The English Adventure loved by over 100,000 readers in 125 countries... 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 fifteen year old Ceridwen, now thrust into the lives of the conquerors. 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. The first book of The Circle of Ceridwen Saga, the historical adventure saga enjoyed by thousands of readers in over 125 nations. Lose yourself in The Circle of Ceridwen Book One of an immersive and compelling adventure, with complex characters that mature and develop throughout the Saga. The Circle of Ceridwen takes place in late 9th century England, during the reign of King Alfred the Great, an uncertain and perilous time. Although the warrior culture is foremost, the story is told by 15 year old Ceridwen, a Welsh-Saxon girl, who is confronted with tremendous physical challenges, moral decisions, and conflicting loyalties. It is also a subtle examination of the theme "Who is my enemy?" Books in The Saga Series: Sidroc the Dane - The Circle of Ceridwen: Book One - Ceridwen of Kilton: Book Two - The Claiming: Book Three - The Hall of Tyr: Book Four - Tindr: Book Five - Silver Hammer, Golden Cross: Book Six Epic...immensely satisfying...an impressive achievement - Historical Novel Society Randolph's epic four-part Viking-era saga takes place in a ninth-century world caught in the grinding gears of multiple religions - the old Saxon gods, the gods of the invading Vikings, plus the Trinity and attending saints of the hardscrabble Christianity that is trying with uneven success to implant itself in England and Ireland. The bulk of this story-cycle centers on a young woman, Ceridwen, as she grows into womanhood and has a series of adventures in a world made increasingly violent and unpredictable by the clashing of rival armies and faiths. Randolph has extensively researched her chosen era, and he rbooks are very intentionally pitched at a pre-modern pace, designed to unfold gradually despite their sometimes-hectic action segments. We follow Ceridwen through fractured friendships, tormented loves, and the tragedies of war. The broader, relaxed tempo of the four novels really allows her -- and her world -- to become real in the reader's imagination, and this aura of complexity is enhanced by the fact that Randolph never stoops to one-dimensional bad guys, be they Christian monks or Viking raiders. Each of these volumes is immensely satisfying, and the four-book sequence as a whole is an impressive achievement. - Historical Novel Society February 2015 Epic...immensely satisfying...an impressive achievement - Historical Novel Society Randolph's epic Viking-era saga takes place in a ninth-century world caught in the grinding gears of multiple religions - the oldSaxon gods, the gods of the invading Vikings, plus the Trinity andattending saints of the hardscrabble Christianity that is trying withuneven success to implant itself in England and Ireland. The bulk of this story-cycle centers on a young woman, Ceridwen, as she growsinto womanhood and has a series of adventures in a world madeincreasingly violent and unpredictable by the clashing of rival armiesand faiths. Randolph has extensively researched her chosen era, and herbooks are very intentionally pitched at a pre-modern pace, designed tounfold gradually despite their sometimes-hectic action segments. Wefollow Ceridwen through fractured friendships, tormented loves, and thetragedies of war. The broader, relaxed tempo of the four novelsreally allows her -- and her world -- to become real in the reader'simagination, and this aura o