A Perfect Novel for Lord of the Rings Fans - an Editorial Review of "The Quarry"

Book Blurb:

Set in early medieval Britain and perfect for Lord of the Rings fans, this fourth installment of The Druid Chronicles tells the story of a Saxon sheriff who’s on the hunt for fugitive Druids—unaware that he is being pursued as well.

Forced to flee their previous sanctuary, a small band of goddess-worshipping Britons reach a high mountain valley, believed to be the site of their cult’s ancestral home, to find its stone towers reduced to rubble. With only a matter of months before winter sets in, they face the all but impossible task of making habitable dwellings and gathering enough food stores to survive the coming storms.

Time is equally pressing for a pair of Christian Saxon lovers who have traveled from the capital city of Atheldom to the remote shire of Codswallow to kill the woman’s husband before he finds out that she is pregnant.

Meanwhile, fresh from tracking down a runaway princess, Stefan, the sheriff of Codswallow, sets out on a new mission—to capture a band of pagans rumored to be witches and sorcerers—unaware that he is being hunted by deadly enemies of his own.

Book Buy Link: https://geni.us/sO8tvm

Author Bio:

Ann Margaret Linden was born in Seattle, Washington, but grew up on the east coast, returning to the Pacific Northwest as a young adult. She has undergraduate degrees in anthropology and in nursing, and a master's degree as a nurse practitioner. After working in a variety of acute care and community health settings, she took a position in a program for children with special health care needs where her responsibilities included writing clinical reports, parent education materials, provider newsletters, and other program related materials. In a somewhat whimsical decision to write something for fun, she began what was to be a tongue-in-cheek historical murder mystery involving Druids and early medieval Christians. It wasn't meant to be long or involved, but the characters kept getting into trouble and she had to keep writing to find out what happened to them. After a lengthy journey of her own that included taking adult creative writing courses, researching early British history and traveling to England, Scotland, and Wales, the first book of the Druid Chronicles, a five volume quasi-historical fiction series is scheduled for publication by She Writes Press on June 15, 2021.

Editorial Review:

“The Quarry” by AM Linden is a medieval saga set in Britain. The story is completely immersive, with phenomenal world-building. Yes, it’s a historical novel, but there is so much more; the thrill of the chase, the Druids and religious themes, the turbulent personal relationships and intrigue. The book is number four in a series, but can easily be read as a standalone/start due to the summaries and character list at the start of the novel. The reader will be on an addictive rollercoaster through cults and worship, through the intimacies of romantic relationships and the internal upheaval of those who seek to deceive.

“Believers in an all-knowing, all-powerful, and all-good supreme being are at a disadvantage when challenged to rationalize undeserved suffering. In the view of Her worshippers, the Great Mother Goddess was all of those things, and while minor misfortunes could be blamed on a host of lower and less-well-intentioned spirits, tragedies— especially ones befalling those innocent of wrongdoing—required more explanation than the antics of a pesky sprite or goblin.”

Each character, particularly Stefan the Sheriff and Gwenydd, a High Priestess is complex, showing both good and bad qualities and, on occasion, the moral ambiguity that seems to be the mark of adulthood. The novel is bursting with both internal and external challenges, and the author is expert in creating tension and contrast, as characters weigh up competing courses of action. Phrases such as “with no ready alternative to telling the truth, Caelym answered…” create a highly enjoyable writing style. 

“It was Shurwit, the captain of Oswold’s guard and one of his few trusted confidants, who came up with the idea of staging a rockslide, the tactic used by Britons to wipe out enemy forces in mountainous terrain. Closeted in the quarters Oswold had taken for himself when he’d commandeered “the sheriff’s manor,” they had already dispensed with the idea of tracking Stefan down and having him shot, stabbed, or strangled as being too obvious if Oswold were to marry Kathwina as soon as he needed to.

“It would be on his way back, after he’s done with the king’s mission,” Shurwit answered when Oswold objected that they didn’t know where Stefan was or whether there were places to stage a landslide.

“Where?” Oswold hadn’t seen any overhanging cliffs on his way from Athelburg to Codswallow.”

Linden’s skill at world-building means that the reader will feel like they are in medieval times, with entire communities effortlessly created, together with evocative settings and descriptive writing. This is not the sort of novel to read casually; there are a myriad of characters interwoven and connected, sometimes in surprising ways. The book hangover will be immense, and will no doubt lead to further reading of other books in the series.

Dialogue is used to drive the plot forward, and at times this can lead to some lengthy exposition-type conversations. The language and tone remains authentic for the times, and there is an array of social structures and class differences to be aware of – for those readers who already love this genre, the book is replete with touchstone medieval references that will delight.

“Megwick already had enough on her hands preparing the extravagant meals that Lady Kathwina demanded every day, along with cooking for the army the earl had brought with him. She’d been exasperated when Aedwig had barged into the kitchen accompanied by a tall, burly stranger and announced his even more elaborate plans—and she was only slightly mollified when the newcomer, who looked to be about her age and was nicely but not ostentatiously dressed, met her vexed frown with an appealing smile and apologetic shrug.

“And just how—” she’d started, then stopped because she wasn’t about to air the household’s private business in front of an outsider.

“Master Jonathan, proprietor of the Sleeping Dragon—” Aedwig began just as Rudoff and Eddred shoved the kitchen door open and staggered in carrying a large keg between them.

“Hey, Megs, where do you want this?” Eddred, Megwick’s cousin by marriage, called as they hefted the barrel of ale onto the kitchen table.

“There’s another one, six sacks of flour, a cask of butter, and three of pickled eels,” Rudoff huffed. “You be wanting it all in here?””

“The Quarry” by AM Linden is an absorbing read, catapulting the reader into the world of medieval Britain and keeping them there through clever writing and fascinating characterization. Linden is expert in illustrating the social fabric of the times, and contrasting this with individual dilemmas and challenges. This novel is highly recommended as a vivid insight into times and ways of life that are now long gone but still influence modern life.

*****

“The Quarry” by AM Linden receives 4 ½ stars from The Historical Fiction Company

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