BOOKMONGER
Beat the heat with
escape into history
turn, tells her young consort, Caelym.
He valiantly pledges to rescue his lov-
er’s sister, although it will mean a danger-
ous journey not just into Saxon territory, but
directly to the convent, where Druids are
completely reviled as “the devil’s minions”
and the only remedy is to burn them at the
This week’s book
stake.
Courage, determination, and dumb luck
‘The Oath’ by A.M. Linden
all
come into play as Caelym heads out on
She Writes Press — 316 pages — $17.95
his quest. When he fi nally locates Annwr, he
has an arrow in his back. The tart-tongued
By happy chance, Bellingham, Wash-
nursemaid is dubious about Caelym’s pro-
ington, writer A.M. Linden just published
fessed mission and his ability to rescue her,
her fi rst book in a projected fi ve-part series
but she has healing skills and attends to his
called “The Druid Chronicles.”
wound.
By the time Caelym has recovered enough
“The Oath” is set in 8th century Britain.
Readers may need to brush up on their medi- to travel again, suspicions have begun roil-
ing through the convent and
eval history as they navi-
the surrounding community.
gate the complex world Lin-
“THE OATH”
Annwr realizes she really
den has reconstructed. It’s
will have to fl ee with him.
helpful to know that Dru-
OFFERS A
But another complica-
ids, Celts and Britons are
REFRESHING
tion
arises when her young
one and the same. Likewise,
ESCAPE.
charge, Aleswina, insists on
Linden uses “Saxon” inter-
THE SCENE-
leaving with them.
changeably with “Chris-
SETTING IS
Speaking of complica-
tian.” These two diff erent
MARVELOUSLY tions, the author might have
belief systems have little tol-
erance for one another.
DETAILED, THE done more to help readers
are not well versed in
At the opening of this
PRESENTATION who
the Early Middle Ages to
tale, the once venerated Dru-
OF DIFFERENT
navigate the confusing alter-
ids are struggling to sur-
WORLD VIEWS
native terms for the Dru-
vive as Saxon rulers seek to
IS INTERESTING ids. Also, while Linden
impose Christian hegemony
did anticipate that readers
on the land.
AND THE
Fifteen years earlier, the
PROTAGONISTS would need to refer to the
of characters she pro-
sister of a Druid high priest-
ARE ENGAGING. list
vides at the beginning of the
ess, Princess Annwr, was
book, the list doesn’t always
violently kidnapped, sold
deliver the wished-for clarity.
into servitude and taken to a distant Saxon
That said, “The Oath” off ers a refresh-
stronghold to serve as nursemaid to the local
ing escape. The scene-setting is marvelously
king’s daughter, Princess Aleswina.
detailed, the presentation of diff erent world
But the king dies when Aleswina is still
views is interesting and the protagonists are
a young girl. Her older cousin, as the closest
engaging.
male relative, ascends the throne. He fi nds
The Druid Chronicles series holds
Aleswina’s presence to be inconvenient, so
promise.
he bundles her and her nursemaid off to a
The Bookmonger is Barbara Lloyd McMi-
convent.
chael, who writes this weekly column focus-
Back in the Druid shrine, it takes 15 long
years, but the chief oracle fi nally has a vision ing on the books, authors and publishers of
the Pacifi c Northwest. Contact her at bar-
of Annwr in captivity. He shares the ambig-
baralmcm@gmail.com.
uous details with the high priestess who, in
Sometimes the best way to take one’s
mind off of an intolerably hot summer’s day
is to sit in front of an oscillating fan and
seek mental refuge in a book of historical
fi ction.
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