Readers United Book Reviews | Mists of Avalon and Night Circus

Have you been reminiscing about the days spent pretending to be swashbuckling dragon-slayers or mystical magicians lately? Ava Hathaway-Hacker ’18 offers her sharp, insightful observations on books that can potentially let you immerse yourself in these fantasy worlds—perfect for those rainy days which we’ve been having this week, when all you want to do is curl up in bed and let the world around you melt away as you bury yourself in a book.

Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley

“In my time I have been called many things: sister, lover, priestess, wise woman, queen.”

From the first words, The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley, turns a well-known tale on its head. The Arthurian legends have been retold time and time again, yet never quite like this. The novel is divided into four parts: Book One: Mistress of Magic; Book Two: The High Queen; Book Three: The King Stag; and Book Four: The Prisoner in the Oak. Told from the often-overlooked perspective of the female characters, principally Morgaine (Morgan le Fay), Bradley’s story twists the narrative, drawing the principal protagonist Morgaine, the half sister of King Arthur, as a Druidic priestess defending her pagan religion against Christianity, a depiction far from the villainous enchantress of the original legends. The book follows Morgaine’s path from her separation from Arthur at the age of eleven years old to her rise to priesthood on the spiritual island of Avalon to her eventual departure. The story also focuses on the female characters of Gwenhwyfar (Guinevere), Viviane, Morgause, and Igraine.

An epic novel spanning generations, The Mists of Avalon is more than the story of a few women toiling in a changing time. It is a story of religions clashing, beliefs challenged, and truths grasped. The Christian religion wars with the ancient religion of Avalon, promises are broken, birthrights are claimed, romance is sought, and revenge is enacted. This book is full of adventure and suffering, and it keeps readers in suspense from the first page to the last. The characters are rich and multi-faceted, and the original twist on the legends makes the book much more than yet another King Arthur story.

Be warned: if you’re looking for a quick read, this book is not for you. It may take you days, even weeks, to get through the 876 pages. Yet even though parts of it do inevitably drag on, most of the time you will find it impossible to put down. Bradley spins a tale of intrigue, romance, adventure, religion, magic, mythology, and war into a dramatic web that sings throughout the many pages. Though the reading is not especially difficult, the careful language will make you feel transported to a different time. Fans of Tolkein, Game of Thrones, and the other fantasy epics will find themselves at home in this mystical story that artfully weaves fantasy with mythology. Those who have struggled to see themselves in the often male-dominated mythology and literature will find a host of powerful women to respect and be inspired by.

Verdict: Though this book may be long, fans of high fantasy and mythology will love this intriguing and mystical story.

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

Open The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern, and enter a world unlike any you have experienced before. A mysterious circus that appears and disappears around the world without a trace acts as the magical anchor for this story. Le Cirque Des Rêves, (The Circus of Dreams) is like no other, and devotees (who call themselves “reveurs”) even wear the colors of the circus to prove their devotion. But all is not as it seems. Behind this bright circus, a slow battle rages. Two magicians train their protégées in the art of magic, a training that will eventually culminate in a deadly dual. Celia Bowen, a talented young girl, is taught by her recently discovered father, Prospero “the Enchanter” in the art of illusions, the ability to manipulate the universe. Marco Alistair, an orphan, is trained by the mysterious Mr. A.H to be her rival. Both grow up with no knowledge of the rules or awareness of their future opponent.

Once the game becomes clear to them, the two compete to outdo one another, with the circus serving as the chessboard for their dangerous game. That game becomes even more deadly when the two begin to fall in love. What follows will change their world, and the world of all around them, forever.

Do not be deceived by the “battle” described, this book is far from an action novel. Instead of quick movement and flashy fight scenes, The Night Circus takes time to focus on imagery and careful prose. This is not a fast-paced book; indeed, its careful attention to detail is what makes it so fantastic. Instead of constant action, Morgenstern’s greatest skill is her imagery, her ability to bring the circus, and all its spectacles to life. Though there are many characters, the circus itself seems to be the most important, a setting so real and vibrant it almost seems alive. Indeed, Morgenstern spends far more time developing the circus than she does most of her characters. The result is an incredibly vivid and magical setting for the story that plays out.

The Night Circus is a carefully spun web of colorful threads. Different points of view, times, locations, mysteries, all come together to create a beautiful and complex story. Though the points of view can get confusing and complicated at times, the narrator remains the same, an omniscient, god-like voice that at times speaks directly to the reader. In fact, some parts of the story are written as if the reader themselves are walking through the circus. The narrative jumps around in time, but it remains tethered in the late 19th and early 20th century.

The writing of The Night Circus is beyond beautiful; it is rich, deep, vivid, and moving. It makes you feel exactly as the circus makes its visitors feel:

“You think, as you walk away from Le Cirque des Rêves and into the creeping dawn, that you felt more awake within the confines of the circus.

You are no longer quite certain which side of the fence is the dream.”

Verdict: The Night Circus combines beautiful imagery, prose, romance, and magic in a unique and amazing way. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys magical realism and doesn’t rely on fast-paced action to stay interested in a book.