The Oaken Door

The Lion of Wales #2

by Sarah Woodbury

The onslaught of Modred's forces may have been temporarily halted, but danger lurks around every corner for Myrddin and Nell. Not only do they face treachery on the part of their enemies, but allies--and even family too--cannot be trusted.Only by joining forces can they succeed in averting the terrible fate that threatens their king, their country, and their own lives.The Oaken Door is the second book in the Lion of Wales series.Complete series reading order: Cold my Heart, the Oaken Door, of Men and Dragons, A Long Cloud, Frost against the Hilt.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Audiobook, Fiction, Arthurian, Novella, Ebooks

118 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 24, 2015

About the author

With over a million books sold to date, Sarah Woodbury is the author of more than forty novels, all set in medieval Wales. Although an anthropologist by training, and then a full-time homeschooling mom for twenty years, she began writing fiction when the stories in her head overflowed and demanded that she let them out. While her ancestry is Welsh, she only visited Wales for the first time at university. She has been in love with the country, language, and people ever since. She even convinced her husband to give all four of their children Welsh names.

Sarah is a member of the Historical Authors Fiction Cooperative (HFAC), the Historical Novel Society, and Novelists, Inc. (NINC).


She makes her home in Oregon.

Reviews

[Bob Hobbit · Rating 4 out of 5]

don't like books or stories broken up. The whole book should be between 2 covers not 4 or 6..... You reach a point in a good where it carries you under a bewitching spell to the end that is what was missing the rest of the book characters was wonderful. she is a first class author.

[Meredith]

This was not a book, it was a long chapter

[M.J. Pankey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another entertaining installment of this Arthurian retelling.
Listening to this on audiobook as I cook or drive etc, it'ss easy to follow along and the story is continuous from books 1 to 2 with no recapping. Since Im listening to books 1-5 on audiobook in one go, that's refreshing. I might be confused if I read the books with significant time in between. Not an issue for Libby's audiobook though.
That said, I find the writing to be a little explain-y but for my half distracted state while listening, it's perfect and I don't feel like I miss anything and/or it's easy to get back into the story if I've been drawn out of the room for a minute or two. For a mom of 3, this is a compliment.
The narrator is a little.... emotionless? But decent. He adds some distinction between female and male characters, but not a lot between characters of the same sex, which, for an Arthurian tale with TONS of characters, doesn't bother me too much. There are enough dialogue tags to jeep straight who says what.

Lots of political intrigue happening between Mercia, Wales, and the Saxons in early Medieval Britain, but no real huge stakes or conflict for the main characters. I heard a familiar name: King Icel of Mercia, which makes me think of another Medieval fiction series, the Eagle of Mercia by MJ Portor (altho that series hasn't progressed far enough for Icel to become king yet, so I guess that might be a spoiler for anyone not as intimate with early Britain history)

Already continuing on with book 3.

[Pamella Foster · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this series

[Jocelyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

So I got the first one in this series as an audio book. Then I turned around and immediately got the whole set on audio book. They are soooo good! She leaves you on a cliffhanger with every book. Even in her The Last Pendragon books. Her style is unique, she isn’t just a writer, she is a story teller. I love how there is romance woven into the story, but it’s not a “romance” and there isn’t any sex. The Characters are so vivid. Each with their own complex background, that somehow doesn’t pull you away from the story at all. Nor does is bog it down, but rather adds to the richness of the story. And her timing in perfect! Each time I had a question, it was answered in a timely fashion. It’s absolutely brilliant. If you want some slightly mystical history to come alive in your mind, this book is for you.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Oaken Door is the second book of the Legends Of the Dark Age Wales . Myrddin and Nell have confessed their dreams/nightmares to each other. The fight between Arthur and Modred, and the Saxons in general continues. The concept of spies intruding in each group is the part of the book that I really like. Myrddin is a real person known as Myrddin the Wild. His son shows up in Arthur's court. Is he a spy for Modred?
I am having a bad time pronouncing names. I have to reset them as I read. That takes time and interrupts the reading flow.

[Neill Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

As Nell reveals the connections her family had with the Saxons before she became a nun she realizes that the fears she had that Myrddin would suspect her allegiance to Arthur were baseless. Myrddin is being recognized as more important to Arthur and is given more assignments demonstrating Arthur’s trust. The relationship between Myrddin and Nell is deepening and the alliances with Arthur are either firming or developing into a move against him. The plot thickens.

[Jennifer Bohnhoff · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another novela that's really just a portion of a longer work, I'm enjoying this but only as a portion of a unified whole. It really doesn't stand alone. I'm glad I got it from the library, or I would feel cheated.

[Bruce · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sarah Woodbury is a most satisfying writer. I feel like she is my friend.

[Carlla · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read phone - historical fiction - King Arthur

[Jena Duffy · Rating 5 out of 5]

The saga continues

Sarah Woodbury continues her story of King Arthur. Would you take the risk and stand by your king to fight for what is right or abandon him when all send lost.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good story, continuing where the first left off.

[Linda K · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great installment in this series.

[Heather · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is the second book of the series that I’ve read and I still have no idea what is going on. It feels like the “series” should really just be 1 book. I’m not going to bother reading any further.

[Kathryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

The series is getting complicated. Lots of Characters to keep track of.

[Caroline · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heroism, courage, devotion, loyalty, faith, friendship… King Arthur has always been my favorite king in the world. The Oaken Door, book 2 in The Lion Of Wales series by Sarah Woodbury, is absolutely fascinating, full of angst and passion. King Arthur at the time of medieval Wales as you’ve never seen him before. I loved it and I’m starting book 3 now, Of Men And Dragons. I can’t wait to know what happens next in Myrddin and Nell’s life. Will they be able to change the course of the visions they have both been seing? Bravissimo.

[Kay · Rating 4 out of 5]

The second installment of The Lion of Wales series continues to follow Myrddin and Nell as they try to change the course of the visions they have been seeing.

I'm enjoying this series although I think this could have been part of book 1. Each book appears to be episodes, but definitely leaves you wanting more.

[Joyce · Rating 4 out of 5]

Further tells the story of Meryddn.
The onslaught of Modred's forces may have been temporarily halted, but danger lurks around every corner for Myrddin and Nell. Not only do they face treachery on the part of their enemies, but allies--and even family too--cannot be trusted.

[Debbi · Rating 3 out of 5]

The second of four in a series. King Arthur has the upper hand right now but the Saxons threaten. Very interesting and I like the writing style of the author.

[Barbara (The Bibliophage) · Rating 4 out of 5]

These novellas (this one is second in the series) are great. Enjoying characters, setting and story!

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome!

An awesome second book. The tale is better developed with each book. I would recommend this book to my friends and family.

[Bogormen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would like to finish the series, but I think the books are too expensive considering how short they are.

[Carolyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read as part of Medieval Romantic Legends Boxed Set