The Avalon Trials was nothing like I had originally expected, the main female character, Cordy, is a woman in her mid-thirties that has been lying to her boss and to her childhood best friend for a long time, when suddenly, she’s faced with the inevitable day where she needs to inform Will that he might be the 2nd coming of King Arthur. 

 

As a woman in my thirties myself, I think that Thiele wrote Cordy’s character perfectly, with all the flaws and challenges that a woman in their 30s face, especially when single and having to break news to their BFF. Cordy also has the challenges of being paired with a hot sorcerer to help Will reach Excalibur via the trials on the hidden island of Avalon. 

 

Avalon is an island that gives trials to the chosen candidates based on what it learns from the candidates at the time continues. The three trials are individually crafted with minimal safe-havens for the characters to take a break, recoup, and recover. Obviously, trials wouldn’t be intense enough without an impending doomsday timeline, which pushes the Avalonian Candidate party towards their end goal of reaching Excalibur. 

 

Since the island of Avalon is working against the party, you would think that would be enough for the characters to manage, however, Thiele also crafts multiple antagonist groups apart from the island itself, which poses problems for Will, Cordy, and the rest of the Guardian party. 

 

Overall, this book was full of adventure, angst, relationship building, magic, and deep themes which made me wanting to dive back into it whenever I had to complete adult duties.