When the last of members of a secretive Druid cult are forced to abandon their hidden sanctuary, they send the youngest of their remaining priests in search of Annwr, their chief priestess’s sister, who was abducted by a Saxon war band fifteen years ago. With only a rudimentary grasp of English and the ambiguous guidance of an oracle’s prophecy, Caelym manages to find Annwr living in a hut on the grounds of a Christian convent.
Annwr has spent her years of captivity caring for the timid Aleswina, an orphaned Saxon princess who was consigned to the cloistered convent by her cousin, King Gilberth, after he assumed her father’s throne. Just as Caelym and Annwr are about leave together, Aleswina learns that Gilberth, a tyrant known for his cruelty and vicious temper, means to take her out of the convent and marry her. Terrified, she flees with the two Druids—beginning a heart-pounding adventure that unfolds in ways none of them could have anticipated.
Praise
“Linden's well-researched tale eloquently brings to life a lesser-known period of transition in Britain. . . . The author has created a strong foundation for her series with well-developed characters whom readers can embrace. . . . [a] layered, gripping historical fiction.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“The story rolls along at a lively pace, rich with details of the times and a wide cast of characters. [The] plotting, shifting points of view of the three engaging protagonists, and evocative writing style make The Oath a pleasure to read. Highly recommended.”
—Historical Novel Review
“Linden uses a fairy tale-like style almost as though this story has been passed down orally over the centuries.”
—Booklist Review
I find myself constantly saying one thing to my husband, and that is ‘no, I will not be buying too many books this week’. It is a conversation we seem to have every Monday, Tuesday, and so on, whenever I mention a new series I have discovered. Luckily for him, only book 1 of this series is out so far, so he needn’t worry… that is, until the next books come out!
Caelym is a druid priest, sent on a mission to find the priestess’s sister, who was abducted by Saxons many years ago. She was presumed dead, until a prophecy told that she was not dead, but very much alive and in need of rescue. When Caelym finds her, an arrow in his back, a souvenir from his journey, he doesn’t find what he expected. Annwr is no young, distraught maiden, but a woman who seems comfortable with the life she is living.
Annwr is reluctant to listen to Caelym, most of his sentences are riddled with poetic turns of phrase anyway, but she can’t ignore that he needs medical help, and begins to take care of him. Annwr has spent her years looking after the Saxon princess Aleswina, who lost her parents at a very young age. Aleswina is like a daughter to Annwr, and when Aleswina learns she is to leave the convent she never wanted to go into, to marry her cousin, the King, she sees just one path ahead of her. She knows Caelym wants Annwr to go with him, and Caelym is finally well enough to travel – she must go with them.
One of my favourite things about finding a new book (or series…!) to love, is meeting the characters. More times than not, I completely fall in love with them, and cannot bear to leave them. I do have young children, so I sometimes find it difficult to find time to read. It is especially hard when books like this come along, and I can’t bear to put them down, even if there is Play-Doh on the floor, and my youngest is demanding snacks half an hour before dinner.
I am a sarcastic person by nature, and, to my absolute delight, so is Caelym. He does so much to try and gain a little praise from Annwr, although such a thing is never forthcoming, for Annwr is much too preoccupied to tell Caelym ‘well done’. Aleswina is not used to living in the woods and eating only what is available from the land, and Annwr has her hands full with teaching the delicate Aleswina how to look after herself away from the Saxon civilisation she is used to. Nevertheless, Caelym has little patience for her, and his thoughts are very sarcastic and I found his remarks incredibly funny. My husband did not, although when I kept interrupting him to read aloud my new favourite part, I clearly didn’t give him enough context to properly appreciate them.
This is an absolutely amazing adventure to follow the characters on. I can’t wait for book 2, for I am already missing the characters, and need to rejoin them as soon as possible!
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I am so glad you enjoyed The Oath. Thank you so much for hosting today's tour stop.
ReplyDeleteAll the best,
Mary Anne
The Coffee Pot Book Club