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Éire's Captive Moon (Éire's Viking, #1)

by Sandi Layne (Goodreads Author)

4.45 of 5 stars 4.45 · rating details · 29 ratings · 16 reviews

Éire’s Captive Moon, the first book of Sandi Layne’s Éire’s Viking Trilogy, brings you to the unsettled era of the early Viking raids along the coast of Éire – today’s Ireland.

A wounded refugee from the violent Viking raids on Éire’s coast is healed so well by Charis of Ragor that Agnarr captures the moon-pale woman for his own and takes her home to Nordweg to be his slave...more

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Published January 10th 2013 by The Writer's Coffee Shop (first published November 19th 2012)

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Dec 08, 2012 Rel8tivity rated it 5 of 5 stars

Lots of Shoes!!

Eire's Captive Moon exudes dramatic tension from the moment you pick it up. The very title implies somebody or something is going to be placed in jeopardy, and after the rather idyllic opening, you know the other shoe is going to drop.

And drop it does for Charis, the healer in a 9th century Irish village. These are rough times, with Vikings raiding up and down the Irish coast for treasure and slaves. Agnarr Halvardson, one of the Viking raiders, brings a new reality to Charis' wor...more Lots of Shoes!!

Eire's Captive Moon exudes dramatic tension from the moment you pick it up. The very title implies somebody or something is going to be placed in jeopardy, and after the rather idyllic opening, you know the other shoe is going to drop.

And drop it does for Charis, the healer in a 9th century Irish village. These are rough times, with Vikings raiding up and down the Irish coast for treasure and slaves. Agnarr Halvardson, one of the Viking raiders, brings a new reality to Charis' world with a vengeance. Captured along with Cowan, the son of a minor Irish king, Charis must adapt to life as a trell of Agnarr.

Thankfully, Charis is no waifish damsel in distress. As a healer, she occupies a place of eminence in her village, yet she can throw a mean spear. In addition to her skills in herbology and healing, Charis also seems to possess otherworldly traits. Is she descended from the fairy folk or is she a witch, as some accuse her? What is this power she seems to have over some men? Whatever it is, she'll need all of her abilities to survive and find her way in her new situation.

Cowan, who is returning home from studying abroad in France, brings an opposing system of belief to Charis' worldview. Charis, while not a druid, is fairly contemptuous of the Christian god, being grounded in more earthly matters like herbs and her healing skills. This loads the deck for some interesting interplay between the two of them.

Like the other main characters, there is more to Agnarr than meets the eye. While what he's doing isn't nice, he's doing it for a reason - like Vitto Corleone in the Godfather, Agnarr is simply supporting his family. This is just the reality of life in the fjords, where not enough arable land forces the Norsemen to find another way to survive.

The rich world painted by Sandi Layne is practically another character. From the attention to day-to-day living details, to the customs and beliefs of the Nordic and Gaelic cultures, you feel like you've been dropped into a Norse long house. Excuse me, langhus. Ms. Layne has done her homework, and it shows. Who knew it was legal for a woman to have two husbands in 9th century Ireland?

The story had good pacing punctuated by bouts of high action. I think for most of the book, I found I was always waiting for another shoe to drop. All in all, a very enjoyable adventure. This is the first book in a trilogy and I, for one, am looking forward very much to installments two and three!

Disclaimer - I received an ARC of this book in exchange for a review.(less)

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Oct 17, 2012 Raina {The LUV'NV} rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc-publisher-direct, historical-fiction, favorites, series-book-1s, review-requested

Captivating.

From the very first page, Éire's Captive Moon transports the reader to the shores of Éire (Ireland) during the early Viking raids in late Antiquity. I was immediately drawn in to the time and setting with the beautiful starting prose on nature and the land, on the Irish people, culture, and mythology; it lends a mystical air that almost feels more fantastical than historical, for the story seems otherworldly as Achan, a male healer, traverses through the forest and is drawn to a cave...more

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May 14, 2013 Beyond the Squee rated it 5 of 5 stars

Éire’s Captive Moon, the first book of Sandi Layne’s Éire’s Viking Trilogy, brings you to the unsettled era of the early Viking raids along the coast of Éire – today’s Ireland.

Red-striped sails make their first appearance on the shores near the village of Ragor and the peaceful life of the villagers is obliterated in one deadly raid. Agnarr Halvardson and his overlord, Tuirgeis, have come to Éire for treasure, honor, and slaves.

After slaying her husbands, Agnarr claims Charis, the healer of the...more

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Jan 19, 2013 Warren Bennett rated it 5 of 5 stars

First, a confession

It isn’t a big shock to anyone that knows me when I say I’m not fond of the genre known as‘Romance.’ A book can be deftly written and have a great story, but it would still be hard for me to sit down and read one. Sandi Layne, a friend of mine that I’ve known more than a few years now, is primarily known as a writer of Romantic fiction. Since her books rarely have occasion to blow things up or have massive battles, I’ve been a little hesitant to read one of her tomes. Even wit...more

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Nov 06, 2012 Lissa Bryan rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction, arc, strong-heroine, survivor, medicine-woman, vikings, early-christian-church-vs-pagans, excellent-research

I was pleased to get an ARC for this novel because I enjoy a well-written piece of historical fiction.

I admit, I'm rather hard to please when it comes to this genre. Far too many novels in this genre treat the historical setting like an afterthought, with little effort at authenticity. There have been many I've abandoned when they surpassed my admittedly-low tolerance for historical errors.

Eire's Captive Moon was not that kind of novel. The historical detail and setting are intricately woven int...more

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Nov 23, 2012 Jennifer Garcia rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc

I should have waited to read this. ;) Honestly, because it's part of a trilogy and I want the next book already. Not sure I can wait however long it's going to take for it to come out. That's how good this was.

I must say I love historical fiction and this one was quite amazing. I loved being transported to another place and another time. She did it so well and the words, descriptions, and the scenery were perfect.

The characters–all of them– were so well worked that I fell in love with some I p...more

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Jan 03, 2013 Brandee Price rated it 5 of 5 stars

Wow! There is so much to say about this book, I don't know where to begin. First, I think I'd like to thank Ms. Layne for not leaving me with a cliffhanger - at least not in the true sense of a cliffhanger. I know Charis' story isn't over, but I wasn't left hanging on the edge and I'm grateful for that. Also, I love Norse mythology (and Celtic mythology for that matter), so I was so pleased to have that woven into this story.

This story is richly told, the prose very affecting. I was transported...more

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Jan 05, 2013 Sarah Aisling rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc

With Éire’s Captive Moon, Sandi Layne has created an unforgettable tale of love, loss, intrigue, bravery, and suspense. From the first pages, you’ll be held captive by Ms. Layne’s incredible storytelling and her ability to paint a picture with words that pulls you so deeply into her world you forget your surroundings.

Charis is snatched away from her home and everything she ever knew or loved. She’s been captured to be the medicine woman, slave, and bed partner to the viking, Agnarr, who was so i...more

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May 06, 2013 Angela rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: e-reader, romance

3.5-4 mainly because the prologue almost made me stop reading; it was so abstract and distant that it felt unemotional. Otherwise, a very clean, well-edited story, with a strong female lead. I loved the descriptions of the settings, and the living conditions for the time period.

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Nov 03, 2012 Andrea (mrsaubergine) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Not my usual choice of reading matter, but I really enjoyed this. I appreciated the research that must have gone into the setting, and the tone was very reflective of the period. Maybe it was wrong of me, but I really grew quite fond of Agnarr, even though he was a raping, pillaging Viking who took Irish healer Charis as his sex slave. I know I was meant to like Cowan, the Irish prince, but a small part of me wanted Charis to live happily ever after with both men. References to Thor and Loki mad...more

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Jan 13, 2013 Sandra rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Historical romance lovers

Shelves: arc-publisher-direct

This book is a re-edit of the previously published novel Captive Irish Moon. When the new novel was offered as an ARC, I jumped at the chance.

Eire's Captive Moon tells the story of Charis, a healer, and her struggles after being captured by marauding Vikings and taken by Agnarr as his leman/slave.

The book starts out with Charis' father running from someone and having to abandon her near an Irish village for her safety. Charis grows up and learns the healing craft, though this part is skipped ove...more This book is a re-edit of the previously published novel Captive Irish Moon. When the new novel was offered as an ARC, I jumped at the chance.

Eire's Captive Moon tells the story of Charis, a healer, and her struggles after being captured by marauding Vikings and taken by Agnarr as his leman/slave.

The book starts out with Charis' father running from someone and having to abandon her near an Irish village for her safety. Charis grows up and learns the healing craft, though this part is skipped over and insinuated.

When we meet her again, she's married to Devin and Devlin, twin warriors, and living in a small village near a monastery. From the start, it's clear that the author has done her homework, as life in the 9th century in Ireland is described in accurate detail, including the distrust of a monk who calls her a witch.

When Vikings land on the shores to invade the monastery and steal its riches, they also happen upon Charis' village. The ensuing fight is well described, and Charis is forced to leave with the Vikings. One of her captors, Agnarr, is impressed with her healing skills and decides to keep her for himself. Charis vows revenge since he's also the one who has killed both of her husbands. She knows she has to bide her time but killing Agnarr is never far from her mind.

Sandi Layne describes in rich detail the life and customs of the people of Nordweg (Norway); her beautiful prose only serves to draw the reader more into the story.

Her cast of characters is captivating: Charis with her moonbeam hair, Cowan the Kingson, who is also taken as a slave, Agnarr, who despite his pillaging and raping is likable and relatable, and Tuirgeis with his shrewd thoughts and observations. They become alive in the pages of this book and it is to the author's credit that she's able to create such a rich cast. Even the not so likable characters, such as Magda and her slave, enrich the plot immensely.

And throughout, the author returns to specific themes: perseverance, forgiveness and determination. I was on occasion torn between admiring Charis' for her unforgiving stance and wanting to rattle her for being so single-minded that she didn't see the forest for the trees.

And I want to commend the author for the extensive research that went into this book, not only the historical facts but also herbology, mythology and excellent character development.

If you like historically sound novels with a little romance, this book is for you. Give it a try.

I received a free ARC directly from the publisher. A positive review was not promised in return.(less)

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Jan 13, 2013 Elle rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: arcs-netgalley, didn-t-get-it, fantasy, historical-fic, romance, trilogy

Original review can be found here: http://www.yourentertainmentcorner.co....

I was initially interested in reading Eire’s Captive Moon because it’s supposed to be a tale that delves into the Viking way of life and how it affects those they encounter (at least that’s my take). But that sentiment wore off quickly. The story follows an Irish healer Charis and Prince Cowan as they are captured and made slaves by Viking raiders. Their plight awarded me some suspense, but I became bored after a while....more Original review can be found here: http://www.yourentertainmentcorner.co....

I was initially interested in reading Eire’s Captive Moon because it’s supposed to be a tale that delves into the Viking way of life and how it affects those they encounter (at least that’s my take). But that sentiment wore off quickly. The story follows an Irish healer Charis and Prince Cowan as they are captured and made slaves by Viking raiders. Their plight awarded me some suspense, but I became bored after a while. The trials of Charis and Cowan, even the mini battles disinterested me. I found myself skimming paragraphs full of uneventful descriptions just to get to the dialogue. And even that was stilted and blah.

There was no connection with any of the characters making it difficult to care about them. I didn’t feel any need to worry or fear things wouldn’t turn out OK for Charis and Cowan. I could foresee where this one was going and how predictable the plot would turn out. Charis gets points for not being the typical damsel in distress but her stubbornness causes her more pain when she takes matters into her own hands. Cowan isn’t quite the hero I thought he’d be, but he isn’t all bad. I would have liked to see more depth in these characters. They were cookie cutter representations of a hero and heroine who find themselves in horrible circumstances, only to have their expected happy ending. Now if things had gone awry and events were unexpected, I would have been more engaged while reading.

The prologue was the most interesting part of the novel. I wanted to know more about the aged healer and Charis’ adopted father, Achan, who was so unlike others from his village. The few scenes Achan was in were exciting and made me want to read more. But that was only the first five or so pages and after that, my interest waned. Moving from the past into the present was simply OK. I expected to be pulled into the story, wanting to learn more about the little girl Achan brought home one cold winter’s night. But the Charis we see in adulthood doesn’t have the pull a great heroine needs. Yes she’s brave, has some kind of supernatural ability and doesn’t back down, but that equals to nothing more than she’s a stubborn woman who won’t change her ways. We need a little more than that to want to root for this character. It took me a while to get interested in what was going on with Charis and by then, I wanted to read something else. The action was minor and could have made the story if it was just… more. I didn’t want to invest my time in this tale because I didn’t feel like I knew the characters or should care about them. There was no reason to.

The story wraps up too neatly and isn’t a very convincing ending. I expected Eire's Captive Moon to go out with a bang considering this is the first in a trilogy. It left me wanting and dreading reading the next installment. While I can’t recommend this as a great read, I won’t discourage anyone from reading the novel if it appeals to their senses. This book just wasn’t for me.

I was provided an ARC of this novel by NetGalley and The Writer’s Coffee Shop for an honest review.
(less)

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Mar 01, 2013 Melissa Fox rated it 4 of 5 stars

What an intriguing story. Full of action, adventure, history, detail, information, conflict, emotion, all the good stuff, and Sandi Layne handled it all with appreciated skill so as not to overwhelm or bombard. It's a fabulous look into a time period and relationships that you don't see or read about all that often--at least I don't :) -- and I truly enjoyed the realistic portrayal of the setting and characters. I not only enjoyed the journey of the characters but all the historic information wo...more

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Jan 12, 2013 Kathie (katmom) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: best-books-ever

I was pulled deeply into the past from the first page of this story set in Old Ireland and north into Nordweg. This is a historical, not a romance, although there is love and devotion. I loved feeling like I was in Eire and then right there in the Norse village. There was enough detail, but not so much that it pulled me from the characters. A truly wonderful balancing act by Ms. Layne.

Ms. Layne's characters are charismatic and powerful. I felt their pain, their fear and their joy...and their nee...more

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Feb 23, 2013 Brian rated it 5 of 5 stars

I really never got into romance or novels of "passion". That being said, Eire's Captive Moon is a historical fiction with romance, but it is so much more than that. I was kept bound to the page with every word and change of scene. I was left breathless at both the grand vistas described within and the awesome battle scenes depicted. I learned to despise the bad guys and yet to come to know and love them. It was a great read and I will be looking for the sequels when they arrive!

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Mar 01, 2013 Jess Molly rated it 5 of 5 stars

Wow, what a page-turner! I heartily recommend this book, and I can't wait for the next one in the series.

Ms. Layne incorporates authentic patois in a way that immerses the reader convincingly in the world of the Vikings and the ancient people who will become the denizens of Ireland. The flow of dialogue is natural and lovely to read.

The characters are complex, their natures conflicted and they're easy people to latch onto. So much so, that I was supposed to be in bed about an hour and a half ago...more

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Apr 17, 2013 Forbes Arnone rated it 5 of 5 stars

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Mar 28, 2013 Sara rated it 4 of 5 stars

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About Sandi Layne

I was born a California girl in the sixties when The Beach Boys and The Beatles were everywhere. I grew up in the eras of disco and 80's pop and these influences are always with me – like it or not!

An author of predominantly Christian fiction, I am also a keen student of history and enjoy writing historical fiction as well. I believe strongly that good solid research combined with an active imagin...more

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Quotes from Éire's Captive Moon

“Cowan son of Branieucc, you're the only one of my people that I know for sure still lives.” — 4 people liked it

“Go back to bed, Cowan. I want no promises from you.” — 1 person liked it

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Éire's Captive Moon (Éire's Viking, #1)

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