"The Circle of Ceridwen" by Octavia Randolph (BR)

[Soo]

The Circle of Ceridwen #1 Buddy Read

April 22nd Start Date

It's nice to hop around genres!

The idea is to start reading the book around the start date and post your thoughts/questions as you read.

Book Blurb:

It is the year 871. Of seven Anglo-Saxon kingdoms, five have fallen to the invading Vikings. No trait is more valued than loyalty, and no possession more precious than one's steel. Across this war-torn landscape travels fifteen year old Ceridwen, now thrust into the lives of the conquerors.
Epic...immensely satisfying...an impressive achievement - Historical Novel Society The English Adventure loved by over 100,000 readers in 125 countries...

Lost in the frozen woods, Ceridwen is discovered by the warriors accompanying young Ælfwyn, daughter of a Saxon lord, sold against her will in marriage as part of a peace treaty with a marauding Viking war chief. Their destination is the captured fortress of Four Stones, a ruin holding glittering treasure. There Ælfwyn must keep her vow and wed Yrling - and Ceridwen must do all she can to support her new friend in the rebuilding of the ravaged village and great hall.

But living with the enemy affords Ceridwen unusual freedoms - and unlooked-for conflicts. Amongst them she explores again her own heathen past, and learns to judge each man on his own merits. Yrling's nephews Sidroc and Toki, both formidable warriors yet as different as night and day, compete to win Ceridwen for their own.

Through both guile and goodness Ceridwen and Ælfwyn begin transforming the world of Four Stones. But the threat of full-scale war escalates, and a midnight party of furtive Danes delivers someone to Four Stones who destroys the girls' hopes of peace and contentment. Now Ceridwen must summon all her courage - a courage which will be sorely tested as she defies both Saxon and Dane and undertakes an extraordinary adventure to save a man she has never met..

[Travis]

I started last night and am now three chapters in (they're short). I'm really enjoying it so far! Great characters and lots of promise.

[Soo]

Yay! I'm going to start tomorrow or day after.

[Dawn F]

Just started today, about 12% in, chapter 13. The writing reminds me a lot Ursula Le Guin’s Earthsea. It’s poetic and slightly archaic. I like it a lot.

[Travis]

I can totally see that, Dawn. I'm around 33% and still really enjoying it. I love how much attention she pays to the details of everyday living. And all the descriptions of food make me hungry.

[Soo]

I started & the preface was a nice touch. Agree that the writing style is great and draws me into the story. Not sure if I love the narrator but I think I'll just overlook that. lol

[Dawn F]

I already mentioned it in a status update but one error really stuck out like a sore thumb. She refers to the word "Amen" as Latin, but it's not Latin, it's Hebrew. It occurs in the old testament which was written in Hebrew and Aramaic. I don't know if this is general knowledge or not, but since she clearly has researched language and is so thorough in using old "medieval" grammar, I would have expected her to know this one thing :D

[Dawn F]

I'm over halfway, and still enjoy it, especially the every day life feeling. But it does not seem to have a clear goal it's building towards, and therefore it for me lacks urgency, so I'm reading it a lot slower than I normally would a novel.

[Soo]

I'm also taking this one slow. I'm switching between listening and reading. I enjoy reading it more vs listening. The downside in reading is that the sentence structure/pattern that I noticed in the audio narration is noticeable in the writing structure. So I can't take it out when I read by eyes. LOL

I'm enjoying the different take of a young lady's life but it's not quite gelling together for me.

The reviews said that the book is in two distinct parts. Some people enjoyed the first half more and others like the second half.

[Soo]

I decided to focus on this one instead of finishing up the Themis Files. I had no idea that I would be diving into an X-Files/Godzilla mashup with that series. lol Total hoot! Okay, maybe more like X-Files & Power Rangers. Haha

I'm about halfway done with this story. The older style writing is great. I love some of the period details like:

- The opening notes at the beginning was short & sweet but easily visualized.
- Description of Ceridwen's Uncle/Father's funeral.
- Aelfwyn & Yrling's handfast/marriage.
- Outsider viewpoint into Aeflwyn & Yrling's relationship.

Years have passed since the start of the book and Ceridwen sounds like a mature 10 year old. By the middle of the story, she is 14 years old. It was common for girls to be married off by 12 or younger.

I believe I'm getting into the thick of the drama portion of the story and I'm not happy with the lack plot development for these things to happen. I expected the story to have a well developed cause & effect since the writer was great about having minute details about the time period in many other aspects. The charm I felt due to the writing style is wearing off because the story lacks substance.

[Travis]

Soo wrote: "I expected the story to have a well developed cause & effect since the writer was great about having minute details about the time period in many other aspects. The charm I felt due to the writing style is wearing off because the story lacks substance. "

Yes to this. I ended up skimming much of the last third. I really enjoyed the patience of the first half, which was so unafraid to linger on domestic details and aspects of daily life like sheep rearing. But I wanted that combined with a more integrated plot, and when the second half makes an attempt, for me it fell pretty flat.

[Soo]

I can ruin the series for you if you want. I just spent an hour skimming the books. Speed reading for a win? Hahaha

Author does great research. She's kind of terrible as a storyteller. It's like daytime soap opera set in the 900's.

I read a bunch of spoilers, finished #1 and read #2. My poetic soul is very sad.

[Dawn F]

Haha I agree that the plot curve flattens out for a looooooong time after the halfway mark, that’s what I mesnt when I said it was well written and I liked it but felt no drive to know what happens next. I read another review that said it’s almost two stories, cos it does break off and chsnge once Ceridwen leaves with that guy whose name I don’t know how to spell. I had actually forgotten she was the main character until she became the central person lol.

I’ve finished it now and I definitely enjoyed the writing which was beautiful, but yeah, it was looooong. And I’m not sure where she’s going with it, even after it’s done?

[Dawn F]

I may want to continue the series at some point, but doesn’t sound like you want to, Soo XD

[Dawn F]

Also I have to say I’m unsure what the author’s intent is, but Ceridwen, for all her pluck, seems remarkably dense. She stole her friend’s first love and had a hand in getting said friend’s new husband killed, and she just wants to write her a nice three line letter saying “sorry ‘bout that, here’s his neclace, much love xoxo”??? How exactly does she expect her to react to that?? Not having snuck a peek at the next books I don’t know what will happen, but if there isn’t going to be some kind of big conflict over this I will be genuinely baffed XD

[Soo]

No conflict over that. I wasn't kidding about the "plot" being like daytime soap opera. The really cheesy US daytime soap opera series where you have the main cast, the show has been airing for years, it's a whole dynasty with kids and everyone has sex with each other, fights/etc.

Apparently there's a book 7 in the works. The only consistent thing is that the historical research is well done. Otherwise, things happen because the author make them with barely placed reasons.

Book #1:
- Aelfwyn wants to help her old love.
- Ceridwen goes full out to help a total stranger.
- Hardly any meaningful interactions happen with Aelfwyn's old flame as they travel "in danger" and they fall in love.
- They have a "moment" where he basically rapes her but it's okay because instant love. Then married! Woo (My romantic side doesn't believe. Hahahah)

I looked up the whole series and then skim read book 2. The historical details are cool but they're all about things that happen within the holdings/castle/daily activities/etc. It's not used for character/plot growth. The flow in this one goes on for another 5 books plus the bonus on Sidroc.

I'll put it in spoilers but I don't feel like it spoils anything because this stuff just happens. The real treat are the historical details and that will still be sort of new. Next book: (view spoiler)[

- Godwin is Gyric's older brother & lord. Gyric is Ceridwen's poor, wounded husband.
- Godwin goes berserk & slaughtered Yrling. He almost has a showdown with Sidroc but they don't kill each other.
- Sidroc gathers the survivors of the raiding party, go back to the Yrling's holding, dukes it out with his best friend for control of the land, kills best friend and marries Aelfwyn. She is pregnant with Yrling's kid.
- Godwin falls into insta-lust/love with Ceridwen.
- Time passes.
- Sidroc comes on a trade visit to Godwin's holding/castle with Alefwyn. He's still in love with Ceridwen. He confronts her & tells her that he loves her. Ceridwen states she's ONLY in love with her husband Gyric. He will always love her and she will always truly be his. Blah blah
- No fighting at all with Aelfwyn. The two girls hug & kiss it out. Meanwhile, the menfolk all want to stab each other because they all want Ceridwen.
- War happens.
- Poor Godwin feels doom & that he's gonna die without a real heir. He propositions Ceridwen.
- There's a whole week of 3-way sex between Godwin, Ceridwen & Gyric. Ceridwen gets pregnant with kid #2. Now she has a child with each of the brothers.
- Suddenly, Ceridwen is now in love with both brothers but feel tormented because she's not being emotionally faithful to her husband. Who basically acts like a victim from the get go & wants to die because he's blind. (hide spoiler)]

I stopped there because I stopped caring. lol Good research & pretty writing should have more substance. I'm bummed that this didn't work for me.

[Dawn F]

Hahahahahahaha, good god that does sound exceptionally soapy! LMAO! Okay, that's too ridiculous for me to want to continue, Ceridwen's complete devotion to Gyric before even knowing him already made no sense to me and it sounds like none of their motivations make any logical sense at any point. I'm going to skip reading more in this series XD

[Soo]

LOL Yeah, I am with ya!

After book 2, I am assuming that Ceridwen ends up single in some manner. Probably during the pirate attack, the brothers die. She gets captured. Sidroc was also captured and they meet in captivity?

Somehow they end up getting free and Sidroc basically abandons/never goes back to Aelfwyn. Who has had Yrling's kid and a few by Sidroc.

Oh Ceridwen abandons her kids and sticks to Sidroc cause they "love" each other.

There's more war/etc. Almost a war between the family members left behind but somehow the children all become friends/love interests. The saga of what the hell is going on and why is this happening continues!

[Travis]

I'm loving these summaries, Soo! :)

[Soo]

LOL - I'm glad to be in such good company! =D