I apprecitate the publisher allowing me to read this book. I found this a really interesting read and the characters are quite engaging. it kept me reading until the end. I highly recommend.

The Oath begins a little like a ’Once upon a time’ fairy tale, telling us about a great king and his young wife. When he is ambushed and killed, his wife dies in childbirth – and his nephew Gilberth is at hand to take over the reins. Convenient. Intrigue, much! Right from the start.

Young Caelym was sent by his High Priestess to find her long-lost sister, Annwr, who'd been taken by Saxon warriors fifteen years earlier. It takes him a long time to locate her, until he does so – with an arrow in his back. Hunted by Christians as a heathen, he is barely alive when he barges into her calm existence.

But his arrival triggers a series of events that none of them could have foreseen. Annwr had been nursemaid to the late King Theobold's only surviving daughter, Aleswina, who was put into the convent on Gilberth's orders. Headstrong and wilful, the young woman is everything a good nun should not be, and others are out to get her ousted. The women have hidden Annwr's true leanings – she is a Druidic healer, and not of the Christian faith, and she lives quietly in an idyllic cottage in the convent grounds.

Caelym's arrival sees Saxon warriors search the era, and now Annwr finds herself in danger. As his healing from his arrow wound progresses, the enemies close in. Aleswina hides him in the cave of a shrine, but Annwr is not so fortunate. As the Saxons search her home, and she kneels quietly clutching a cross, they destroy her belongings and kill her beloved animals.

I must admit that, as a reader of historical fiction, I'm used to violence against other humans, but the mindless killing of geese and a pregnant sow, however fictional, got to me. I can well visualise Annwr's feelings.

The old woman agrees to come with Caelym, as he was instructed, but Aleswina should remain behind. Then the girl overhears one of her uncle's henchmen speak with the Mother Superior. We suspect his previous wives were all done away with (cleverly portrayed in prayer for their souls) in a way that makes Henry VIII look benign, so Aleswina is not keen on it. She joins Caelym and Annwr in their flight, as she does not wish to wed her brutal uncle.

But their journey is perilous, nearly leaving them drowning, and always in danger of attacks. Caelym and Aleswina squabble throughout, and poor Annwr has to keep the peace. I'll be interested to see how the journey of those two develops over the series,

The style is very much in the storytelling realm; highly visual, well fleshed out. Caelym is an arrogant little sod (pardon the language) and Annwr likes to put him in his place. The older woman is wise. She's seen it all. Now she's about to learn she may have to give up the daughter left behind all over again.

And Aleswina is a spoilt young woman. Protected by her closeness to Gilberth, she was allowed freedoms other nuns were not. But now that she's on the run, fearing for her life, she is in shock. Her portrayal is realistic, in that she doesn't overnight turn into a tough maiden. She's fragile, yet determined.

The Oath is a vivid, beautifully told tale of necessity and forged friendships. Three very different characters were thrown together, and slowly a bond develops. But still, each stays true to themselves, creating wonderful conflict.

I'm looking forward to the next title in the series. Highly recommended.

Many years ago, Annwr, the sister of a Druid cult’s chief priestess was kidnapped by Saxons. And yet, the prophecy of an oracle says that Annwr still lives, and Caelym, a young druid priest, is sent to find her, and bring her home.

What Caelym doesn’t expect is that Annwr might be reluctant to return to a life she hasn’t lived for years. Annwr was given the role of caring for the orphaned Saxon princess, Aleswina, and Aleswina has become like a daughter to Annwr. Aleswina is in a convent, with Annwr living nearby, and Annwr does not know if she can simply leave Aleswina and go home.

However, there is no need for Annwr to do any decision-making, for Aleswina makes the choice for her. Aleswina finds out that her cousin, a simply dreadful man, plans to marry her, and she will not stand by and let that happen. The Saxon princess joins the two Druids, and they flee together.

This book does start out a little slow, and I found my attention starting to wane a little in the first few chapters. When the story really got started, though, once the three characters start on their journey, I found I couldn’t put the book down. It did take a little while, but once I got into it, I was hooked. I read the entire book in a day.

My absolute favourite character had to be Caelym. He is on a mission, not only to find Annwr, but also to find his two young sons. He is certainly determined, and nothing will stop him. Caelym’s inner monologue is hilarious to read, for he is incredibly sarcastic. Annwr is equally sarcastic, and their conversations were enough to make me laugh out loud as I read. Caelym is always doing what he can to help, and gain some praise, and Annwr is incredibly reluctant to give it to him, always managing to see the things he does as attention-seeking, rather than helpful. Together, they make a very humorous pair.

Aleswina is set a little behind Caelym and Annwr. She is not in the spotlight so much, but she is also completely out of her comfort zone. She is a Saxon princess, and yet, she is living on the run with two Druids, who have different customs, and know how to survive in the wild. She is completely dependent on them to keep her safe. And yet, Aleswina is an incredibly loving and kind person, who would do almost anything to keep Annwr safe, although she would be, perhaps, a little more hesitant over what she would do to keep Caelym safe – they do not exactly have the most conventional way of getting to know each other!

The historical detailing of this novel is fabulous. The author has done an excellent job in making you feel like you are traipsing through the woods with the characters, and listening to Caelym and Annwr bicker. I don’t think that I’ve read many books starring druid priests before, and I certainly do not know much about their culture. I know decidedly more about Aleswina’s religion, and I almost felt like I was by her side, slowly learning as she learnt.

The characters’ backstories are revealed slowly, with information coming to light as and when it is required. This was an excellent way to do this, for not knowing everything definitely keeps you invested in the story, and there is no information dump to bore you. Instead, you are kept desperate for more snippets of, in particular, Caelym’s past, and what happened between Annwr being abducted, and Caelym coming to find her.

This is the kind of book you are not sure you need in your life until you read it. Caelym quickly became a favourite character, and I simply adored the humorous thoughts and conversations. If you are interested in this era, or want a book you can really get invested in, this is the one you need.

The Oath is the first installment of a five novel series set during Britain’s Dark Ages. It tells the story of two druids and a Christian. Annwr is the chief priestess’s sister who was abducted by Saxons fifteen years ago. Caelym is a priest who is sent to rescue her. Before they leave to go back to their kingdom, they are joined by a Saxon princess named Aleswina, who is desperate to escape a horrible suitor. The three of them embark on a dangerous mission that none of them could have anticipated.

The three main characters are Annwr, Caelym, and Aleswina. Each of these characters are very complex and are fully fleshed out characters. Annwr and Caelym have very tragic backgrounds. My heart ached for them through their pain. I thought that Annwr was a very capable and strong woman. She was very wise. I thought of her as a survivor who endured a lot of pain. Caelym had a lot of grief. Two of his sons were taken by the Saxsons and their whereabouts are unknown. Therefore, Caelym has a strong determination to find his missing sons. He was the most sympathetic of the three characters, and I kept hoping he would find them. Aleswina is probably the most fascinating and developed character in the novel. She starts off as a damsel in distress, but later grows stronger over time. Thus, all three of the main characters were very compelling.

Overall, this novel is about loss, prejudices, and religion. All the other supporting characters were developed well. The story does start slowly but later on it picks up speed. I was disappointed with the ending because there were some loose ends. Still, this was mostly a journey story that had a touch of intrigue and mystery. I also thought Ms. Linden did an excellent job in depicting Britain's turbulent Dark Ages. I like how she discussed the religious conflict of the era. Thus, this novel was meticulously researched and the writing was lush and evocative. The Oath is an exceptional start to a promising series! I recommend this novel for fans of Signe Pike, Melanie Karsak, and Nicole Evelina!

The Oath by A. M. Linden is Book 1 in the medieval historical fiction series, The Druid Chronicles, set in the backdrop of AD 788 Britain. The prologue provides the background to a minor monarchy in the Kingdom of Derthwald for which there is only one obscure reference for its existence in surviving documents at the time. King Theobald, a former commander of a Saxon army, is rewarded with the Kingdom of Derthwald for his successful siege of the last Celtic stronghold in the area below the mountains. When King Theobold dies, his nephew Gilberth becomes the king, and his four-year-old daughter, Aleswina, becomes a novice at the Abbey of Saint Edeth the Enduring in Derthwald.

The story begins fifteen years later when Druids are forced to abandon their hidden sanctuary. They charge Caelym, a young priest, to find Annwr, the sister of the supreme priestess. Annwr was abducted fifteen years prior by a Saxon war band. Caelym discovers Annwr on the grounds of a convent, where she is the nurse to Aleswina. When King Gilberth’s men come to abduct Aleswina to marry him against her will, she joins Annwr and Caelym to escape her fate. The trio venture on a harrowing adventure into unknown territory to find Caelym’s two sons, to find a safe place for Aleswina, and finally to connect with the remaining Druids en route to their new homeland.

Author Linden uses the perspectives of several characters to convey the story. The story is most engaging in the first half of the book when Caelym, Annwr, and Aleswina verbally spar with each other over decisions they must make before and during their escape. Their conflicts are often due to their stereotypical perspectives of each other as either Christian or pagan. Some of their arguments are humorous and made me chuckle. By the end of the book, the trio ultimately accepts each other, with Aleswina changing most dramatically from a naive to an independent woman who learns to depend upon herself.

One of the most interesting aspects of the story is the contrast between the religious beliefs of Druids and Christians. Christians consider Druids to be in league with the devil and their healers to be witches who brew poisons. Though little is known about the rituals of Druids, the author does an admirable job of portraying their religious beliefs as well as daily life in the Christian abbey. For the most part, the story is fast-paced but fizzles toward a non-climatic ending when Caelym strives to find his two sons.

For readers interested in the medieval history of Britain and the contrasting cultures of native Britons and Christian Saxons, The Oath will immerse you in a period for which there are few written records.

I was drawn into this book thinking it was historical fiction—mostly because of the reviews. Unfortunately, I see no history at all, though admittedly I'm stopping at 25%. In my eyes, this is a nice fantasy novel, but that's not what I was interested in. I should have recognized this on the spelling of the names. It just didn't hold my interest.

Thank you to the publishers, author and NetGalley for the free copy of this book.

While I was a little disappointed in the ending, I enjoyed reading this overall! I'm glad there will be more in the future. I would like to get to know the characters a little bit more- I didn't feel like I connected with them as much as I would have liked.

“The Oath” is a beautiful historical adventure novel revolving around Druids and Christians, and I liked reading it!

The story picks up wonderfully, especially once our three main protagonists embark on their journey. It was interesting to see the dynamics between the three characters and how my mood changed as they spent time together. Some of my memorable scenes are when they disguise themselves and go after Benyon.

Also, each of the three characters brought a fresh perspective to the story. I liked Annwr for her wisdom and was fascinated with her past. However, I had mixed feelings about Caelym. At times I felt sorry for him as he was also on a mission to find his sons, Lliem and Arddwn. However, I wouldn’t say I liked the way he treated Aleswina. Speaking of Aleswina, she was my favorite! I adored her from the first page and loved her sense of innocence and positivity. You immediately want to reach out, hug her and protect her whenever she appears on the page.

Moreover, I also liked characters like Gilberth and Durthena. However, they only appeared briefly, and I wished they were prominent. Durthena was particularly entertaining with how she tries to bring Aleswina down by complaining to Hildegarth, and I was curious about Gilberth’s dreams.

The author also includes exciting stories within the plot that was fun to read. I particularly liked the tale Caelym tells LLiem and Arddwn about Trystwm and Bervin, and the story about the wolves. The book ends in a bittersweet manner as you grow to love these characters and wish you can spend more time with them.

Overall, I enjoyed reading “The Oath” and eager to see how the story continues!

The Oath by A.M. Linden is an intriguing historical fiction that brings us back to the Dark Ages in Brittish history. Filled with secrets, danger, and mystery, this was a really intriguing read.

I love the characters. Especially the internal diaglogue that brought some humor into the mix.

This is not a super fast-paced read, but it still kept my interest. This is one that will make you think and keep you invested. Check it out!

Thank you to Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours for the review copy and the opportunity to honestly review on the blog tour. All opinions are my own and unbiased.

This is a beautifully imagined story that immediately captured my attention. Though I love history, this is a time I know very little about and I relished immersing myself in the period. I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know the small cast of fascinating characters, each with their own ideas of how approach their adventure.

The story felt a little slow in the middle, but I kept reading and I’m glad that I did. This is a fascinating historical chronicle and the cover perfectly represents the book.

This is the first in a five-book series called The Druid Chronicles. I’m definitely looking forward to the second installment.

Thanks to NetGalley and She Writes Press for the free copy.

The author did a fantastic job of immersing the reader in her time period, but the story felt a bit disjointed. Many of the characters were not fully fleshed out, which may be due to their importance in upcoming sequels. Also, the ending fell flat.

The Oath is historical fiction full of Druids and Christians in 8th century Britain. The story focuses on Caelym, a Druid priest who is on a mission to find the sister of the High Priestess of his Druid cult. He finds Annwr, but is surprised to find her guarding a Saxon princess, Aleswina. The world building is well done and I liked the descriptions of the countryside, the life of the convent that Aleswina lives in and all the descriptions of healing plants. My favorite character was Annwr, she was strong, capable and fiercely protective of Aleswina. Caelym has some funny moments, but his best are when he is with his sons. While the story flowed along, the main issue I had was that I never felt like the characters were ever in any real danger, so it didn't seem to matter what was going to happen next because they were all going to be fine. And then, the story just stopped, seemed rather abrupt, like it maybe was missing some big piece of action tor cliffhanger to end on?? Aleswina was problematic for me as well, as she never felt like she had any agency, everything was always happening to her and she never felt like she was driving the story,.

A interesting book about early Christians and Druids. But the story gets really intriguing as the Druid priest; The Christian princess, about to become a nun and the kidnapped Druid girl who had been the nursemaid to the princess, escape. Their travels to find the Druid's sons and save the princess from having to marry the cruel king bring them into forests rivers and all manor of perils. The ending leaves you wanting to find out more. But never fear. There will be more in upcoming books.

This is an imaginative book! It's filled with Druid and Saxon wisdom and hilarious characters. This is historical fiction that keeps you riveted to its pages. The British Dark Ages are a very dangerous and intriguingly irresistible time.

Our priest is very funny with his inner thoughts and mannerisms. His ideas kept me throughly entertained. I wanted to cheer him on in. I absolutely enjoyed him. I laughed aloud at his antics.

Our princess was sweet and dutiful. She didn't want a forced marriage and so she turned to her servant for help. They embark upon a perilous journey. Watching these two make their way was also very amusing in how they dealt with situations.

This is a slower paced book but it makes up for that with the inner musings and ideas of its characters. If you want a book that will make you think as it entertains you, this is it!

This book is a richly described journey that will enthrall readers. While it starts off slowly, the author quickly develops the main characters and provides the context for the underlying story. This is a story of a clash of cultures at its best. The Druid Caelym is attempting to succeed in his mission to "rescue" Annwr and his children. The Druid priestess/Saxon slave/nursemaid Annwr struggles with her memories of the life she was ripped away from compared to the simplistic life she currently has. Aleswina the Christian novice grapples with the knowledge of Annwr's past, life outside the convent, and all that Caelym exposes her to. The ever present threat of politics looms over the trio as they seek safety.
The author skillfully wove Druid traditions into the character development of both Caelym and Annwr. There is also a glimpse as to the persecution of the Druid way of life by their Christian counterparts. The continuing travels of the companions prove to be fodder for some epic storytelling in the future installments of this series.
I received an advanced copy of this title via the publisher.

This is a review of a Netgalley ARC.
Overall, this book was pretty good! It was a bit slow for me but I enjoyed the story. My favorite character is probably Annwr, she's sweet and caring but can be stern when needed.
The ending seemed a bit sudden to me, like there maybe could have been more. But with this being the first book in a series, I cant wait to see where it goes!