Summary

As the first of five books, I found this story to be rich with cultural details. The author certainly created an interesting cast of characters, enriched by the realistic way in which they interact. Now that I’m invested in the story, I have to know what happens next.

4 STAR REVIEW: THE OATH by A.M. Linden

The Description

The Druid Chronicles: Book 1
Publication Date: June 15, 2021

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.

The Review

With the first installment of The Druid Chronicles, author A.M. Linden takes readers on a journey back to the Dark Ages. Set in Anglo-Saxon Britain, The Oath tells the story of Caelym’s quest to find Priestess Annwr, the sister to the chief priestess.

What follows is a somewhat humorous tale as Caelym, and his Druid skills try to function in a Christian world, complete with a different language and set of customs. Once a wounded Caelym finds Annwr, his quest becomes even more challenging. Annwr refuses to leave without Princess Aleswina, who is in a nearby convent.

With a forced marriage on the horizon for Aleswina, the group flees and stumbles upon one adventure after another. While Caelym’s focus is honoring the oath he made to return Annwr, Annwr is more concerned about Aleswina’s safety. This leads to numerous debates between the two, adding to the appeal of the storyline.

The author added a helpful guide at the beginning to the characters mentioned in the story. Because of the names used during this time period, I found myself using it to help identify new characters as they were introduced. Some of the language is a bit difficult to understand, which is typical of historical fiction in this era.

As the first of five books, I found this story to be rich with cultural details. The author certainly created an interesting cast of characters, enriched by the realistic way in which they interact. Now that I’m invested in the story, I have to know what happens next.

Buy Links

Amazon Barnes & Noble iBooks KoboIndieBound
Add to Goodreads

About The AuthorAnn 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 health care needs where her responsibilities included writing clinical reports, parent educational materials, provider newsletters, grant submissions and other program-related materials. The Oath is the first 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. Retired from nursing, she lives with her husband, dogs, and cat..

WebsiteGoodreadsAmazon-Social

Blog Tour Schedule

Tuesday, June 15
Guest Post at Novels Alive
Review at Books, Cooks, Looks
Feature at Books, Ramblings, and Tea

Wednesday, June 16
Feature at The Lit Bitch
Review at Gwendalyn’s Books

Thursday, June 17
Review at Jessica Belmont

Friday, June 18
Excerpt at What Is That Book About

Monday, June 21
Interview at Jathan & Heather

Tuesday, June 22
Review at Novels Alive
Review at Pursuing Stacie
Review at With A Book In Our Hands

Wednesday, June 23
Review at Rajiv’s Reviews
Review at Booking With Janelle

Friday, June 25
Interview at Passages to the Past

Monday, June 28
Review at Michelle the PA Loves to Read

Thursday, July 1
Excerpt at Hoover Book Reviews

Monday, July 5
Review at Bookworlder

Thursday, July 8
Feature at Reading is My Remedy

Monday, July 12
Interview at Reader_ceygo

Wednesday, July 14
Excerpt at The Cozy Book Blog

Friday, July 16
Feature at Coffee and Ink
Review at The Enchanted Shelf

REVIEW AUTHOR

Amy Wilson
Amy Wilson
My name is Amy W., and I am a book addict. I will never forget the day I came home from junior high school to find my mom waiting for me with one of the Harlequin novels from my stash. As she was gearing up for the "you shouldn't be reading this" lecture, I told her the characters get married in the end. I'm just glad she didn't find the Bertrice Small book hidden in my closet. I have diverse reading tastes, evident by the wide array of genres on my Kindle. As I made the transition to an e-reader, I found myself worrying that something could happen to it. As a result, I am now the proud owner of four Kindles -- all different kinds, but plenty of back-ups! "Fifty Shades of Grey" gets high marks on my favorites list -- not for character development or dialogue (definitely not!), but because it blazed new ground for those of us who believe provocative fiction is more than just an explicit cover. Sylvia Day, Lexie Blake, and Kristin Hannah are some of my favorite authors. Speaking of diverse tastes, I also enjoy Dean Koontz, Iris Johansen, and J.A. Konrath. I’m always ready to discover new-to-me authors, especially when I toss in a palate cleanser that is much different than what I would normally read. Give me something with a well-defined storyline, add some suspense (or spice), and I am a happy reader. Give me a happily ever after, and I am downright giddy.

2 COMMENTS

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

- Advertisement -
As the first of five books, I found this story to be rich with cultural details. The author certainly created an interesting cast of characters, enriched by the realistic way in which they interact. Now that I’m invested in the story, I have to know what happens next.4 STAR REVIEW: THE OATH by A.M. Linden