Review: Circle of Ceridwen. Book one
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 10 15, 2013
This was excellent.  Many customs of the times were revealed and the wars with the Danes and Anglo Saxons.  The heroine is an unusual woman or more a girl of 15'  She has lost a father and uncle whose adopted daughter she became and priests took her in as well as taking her property to care for the poor.  She was given a choice of becoming a nun or marrying their choice.  She left and rode north.  She met a young woman and her entourage going to marry a Dane as part of tribute in a peace treaty.  They were like sister's.  She had two suitors among the Danes, one fearsome and dangerous and one who became her friend.Then a man was brought to the dungeons by other Danes.  He was a man the wider of the leader had loved and once hoped to marry.  He had been blinded and almost dead.  Both Ceridwin and the friend whose husband held Gyric wanted to rescue him, but it was too dangerous for the wife of the Dane leader.  Ceridwin had help from the Saxon servants to get him out and tie him to a horse.  He was almost dead.  She nursed him and got him some help from a sister of a servant who lived in the woods.  Ceridwen was very attracted to him in spite of his energy.  They traveled a hard journey before they were able to teach his home.  His Lord brother was almost a twin to Gyric.  Gyric through his brother had vengeance on the one who blinded him and also on Yrling, the Dane who married Ceridwen's friend.  He had left Gyric in the dungeon to die though he was angry as to what was done to him and angry he had been brought there.  So her friend and the Saxon lady was a widow.  Ceridwen would try to get a message to her through a priest.  Gyric had good new as Ceridwen was with child.  His brother had no children and his wife had gone back to her parents.  Ceridwen was a beautiful and courageous woman.  She was skilled in that the priests had taught her to read and write.  At the end we know nothing of the Saxon lady who was her friend.  Yrling had two nephews and we know nothing of them except they live.  This book kept me spellbound and my description was inadequate to relay the emotions.  There. Are two books go follow and I wish to follow the almost poetic saga.  It is a true time of the Danes coming to conquer and take wealth.  The price of war is dear.  How is Alfwyn, the lady married to Yrling faring?  Which nephew has taken the lead?  Will they retaliate?