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Vikings: Edeva's Story
Edeva's Anglo-Saxon childhood changes forever after war-loving Vikings appear on Brytannia's shores and capture her home, Dunwich fortress. In order to survive, she is forced to hide her true identity from the axe-wielding beasts and becomes a Viking thrall. She quickly learns to forget her privileged life, and instead, endures hardships she could never have foreseen.
Can she survive the demands of a life of servitude, or will it break her?
This historical adventure captures the imagination with a story of hardship, family, war and love.
A story for readers of Viking tales.
Can she survive the demands of a life of servitude, or will it break her?
This historical adventure captures the imagination with a story of hardship, family, war and love.
A story for readers of Viking tales.
306 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 28, 2019
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About the author
Ceri Bladen
20 books46 followersCeri likes to write 'easy flow' romances, either historical or contemporary, and is now venturing into sci-fi and fantasy novellas.
She particularly likes the Viking era and the Scottish Highlands to find her heros and heroines :)
She particularly likes the Viking era and the Scottish Highlands to find her heros and heroines :)
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
March 2, 2020
The author is careful to label this a "standalone book" even though it is one of six that she has written on the Vikings in England. But one need not have read any of them to appreciate this one.
In this story, stretched over 12 chapters which cover the 13 years of between the invasion of East Anglia by the Vikings to the treaty between Alfred and Guthrum; the truce required the latter to accept baptism and the Christian name of Aethelstan.
Edeva is the daughter of Lord Arter Guarder, counselor to both King Aella and his brother King Osberht of Northumbria. She is 16 in 865 when the "barbarians from the North," the Vikings, raided Dunwich Fortress and decided to stay. The zigs and zags of Viking or Northumbrian strategies, if there were such things, dictate the framework of Edeva's story and put into shade her personal loves and tragedies.
Readers of Bernard Cornwell's Saxon/Last Kingdom stories are familiar with warfare during the ninth century. But whereas those novels told of the men, Bladen's focus is on the women. They do not, alas, flourish in this century. Assisted by her faithful companion, Edith, the MC tries unsuccessfully to hide "candles and other valuables ..." from the Vikings. Her mother Brigitta kills herself in despair, Edeva fails to protect Rosfrith, and her story quickly becomes that of a thrall and a "comfort woman."
By the end of the book, she is a "mousy-haired woman" of 29 but without foretelling or preparation, she is a favored companion of King Guthrum/Athelstan. The twins she had been forced to serve as wetnurse turn out to be children of sister Rosfrith, now consort of Ubba Ragnarson the Viking and she miraculously has a Saxon lover as well, one Ealdorman Cynebald Benningfield, formerly a hostage sent by Alfred to Guthrum, now a servant sent to keep an eye on Aethelstan.
If all this comes too suddenly, it is probably because the author followed the history she has researched instead of the stories she might have developed. Writers of historical fiction face this temptation all the time.
In this story, stretched over 12 chapters which cover the 13 years of between the invasion of East Anglia by the Vikings to the treaty between Alfred and Guthrum; the truce required the latter to accept baptism and the Christian name of Aethelstan.
Edeva is the daughter of Lord Arter Guarder, counselor to both King Aella and his brother King Osberht of Northumbria. She is 16 in 865 when the "barbarians from the North," the Vikings, raided Dunwich Fortress and decided to stay. The zigs and zags of Viking or Northumbrian strategies, if there were such things, dictate the framework of Edeva's story and put into shade her personal loves and tragedies.
Readers of Bernard Cornwell's Saxon/Last Kingdom stories are familiar with warfare during the ninth century. But whereas those novels told of the men, Bladen's focus is on the women. They do not, alas, flourish in this century. Assisted by her faithful companion, Edith, the MC tries unsuccessfully to hide "candles and other valuables ..." from the Vikings. Her mother Brigitta kills herself in despair, Edeva fails to protect Rosfrith, and her story quickly becomes that of a thrall and a "comfort woman."
By the end of the book, she is a "mousy-haired woman" of 29 but without foretelling or preparation, she is a favored companion of King Guthrum/Athelstan. The twins she had been forced to serve as wetnurse turn out to be children of sister Rosfrith, now consort of Ubba Ragnarson the Viking and she miraculously has a Saxon lover as well, one Ealdorman Cynebald Benningfield, formerly a hostage sent by Alfred to Guthrum, now a servant sent to keep an eye on Aethelstan.
If all this comes too suddenly, it is probably because the author followed the history she has researched instead of the stories she might have developed. Writers of historical fiction face this temptation all the time.
February 7, 2020
This was a nice, simple read, and from what I could see, historically accurate. I love everything Viking related, so it ticked all my boxes. The story follows Edeva, who struggles through life after a Viking invasion sees her end up in servitude, losing the life she had been used to. All through the story she has to hide her identity, which she achieves. She also worries about her sister, who is taken away from her early in the story.
I loved the little glossaries added. These are highlighted in blue, and as soon as you click on it, it takes you to the explanation.
If I have one complaint, it would be the slight repetitiveness in places, but overall I loved it. And I love a happy ending. And you get the added extra of a couple of first chapters from the author’s other stories, which is a nice little touch.
I recommend it to lovers of Viking history.
I loved the little glossaries added. These are highlighted in blue, and as soon as you click on it, it takes you to the explanation.
If I have one complaint, it would be the slight repetitiveness in places, but overall I loved it. And I love a happy ending. And you get the added extra of a couple of first chapters from the author’s other stories, which is a nice little touch.
I recommend it to lovers of Viking history.
March 31, 2020
Vikings: Edeva's Story is part of a series but can be read as a standalone book.
The story spans over thirteen years, and follows, Edeva, the daughter of a lords life from a sixteen-year-old girl to a twenty-nine-year-old-year-old woman. We follow her life through the Viking invasion, her tragedies and loves. Her mother’s death, her sister taken away, and swatch as she is thrust into servitude.
It certainly tells a tale of twist and somewhat believable treatment of women in her time.
Well worth a read.
The story spans over thirteen years, and follows, Edeva, the daughter of a lords life from a sixteen-year-old girl to a twenty-nine-year-old-year-old woman. We follow her life through the Viking invasion, her tragedies and loves. Her mother’s death, her sister taken away, and swatch as she is thrust into servitude.
It certainly tells a tale of twist and somewhat believable treatment of women in her time.
Well worth a read.
February 25, 2020
The author has clearly done some historical research, and has selected a juicy historical episode: the revenge taken by Ragnar Lođbrok’s sons, after King Ælla of Northumbria murdered him by throwing him in a pit of snakes. This includes the gruesome death inflicted on Ælla using the ‘blood eagle’. (An interesting footnote: this is the same King Ælla of Northumbria that plays a role in the Man of Law’s Tale in The Canterbury Tales.)
Some trouble is taken at the beginning to try to establish a ninth century Anglo-Saxon ambience. However, to this reader, the sensibility throughout was very twenty-first century. There were a few inaccuracies and absurdities that set me back: a character experiences a rush of adrenaline, another writes about being bullied, Edeva fights the urge to tell her annoying brother to go to Hell; these just don’t ring true as ninth century Anglo-Saxons.
King Alfred and the sons of Ragnar Lođbrok were formidable men, but I didn’t get any notion of Alfred’s majesty, or the dread that a man such as Ivar Ragnarsson must have inspired. Nor did I get a feel for what the life of a Viking thrall must have been like. I think the author was a little out of her depth.
I also had the feeling, as the story went on, that the author was losing interest in her tale. The story goes completely to pieces in the second half of the book. Plot lines suddenly appear and events take place in very short snippets that last about half a page and are spaced months and years apart. Also the writing gets a good bit sloppier, and the grammar becomes haphazard. There were typos and a general lack of style, form and pacing. And poor Edeva, after everything she goes through, she’s earned a love that will repay her miseries. But at the crux of the story, when it’s time for her to get her reward, what is it? An erection. Is that all? Sorry, she deserved better.
So in the end, I would have to tell anyone looking for a real Viking adventure they should probably look elsewhere.
Some trouble is taken at the beginning to try to establish a ninth century Anglo-Saxon ambience. However, to this reader, the sensibility throughout was very twenty-first century. There were a few inaccuracies and absurdities that set me back: a character experiences a rush of adrenaline, another writes about being bullied, Edeva fights the urge to tell her annoying brother to go to Hell; these just don’t ring true as ninth century Anglo-Saxons.
King Alfred and the sons of Ragnar Lođbrok were formidable men, but I didn’t get any notion of Alfred’s majesty, or the dread that a man such as Ivar Ragnarsson must have inspired. Nor did I get a feel for what the life of a Viking thrall must have been like. I think the author was a little out of her depth.
I also had the feeling, as the story went on, that the author was losing interest in her tale. The story goes completely to pieces in the second half of the book. Plot lines suddenly appear and events take place in very short snippets that last about half a page and are spaced months and years apart. Also the writing gets a good bit sloppier, and the grammar becomes haphazard. There were typos and a general lack of style, form and pacing. And poor Edeva, after everything she goes through, she’s earned a love that will repay her miseries. But at the crux of the story, when it’s time for her to get her reward, what is it? An erection. Is that all? Sorry, she deserved better.
So in the end, I would have to tell anyone looking for a real Viking adventure they should probably look elsewhere.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews