The Faithful Exile

by Sydney Witbeck

Zander Hvalman does not bend. As Chief of Sedarkia, his word is law—and no law is more absolute than the prohibition of Christianity. So when his own son, Owain, chooses his faith over his birthright, Zander makes the only decision a man like him knows how to he disinherits Owain and banishes him from Sedarkia forever. But in doing so, he leaves his kingdom without an heir—and his wife without her son.

Driven by grief and guilt, Zander sets out to find Owain and drag him back to reason. Meanwhile, Torryn Velgard—a sharp-edged sailor turned smuggler with ambitions far larger than his station—sees the vacant throne as an opportunity he was born to seize. Alongside his older brother, Ivor, Torryn hunts for Owain with a very different agenda in mind. But the journey forces questions Torryn never expected, as Ivor’s quiet revelations begin to unravel everything Torryn thought he knew about himself.

Three men. Three colliding paths. And one unsettling truth spreading like wildfire across the Christianity is no longer so easy to silence.

As faith, power, and identity crash together, the future of Sedarkia hangs in the balance—and no one walks away unchanged.

255 pages, Kindle Edition

Expected publication June 30, 2026

About the author

Sydney Witbeck is a writer and reader with a strong love for the Lord, her family, church, and friends. An avid bookworm, Sydney is happiest curled up with a good book. She has always enjoyed reading and rereading her favorite stories – a passion that soon transferred to writing books of her own. In her free time, she likes making memories with her sisters, spending time with her dog, and caring for her mini horse.

Reviews

[Katja Labonté · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars (4/10 hearts). Y'all, if you're a fan of the friend-group in my book, A Noble Comfort, then give this book a shot. There were times I could've sworn it was my characters talking instead of Torryn and Ivor. Torryn, especially, reminded me SO UNBELIEVABLY MUCH of my own character Penuel. He's a riot! He in himself was a good 95% of my enjoyment in this book—and Ivor was another 75%. That's bad math, but it sums up my feelings. Apart from all that... I enjoyed the Viking-inspired setting as well (though to be honest I find it hard to picture a Viking saying "okay" 😆). I also appreciated watching Christianity start to take a hold of the land... and I loved the constant scriptural quotations! Also, Gundar's family was super cute and the plot kept me intrigued, though I'm afraid I struggled to keep track of everything happening at times. This was my first read by this author, and it won't be the last. I look forwards to the second book in this series!

*I received a complimentary copy of this book for promotional purposes. I was not required to write a positive review. These are my honest thoughts and opinions.*

[Kay Adelin]

RTC

[Leah (faithfulreadingcorner)]

RTC

[Phoebe Hinkle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Sydney for the review copy! 😊

So I've never read anything from Sydney before, but I enjoyed this! I liked the Viking setting with the Irish-type characters, and the early European Christianity. Torryn was definitely my favorite character - he made me giggle several times. 🤭 I also liked seeing faith in action and characters coming to trust in God, and none of it felt peachy.

My only quibble is that things seemed to happen a little fast, but they got explained quickly. And that might be on me because my brain has been in a fog for a while recently. 😊

[Kayla E. · Rating 5 out of 5]

ENDORSEMENT

With high stakes through a race for the right to claim the power the title of chieftain holds, The Faithful Exile is an exhilarating tale that shows that there is only one kingdom that is truly eternal. Exploring the power of choice, quiet miracles, the value of family, and the strength that faith provides, this non-magical Christian fantasy will become a fast favorite.

[Journey Bloomfield · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Faithful Exile was an enjoyable read, filled with both action and thematic depth, and I very much enjoyed it!

I loved the setting, which was fun and unique. (Vikings!) The differences between the countries they went to were fascinating as well, and it added a nice depth to the story. I was delighted to find I liked most all of the characters as well, which is rare for me.

I adored Ivor and Torryn, (brotherssss!), they had such a wonderful dynamic, with Torryn as the enthusiastic and ambitious one and Ivor the quieter, bookish brother, and a good counter to Torryn's wild spirit. I loved them both, despite their differences, and appreciated the love they had for each other. And even though I normally don't enjoy villain POVs, I found myself invested in Zander's side of the story as well, and his point of view was just as good as the others.

Gundar was also a delightfully layered character, and his family was incredibly adorable. I always love young families, and his was so sweet and I loved that they stuck together as a family, and kept faith through difficult times. All the children were most sweet, and Elin was splendidly committed to keeping her family together and safe.

If you like character-driven stories with themes of faith and redemption, then I think you'll enjoy The Faithful Exile! Sydney is certainly an author to watch.

Full review on my website here: https://journeybloomfield.wordpress.c...