This book, like every installment of the Circle of Ceridwen series so far, is excellently researched, full of interesting characters, and plots a great story. It is a bit slow, and feels like a transition book, but even a slow book from Randolph is entertaining.
I think I’ve mentioned in all of my reviews for this series that Randolph is devoted to presenting this time period of the late 800s as accurately and interestingly as possible, and Silver Hammer, Golden Cross is no exception. Many of the historical elements are well-trodden ground at this point in the series, but the depictions of war camps and war were fresh elements in this novel. Following Ceric in particular as a young person in charge of men much older than himself was really intriguing.
As this series goes on, the characters and all of the tangled webs they weave have even more depth. The Ceridwen and Ælfwyn mixed family at this point has a lot of great dynamics to be explored, especially Ashlid and Hrald’s views about Sidroc staying away in Gotland for so long. The reader knows through everyone’s POVs that Ælfwyn and Ceridwen hold no animosity towards each other, but it’s nice to see their children grapple with the strange ties that bind them all together.
This book also focuses heavily on Ashlid, and while some of the things she does are really frustrating, it’s nice to finally have a main female character who isn’t just flat out beautiful. She’s endearing and engaging in her own way, but pretty much every POV states she’s not classically beautiful. Almost all the other named female characters of any importance in this series are described as beautiful – Ceridwen, Ælfwyn, Rannveig, Begu, Modwyn, Eirian, Astrid, Deer, Æanflad, Æalswith, Edgyth – and more I’m probably missing. They are beautiful in different ways, but all beautiful, and the only ones who aren’t are the serving women and the cooks. Which is fine, but it’s just refreshing to have a main character who isn’t.
The further I get in this series, it feels more and more like this really is just an extended saga, with no clear end points for each book. They feel a bit arbitrary at best, but always leave you wanting to continue with the rest of the story.