To the Sun

Circle of Ceridwen Saga #11

by Octavia Randolph

An unpredictable journey with unforeseen consequences…

On Gotland Sidroc wakes from a disturbing dream; one of his sons, Hrald or Yrling – perhaps both – are in trouble. Both are in far-off Angle-land, and beyond his reach.

Eskil the Svear sails to the island, offering Sidroc a rare opportunity to gain untold riches, with equal risk to life for those joining the venture.

Edwin, Lord of Kilton, returns empty-handed from his search for a bride, while his brother Ceric knows true delight with his young wife Dwynwen, the Princess of Ceredigion. A royal commission sends the wedded pair off as envoys of King Ælfred, bringing Ceric face to face with his family’s past.

At Four Stones a troubled Jarl Hrald maintains leadership of men and lands, while questioning his resolve to move forward in his life.

Hrald’s sister Ealhswith, rejected by Edwin as a potential bride, returns to Four Stones. Yet there she finds little to assuage the restiveness and dissatisfaction she finds in her young life.

Lady Pega is called to her powerful former guardian, Lady Æthelflaed. A joyous occasion is expected, but the result is a discovery her royal guardian never anticipated.

As suddenly as game pieces topple on a board, lives are changed – forever.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fantasy

542 pages, Paperback

First published August 29, 2024

About the author

I write the kind of book I want to read myself. I write about history as a way to better understand my own times. I write about people who are far better, and (I hope) far worse than myself. And beautiful objects inspire me: the hand-carved combs, skilfully wrought swords, and gemmed goblets of the world of The Circle of Ceridwen Saga. Almost everything interests me; I've studied Anglo-Saxon and Norse runes, and learnt to spin with a drop spindle. My path has led to extensive on-site research in England, Denmark, Sweden, Iceland, and Gotland - some of the most wonderful places on Earth. In addition to the Circle Saga, I've written the novella Ride, a retelling of the story of Lady Godiva, and The Tale of Melkorka, based on the Icelandic Sagas. I've been the fortunate recipient of fellowships at the MacDowell Colony, Ledig House International, and Byrdcliffe.
Hearing from readers is a special pleasure and I always answer my letters. So write to me! www.octavia.net Author photo by Barbara Simundza

Reviews

[Judith Boxer · Rating 5 out of 5]

To the Sun is the eleventh book in the Circle of Ceridwen Saga series. It is long awaited, as each of Octavia Randolph’s books are by the many fans and avid readers of the Saga series, especially me who is honoured to be a First Reader, so no spoilers.

In, To the Sun, there are many twists and turns. As always. since the first book, some of the characters that enthral, surprise and by their actions change the destiny of not only themselves but have repercussions for many, continues. Characters leave, some return, new friends and foes are introduced and the Norse Gods are ever present.

Immerse yourself in a book that is so well written, has a unique style and is so true to how Anglo Saxons and ‘Vikings’ lived and expanded their horizons during this period in history. The additional information at the end of the book, the place names of this period in history, the maps and list of characters enhances the readers experience and the vast repertoire of knowledge the author has.

The Saga has moved on to getting ever nearer to the end of the 9th Century. It is still a time of uncertainty and change but equally a time to enjoy and appreciate the essentials of life. The circle of the seasons, the food, clothing, family, especially the children. As always there is a perpetual quest for the acquisition of wealth to provide for a more secure future for those loved ones as well as the constant need to maintain peace.

Octavia Randolph has an amazing gift to be able to introduce fictional characters that seem so real I have come to love and cherish, some I am glad are no longer, some will be missed forever.

Whoever they are they come alive in her perfect world building and word weaving. I have cried, I have laughed, my heart has been in my mouth and I have definitely been on a journey toward the sun in this latest book. Get a copy and enjoy it as much as I have.

If you are not already aware, Octavia Randolph has her own brilliant website and a new Facebook group where like minded souls can discuss, learn and embrace the Saga world, and this amazing author.

As always I wait with bated breath the next book in the series.

[Kelley Ricci · Rating 3 out of 5]

To the Sun

Not as captivating as the previous books in this series. The first half of the book was too drawn out and I found myself getting bored however it picked up for the 2nd half. I look forward to the next one.

[Catherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wanted to love it but couldn’t

I have been a huge fan of The Circle of Ceridwen saga, through book 10, and was so looking forward to book 11. Sadly, it fell short of my expectations. The wordcraft is similar to the previous books, and that’s fantastic, but the story itself is lackluster and didn’t hold my attention. Very little of it involved the characters I know and love. My only hope for the next book is that it seems to be setting up conflicts that could prove interesting.

[Brooke Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I resolved to give this book 3 stars, but then I read the remaining 200 pages. They are very much worth the wait, although the wait is quite dragging.

For almost the entire first 300 pages, you read of a poorly paced sailing journey with people you barely care about. This is my only complaint of this book, I would have rather spent those 300 pages focusing more on the characters that Randolph has spent the past 10 books making us care about (Hrald, Ceric, Edwin, Aelfwyn, Ceridwen…) why did we spend that time following a trading boat and minor side characters? For this writing choice, I have to take off at least a star.

Otherwise the remaining 200 pages were phenomenal. The story picks back up with our main characters, is filled with hope and heartbreak, and I’m reminded of the reason I love this series. I will always adore these books and how they take me to a different place and time.

[Jessica Mathes · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars - I did not love this one as much as the others in the series. I loved the parts with the main characters.

Honestly I was not super interested in the journey to Constantinople, and way too much time was spent in that. I could have skipped past all those chapters.

However, I love reading about Sidroc and Ceridwen, Ceric and Dwynwen, and Hrald. I also loved reading about Aelfwyn and Raedwulf and their little son!

Although I have to say the events with Hrald were awful and intense and I have never been a fan of Dagmar! I feel so terrible for Pega and I would have felt and done the same in her shoes! I’m also worried for Eahlswith and how this will affect her. I wonder about Mealla too - what will she choose? I think it would be hard for her to stay in Hrald’s hall after what he did to Pega.

Finally - I think Pega marrying Edwin is a terrible idea! Especially since she has Aelfgiva!!!

[Tonja · Rating 4 out of 5]

Octavia just writes such readable stuff. Even if it drags at times. Haha. I’m giving this 4 stars but that is mostly for the last 1/4 or 1/3? The huge portion of the book about Eskil and Runvulv (sp?) was just long and dry and needed an editor. It also felt insane and interesting that the Baltic explorers would navigate their boats down a series of rivers and overland to the Black Sea. This endeavor felt way too quick for Sidroc to support.

I’m sad she has left us on a few different cliffhangers.
I really loved seeing the relationship between Ceric and Dwynwen blossom and be so fruitful to political relations between Wales and Wessex. Ceric is happy and deserves to be with someone who is so meant for him.
Hrald. Oh Hrald. Will be interesting to see what happens. I did not see that coming. The repercussions of his decision….
And Edwin, I have mixed feelings. I want to see him happy and supported but I’m also annoyed he refused Eahlswith…
And speaking of Eahlswith. Octavia doesn’t introduce new characters on a whim. I believe we will see more of Conger…
I don’t want to wait a year!

[Marie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m 58% through the book and it’s extremely (sorry) boring and tedious, describing too much of the long boat voyage of Runulv and his men on their way to their dream trading place. The journey started on chapter 8 continued through chapter 14. This was too long of a description for me; I lost interest and I was very disappointed in lack of more storyline. This had been a favorite series for me up to this point.

[Lori · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hard to follow

This is the first time I’ve struggled to follow the ongoing story.
Too many separate stories, deep in details that weren’t necessary in my opinion.
I know I will read the next book but hope that she focuses on characters and not details that don’t make the read any better.

[Jenn Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

As always the narrator was beautiful! My least favorite book in the saga. The traveling and traders just went on and on and we didn’t get much from our favorite characters. The book finally came to life in the last few chapters and then it was over. I’m still in love with the whole saga!

[Cynthia Haggard · Rating 4 out of 5]

This volume has two very different threads.

One is an adventure story about a group of Svaer (Swedes) and a group of Gotlanders who somehow manage to sail into the Gulf of Finland, through the marshy swamps of what is now St Petersburg, into Lake Ladoga before heading south to Novgorod, and across the snow and ice to Kiev, where they pick up the treacherous Dnieper River which takes them to the Black Sea and on their way to Mikligarðr, the glorious city we now know as Istanbul. This manuscript must have been written after the start of the war between Vladimir Putin and Ukraine, and I read it with that in mind. It was so poignant to wander around these lands and experience how they must have been in the 990s via Ms. Randolph’s marvelous descriptions.

The other story thread has to do with the young people we have come to know ever since Tindr, the fifth volume of this series. Edwin of Kilton still cannot catch a break, and what he wants most of all - a suitable wife - still eludes him. Hrald, the young Jarl of Four Stones, is wracked with guilt about his forbidden love for his first wife Dagmar, when he must pretend that all is well with his marriage to his second wife Pega of Mercia.

And this brings me to the best part of the book. For with the first half taken up with the adventure story that too-rapidly pivots to the trials and tribulations of the sons and daughters of Ceridwen, Sidroc, and Lady Edith, the ending is an absolute gob-smack. I have complained often about how nothing much happens in too many of Ms. Randolphs recent volumes that make up The Circle of Ceridwen series. But the ending of To The Sun is an absolute shocker I did not see coming.

[Libby Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

To the Sun – fiery, passionate and an adventure into the unknown

Once more, Octavia fulfils the destiny of her characters by sending some of them on a most unexpected and perilous journey. Every footfall takes us further into new territory, a storyline which as always is rooted in historical fact and has been thoroughly researched by this most meticulous of authors.

Equally significant are seemingly innocuous journeys closer to home. Those who find themselves uneasy or unsettled in their lives confront personal challenges that warrant new pathways for the future. As we inch slowly forward in the twilight years of King Ælfred’s reign over Wessex, with the ever-present necessity to maintain strategic partnerships with neighbouring Mercia, Wales and the Danelaw, no opportunity for shoring up political alliances can be ignored.

Journey into the unknown, secure in the knowledge that every word matters and every clue to the future is just waiting to be uncovered by you, the perspicacious reader.

In short, another masterpiece from a master storyteller, that debuted on Amazon as #1 Best Seller in Historical Norse & Icelandic Fiction.

[Melinda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I devoured this book the minute it was released. This author, Octavia Randolph, never disappoints; her writing style is beautifully descriptive, her characters fully developed and relatable, and she skillfully weaves plot lines into a fully developed narrative. This is the kind of historical fiction that anyone can appreciate, not only lovers of that particular genre. Set at the time of conflict between Anglo-Saxons, who inhabited what is now England, and the Danish invaders who wanted to settle there, the action of the story takes place there, as well as on the Baltic island of Gotland and the lands of Eastern Europe. This is the 11th book of a Saga that began with The Circle of Ceridwen, and I cannot recommend them highly enough!

[Jessica Bly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have to agree to the reviews that say the first half (maybe even the first 2/3) of the book is very slow. I found myself zoning out while listening. It definitely picks up in the last third and ends quite abruptly. I feel like a lot could have been cut out so that the story could actually be furthered a bit more. It's already an incredibly long saga, and there wasn't much of Sidroc or Ceridwen in this book, although the end ties up the beginning of the book very neatly, which was well done. All considered, though, I do wish there had been more details about Ceridwen, Sidroc, and the other folks on Gotland, Tindr especially. Perhaps in the next one. It's definitely still worth a read if you're into the series, but nowhere near as enthralling as the earlier books in the saga.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

"To the Sun!" What a wonderful new book! Each volume of this book series, "The Circle of Ceridwen Saga." is more exciting, and fulfilling than the last! Danes and Anglo-Saxons, and surprises galore! Not only do we enjoy reunions with beloved Saga characters, but Octavia Randolph launches us on yet more exciting adventures! Meet new fascinating characters facing challenges in lands far and fabulous. Will they find riches, and happiness unbounded, or will disaster envelope them? I not only loved this amazing tale, but feasted on Octavia Randolph's fascinating, sensual details about cultures, and history. "To the Sun" is my new favorite!!

[Darla Hokanson]

To the Sun

I like Octavia Randolph's style of writing. Some of her phasing can transport you to another era and helps to promote the reader to visualize the story backdrop of the Viking era.
I really anticipated reading this eleventh book in the series but was disappointed in feeling that this book was a mere bridge to the next in the series. There was no resolution for any of the characters but there is also hope and anticipation for many in the upcoming books.. I will continue to read this series and look forward to the next book by Octavia

[Katsim Simons · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good lord this was hard to get through. I loved the first six books in this series. Now, much less. I don’t care about the characters on which half the book was spent; some of them only got names when they died. I don’t want to read about the pedophilic relationship a forget favorite character is now in. The female characters are getting short shrift and most of the younger characters are such entitled whiners. There is very little tension to move the plot along and the characters are struggling to hold me.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

The amount of thought, heart and soul that goes into these stories is just astounding. Everything means something, a cup, jewelry or even just scissors. Things we take for granted because it’s not made from the heart.
The parts with the boats and traveling was amazing. It was so detailed but easy to understand and follow.
My heart hurt at the end of the story. To say I can’t wait until the next book comes out is an understatement.

[Dannielle Knudsen · Rating 4 out of 5]

As always Octavia delivered a beautifully written story. Her prose is lovely. However I am finding as the books go on, the prose has become the main focal point. The storyline’s just don’t have the same depth as earlier books. I found the adventures through the lands of the Rus interesting, but left unfinished. Ceric and Dwynwyn’s relationship is just a bit too implausible. The best storyline was Hrald’s, but it was disappointingly short.

[Grandma Misi · Rating 5 out of 5]

absolutely riveting!

I have read all the 11 books of the Saga plus Sidroc. They just keep getting better and better. The characters are such real people and I have enjoyed their life’s journeys. Especially interested in watching the 2nd generation grow up and mature. This book has joy and sorrow and amazing adventures. Don’t miss it!!

[Debra Lovejoy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredible……Again

Octavia Randolph does it again with an amazing expertise. Her continuation of the Circle of Ceridwen in book eleven is riveting to say the least. She really does draw the reader into the lives of the characters as if you are walking directly beside them. So many loose ends left to tie up with this one! I cannot wait for the next installment.

[Jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't think I have enjoyed the eleventh book in a series as much as I have this one, however it had been a year and a half since reading the previous book in the series and I had forgotten pretty much all of the important newer details. There are so many characters now that it's challenging to remember what is happening to each of them. I really loved the beginning and ending of this book, but the middle, for several hours (I listened to the audiobook), we had the long tale of a group of men we hadn't had POVs from before on a trip to Russia. I was not interested in this story line at all and it really dragged for me. Still, the writing and story are both wonderful and definitely worth reading the series. I eagerly await book twelve and will be rereading at least this one beforehand.

[Ruth Anne Partain · Rating 5 out of 5]

Deflated.

As usual this author continues to amaze me. Book 11 could not be put down until finished. These stories in this saga must continue and I can only hope she is already writing book 12.

[Edie Saenz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can't get enough!

I have read this series through twice and with growing love each time. The characters and the trials they face are so gripping. The author's writing style is a joy to read. This series will always hold a piece of my heart! I can't wait for the next.

[Ronnie Pastecki · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was really looking forward to the newest addition to this series. I was somewhat disappointed when a large portion of the book was devoted to the journey by a minor character. When the book returned to the main characters, I found the read far more enjoyable and interesting.

[Ann Fennessy · Rating 4 out of 5]

worth waiting for

The scenes in Wales were tedious, with too much attention to details of ceremony. I skipped these sections—the first time I’ve done this in reading all the books of this remarkable series.

[Saragrace Knauf · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like these books but the grammer makes me just cringe! Someone else said it was an attempt to make it sound 'old world.' I cry B.S. on that. "...They had rode.." -seriously? I am listening to the book, maybe it is the narrator, but it isn't the first time I've heard something similar.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

always a great read

I’ve enjoyed all of these books. However, the bulk of this book I found kind of boring. No spoilers. I still loved the beginning and the end when the characters that I truly loved were discussed.

[Anne Rosen Noran · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exquisite Delightful

This is a lovely book with love my descriptions and heartfelt romance and passion. It has carry magic and woman strength.I recommend that all who read it should start at the beginning.

[Barbara Berry · Rating 5 out of 5]

As always, an enthralling read. The first half of the book made for slow reading. The second half I read so quickly, I was sad when I got to the end. Can't wait for the 12th book in Circle of Ceridwen Saga . A captivating series

[Meta Knapp · Rating 4 out of 5]

Less travel details

I found the travels long and drawn out. Too m GBuch detail. I would have liked more of the lives of the main characters. Of all the books I found this one the more of a slow read.