it but it left me wanting more.

To a healer, compassion is neither gentle nor tender, but hard and keen as a blade.

[Setty · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have not read any of the author's books. A friend recommended this to me, so I checked it out. It's been sitting on my iBooks app for a while, actually. I got halfway through and stopped for the longest time. It's difficult to follow in the first chapter, though I'm sure it was because I wasn't sure who was narrating. It was an intriguing tale, and I could not put it down once I got into it. It doesn't necessarily get me wanting to seek out more though, to which I'm a bit disappointed. But I do feel like it ended too quickly.

I loved the meeting between Merlin and Morgana. I found I loved the way the author portrayed Morgana. She was honest, open and very likeable. Her relationship with Merlin was very endearing, though I expected more romance. Nonetheless it was a good read.

[Mad about · Rating 3 out of 5]

A remake of a famous tale - Merlin, arthur and Morgan Le-fay. We know what becomes of them but how did the tale begin?

Morgan, the insignificant daughter of Uther embarks on a bold mission with her bodyguard Bron against the Saxons for the good of England. While Arthur is being trained and protected as a precious Prince Morgan is in Disguise within the crumbling Castle of her enemy where she meets a young and fearsome Merlon. With the power of sight the pair know what is to be become of them but tomorrow is a different day.

Found the language of the first chapter confusing but soon warmed up to it. Good little Novella

3.5/5

[Viola · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a fan of Arthurian legends, I'm always enthusiastic when it comes to retellings of the story. This one didn't dissapoint, it proved to be an enjoyable short story. I was a bit worried about the romance aspect, but thankfully it wasn't overdone. The reveal about the narrator at the begginning was nice, and some of the interpretations of the legend were on the less conventional side (Morgan's parentage and childhood.) However, I found the descriptions a bit long at times, but this is only a minor problem. I haven't read the author's Avalon trilogy yet, I'll put it on my to-read list for sure.

[Melanie · Rating 2 out of 5]

This wasn't godawful, or terrible even, but not that good. It was bogged down in areas and could have done better either as an actual novel with more time to develop the romance OR omitting the romantic aspect altogether, and simply establishing this as a budding friendship and character study. I mostly liked the author's way with words, and her way of conveying Morgan's emotions and reasoning (and I liked Morgan too), but found that some sentences took me thrice to get the sense of them and that there was unnecessary (IMO) passages that could have been taken out. I wouldn't mind a Morgan/Merlin romance in the slightest, but this definitely wasn't it.

Two 1/2 stars out of five.

[Tara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not bad for a free e-book. This tale is about Merlin and Morgan meeting in the midst of a war and having a bit of a romance. It is apparently a pre-quel to a series of Arthurian romance stories. Since I just finished watching the first season of Camelot, a show on Starz about King Arthur, it seemed a fitting choice to read. I gave it three stars, as it is not a full story, and actually seemed to end quite abruptly to me, but it was an interesting take on these two important figures in the Arthurian legends.

[April · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a prequel to the author's book Twilight of Avalon. It is a good short story about Morgan and Merlin.
I found it a little difficult to figure out which character the author was talking about in the beginning and then it smoothed out. Merlin is a warrior being tortured and Morgan is a healer (pretending to be a boy) who helps him. Once I figured out the characters I found it to be a nice quite read. A simple story of a day of love.

[Kilian Metcalf · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm developing a fondness for Anna Elliott. Usually I am suspicious of writers who write in several genres because they are not consistent across the board. Elliott is the exception. I fell in love with her Demon Hunter and Baby fantasy, moved on to this story drawn from the Arthurian legend, and am also reading Georgiana Darcy's diary, inspired by Austen's Pride and Prejudice. Is there nothing the woman can't write?

[Lana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was greatly impressed with this story. I have always liked the medieval days of dashing knights and sword fights. This story takes a well told tale of the days of Arthur and puts a twist into it from a different angle, before Arthur came to rule.

This is the first book in the series, and if the other sequels are anything like this book, then it is well worth the read.

I highly recommend it to all readers that like this genre.

Well done Anna!