Historical fiction
Description
It is the year 871. Of seven Anglo-Saxon kingdoms, five have fallen to the invading Vikings. No trait is more valued than loyalty, and no possession more precious than one's steel. Across this war-torn landscape travels fifteen year old Ceridwen, now thrust into the lives of the conquerors.
Epic...immensely satisfying...an impressive achievement - Historical Novel Society The English Adventure loved by over 100,000 readers in 125 countries...
Lost in the frozen woods, Ceridwen is discovered by the warriors accompanying young Ælfwyn, daughter of a Saxon lord, sold against her will in marriage as part of a peace treaty with a marauding Viking war chief. Their destination is the captured fortress of Four Stones, a ruin holding glittering treasure. There Ælfwyn must keep her vow and wed Yrling - and Ceridwen must do all she can to support her new friend in the rebuilding of the ravaged village and great hall.
But living with the enemy affords Ceridwen unusual freedoms - and unlooked-for conflicts. Amongst them she explores again her own heathen past, and learns to judge each man on his own merits. Yrling's nephews Sidroc and Toki, both formidable warriors yet as different as night and day, compete to win Ceridwen for their own.
Through both guile and goodness Ceridwen and Ælfwyn begin transforming the world of Four Stones. But the threat of full-scale war escalates, and a midnight party of furtive Danes delivers someone to Four Stones who destroys the girls' hopes of peace and contentment. Now Ceridwen must summon all her courage - a courage which will be sorely tested as she defies both Saxon and Dane and undertakes an extraordinary adventure to save a man she has never met.
Lose yourself in The Circle of Ceridwen
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Rights Information
Availbale rights: all translation rights, audio, performance, print outside of USA
Endorsements
Epic...immensely satisfying...an impressive achievement - Historical Novel Society
Randolph's epic four-part Viking-era saga takes place in a ninth-century world caught in the grinding gears of multiple religions - the old Saxon gods, the gods of the invading Vikings, plus the Trinity and attending saints of the hardscrabble Christianity that is trying with uneven success to implant itself in England and Ireland.
The bulk of this story-cycle centers on a young woman, Ceridwen, as she grows into womanhood and has a series of adventures in a world made increasingly violent and unpredictable by the clashing of rival armies and faiths. Randolph has extensively researched her chosen era, and her books are very intentionally pitched at a pre-modern pace, designed to unfold gradually despite their sometimes-hectic action segments. We follow Ceridwen through fractured friendships, tormented loves, and the tragedies of war.
The broader, relaxed tempo of the four novels really allows her -- and her world -- to become real in the reader's imagination, and this aura of complexity is enhanced by the fact that Randolph never stoops to one-dimensional bad guys, be they Christian monks or Viking raiders.
Each of these volumes is immensely satisfying, and the four-book sequence as a whole is an impressive achievement. - Historical Novel Society February 2015
Reviews
345 reviews as of 1 September 2015 http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009HX98X6/ref=series_rw_dp_sw
Author Biography
Octavia Randolph creates meticulously researched historical fiction which is readily finding a solid fan base in the US. Her best known work is the four volume Amazon best-selling The Circle of Ceridwen Saga set in 9th century England and Scandinavia, and she is currently at work on Book Five of that series. She is also the author of Light, Descending, a biographical novel of the great 19th century art and social critic John Ruskin; Ride, a retelling of the story of Lady Godiva; and The Tale of Melkorka, taken from the Icelandic Sagas. She is the recipient of artistic fellowships at the MacDowell Colony, Ledig House International, and Byrdcliffe. Her website octavia.net hosts over one hundred original essays on medieval life, numerous videos from Octavia's research trips, and acts as a lively forum for her readers.
Bibliographic Information
- Publisher Pyewacket Press
- Orginal LanguageEnglish
- ISBN/Identifier 9780985458201
- Publication Country or regionUnited States
- FormatEbook
- Primary Price 6.49 USD
- Pages700
- ReadershipGeneral
- Publish StatusPublished
- IllustrationColoured map
- SeriesThe Circle of Ceridwen Saga
- Series Part1
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