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Dark Ages of Britain #2
Born of the Sun
In this beautifully executed continuation of The Road to Avalon, her earlier depiction of sixth-century Britain, Wolf tells the story of Niniane, a Celtic princess, and Ceawlin, bastard son of the King of the West Saxons. Eighty years after the death of Arthur, the Celts are disorganized, drifting away from the cities built by the Romans. The vigorous Saxons, on the other hand, have settled down and become civilized, creating in many ways a more viable culture.
608 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1989
18 people are currently reading
614 people want to read
About the author
Joan Wolf
106 books370 followersJoan Wolf is a USA TODAY bestselling American writer, whose acclaimed Regency romances have earned her national recognition as a master of the genre. Her many historical and contemporary romances, some of which have been chosen as Literary Guild selections, have been highly praised by reviewers and authors alike.
Joan was born in 1951 and she grew up in the Bronx, New York. A former English teacher, she obtained a Bachelor's degree in Mercy College and Master in English and Comparative Literature at Hunter College. An avid rider and horse owner, Joan lives in Connecticut with her husband Joe and two grown children, Jay and Pam.
Joan was born in 1951 and she grew up in the Bronx, New York. A former English teacher, she obtained a Bachelor's degree in Mercy College and Master in English and Comparative Literature at Hunter College. An avid rider and horse owner, Joan lives in Connecticut with her husband Joe and two grown children, Jay and Pam.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews
August 20, 2008
Second in an excellent Trilogy. 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 villainess, 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 a must read for any lover of historical fiction, and sheds light on a little known period of England in the dark ages.
October 25, 2011
I have to say that the high rating this book got is not only deceiving, it is also undeserved.
To be fair, it took the longest time for me to get hold of a copy (it was maybe a year) so the anticipation and expectation were rather immense. I'd also judged 'Born of the Sun' based on my experience of 'The Road to Avalon', which had been great; I'd been so eager to start with the former after finding a diamond in the latter. I'd also been more invested in 'Avalon' because I am a fan of Arthurian legends and an avid Morgana/Arthur shipper, so the couple in this novel could not incite in me the same emotions.
Niniane is an incredibly bland heroine, and Ceawlin is perfectly unappealing. I was not convinced of their chemistry nor their compatibility. Niniane is likable and I appreciate that one of her best traits is strength, but I do not like how she is subservient and yielding (no amount of "she's stubborn in her own way" or "she's like a lioness" will tell me otherwise). She is treated like crap for a lot of the time and although I understand that this was set in 500 AD and published in 1989, I do not appreciate how she waves away her fury and tolerates disrespect. If I could be told that a comely girl of 15 could be abducted by a Saxon barbarian for years and still remain a virgin, she certainly could have had better stature in the same setting. Her guarded-ness and civility oftentimes become Wolf's excuse not to explore her character. My favorite scene of hers is when she wept in the clearing for Cerdic because it was the only time she felt something at all, other than pertaining to Ceawlin. Could the strong woman Wolf tried so hard to illustrate really be defined by a man?
Niniane, though flat and lifeless, is bearable, but I found Ceawlin very annoying. In the beginning he was forgivable; he was ambitious, harsh, and idealistic, traits that come with being an untested youth. But as the story progressed, he became predictable and insufferable. He is too perfect a man, too perfect a warrior, too perfect a king. He is also a wonderful lover, husband, and father, in case you don't know. He loses any connection with the reader save for those who are attracted to him. What I dislike the most is how hard Wolf tries to push that he's perfect. For every flaw he has there is a compensation; for instance, in the scene where he hit Niniane, because he is a mighty king this is understandable behavior. He is ruthless and power-hungry yet because he is merciful it's excusable. He is also rude and a liar, but because of his blue-green tinted charm all is forgotten. Even the war and action bits were dreadful to read precisely because it all went far too smoothly (200 farmers versus 100 warriors and only 20 farmers are dead and 170 from the warriors? Really?). And in the end, it is revealed that the biggest war to threaten his reign was actually according to his plans. Because of COURSE it was. I realize that Ceawlin is based on the "real" Saxon king and that his empire had indeed been great, but I honestly hoped that the book would not have a happy ending if only to dent his bloody perfection.
I hate the little details Wolf puts in about looks; how white Ceawlin's teeth are (during the pre-oral hygiene era, take note), his halo of blonde hair, his astonishing and oh-so-unique blue-green eyes that change to turquoise when he's mad, Niniane's fan of coppery-brown hair (that is actually red, how did that happen?), her head that she holds like a delicate flower, her reed-slim figure (that survived SIX childbirths mind you), her slate-gray eyes that are more blue than gray when she's happy (I didn't know eyes were mood rings). I really dislike how hyper-specific Wolf gets about facial expressions to convey emotion when she could be writing instead about what the characters actually feel instead of dismissing them with stony expressions and collected responses. One of the more hilarious lines in the book is "Her eyebrows rose into two fine question marks." I'd like to see someone actually do that.
The only characters I liked were Sigurd (I am a sucker for the underdog and I was honestly rooting for him) and Crida (who has been far more interesting to me in his handful of chapters than his father in the entire book). I would have preferred it if Wolf had allotted more chapters to them than to Ceawlin and Niniane's nonsense.
Needless to say, 'Born of the Sun' is a disappointing sequel to 'The Road to Avalon'.
To be fair, it took the longest time for me to get hold of a copy (it was maybe a year) so the anticipation and expectation were rather immense. I'd also judged 'Born of the Sun' based on my experience of 'The Road to Avalon', which had been great; I'd been so eager to start with the former after finding a diamond in the latter. I'd also been more invested in 'Avalon' because I am a fan of Arthurian legends and an avid Morgana/Arthur shipper, so the couple in this novel could not incite in me the same emotions.
Niniane is an incredibly bland heroine, and Ceawlin is perfectly unappealing. I was not convinced of their chemistry nor their compatibility. Niniane is likable and I appreciate that one of her best traits is strength, but I do not like how she is subservient and yielding (no amount of "she's stubborn in her own way" or "she's like a lioness" will tell me otherwise). She is treated like crap for a lot of the time and although I understand that this was set in 500 AD and published in 1989, I do not appreciate how she waves away her fury and tolerates disrespect. If I could be told that a comely girl of 15 could be abducted by a Saxon barbarian for years and still remain a virgin, she certainly could have had better stature in the same setting. Her guarded-ness and civility oftentimes become Wolf's excuse not to explore her character. My favorite scene of hers is when she wept in the clearing for Cerdic because it was the only time she felt something at all, other than pertaining to Ceawlin. Could the strong woman Wolf tried so hard to illustrate really be defined by a man?
Niniane, though flat and lifeless, is bearable, but I found Ceawlin very annoying. In the beginning he was forgivable; he was ambitious, harsh, and idealistic, traits that come with being an untested youth. But as the story progressed, he became predictable and insufferable. He is too perfect a man, too perfect a warrior, too perfect a king. He is also a wonderful lover, husband, and father, in case you don't know. He loses any connection with the reader save for those who are attracted to him. What I dislike the most is how hard Wolf tries to push that he's perfect. For every flaw he has there is a compensation; for instance, in the scene where he hit Niniane, because he is a mighty king this is understandable behavior. He is ruthless and power-hungry yet because he is merciful it's excusable. He is also rude and a liar, but because of his blue-green tinted charm all is forgotten. Even the war and action bits were dreadful to read precisely because it all went far too smoothly (200 farmers versus 100 warriors and only 20 farmers are dead and 170 from the warriors? Really?). And in the end, it is revealed that the biggest war to threaten his reign was actually according to his plans. Because of COURSE it was. I realize that Ceawlin is based on the "real" Saxon king and that his empire had indeed been great, but I honestly hoped that the book would not have a happy ending if only to dent his bloody perfection.
I hate the little details Wolf puts in about looks; how white Ceawlin's teeth are (during the pre-oral hygiene era, take note), his halo of blonde hair, his astonishing and oh-so-unique blue-green eyes that change to turquoise when he's mad, Niniane's fan of coppery-brown hair (that is actually red, how did that happen?), her head that she holds like a delicate flower, her reed-slim figure (that survived SIX childbirths mind you), her slate-gray eyes that are more blue than gray when she's happy (I didn't know eyes were mood rings). I really dislike how hyper-specific Wolf gets about facial expressions to convey emotion when she could be writing instead about what the characters actually feel instead of dismissing them with stony expressions and collected responses. One of the more hilarious lines in the book is "Her eyebrows rose into two fine question marks." I'd like to see someone actually do that.
The only characters I liked were Sigurd (I am a sucker for the underdog and I was honestly rooting for him) and Crida (who has been far more interesting to me in his handful of chapters than his father in the entire book). I would have preferred it if Wolf had allotted more chapters to them than to Ceawlin and Niniane's nonsense.
Needless to say, 'Born of the Sun' is a disappointing sequel to 'The Road to Avalon'.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 28, 2016
4.5 stars -- Wonderful mix of historical details and love, war, treachery, and relationships during the times of the Saxons (6th century). Great love story of the struggles and joys of a couple from opposing backgrounds -- Niniane, the Christian Celtic princess, and Ceawlin, the pagan Saxon prince. Loving these gems from the past.
January 24, 2017
I started this book back in 2012 and then don't know what happened that I didn't finish it. I loved it. It is a historical romance and the second book in a trilogy, but the books are in this case 80 years after Arthur's death and the next book is several hundreds years later. This is the true dark ages of Britain which is a time where there are almost no written records (most of the people were illiterate and the monks who later recorded some history were not in Britain yet). The only records are legend that was recorded later, sometimes centuries later. We don't really know if Arthur actually existed, and from the author's notes, she used Ceawlin of Wessex as the hero of this book of forgotten history based only on a few references to him including that his reign in Wessex began in the year 560. Nothing is known of him other than battles he fought and who he was with and who he defeated.
So this book is fiction based on what little came down verbally from the dark ages. Can we imagine in these days of a time when nothing was recorded in writing? The author has written a beautiful story of Ceawlin and Niniane and their lives in a time of betrayal and battles and hardship. But it is also a time of people fighting for survival and freedom against the evils of the time. It's a wonderful love story - and I say love story rather than romance because to me there is a difference. It's about sacrifice and dedication to a cause and to a people who depend on their leadership. I loved it.
So this book is fiction based on what little came down verbally from the dark ages. Can we imagine in these days of a time when nothing was recorded in writing? The author has written a beautiful story of Ceawlin and Niniane and their lives in a time of betrayal and battles and hardship. But it is also a time of people fighting for survival and freedom against the evils of the time. It's a wonderful love story - and I say love story rather than romance because to me there is a difference. It's about sacrifice and dedication to a cause and to a people who depend on their leadership. I loved it.
October 22, 2016
An excellent read, very well written and plotted. The characters are good, but subsumed by the plot to a certain extent and therefore not as compelling as they, no doubt, are supposed to be. A long read, but generally rewarding.
January 29, 2022
DNF
Все едно книгата е писана от друга авторка. Досадни, скучни и недостоверни образи в иначе интересна епоха - 6-ти век, когато келти и сакси започват да се смесват и да формират нова нация. Особено героинята е буквално умствено изостанала, пасивна и крайно невежа. Това не би било такъв проблем, ако свторката не се опитваше да го пласира с етикети за “невинност” и “добродетел”. Като поразгърнах и други нейни романи, там водещо е точно лицемерието и псевдорелигиозността. Явно “Пътят към Авалон” е единствена и естествена, динамична и увлекателна книга.
Все едно книгата е писана от друга авторка. Досадни, скучни и недостоверни образи в иначе интересна епоха - 6-ти век, когато келти и сакси започват да се смесват и да формират нова нация. Особено героинята е буквално умствено изостанала, пасивна и крайно невежа. Това не би било такъв проблем, ако свторката не се опитваше да го пласира с етикети за “невинност” и “добродетел”. Като поразгърнах и други нейни романи, там водещо е точно лицемерието и псевдорелигиозността. Явно “Пътят към Авалон” е единствена и естествена, динамична и увлекателна книга.
March 6, 2012
This was as good as I remembered (and had hardly any spelling mistakes), after not having read the paperback for at least ten years, I think. Certainly the last time I read them when I was a student, so it must be ten years.
This isn't really a romance, this is a historical saga centred on one eventual pair of lovers, and, as Joan Wolf points out in the afterword, set at a period of time in English history that we basically have no written accounts for. She quotes the data she found in one of the two sources she used - apart from Beowulf for a lot of the feasting customs - and invented from whole cloth.
I think it works extremely well - Niniane's situation as a captive British Celt princess with the prospect of marrying the son of the reigning West-Saxon king, who mostly wants to keep her head down and survive in captivity doesn't make for utter emotional romance. She can't afford reacting head over heels, and she has horrible examples of a woman who reacts in that way in King Cynric's wife Guthfrid.
Her son and heir comes across as a total megalomaniac egotist, but he is the younger of the King's sons - much before Cynric married for political reasons, he joined the kind and beautiful Fara in friedlehe - sort of a legal concubine situation - and she's been running the women's side of the compound at Winchester ever since. Her son Ceawlin is a year older than his brother, but had to grow up wary because according to heritage and custom he should support his younger brother and love him - even though he is actively being threatened by him.
When we meet Niniane she is 14 and Ceawlin 16 and both don't have much to do with each other. After living for two years in the women's compound and being treated quite well Niniane is poised on the verge of marriage to Edric and dreading it, when he maneouvers Ceawlin into a duel and tries to poison him with his manipulated sword - the plan backfires, because of a warning shout by Niniane - and now Cynric has to live with the fact that his favourite son killed his brother and his legal wife is actively calling for killing Ceawlin.
Eventually Ceawlin has to be sent away for his own safety to build some support for himself and lay low for a while, and this happens to be at Bryn Atha, the Roman villa which belongs to Niniane's Atrebate family. He and Niniane are hastily married - she is still thankful she didn't have to marry his brother and he thinks she's nice enough and can see the political advantage, so both agree.
By now they are 16 and 18, and this is where their personal life and Ceawlin's drive to become West-Saxon king and enlarge his holdings start taking shape. Niniane uses her brains and Ceawlin appreciates those as much as her beauty, he has many children by her (his father had problems getting any children) and so they grow together more and more, even as they disagree on certain ways of dealing with the problems coming up.
I haven't even mentioned the roles of Ceawlin's best friend Sigurd, of Gereint, an Atrebate prince who becomes the first British eorl, of Niniane's children and of the relentless hate her brother Coinmail has for Ceawlin - we follow the story until they are both in their mid 30s and Ceawlin becomes the most powerful king of the Saxons at the time.
They have to deal with the death of friends and family, but they grow ever closer together - and the fact that Niniane in her day and age accepts as normal certain behaviour from her husband that a modern woman would not stand for works for me, because we can still see her will and the way Ceawlin accommodates it and his care - as much as he can allow himself to care for her without losing face.
This isn't really a romance, this is a historical saga centred on one eventual pair of lovers, and, as Joan Wolf points out in the afterword, set at a period of time in English history that we basically have no written accounts for. She quotes the data she found in one of the two sources she used - apart from Beowulf for a lot of the feasting customs - and invented from whole cloth.
I think it works extremely well - Niniane's situation as a captive British Celt princess with the prospect of marrying the son of the reigning West-Saxon king, who mostly wants to keep her head down and survive in captivity doesn't make for utter emotional romance. She can't afford reacting head over heels, and she has horrible examples of a woman who reacts in that way in King Cynric's wife Guthfrid.
Her son and heir comes across as a total megalomaniac egotist, but he is the younger of the King's sons - much before Cynric married for political reasons, he joined the kind and beautiful Fara in friedlehe - sort of a legal concubine situation - and she's been running the women's side of the compound at Winchester ever since. Her son Ceawlin is a year older than his brother, but had to grow up wary because according to heritage and custom he should support his younger brother and love him - even though he is actively being threatened by him.
When we meet Niniane she is 14 and Ceawlin 16 and both don't have much to do with each other. After living for two years in the women's compound and being treated quite well Niniane is poised on the verge of marriage to Edric and dreading it, when he maneouvers Ceawlin into a duel and tries to poison him with his manipulated sword - the plan backfires, because of a warning shout by Niniane - and now Cynric has to live with the fact that his favourite son killed his brother and his legal wife is actively calling for killing Ceawlin.
Eventually Ceawlin has to be sent away for his own safety to build some support for himself and lay low for a while, and this happens to be at Bryn Atha, the Roman villa which belongs to Niniane's Atrebate family. He and Niniane are hastily married - she is still thankful she didn't have to marry his brother and he thinks she's nice enough and can see the political advantage, so both agree.
By now they are 16 and 18, and this is where their personal life and Ceawlin's drive to become West-Saxon king and enlarge his holdings start taking shape. Niniane uses her brains and Ceawlin appreciates those as much as her beauty, he has many children by her (his father had problems getting any children) and so they grow together more and more, even as they disagree on certain ways of dealing with the problems coming up.
I haven't even mentioned the roles of Ceawlin's best friend Sigurd, of Gereint, an Atrebate prince who becomes the first British eorl, of Niniane's children and of the relentless hate her brother Coinmail has for Ceawlin - we follow the story until they are both in their mid 30s and Ceawlin becomes the most powerful king of the Saxons at the time.
They have to deal with the death of friends and family, but they grow ever closer together - and the fact that Niniane in her day and age accepts as normal certain behaviour from her husband that a modern woman would not stand for works for me, because we can still see her will and the way Ceawlin accommodates it and his care - as much as he can allow himself to care for her without losing face.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 8, 2019
I did enjoy this book but compared to the first in the series, which I rated a 5 though would actually have rated a 4.5 or 4.75, this one was a little flat.
Now this very well might have been that I'm such a fan of the Arthurian legend and that was the subject of the first book, but that's how these two rated for me.
Now this very well might have been that I'm such a fan of the Arthurian legend and that was the subject of the first book, but that's how these two rated for me.
September 14, 2014
Great book ! This, the 2nd book of the trilogy of Dark Ages of Britian, is a dynamic book. I read The Road to Avalon #1 of this trilogy. The Road to Avalon is about Arthur and how he became High King and eventually managed to produce an era of peace between the British and the Saxons. I am pretty well-versed in the Arthur stories, but after King Arthur, what takes place is a blank. Not any more is the time after Arthur a blank. Born of the Sun, the 2nd book of this trilogy, has filled in the blanks. The # 2 book's setting is the Kingdom of Wessex about 50 years after the reign of Arthur. Prince Ceawlin's, bastard Prince of Wessex, story is truly a fascinating one. Although this is historical fiction done at its very best, it is still fiction, but there is a great deal of history present here with Prince Ceawlin and others who are present are found in The Anglo-Saxon Chronicles, one of the contempory written records of the time period of this book. The author is to be commended for the story she has woven around Prince Ceawlin, the Kingdom of Wessex, Niniane, Princess of the Celts who had been captured by King Cynric, Prince Ceawlin's father, and the Saxons and the Celts. I had a very difficult time putting the book down once I was caught by all that was taking place in the Kingdom of Wessex. Prince Ceawlin marries Princess Niniane after the death of his father. They must get away from Wessex as King Cynric's vengeful wife wishes Ceawlin dead and most probably, Princess Niniane too. Thus the newly married prince and princess leave Wessex and go the priness's home, Bryn Atha. There Prince Ceawlin begins to woo the British as he wishes them to support him to become the next King of Wessex. Also, the prince starts to fall in love with his new wife which definitely surprises him. Prince Ceawlin is successful in all he attempts to do - husband, the next King of Wessex, leader of a war band, father, and eventually, High King. I was truly enthralled with this book and was sorry to read the end. I really wanted Born of the Sun to keep going. I congratulate the author on a book so well written and I highly recommend Born of the Sun.
August 9, 2011
This novel made a tremendous impression on me. I'm anxiously awaiting it in ebook. This is one of the few paperbacks I ever owned I ended up "reading to pieces."
This is an excellent, epic novel describing the struggles between Britons and Saxons in the years following Arthurian rule. Wolf fleshes out an intriguing world, sparkling characterization, and a touching love story between Ninian, a British princess taken captive and betrothed to the Saxon heir apparent and Ceawlin, the prince's half-brother. Unforseen trechery and unexpected death place Ceawlin in the position of heir and outlaw. Marriage to Ninian secures his support among many British people, but kingship over both people means a lifetime's effort. Because of its epic, family saga style, readers witness the growth of Ninian and Ceawlin's marriage from a political match and cautious friendship, to passionate love, to a true partnership. It's a long, engrossing read well worth the time investment.
This is an excellent, epic novel describing the struggles between Britons and Saxons in the years following Arthurian rule. Wolf fleshes out an intriguing world, sparkling characterization, and a touching love story between Ninian, a British princess taken captive and betrothed to the Saxon heir apparent and Ceawlin, the prince's half-brother. Unforseen trechery and unexpected death place Ceawlin in the position of heir and outlaw. Marriage to Ninian secures his support among many British people, but kingship over both people means a lifetime's effort. Because of its epic, family saga style, readers witness the growth of Ninian and Ceawlin's marriage from a political match and cautious friendship, to passionate love, to a true partnership. It's a long, engrossing read well worth the time investment.
August 21, 2014
amazing!!! this story stayed in my mind for days after reading it.a good story is one that makes an impact and this one did... like all joan wolf stories.
what can i say? loved the hero, loved the heoine, loved the story.wish i could get my hands on another book like this one
what can i say? loved the hero, loved the heoine, loved the story.wish i could get my hands on another book like this one
February 9, 2014
slow paced and very tame ...
June 21, 2025
Romanzo dall'ambientazione davvero particolare.
Negli storici ambientati sul suolo inglese si è abituati ad una particolare invasione di cui si parla e scrive tanto, quella dei Normanni del 1066 quando con la battaglia di Hastings i Sassoni vennero conquistati.
Ma c'è stato un periodo, mezzo secolo prima, in cui quei Sassoni, poi vinti, sono stati i conquistatori, vincitori su di un altro popolo, precedente come insediamento, quello dei Britanni. Che è esattamente il periodo storico in cui Il principe di Britannia è collocato, un'epoca poco nota, ma affascinante per scoprire risvolti della storia inglese poco conosciuti, un confronto culturale tra due tradizioni, una cristina di stampo romano, depositaria dell'eredità culturale romana derivante dall'invasione, organizzata in villaggi e clan e dall'impronta tipicamente agricola e che ha in Re Artù il suo esponente più famoso, ed una arrivata in seguito, quella dei sassoni appunto, conquistatori pagani e guerrieri di tradizione nordica, residenti in villaggi di legno.
In questo libro le differenze tra le due e il loro convergere verso un unico popolo è esplorata molto bene, forse la parte migliore e più interessante. Come spesso accade, anche se c'è un vincitore, è dalla commistione di più culture che ne nasce una, migliore, più forte, pendendo da entrambe come viene fatto dire molto bene a Niniane, una nuova società figlia di entrambi come, metaforicamente, nel libro è figlia del matrimonio tra lei, principessa celtica e britanna e Cewlin il guerriero sassone che sbaraglia l'esercito del fratello di lei.
La conoscenza di oggi ci dice che questa ragazza aveva visto distante. Lo si può riscontrare in tanti aspetti: dalla successiva cristianizzazione dei sassoni che abbandonarono gli dei del nord fino alla struttura sociale della nobiltà inglese che fino ad oggi ricalca ancora la loro dove la terra viene conquistata, assegnata ad un nobile e da essa gestita tramite contadini e braccianti. La ricchezza di terre determina l'importanza del nobile.
Questa parte per me è quella che dà la sufficienza al libro, è ben scritta, ricca di curiosità e informazioni, non pedante e noiosa come accade in altre narrazioni.
Per contro la storia d'amore è quella che ho apprezzato di meno, l'ho trovata abbozzata e poco approfondita, è subordinata sempre ad altri racconti e relazioni che hanno molto più spazio. Si passa molto tempo, per esempio, ad approfondire la relazione tra Cewlin e l'amico Sigurd, di nuovo tanto ad analizzare i sentimenti di Sugurd verso la moglie dell'amico... e quasi zero se non qualche scaramuccia coniugale a parlare di Cewlin e Niniane. Si sono sposati per forza, ma cosa li ha fatti innamorare? Si sono innamorati?
Se la parte di Niniane non è approfondita ma almeno esiste, quella di Cewlin è completamente assente: il bretwalda è fedele alla moglie, ma da quello che mostra l'autrice la considera più un portafortuna che altro e questa considerazione non mi basta per eleggere il loro matrimonio a "grande storia d'amore" perchè uno si aspetta qualcosa di diverso, qualcosa di più.
E' e resta un buon romanzo storico, appassionante tra vari momenti della vita del re del Wessex non molto famoso ma sicuramente vittorioso, curioso e interessante dal punto di vista dell'ambientazione, molto ben studiata e riferita. Storicamente accurato senza pedanteria.
Promosso, ma senza brillare.
Negli storici ambientati sul suolo inglese si è abituati ad una particolare invasione di cui si parla e scrive tanto, quella dei Normanni del 1066 quando con la battaglia di Hastings i Sassoni vennero conquistati.
Ma c'è stato un periodo, mezzo secolo prima, in cui quei Sassoni, poi vinti, sono stati i conquistatori, vincitori su di un altro popolo, precedente come insediamento, quello dei Britanni. Che è esattamente il periodo storico in cui Il principe di Britannia è collocato, un'epoca poco nota, ma affascinante per scoprire risvolti della storia inglese poco conosciuti, un confronto culturale tra due tradizioni, una cristina di stampo romano, depositaria dell'eredità culturale romana derivante dall'invasione, organizzata in villaggi e clan e dall'impronta tipicamente agricola e che ha in Re Artù il suo esponente più famoso, ed una arrivata in seguito, quella dei sassoni appunto, conquistatori pagani e guerrieri di tradizione nordica, residenti in villaggi di legno.
In questo libro le differenze tra le due e il loro convergere verso un unico popolo è esplorata molto bene, forse la parte migliore e più interessante. Come spesso accade, anche se c'è un vincitore, è dalla commistione di più culture che ne nasce una, migliore, più forte, pendendo da entrambe come viene fatto dire molto bene a Niniane, una nuova società figlia di entrambi come, metaforicamente, nel libro è figlia del matrimonio tra lei, principessa celtica e britanna e Cewlin il guerriero sassone che sbaraglia l'esercito del fratello di lei.
La conoscenza di oggi ci dice che questa ragazza aveva visto distante. Lo si può riscontrare in tanti aspetti: dalla successiva cristianizzazione dei sassoni che abbandonarono gli dei del nord fino alla struttura sociale della nobiltà inglese che fino ad oggi ricalca ancora la loro dove la terra viene conquistata, assegnata ad un nobile e da essa gestita tramite contadini e braccianti. La ricchezza di terre determina l'importanza del nobile.
Questa parte per me è quella che dà la sufficienza al libro, è ben scritta, ricca di curiosità e informazioni, non pedante e noiosa come accade in altre narrazioni.
Per contro la storia d'amore è quella che ho apprezzato di meno, l'ho trovata abbozzata e poco approfondita, è subordinata sempre ad altri racconti e relazioni che hanno molto più spazio. Si passa molto tempo, per esempio, ad approfondire la relazione tra Cewlin e l'amico Sigurd, di nuovo tanto ad analizzare i sentimenti di Sugurd verso la moglie dell'amico... e quasi zero se non qualche scaramuccia coniugale a parlare di Cewlin e Niniane. Si sono sposati per forza, ma cosa li ha fatti innamorare? Si sono innamorati?
Se la parte di Niniane non è approfondita ma almeno esiste, quella di Cewlin è completamente assente: il bretwalda è fedele alla moglie, ma da quello che mostra l'autrice la considera più un portafortuna che altro e questa considerazione non mi basta per eleggere il loro matrimonio a "grande storia d'amore" perchè uno si aspetta qualcosa di diverso, qualcosa di più.
E' e resta un buon romanzo storico, appassionante tra vari momenti della vita del re del Wessex non molto famoso ma sicuramente vittorioso, curioso e interessante dal punto di vista dell'ambientazione, molto ben studiata e riferita. Storicamente accurato senza pedanteria.
Promosso, ma senza brillare.
October 28, 2018
If you enjoy The Last Kingdom on Netflix which is based on Benard Cornwell books, you’ll enjoy this read, although it does predate that story of King Alfred reign. But I was very familiar with the name of the Cities that have since changed.
This was a Cleanly written HF novel about the Dark Ages where Anglo Saxon Britan reign came to be. The book does its best to fill in the culture and probable story of the Saxons century reign over Britan! I enjoyed the historical piece emensley, and the characters equally, as the author gave you a true glimpse into the life! The main characters Saxon King and His Christian Wife was a bonus, but this story was more about the history of the Saxons reign and trying to gain power throughout Britan.
Now, I really need to read Cornwells books, because Im obsesssd with the show!
This was a Cleanly written HF novel about the Dark Ages where Anglo Saxon Britan reign came to be. The book does its best to fill in the culture and probable story of the Saxons century reign over Britan! I enjoyed the historical piece emensley, and the characters equally, as the author gave you a true glimpse into the life! The main characters Saxon King and His Christian Wife was a bonus, but this story was more about the history of the Saxons reign and trying to gain power throughout Britan.
Now, I really need to read Cornwells books, because Im obsesssd with the show!
June 19, 2018
I liked this one almost as much as the first in the series. They are separate stories, only related by place and general time period. It was interesting to see the "bad guys"/pagans actually be the good guys. The book did drag on a bit at the end but then was wrapped up nicely. Lots of battles over who would control what land, but nothing graphic. If I lived in the dark ages, I think I'd want to be a boring farmer's wife so I wasn't always worried about who wanted to come after me and my family next. This story is a good glimpse into what life may have been like in 6th century England.
November 28, 2019
The blurb on this book makes it sound like a romance, and while it has romantic elements it is first and foremost an excellent historical fiction novel set in early medieval England. The author presents a fully developed and well-researched world where christian Roman Celts are adjusting to a new world order with the slow but steady encroachment of the pagan Saxons. This description of how those two cultures and religions melded and set the groundwork for England to become a major power in Europe is compelling, exciting and totally believable.
January 20, 2019
This is a book I have been trying to remember the title of for many years. I enjoyed it a great deal when I was younger. Finally thanks to the goodreads group “What’s The Name Of The Book” I can locate it and reread it. I remember enjoying it has an enduring love story and historical fiction, but also recognizing it could be unrealistic and unbelievable. It was just a fun Adventure and romance in a transition from ancient to middle History.
September 24, 2017
I love the story of the Saxons coming together to settle England peacefully. This book makes me wish I had a time machine to go back and see what it was really like then.
October 5, 2018
My favourite book
August 25, 2021
A total Joan Wolf classic
April 3, 2017
Ancient Celtic and Anglo Saxon history
I love history and this book (though the plot is fiction) is full of it.
If you love ancient history of Britain, and romance, you'll love this book
I love history and this book (though the plot is fiction) is full of it.
If you love ancient history of Britain, and romance, you'll love this book
June 28, 2012
I read this when it first came out and several times since. I do not think it is as good as Road to Avalon but it is still fun. The political intrigue is interesting and it made me want to investigate the real history. Joan Wolf did not finish Ceawlin's story but I will let you find out the details for yourselves if you want. I have to say I just burst out laughing when I realised the later part of this book takes place at the same time as Dawn Wind by Rosemary Sutcliff. The atmosphere is so different as to defy description! As far as I can determine, Dawn Wind intersects this book at the point where Ceawlin defeats Niniane's brother and his Dobonni allies. Later Owain, a Briton, surrenders to become slave to a Saxon family in southeastern Kent and the later events are told from the viewpoint of the Kentish side of the story. It is not flattering to Ceawlin!
December 22, 2012
Sent as a hostage to Cynric, King Of The West Saxons, Niniane falls in love with his bastard son, Ceawlin. The entire book is given over to the growth of love between these two, Ceawlin's conquest of Wessex and all of England from the western sea to Wales becoming in the end, High King. On Niniane's part, there is of course tragedy, worry, loss but Ceawlin remains her strongest rudder while her brother Coinmail seeks only revenge and disowns her as a sister. This book combines the whole scenario of living life with a great leader in the sixth century. Joan Wolf has done a wonderful job of breathing in the little known legend of the King Of Wessex in these pages.
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July 27, 2011The second in the trilogy on dark ages Britain. It was very interesting novel set in a time period you don't often hear about: After Arthur, when the Saxons were expanding their territory in Britain, but before Arthur the Great, when the Saxons rule all of England and are fighting off the Danes. I liked the characters, but the book seemed never-ending. It could've happily ended a couple of times. There were 4-5 climaxes in the book and they became predictable and the book became stale and boring. Overall, a good read, but don't expect this one huge epic battle and then life moving on. It happens too often.
July 29, 2014
I love this book. Not because the writing was incredibly great, but it was a story about a Bretwalda named Ceawlin. Little is known about this Bretwalda and the author weaved a story around his life with an incredible romance. Anything mixing history with fiction is great! (I picked up this book in a second hand shop while vacationing in Florida in my youth.)
April 12, 2014
I really enjoyed this book: in some ways more so than The Road to Avalon, as I knew very little about this era in history and had never heard of the main character, Cewlin. So I learnt some facts about how and why the Saxons managed to spread across England, at the same time becoming very involved with the story of Cewlin and his wife Niniane. Well-written and engaging.
April 12, 2014
As a lover of historical fiction, particularly tales set in the dark ages involving the Anglo-Saxons and the Romano-Britons, I found Born of the Sun a highly enjoyable read. It is the story of Niniane, a Romano-British princess, and her marriage to Ceawlin, the illegitimate son of the king of the West Saxons, and their struggles to unite the peoples that they love.
May 3, 2008
My first Joan Wolf and the one I still enjoyed the most. The story of Niniane, a princess of the Atrebates, and Ceawlin, a West Saxon prince. Not just a romance story, but also has a lot of historical details and a great plot.
October 25, 2009
Wonderfully written and full of detail - a fascinating look at 6th century Britain and the increasing presence of the Saxons. full review: http://shelfandstuff.blogspot.com/200...
August 15, 2010
A stunning tale of 6th century Britain. The hero is Ceawlin, future Bretwalda of Saxon England, and the heroine, is Celtic princess Niniane, who became the great love and loyal companion of that powerful conqueror.
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