The Oath: The Druid Chronicles, Book One

by A.M. Linden

Overview

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.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781647421151
Publisher:	She Writes Press
Publication date:	06/15/2021
Series:	Druid Chronicles Series , #1
Sold by:	SIMON & SCHUSTER
Format:	eBook
Pages:	336
Sales rank:	533,410
File size:	4 MB

About the Author

Ann Margaret Linden was born in Seattle, Washington, but grew up on the East Coast before returning to the Pacific Northwest as a young adult. She has undergraduate degrees in anthropology and in nursing and a master’s degree as a nurse practitioner. After working in a variety of acute care and community health settings, she took a position in a program for children with special healthcare needs, where she remained until she retired. The Valley is the second installment of The Druid Chronicles, a five-volume series that began as a somewhat whimsical decision to write something for fun and ended up becoming a lengthy journey that involved Linden taking adult education creative writing courses, researching early British history, and traveling to England, Scotland, and Wales. Linden lives with her husband and their cat and dog in the northwest corner of Washington State.

Editorial Reviews

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

“Linden uses a fairy tale-like style almost as though this story has been passed down orally over the centuries. Though the kingdoms are fictional, Linden's tale draws on meticulous historical research, especially in her dramatization of the Christian persecution of the druids.”
—Booklist

“Richly descriptive, featuring captivating characters and a setting that brings the harsh conflicts of centuries past to life, The Oath is highly recommended.”
—Midwest Book Review

“The story rolls along at a lively pace, rich with details of the times and a wide cast of characters. . . . Those interested in goddess-worshipping religions will be drawn to the novel. Any reader curious about 8th-century Britain will enjoy Linden’s innovative focus on the little-known Druids as well as early medieval Christians. Her plotting, shifting points of view of the three engaging protagonists, and evocative writing style make The Oath a pleasure to read. Highly recommended!”
—Historical Novels Review

“The Oath urges readers along on a richly textured quest among the Saxons and Celts of 8th-century Britain. Young and rather humorously naïve Druid priest-healer Caelym swears to ‘rescue’ a damsel in distress who turns out to be neither a young damsel nor in distress. With a feminist slant, this engaging tale brings the conflict between Druids and early Christians to vivid life through sympathetic and well-rounded characters. I particularly enjoyed the ironic voice of the aging midwife Annwr. Brava!”
—Sara Stamey, author of The Ariadne Connection

“Thrilling historical fiction with heart and soul.”
—Tim Pears, author of The West Country trilogy

“The Oath will appeal to a wide-ranging readership, reflecting Linden’s rich imagination and gift for weaving tales within tales evoking the romance of medieval Britain. Vibrant, determined, and relatable characters with disparate ethnic and religious identities discover their own strengths, and each other’s, as the intricate and engaging plot unfolds.”
—Anne Marie Tietjen, PhD, clinical psychologist and instructor at Western Washington University

“Linden’s knowledge and passion for history is soaked into every word of The Oath, combined with an obvious skill at storytelling. Linden succeeds at every level, but the world building is truly spectacular. Historical fantasy is hard to do well, but Linden makes it look easy. What could be dry details are presented so effectively that the world is elevated to almost being a character of its own. And in a cast of characters as well drawn as these, that's saying something. I can't wait to see what else this skilled author comes up with!”
—Bishop O’Connell, author of the American Faerie Tale series

“The Oath is historical fiction at its best. It brings the British Dark Ages and the true magic of the druids to life with a story rich in personality, spirituality, folklore, wisdom, and more. . . . a series I’m very ready to fall in love with.”
—Book Breath blog

From the Publisher

2021-03-22
Three individuals from two warring religions begin to form a family in this debut adventure.

This historical fiction series opener is set in 788 in Britain, a nation that has largely been taken over by Christian Germanic Saxon invaders from the Indigenous Druids. At the novel’s center is a man on a mission. After the Druids are forced to abandon their hidden sanctuary, Caelym, a young priest, is sent to find Annwr, the sister of the supreme priestess Feywn. Annwr was abducted 15 years prior by a Saxon war band. He discovers Annwr on the grounds of a convent, where her charge, Aleswina, the dead king’s teenage daughter, resides. The teen was banished by her cousin King Gilberth. Caelym also has his own secret crusade: to find his two young sons, Arddwn and Lliem, who were sent away with a faithful servant two years ago. When the cruel Gilberth’s men come for Aleswina because he has decided to marry her, she throws in with Annwr and Caelym in an effort to escape that fate. The trio, rife with conflict, must cross unknown territory for three purposes: to locate Arddwn and Lliem, to find a safe place for Aleswina, and finally to connect with the remaining Druids en route to their new homeland. Linden’s well-researched tale eloquently brings to life a lesser-known period of transition in Britain. The riveting story illustrates that religious strife has been woven into that country’s tapestry for centuries. And life was difficult for the underclass even back then. The author has created a strong foundation for her series with well-developed characters whom readers can embrace. Still, with all those Welsh-sounding Druid names missing some vowels, the book could have used a pronunciation guide to go with its cast of characters. But that’s a small quibble. What’s important is that readers will care about what happens to Annwr, Caelym, Aleswina, and the others in future volumes. In the interim, this installment is a sterling exploration of a tumultuous era.

Characterization reigns supreme in this layered, gripping historical fiction tale set in Britain.

Kirkus Reviews