Book picks similar to
Avalon’s Portal by Lynne W. Bailey


arthurian
children-or-middle-grade-books
fantasy-sci-fi-dystopia-youth
indie-books

Queen of Camelot


Nancy McKenzie - 2002
    Years pass, and Guinevere becomes a great beauty, riding free across Northern Wales on her beloved horse. She is entranced by the tales of the valorous Arthur, a courageous warrior who seems to Guinevere no mere man, but a legend. Then she finds herself betrothed to that same famous king, a hero who commands her willing devotion. Just as his knights and all his subjects, she falls under Arthur’s spell. At the side of King Arthur, Guinevere reigns strong and true. Yet she soon learns how the dark prophecy will reveal itself. She is unable to conceive. Arthur’s only true heir is Mordred, offspring of a cursed encounter with the witch Morgause. Now Guinevere must make a fateful choice: She decides to raise Mordred, teaching him to be a ruler and to honor Camelot. She will love him like a mother. Mordred will be her greatest joy–and the key to her ultimate downfall. Return to a time of legend–the days of Guinevere and Arthur and the glory that was to become Camelot

Free Gift with Purchase


Jackie Pilossoph - 2012
    Emma's always been the party girl, Laura, the hardworking doctor. But now, the two have something in common. Both are newly single and trying out the dating scene after marriage.Emma's a widow and a single mother with a guilty secret she can't let go. Laura's husband just dumped her for one of four women he's been sleeping with. A dispute over the house forces Laura to move in with her sister and that's when the fun begins.Go on some dates with these 42 and 44 year-old adorable sisters who are both looking for love and your jaw will surely drop! Laura's mixed bag includes Dan, a selfish womanizer, Ari, a stalker, and Tim, a compulsive liar. For Emma there's gorgeous, sexy Preston, a self-proclaiming "fun guy," beautiful Alice, who's a lesbian, and a string of Matts who go from bad to worse. Then there's separated, charismatic, wealthy Luke Sullivan. Luke's carrying some baggage, but he makes Emma's heart stop every time he appears.Free Gift With Purchase is a book about two sisters who have always seen things from an entirely different perspective, but who as women in need of each other learn to consider that instead of judging, looking through each other's eyes might make their lives a lot richer. In other words, when you buy into opening your heart and believing in yourself, you might just end up with a Free Gift With Purchase.

Cupid's Arrow


Isabelle Merlin - 2009
    So she's really creeped out when she starts dreaming of being hunted through a dark forest by an unseen, sinister archer. But when her bookseller mother unexpectedly inherits the magnificent library of a famous French author, Fleur forgets all about her fears. Excitedly, mother and daughter travel to Bellerive Manor, near the ancient French town of Avallon, reputedly the last resting place of the "real" King Arthur. And it is there, in the magical green forest near Bellerive Manor, that Fleur meets a handsome, mysterious boy called Remy Gomert. It seems to be love at first sight, beautiful as a dream. But Fleur's nightmare is just about to begin.

Dragon's Future


Kandi J. Wyatt - 2015
    Twins Ruskya & Duskya are selected as children to join this elite group, leaving their home and all that is familiar to train for their new lives.Fast forward fifteen years--dragons are becoming extinct and riders are rare. When Ruskya learns of a plot that could destroy the remaining dragon population, he and his friends must fight for their dragons' future.Join Ruskya on his quest of courage and friendship in this young YA series being hailed as a thrilling ride.

The Death of King Arthur


Thomas Malory - 1995
    All the titles are extracts from "Penguin Classics" titles.Sir Thomas Malory was a knight and estate owner in the mid 15th century, who spent many years in prison for political crimes as well as robbery. He wrote Le Morte d’Arthur, the first great English prose epic, while imprisoned in Nwgate. The epic was published in 1485 by William Caxton, the first English printer. Malory is believed to have died in 1471.

Guinevere


Sharan Newman - 1980
    In Guinevere, Newman offers a reinterpretation of the Arthurian saga and as memorable as The Mists of Avalon and The Hollow Hills.

Intangible


C.A. Gray - 2013
    A prophecy foretells of a champion.Peter Stewart grew up on a unique version of the Arthurian legends taught him by his father, a harebrained quantum physicist who asserts that anything is possible. But Peter disbelieves anything which cannot be scientifically explained, despite a nagging sense that there is more to the world than meets the eye.Lily Portman is an orphan with a secret: she can see creatures that are invisible to everyone else. These creatures control every human being she has ever met to varying degrees... until she meets Peter and his father.When a mysterious stranger stages an accident which nearly costs Peter and Lily their lives, suddenly Lily learns that she is not crazy after all, and Peter discovers the truth of his father's stories... including the existence of Arthur's ancient nemesis, one who calls himself the Shadow Lord, and a prophecy with implications so profound that it will alter not only the course of their lives, but potentially the fate of the world.

A Moment for Tara


Tamar Sloan - 2017
    Life is uncomplicated and carefree — until she falls for one of them. The wrong one.Tara is the first born of her pack, and with the title comes responsibility — the expectation that she will bond with an Alpha heir to strengthen her pack’s standing…and Mitch was born seven minutes too late. Tara’s heart is torn when a deep connection with Mitch is awakened and she discovers the potential for so much more than friendship. But her mind knows what she must choose.When the impossible strikes Mitch’s family, when their sacred Glade is threatened, Tara is forced to decide — her heart or her pack?

Children of the Miracle


Daniel Weisbeck - 2020
    The FossilFlu virus which drove humanity to the brink of extinction, has mutated and threatens a second pandemic. Along with the message is a mysterious personal invitation to visit the Sanctuary of Americas, one of the last three cities left on Earth. When Mercy arrives, she is shocked to discover that the Sanctuary of Americas has been engineering human-animal hybrids to be immune to the virus.Drawn into a dangerous internal war, where the cure to the virus is the key to power and the fate of the hybrids, Mercy's research may have the answers. But who will she save?

Beltane: When dreams are real and magic is stronger


Alys West - 2015
    The next day she meets him. Tall with untidy brown hair and grey eyes, Finn is funny and intelligent but doesn’t open up easily. Instantly drawn to him, Zoe doesn’t initially recognise him as the man from her dream. When Finn finds out where Zoe is staying he warns her not to trust Maeve, the healer who owns Anam Cara. His enigmatic comments fuel Zoe’s growing unease about what’s happening at Anam Cara. What power does Maeve have over the minds of the other guests? Is it coincidence that they become ill after she’s given them healing? Why does the stone table in the garden provoke memories of blood and terror? And how did the Green Man, carved on a tree in the garden, disappear during a thunderstorm? Finn’s torn between wanting to protect Zoe from his world and a strong desire to be with her. And the more time they spend together the harder it is for him to keep his secrets from her. As they uncover the dark, supernatural secrets of Anam Cara, they grow closer and Zoe’s forced to accept that her dreams reveal the future and Finn is not all he seems. For Finn is a druid, connected by magic to the earth, and the old scores between Finn and Maeve are about to put Zoe’s life in danger. If you love Deborah Harkness or the Stonewylde books you'll love this gripping fantasy romance. “You will be hooked until the very end as the witchcraft and sorcery unfold in this gripping urban fantasy. A very well told novel; thoroughly enjoyable” – Rosie Amber’s Book Blog “Alys West certainly knows how to tell a story” – Alison Williams, author of The Black Hours “Opening with a terrific prologue which grabbed my interest immediately, Beltane has a lot of factors I love in a book – including a handsome druid, magic and Glastonbury” – Between the Lines Book Blog

In Her Dreams


Joanna Reeder - 2018
    But every night, instead of fantasizing about her own life, she dreams the memories of dead people, reliving their happiest moments… and their most painful experiences.But when Emily begins to have consecutive dreams of Victorian era Lucy, she finally finds an escape from her own friendless waking life. And the dreams get even better when Lucy meets her fiancé’s cousin—a handsome bachelor Emily doesn’t mind seeing every night.But when Emily accidently changes the outcome of one of her dreams, thereby shifting reality, she has to make important decisions about choices and control. And what she believes is right.

Of Snow and Scarlet


Katherine Macdonald - 2021
    But she's drawn to the surrounding forests of Thornwood, and the mysterious white wolf that saved her life as a child. When the wolf reveals himself as the shape-changing Finn, an omega hiding from his former pack, Andesine finds herself in the middle of a conflict that threatens everything she holds dear—her dreams, her family, and the boy she's given her heart to. There is more than one way to lose yourself, and more than one kind of wolf in the woods… NB: This book is suitable for older teens and adults, with some sexual content

Twilight of Avalon


Anna Elliott - 2009
    In the shadow of King Arthur's Britain, one woman knows the truth that could save a kingdom from the hands of a tyrant... Ancient grudges, old wounds, and the quest for power rule in the newly widowed Queen Isolde's court. Hardly a generation after the downfall of Camelot, Isolde grieves for her slain husband, King Constantine, a man she secretly knows to have been murdered by the scheming Lord Marche -- the man who has just assumed his title as High King. Though her skills as a healer are renowned throughout the kingdom, in the wake of Con's death, accusations of witchcraft and sorcery threaten her freedom and her ability to bring Marche to justice. Burdened by their suspicion and her own grief, Isolde must conquer the court's distrust and superstition to protect her throne and the future of Britain. One of her few allies is Trystan, a prisoner with a lonely and troubled past. Neither Saxon nor Briton, he is unmoved by the political scheming, rumors, and accusations swirling around the fair queen. Together they escape, and as their companionship turns from friendship to love, they must find a way to prove what they know to be true -- that Marche's deceptions threaten not only their lives but the sovereignty of the British kingdom. In Twilight of Avalon, Anna Elliott returns to the roots of the legend of Trystan and Isolde to shape a very different story -- one based in the earliest written versions of the Arthurian tales -- a captivating epic brimming with historic authenticity, sweeping romance, and the powerful magic of legend.

A T. A. Barron Collection: The Lost Years of Merlin; The Seven Songs of Merlin; The Fires of Merlin


T.A. Barron - 2001
    A. Barron's popular series on Merlin's boyhood are now available at an exceptional value in this hardcover three-in-one omnibus volume, which includes the complete texts of The Lost Years of Merlin, The Seven Songs of Merlin, and The Fires of Merlin. Readers will be captivated as they follow Merlin from his early childhood in ancient Wales to the mythical island of Fincayra, where he embarks on a thrilling series of adventures and finally enters into young adulthood. Perfect for any gift-giving occasion, this lovely volume will have a special place on any fantasy-lover's shelf.

The Crimson Chalice


Victor Canning - 1976
    As the Saxon pillagers sweep ever farther west, young Baradoc, Roman army veteran & son of a British tribal chief, meets Tia, a Roman girl fleeing the troubles. Their son Arturo, a child hugely endowed with wildness, blarney & arrogance, grows up to inherit his father's dream of uniting Britain against the Saxons. The story is chiefly concerned with the slow building of his campaign, from his early rebellion against the delaying tactics of the anti-Saxon forces to the great victory of Mt Badon. Like many imaginers of an earlier Britain, Canning is best when describing the wild countryside & the homely skills of its inhabitants. His attempts to graft this material onto the Grail legend are effortful platitudes. Merlin appears & disappears at climactic moments, saying things like "Only the gods know that." Speeches are peppered with ritual interjections of "Aie..." to indicate deep thought. People look at each other & instinctively know something, or undergo some tremendous change "from that moment"...Canning's Arturo does occasionally come to life during his stormy childhood in the Tribe of the Enduring Crow; once he is grown, one feels that Canning, like Sir Bedivere, has lost sight of the barge.--Kirkus Beginning note: "At the time of this story—roughly 450 AD—any effective Roman presence in Britain had long gone. The shadow of the Dark Ages—which were to last nearly 300 years—had already fallen across the country. The Saxon mercenaries, hired originally to fight against the Pictish invasions from the North, were now breaking out of the lands granted to them in the East. Constantly reinforced by more of their kind they were beginning to sweep westwards across the country, massacring & pillaging, to make it their own." Postscript: "Although there are no incontrovertible facts about King Arthur, the renown of his life & deeds in the Dark Ages was lodged for over 600 years in folk memory. & folk, being what they are, invariably alter & embroider a good story. Wm of Malmesbury, Geoffrey of Monmouth & then Sir Thomas Malory were landed with the result. Lesser as well as better writers have followed them. Acknowledging that I come in the first of these two categories, I feel no shame in entering the lists poorly armed but securely mounted on a horse I have ridden for years called Imagination."