The Circle of Ceridwen cover art

The Circle of Ceridwen

The Circle of Ceridwen Saga, Book 1

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The Circle of Ceridwen

By: Octavia Randolph
Narrated by: Nano Nagle
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About this listen

It is the year 871, when England was Angle-Land. 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 15-year-old Ceridwen, now thrust into the lives of the conquerors.

Lost in the frozen woods, Ceridwen is discovered by the warriors accompanying young Aelfwyn, 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 Aelfwyn 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 Aelfwyn 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.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.

©1995 Octavia Randolph (P)2016 Octavia Randolph
Action & Adventure Historical Fiction Fiction Warrior War Viking
All stars
Most relevant  
My first time listening to a historic saga, absolutely loved it, now onto 3rd book in the series and I am so looking forward to reading the remaining books.
Great narrative too.

Great Listening

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A good tale from an period we don't hear much about. At times I got tired of descriptions of jewels. silver, and fine attire. Felt a bit like a walk through a museum.
The narrator spoke slowly and annunciated clearly, making it a good listen for a noisy background. Good voice acting.

Good enough that I'll continue to the next volume

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But Probably very suitable for someone more romantic than this little black duck who has found these novels cloying and predictable.

Just not for me

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The story was great, but the reading was uncomfortable, coming in 3 word phrases that stilted the flow of the story.

I enjoyed the story

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The narration felt infantile- as if the story was being read to a child. Some pauses were also a little long, disrupting flow of sentences.

Great Story - narration not suited

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What did you like most about The Circle of Ceridwen?

The details of life in this period of time is outstanding and one which I find fascinating.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Circle of Ceridwen?

When Ceridwen realises she is in love with Gyric.

What does Nano Nagle bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?

The emotions of each character.

Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Yes, I laughed and cried but also felt the pain and suffering of the characters.

Any additional comments?

Definitely a book worth listening to.

Experience the lifestyle.

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Narrator was fantastic and the story had me hooked. Brilliant! Loved it so much I’m in to the next one :)

Brilliant!

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I really enjoy this saga and am currently re-reading/listening in preparation for the next book in this series. This is the first time I have listened to the book having previously read it on Kindle books. The first half of book one suffered on Audible because it was clear that the narrator was uncomfortable with the old English language the author chose to use. This improved as the book progressed. Particularly galling was some of the dialogue between Ceridwen and Ælfwyn, Ceridwen in the early stages comes across as rather insufferable with a high childish voice and preachy advice for Elfwyn who is forced into an impossible situation, fortunately this improves. Nano Nagle's accent for Yearling sounds very much like Dr Who's "daleks" which made me laugh, rather than become immersed in the story - fortunately this also improved as the story progressed.

As Ceridwen left Four Stones with Gyric, I became engrossed in the story and very much enjoyed it.

A really good read after an awkward start

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loved it found it a bit dull to start but persevered and then fell in love with cerewin

totally in love

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Just a few chapters in I couldn't listen to the narrator. I thought I could adjust to her reading style....but no couldn't listen a moment longer.

Narration

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