🎯 Where Should I Start?
ⓘ About Diana L. Paxson
She counts the true start of her life from the move west she and her family made when she was three years old. Diana grew up in the Pacific Palisades on the coast of Southern California. While just an only child, she spent a bunch of time roaming the still wild hills, trying to figure out how to make things (like yarn from dog hair, pots from local clay, and mini houses thatched with grass clippings), and drawing horses. However her favorite occupation was reading anything and everything that she could get her hands on, from her dad’s sci-fi collection, old Readers’ Digest, mythology and archaeology. She spent many summers at Camp Trinity in the far north of California, which became the setting for the first novel on Westria.
All Book Series by Diana L. Paxson
The Mists of Avalon
Series opener · book 1 of 7 · published 1979 Anthology · Marion Zimmer Bradley
The Forest House / The Forests of Avalon
Book 2 of 7 · published 1993 Anthology · Marion Zimmer Bradley
Priestess of Avalon
Book 4 of 7 · published 2001 Anthology · Marion Zimmer Bradley
Celestial Wisdom for Every Year of Your Life
Series opener · book 1 of 8 · published 2003 Co-authored · Zsuzsanna E. Budapest
Trance-Portation Learning to Navigate the Inner World
Book 4 of 8 · published 2008
The Essential Guide to Possession, Depossession, and Divine Relationships
Book 7 of 8 · published 2015
Odin: Ecstasy, Runes, & Norse Magic
Latest in the series · book 8 of 8 · published 2017
The Eye of the Heron and Other Stories
Series opener · book 1 of 11 · published 1978
Moonsinger's Friends: An Anthology in Honor of Andre Norton
Book 2 of 11 · published 1985
? Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Diana L. Paxson?
She counts the true start of her life from the move west she and her family made when she was three years old. Diana grew up in the Pacific Palisades on the coast of Southern California. While just an only child, she spent a bunch of time roaming the still wild hills, trying to figure out how to make things (like yarn from dog hair, pots from local clay, and mini houses thatched with grass clippings), and drawing horses.
Which Diana L. Paxson series should I start with?
The best place to start is the Avalon series, the earliest of Diana L. Paxson's multi-book series: it opens with The Mists of Avalon (1979) and runs to 7 books across 1979–2009, ending with Sword of Avalon (2009). Diana L. Paxson's other series stand alone, so they can be read in any order.
How many books has Diana L. Paxson written?
Diana L. Paxson has 54 books catalogued in this guide, published between 1976 and 2019. 30 of them belong to 6 named series — the largest being the Westria series with 8 books — and 24 are standalone titles, collections or anthologies.
In what order should Diana L. Paxson's series be read?
Read each series in publication order — the numbered entries in each series follow the year each book first appeared. Diana L. Paxson's series do not depend on one another, so they can be started in any order; by start date they are Avalon (1979–2009, 7 books), Westria (1982–2006, 8 books) and The Chronicle of Fionn mac Cumhal (1993–1995, 3 books), plus 2 more.
How are Diana L. Paxson's books organised into series?
This guide splits Diana L. Paxson's 54 books into 6 named series and 24 titles that stand alone or appear only in collections: Westria (8 books, 1982–2006); Avalon (7 books, 1979–2009); Hallowed Isle (4 books, 1999–2000); The Chronicle of Fionn mac Cumhal (3 books, 1993–1995); Wodan's Children (3 books, 1993–1996), plus 1 further series.