The Druid Chronicles

The Oath

The Oath, opens with the arrival of Caelym, a young Druid priest, at the outer walls of the Abbey of Saint Edeth in search of Annwr, the sister of his cult’s chief priestess, who was abducted by a Saxon war band fifteen years earlier and is rumored to be living in the convent. Weary, wounded, and starving, Caelym is on the verge of collapse when he meets an elderly woman who takes him to her hut in the nearby forest. There he discovers that she is the priestess Annwr and that she has spent her years of captivity caring for Aleswina, a Saxon princess who has been consigned to the cloistered convent by her cousin, King Gilberth, after he assumed her father’s throne. Just as Caelym and Annwr are about to leave together, Aleswina learns that Gilberth, a tyrant known for his cruelty and vicious temper—and for having five wives die under mysterious circumstances—intends to take her out of the convent and marry her. Terrified, she flees with the two Druids beginning a journey that unfolds in ways none of them could have anticipated.

“Thrilling historical fiction with heart and soul.” —Tim Pears, author of In the Place of Fallen Leaves

The Valley

​​The Valley is the story of a young Druid priest’s boyhood and coming of age in a secluded society where oracles are called on to mediate the rifts between the mortal and the spirit worlds, and bards cite ancient myths to settle villagers’ disputes. Llwddawanden is a hidden valley sanctuary where the remnants of a once powerful pagan cult carry on their ancient ritual practices despite the inexorable spread of Christianity. Cut off from the outside world by both geography and conviction, the Druids of Llwddawanden continue to venerate the Great Mother Goddess and to view themselves as the first-born and favorite of Her mortal children. Herrwn, the shrine’s chief priest, has the responsibility of overseeing the education of Caelym, the orphaned son of the cult’s previous chief priestess, as well as adjudicating disputes brought before the shrine’s council—two tasks that grow more diffi cult as the rivalry over which of the three highest priests will claim Caelym as his disciple grows, and as mounting conflicts within their upper ranks threaten to rend the fabric of a society that has endured for more than a millennium..

“A. M. Linden brings her imagined druid community to life with a skillful combination of research and informed guesswork. The Valley provides an intriguing glimpse into an 8th century Britain that might have been.”—Juliet Marillier, author of the Sevenwaters and Warrior Bards series

Juliet Marillier, author of the Sevenwaters and Warrior Bards series

The Sheriff

Success as a warrior is one of the few paths to advancement in early medieval Britain and Stefan, a young Saxon peasant, has fought his way up to the rank of captain, serving under an earl who in turn serves the king of Atheldom. Returning from a series of hard-won battles, he hopes for further promotion. Instead, his command is taken from him and given to a better-born rival, while he is sent to serve as the sheriff of an impoverished shire in the furthest corner of the kingdom Stefan arrives in Codswallow to learn that, between marauding brigands, corrupt local officials, and a hostile populace, no sheriff has stayed longer than a single season. Determined to defeat the outlaws and gain control over the shire, Stefan forms an alliance with the keeper of the shire’s inn, a Briton suspected by some of being a secret pagan, but he is frustrated to find that even with that clandestine aid his efforts are stymied. When he is summoned to join the search for Princess Aleswina, the betrothed bride of the king of a neighboring realm, he jumps at what he sees as his chance to get an army command back―only to be drawn into the web of intrigue that lies behind the princess’s disappearance.

“In The Sheriff, Book Three of the Druid Chronicles, A.M. Linden has written a compelling portrait of life in eighth-century England. The author has skillfully blended history, politics, romance, and social observation to create a fascinating portrait of a little-known yet intriguing period of English history. To top things off, Linden has added elements of a top-notch detective story. The result is storytelling of a very high order. Highly recommended.” —Christopher Johnson, Author of This Magnificent Place and co-author of Forests for the People

Christopher Johnson, Author of This Magnificent Place and co-author of Forests for the People

The Quarry

Forced to flee their previous sanctuary, a small band of goddess-worshipping Britons reach a high mountain valley, believed to be the site of their cult’s ancestral home, to find its stone towers reduced to rubble. With only a matter of months before winter sets in, they face the all but impossible task of making habitable dwellings and gathering enough food stores to survive the coming storms. Time is equally pressing for a pair of Christian, Saxon lovers who have traveled from the capital city of Atheldom to the remote shire of Codswallow to kill the woman’s husband before he finds out that she is pregnant. Meanwhile, fresh from tracking down a run-away princess, Stefan, the sheriff of Codswallow, sets out on a new mission—to capture a band of pagans rumored to be witches and sorcerers—unaware that he is being hunted by deadly enemies of his own.

“Linden’s masterful storytelling in The Quarry stands wonderfully on its own and as continuation of the Druid Chronicles, leaving new readers excited to finish the whole series. Five Stars” —Chanticleer Book Reviews

Chanticleer Book Reviews

The Challenge

Stefan, once a Saxon warrior and now sheriff of Codswallow, has fought to reclaim his shire from the forces of his estranged wife. But peacetime brings its own reckoning, and Stefan finds himself unprepared for the challenges of parenthood. After a confrontation with his son exposes Stefan’s darkest emotional wounds, he impulsively rides off accompanied by Caelym, an enslaved Druid priest. Trading stories by campfire, the two men discover that they have both betrayed the same woman, Princess Aleswina. United by remorse, they take on the all-but-impossible odds of doing battle against the murderous king who holds her prisoner. In this fifth and final installment of The Druid Chronicles, Stefan and Caelym must set aside their differences and atone for their pasts as they fight for justice in an unjust world.

“The Challenge by A.M. Linden offers a rich tapestry of twists and turns through political intrigue, contested kingdoms, and the clash between spiritual traditions. By the eighth-century, Christianity has eclipsed ancient nature-based practices in Anglo-Saxon society, but A. M. Linden creates a plausible version of history which allows for their coexistence, albeit tenuous and covert. This novel embodies what I most love about speculative historical fiction – a cast of engaging characters navigating the complexities of change, each transformed by what they encounter. Heartily recommended!” —K.M. Huber, author of Call of the Owl Woman: A Novel of Ancient Peru

K.M. Huber, author of Call of the Owl Woman: A Novel of Ancient Peru