Diana L. Paxson books

Diana L. Paxson is an American fantasy author best known for the Westria series and for completing the Avalon series after Marion Zimmer Bradley's death in 1999. She is also a practicing Heathen and has written widely on Norse paganism, runes, and trance work.

Anthologies

Title Published Buy on Amazon
The Eye of the Heron and Other Stories 1978 Buy
Moonsinger’s Friends: An Anthology in Honor of Andre Norton 1985 Buy
Barbarians 2 1988 Buy
The Household of the Grail 1990 Buy
Flights of Fantasy 1999 Buy
Sword and Sorceress XXI 2004 Buy
The Pagan Anthology of Short Fiction 2008 Buy
Lace and Blade 2 2009 Buy
The Feathered Edge 2012 Buy
Stars of Darkover 2014 Buy

Avalon Reading Order

Title Published Buy on Amazon
Proxy 2013 N/A
The Mists of Avalon 1979 Buy
Avalon 2014 N/A
The Forest House / The Forests of Avalon 1993 Buy
Polaris 2015 N/A
Lady of Avalon 1997 Buy
Sword of Avalon 2009 Buy
A Sacerdotisa de Avalon 2000 N/A
Priestess of Avalon 2001 Buy
Ravens of Avalon 2007 Buy
Ancestors of Avalon 2004 Buy

Blood Of Ten Chiefs Reading Order

Title Published Buy on Amazon
The Blood of Ten Chiefs 1986 Buy
Wolfsong 1989 Buy
The Winds of Change 1989 Buy
Against the Wind 1990 Buy
Dark Hours 1993 Buy

Hallowed Isle Reading Order

Title Published Buy on Amazon
The Book of the Spear 1999 Buy
The Book of the Sword 1999 Buy
The Book of the Cauldron 1999 Buy
The Book of the Stone 2000 Buy

Non-Fiction

Title Published Buy on Amazon
Celestial Wisdom for Every Year of Your Life 2003 Buy
Taking Up the Runes 2005 N/A
Essential Asatru 2006 Buy
Trance-Portation Learning to Navigate the Inner World 2008 Buy
The Way of the Oracle 2012 Buy
Words for Warriors 2012 Buy
The Essential Guide to Possession, Depossession, and Divine Relationships 2015 Buy
Odin: Ecstasy, Runes, & Norse Magic 2017 Buy

Standalone Novels

Title Published Buy on Amazon
White Mare, Red Stallion 1976 Buy
Brisingamen 1984 Buy
Paradise Tree 1987 Buy
The White Raven 1988 Buy
The Serpent’s Tooth 1991 Buy

The Chronicle of Fionn mac Cumhal Reading Order

Title Published Buy on Amazon
Master of Earth and Water 1993 Buy
The Shield Between the Worlds 1994 Buy
Sword of Fire and Shadow 1995 Buy

Westria Reading Order

Title Published Buy on Amazon
Lady of Light 1982 Buy
Lady of Darkness 1983 Buy
Silverhair The Wanderer 1986 Buy
The Earthstone 1987 Buy
The Sea Star 1988 Buy
The Wind Crystal 1990 Buy
The Jewel of Fire 1995 Buy
The Golden Hills of Westria 2006 Buy

Wodan’s Children Reading Order

Title Published Buy on Amazon
The Wolf and the Raven 1993 Buy
The Dragons of the Rhine 1995 Buy
The Lord of Horses 1996 Buy

Diana L. Paxson began her fantasy writing career in the 1970s with the Westria novels, a secondary-world fantasy series set in a post-apocalyptic California where the echoes of Native American and European traditions shape a new civilization. The Westria books were nominated for the Mythopoeic Award and established her reputation as a writer of thoughtful, research-grounded fantasy.

Her partnership with Marion Zimmer Bradley drew her into the Avalon world in the 1990s, and after Bradley’s death she became the series’ custodian and sole author. The Avalon books blend Arthurian legend with pre-Christian British spirituality, and Paxson’s deep engagement with Celtic and Germanic paganism gives the later volumes in the series a particularly grounded quality.

Alongside her fiction, Paxson has written extensively on Heathenry, rune practice, and trance work. Books like Taking Up the Runes and Essential Asatru are standard references in the contemporary Norse pagan community, and she has been a practising Heathen and community leader for decades.


Frequently Asked Questions

How many books has Diana L. Paxson written?

Diana L. Paxson has written 57 books across nine series.

What was Diana L. Paxson's first book?

Diana L. Paxson’s first book is White Mare, Red Stallion, published in 1976.

How did Diana L. Paxson become part of the Avalon series?

Paxson first co-wrote The Forest House with Marion Zimmer Bradley in the early 1990s. After Bradley’s death in 1999, Paxson took over the series as sole author, writing Ravens of Avalon, Ancestors of Avalon, and Sword of Avalon, as well as contributing to later editions of Bradley’s original manuscripts.

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