Customer Reviews

Born of the Sun

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This book by Joan Wolf is part of a trilogy on the making of Britain, starting with King Arthur and Morgan in The Road to Avalon, this one, Born of the Sun, and ending with Alfred the Great in The Edge of Light. Born of the Sun is about the clash between the Celts and the Saxons in the 6th century. Although it is less based on outside sources than the other two (just the the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle instead of legends or historical records), it is a powerful, moving novel about what might-have-been, and indeed probably was. The main characters, the Saxon Ceawlin of Wessex and his Celtic wife Niniane, have a beautiful love story, set against the turmoil of the times. Ceawlin did exist, and, as Wolf says in her afterword, was one of the few kings in the AS Chronicle upon which the Saxon title of Bretwalda, or "ruler of Britain" was bestowed. BUT, don't read this book for the history. Read it for the writing, as always superb - Joan Wolf is in top form. Do yourself a favor and buy this book today!

As the sequel to the best seller "The Road to Avalon" I can only imagine that with the novel "Born of the Sun" Joan Wolf hoped to firmly establish this trilogy as a view of the great Dark Age's political minds of England. That makes this book sound boring, but please don't forget that it is a romance novel.

As the author admits in her postscript the characters in this book are largely fictional-although the expansion of the Saxon kingdom of Wessex probably did go as happened in the novel, and the final merge of the British people with the Saxons did occur around this time. So the two characters in this book, Ceawlin, a [..]Saxon prince who will be king, and his bride, Niniane, a Celtic princess, didn't really exists. This is sad because this book has one of a hell of a love story about them. In that aspect the book is great, romantic, sweet and exciting.

But the book is also largely about war, and so it seems almost every 50 pages someone new was attacking the lovers, or they were at war, or they had been kidnapped, or just something was happening. It got very tiresome after a while. There was also an unresolved, unrequited love triangle thingy going on that just distracted from the main story, and I think, affected the character in a way that was unrealistic.

So, while this book is ok, even compelling at times, largely it did not meet up to the expectations that reading "The Road to Avalon" gave me. This one is good, but not great.

3.5 stars.

I loved this book! The characters were real and raw, the plot moved smoothly, and the elegance of the writing made the love story even more touching. I felt like I was transported into the story, and I never wanted to put the book down! I highly recommend this novel -- this is some of Wolf's best work. I cried more than once!

I had previously read another Joan Wolf book - The Road to Avalon - and quite enjoyed it. Actually, quite enjoyed it is not saying enough. It was absolutely wonderful and I laughed and cried and cheered and cursed and lived along with it. That was an Arthurian book. This book takes place almost 100 years after Arthur's death when the Saxons and Britons really start mixing, peacefully and at war. Definitely an engaging book, one that I could barely put down.

It's 80 years after Arthur (this is a sort of sequel, at least chronologically, to Road to Avalon) and the Britons are disorganized and are constantly raided by the Saxons. The story involves a Celtic princess, Niniane, who is kidnapped by the king of the West Saxons after a raid on her village. She lives in the king's household for several years, becomes close to the king's favorite mistress, learns to fear the king's evil wife and is promised in marriage to the king's equally evil son. When there is a duel between the king's legitimate son (the evil one) and the king's bastard, Ceawlin and the evil son is killed (even though the story is a bit more complicated than that) Ceawlin is forced into exile. He takes Niniane with him intending to marry her, and eventually organized to take the kingdom back from the king's evil wife who is ruling as regent with her newborn.

This is a very well written story filled with complex characters. There is very little romance, despite the cover illustration but what you will get instead is a page turner of a saga, filled with intrigue, loyalty. A story that fills in the gaps in a little known time in British history. Wolf does a terrific job of describing what makes a leader, something she did well with Arthur and does equally well with the next book about Alfred the Great. She never makes her characters seem modern, yet she successfully explains their motivations. She's a great story teller, I will dig up more of her books.

This book is absolutely outstanding. I could not put it down and wanted to read the whole thing over again as soon as I finished. This book is filled with history, love, treachery, intrigue, a truly evil villaness, battles and more. Ceawlin and Niniane are a wonderful couple -- I enjoyed the pairing of the pagen Saxon who would be high king and the Christian British Princess Niniane. Learning to make a marriage with such two opposing lifestyles and customs, the hatred and mistrust between the Britains and Saxons make for compelling reading.

This is a must read for any lover of historical fiction, and sheds light on a little known period of England in the dark ages.

This is the compelling, never boring story of Ceawlin, illegitimate Prince of the King Cynric, of the West Saxons & Ceawlin's soon to be unlikely bride, Niniane, Princess of the Celts, a captive of his father's.

It begins in the middle of the 6th century, in Wessex, England. Ceawlin is challenged to a duel by his younger legitimate brother, Edwin, who is in league with his mother to kill the popular prince. Prince Ceawlin wins the duel but at a great cost and he and Niniane must flee to escape the wrath of Guthfrid, the bitter and jealous Queen.

The adventures of these two are the sweeping tales of well-loved and often told sagas (or should be). The plots and subplots abound and the desire to know what happens next to Ceawlin, Niniane and their friends and enemies is gripping. The differences between pagan and Christian are intricately described as are the differences in the Celts and the Saxons lifestyles.

I've read the first in this "loose" trilogy, "The Road To Avalon." This novel picks up 80 years after the death of King Arthur and continues with the story of Alfred the Great in "The Edge Of Light." In fact I've just started on "The Edge of Light" and it looks to be a genuine page turner as the first two. Read these books if you like historical fiction of The Dark Ages in England! You won't be disappointed!

I say this because the historical backdrop was as big a player in this book as the romance.

While I'm not sure of the accuracy of everything, the author certainly draws a clear picture of life and the times and what is motivating the main players.

One of the points I really like is that while the norm is noted, we are told the story about the unusual ones that make it. Like the story of the one in a million hero that lives (rather than the many who end up, realistically, dead.)

Here is a couple that gets their start from political circumstances (they are both somebodies but with limitations and together they have the potential to be a political powerhouse), then grow into a full blown romance. We follow the young couple from their young, penniless, marriage to growing into a more mature family with rising power. They struggle with politics (they came from opposing sides of the warring factions), religion (she is christian an he is pagan), and family loyalties. Also explained realistically, people wonder why he would bother to stay faithful to his wife (in their times when it's so good to be the king) and his reasoning is superstitious --- his good fortune always seemed to be tied in with his wife in one way or another and by remaining faithful to her and having her support, he has always triumphed. Huh. Good explanation to satisfy a romantic ideal but not make him be viewed as weak (whipped) in such a macho era.

Fans of history and romance will probably enjoy this although it may seem slow paced and tame to others who enjoy a more modern style tale.

This book is absolutely excellent! I wish the author would write more books about less publicized times in historical Europe. These are the most fascinating books to read. Never read a book by Wolf before, however, because of this book, I have since. This is my favorite!

I have enjoyed other books by this author (early England)and I love her mysteries in very early England. But, this book was to way far out there for me to get into or enjoy.