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Dear Reader:

Did you ever wonder who forged the sword Excalibur? Or how the Holy Grail came to be associated with Arthur, King of the Britons? Or whether the Druid isle of Avalon was a real place?

I did. My passion for Arthurian legend and Celtic lore - and my imaginings of who King Arthur's ancestors may have been - inspired me to create my Druids of Avalon series. The first two books in the Druids series, The Grail King and Deep Magic, are set in second century Britain, some three hundred years before the traditional date of Arthur's birth. The men and women of the Druids of Avalon are ancestors to a great king - but they have their own stories as well, full of adventure, danger, love, and magic.

Who are the Druids of Avalon? In my story world, they're a clan of Celtic shamans who were forced to abandon their sacred isle when the Roman conquerors outlawed the practice of Druidry in Britain. Two generations later, a handful of those who survived the purge, along with their children and granchildren, secretly return to Avalon and begin the painstaking task of reclaiming their lost power. During the years of exile, the identity of the Celts have become inextricably entwined with those of the Romans living in Britain, and the union of these two fascinating and diverse cultures has given rise to a new people. They call themselves not "Celt" or "Roman," but British. It is no longer so easy to determine friend or enemy simply by knowing his heritage.

And so the story begins. I hope you enjoy it!

Druids of Avalon: The Legend

Joy

 

Secrets Behind the Story
Druids of Avalon: The Legend

Read a blend of historical fact, historical legend, and Joy's imagination:
I. The Lady
II. The Daughters
III. Exile

 

Secrets Between the Books

» Find out what's happened in the years between Celtic Fire and The Grail King, in three free "between the books" short stories. Check out Warrior, Slave, and Druid.

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Deep Magic

 



 



After generations of persecution,
the Druids have returned to Avalon...

Druids of Avalon,
Keepers of the Light


The Grail King

Deep Magic

The sacred rites are outlawed and the holy groves destroyed. But now, on the eve of a new era, the Druids have returned to the sacred isle...

Celtic FirePrequel to the Druids series: Celtic Fire (June 2005)

When Commander Lucius Aquila travels to Britain to investigate the murder of his brother, he encounters a beautiful Celtic woman with a mysterious psychic link to the dead man.
*note: while Celtic Fire is not an "official" Druids of Avalon book, the heroes of The Grail King and Deep Magic make their first appearances in this story.

Book I: The Grail King (August 2006)  

Will Owein help the daughter of his enemy find a magic grail? Or will he keep the powerful relic for himself?

Book II: Deep Magic (January 2008)

A beautiful Druidess wants Marcus to forge a sword imbued with Deep Magic. Will he let himself be used by the magic he abhors?

Book III: Silver Silence (coming in 2009)

When Breena disappears from Avalon, Rhys travels into the unknown to find her.

Meet the Druids of Avalon

Meet the Druids of Avalon...and the outsiders who join them on the path of Light

CYRIC - Elder Guardian of Avalon, Cyric is committed to Light Magic. He's forbidden the calling of the more dangerous and unpredictable Deep Magic. The ancient power of the gods—which existed before any human notions of good and evil—is too powerful for mere mortals to control. Cyric appears in The Grail King and Deep Magic.

RHYS - Cyric's grandson. Many on Avalon believe he should be Cyric's heir as Guardian of Avalon, but Cyric has chosen another. Though Rhys would prefer to live on Avalon, Cyric has given him the task of wandering Britain in search of Celts touched by magic. Rhys brings these potential Druids to Avalon so that they may be trained in the Light. For if their magic is left untrained, they could succumb to the powers of the Dark. Rhys appears in The Grail King and Deep Magic. He's the hero of Silver Silence.

GWENDOLYN - Rhys's twin sister, chosen by Cyric to be Guardian of Avalon after Cyric's death. Avalon's elders do not believe she deserves the honor. Though charged with training the Druid initiates Rhys brings to Avalon, Gwen constantly shirks her duty. She's forever slipping off into the hills, covering her trail with magic. What is the secret she's hiding? Gwen is the heroine of Deep Magic. She also appears in The Grail King and Silver Silence.

MARCUS AQUILA -Rhys's best friend. A Roman blacksmith, son of Lucius Aquila and stepson of Rhiannon. Though Marcus harbors a deep mistrust of magic of any kind, Marcus is fascinated with Rhys's twin sister, Gwendolyn. He's seen her only once, and isn't likely to encounter her again, since he's been barred from her home on Avalon. Nonetheless, he can't get his mind off her... Marcus is the hero of Deep Magic. He also appears in The Grail King, Celtic Fire and Silver Silence.

»» INTERVIEW with MARCUS! Tune in as daytime talk show maven "Ophelia" interviews the Roman blacksmith... Read the interview!

BREENA - Marcus's teenaged half-sister, daughter of Lucius Aquila and Rhiannon. Breena's growing power of Sight is growing dangerous. Rhys insists she must be fostered on Avalon, but her brother and parents are reluctant to let her leave home. Breena is the heroine of Silver Silence. She also appears in The Grail King and Deep Magic.

OWEIN - A Druid hermit and Seer, Owein's life has been battered by war and brutality. He believes he is the last of the Druids of old until he senses a hidden power driving a winter storm. When Clara, a naïve Roman girl, intrudes on his bitter solitude, begging him to use his Seer's power to recover a magical grail, Owein's reluctant acceptance leads to his discovery of the Druid settlement on Avalon. He vows to find the Lost Grail—not for Clara—but for his own people. Owein is the hero of The Grail King. He also appears in Celtic Fire, Deep Magic, and Silver Silence.

»» INTERVIEW with OWEIN! Find out how daytime talk show maven "Ophelia" helped Owein get in touch with his feelings... Read the interview!

CLARA - Sheltered daughter of the iron-fisted Roman commander who destroyed Owein's village. With her father lying near death, Clara is desperate to find the stolen grail that can restore his health. Clara is the heroine of The Grail King. She also appears in Deep Magic.

RHIANNON – Heiress to great Celtic queens, Rhiannon's homeland was stolen by the advancing Roman army. In the war that followed, her tribe captured and killed a young Roman officer. While protecting her younger brother, Owein, in battle, Rhiannon is taken prisoner by the enemy. Rhiannon is the heroine of Celtic Fire. She also appears in The Grail King and Deep Magic.

LUCIUS AQUILA - When army commander Lucius Aquila arrives in Britain seeking the truth about his younger brother's death, he's ambushed by hostile Celts. He's stunned to find that the young archer he captures is a beautiful young woman, with an eerie psychic connection to the dead man's ghost. Lucius is the hero of Celtic Fire. He also appears in Deep Magic.

BLODWEN - Rhys and Gwendolyn's cousin. As a girl, Blodwen was beautiful and strong in magic. A vicious attack left her broken and scarred, her magic shattered. Blodwen appears in The Grail King.

CORMAC - A Celt dwarf and spy, Cormac is Owein's kinsman from the north. Though he has no magic, he has an uncanny ability to ferret out information, which he offers to the highest bidder. Cormac appears in Celtic Fire and The Grail King.

TREVOR – A Druid of Avalon brought from the North by Rhys. Tall, blond and taciturn, Trevor's dark past is a mystery to the other Druids of Avalon. Trevor appears in Deep Magic and Silver Silence.

PENN – Once a starving young boy living in the dirty alleys of Londinium, Penn was rescued by Rhys and now is a teenager living on the sacred isle. Penn appears in Deep Magic.

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reviews & book news

» Travel to Scotland with Joy. Joy shares her experience traveling while to Scotland, where many of her books take place. See photos and more on her blog... The following include research that ties into The Druids of Avalon.

Day 6: Doune Castle
Day 9: Caerleon aka Isca Silurnam
Day 11: Glastonbury and Cheddar Gorge

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