For Me Fate Wove This: Book Eight of The Circle of Ceridwen Saga

Book 8 is an awesome continuation of the 7previous books of The Circle of Ceridwen, fleshing out the great characters we've grown to love! I have book 9 on my kindle now, and am continuing the journey. High praise for Octavia Randolph for her amazing research and storytelling skills, keeping bus engrossed in the saga!Trish Forsyth Voss

This book, the 8th in Octavia Randolph's Circle of Ceridwen series, is the best! No other way to say it. The Best. If I could give it more than five stars, I would! I've read all the others in the series starting with Sidroc the Dane and this book is the most gripping, the most heart wrenching, the most emotional book yet. I say "yet" because Octavia may aready be working on Book 9!The characters I have grown to know and love are back in Fate. They've grown and matured; some have accepted roles of leadership; some are floundering desperately in circumstances beyond their control; some have died. There are happy times and very very sad times. Octavia has outdone herself in Fate. It is impossible to put down once you begin -- my plan to read it slowly evaporated almost immediately. All I will say is you will laugh, you will rejoice, and you will definitely cry (seriously, have a good sized box of tissues ready).I usually re-read each of the Circle of Ceridwen books as I finish, just to pick up little nuances and tidbits that I may have missed. Not this one -- and not because I didn't like it. I just need time to mourn and grieve along with the characters of The Circle. These are characters who've become so real to me through Octavia's skillful prose that I need time to recover before reading it again. If you haven't read prior books in The Circle of Ceridwen, do yourself a favor, get them and start from the beginning. I suggest starting with Sidroc the Dane, then Book 1 of The Circle. You will come to love these people (and Octavia's writing) as I do!

I have been putting off writing this review. Not because I didn't like the book! I actually think this is Octavia Randolph's best work to date and it is now my 2nd favorite of the Saga Books. No, I have been putting this offbecause I know I cannot write a review that will do this work justice. I am still reeling emotionally from the events told of in this book, both the historically accurate history of events in England in the 9th century and the ongoing story of the characters that I have to come to think of as family. Life was so fraught with danger each and every day in England at this time. Aelfred, King loved England so much, it boggles my mind. The Danes thought they had the right to take over England yet some just wanted peaceful lives there. Hrald of Four Stones 1/2 Dane, 1/2 Anglo, and the family living therein, is one. My love for this family made this book very hard to digest at times.And the family at Kilton, whom I also love, facing their own struggles as they uphold their legacy of fighting for King and country. These two families ever connected by Ceridwen... Yet... separate in so many ways. There is history, immaculately researched and portrayed by a master writer, there is love, death, pain, anguish, hope, it is all woven into this novel that literally left me emotionally exhausted, in shock, and yet looking forward to more from this amazingly talented author. This is a truly incredible novel.

For Me Fate Wove This is the 8th book in the Circle of Ceridwen series by Octavia Randolph. In Fate we continue the saga of the characters we are familiar with, but this one tells mostly of the younger generation. We still learn more. and spend time with our beloved characters including Sidroc and Ceridwen on Gotland, but life is subtly moving forward as it does. Hrald is struggling with finding his way, being Jarl, finding a suitable wife, and being settled into the life that Fate has woven for him. Ashild continues to struggle against Fate. She doesn't want to leave her beloved home of Four Stones, although she loves Ceric, she doesn't want to marry him meaning she would be taken to Kilton. Being a woman, how much control over the Norns and their weaving of her fate does she have? Ceric is away on the battlefield begging Fate to send him to Four Stones, but in war, it rarely goes the way we want it to. I highly recommend this deeply researched and well written series. You will come to love these characters if you step into their world.

Holy Smokes! How in the world can you be eight books into a series and find the bar has been raised yet again? I can’t remember, now, what even led me to this series, but I am so glad something did! The quality of writing is off the charts and character development is unmatched. These books are most informative about a fascinating period of history and I can’t imagine the research that went into this. If you are even remotely interested in the Scandinavian invasions of 9th century England, the battles that ensued, or Danelaw, you will be blown away. This book is my personal favorite but they are ALL amazing. Read them all! I’m only sad to be caught up with the series so I can’t dive immediately into the next book.

Octavia comes through again! Since hooking me with her first Saga book The Circle of Ceridwen she has brought to life the events of 9th century England and the fight between the Anglos and the Danes. Being a fan of historical fiction I found these books to be meticulously researched and the fictional characters are woven into the tapestry of the historical events. It's wonderful what Octavia has done when it comes to character development and their places in the story. I feel as if I know these characters and have a vested interest in what happens to them. They've become friends (and some I would call enemies). I've found myself rejoicing with them and mourning with them. Octavia's writing makes you care. If you haven't already, I suggest you read the 7 books before this one. You will not be disappointed and I have a feeling you will become a fan also. I am so glad I discovered Octavia and Ceridwen at the beginning of this journey. It's certainly been an eventful ride.

De todos os livros e de todas as inúmeras Sagas históricas, esta sem dúvida, é a melhor e mais bem escrita e também a mais fiel em termos de historicidade. Este volume -For Me Fate Wove This- me fez flutuar e emergir na fluidez da narrativa. As palavras deixam de ser palavras e transformam-se em pinturas. Torci, chorei muito, e me transportei para uma outra era. Octavia Randolph é uma mestra e maga da escrita. Parece que viveu aquela época e voltou para contar detalhes. Este volume é de número 8. Todos os livros são de qualidade superior. Pena que não há mais estrelas para avaliar premiar esta grande autora por quem tenho profundo respeito e admiração,

'For Me Fate Wove This’ is a phenomenal book and a riveting continuation of The Circle of Ceridwen Saga series. From the first page I experienced such a breadth of responses as events unfold in the lives of the characters we read about as the wheel of time turns, as with all the books in the series I have come to love and invest my heart and soul in. It is like you are living it with them. The writing is superb, the story interlaced with such intricacy and complexity in how the story unfolds in both time and place. Octavia Randolph’s ability to bring to life to this turbulent time in the 9th Century in Anglo-Saxon and Viking history continues to intrigue and surprise. What always captures my imagination is the description of day to day living in these times such as the comfort and necessity of food and appropriate clothing, the value and importance given to fine things needed for special occasions or to mark the coming of age such as jewellery and personal possessions, the art, and craft of learning to read and write. Octavia Randolph is the ultimate word weaver in how she just brings these to life in what might be considered the minutiae of experience. This all takes place amid warfare and sudden skirmishes, and the tactical skills of fighting and allegiances needed to keep people and property safe. This is in parallel to adherence to the duties required and personal sacrifice by those trying to protect all that King Alfred had tried for so long to achieve in maintaining peace with the Vikings since Guthrum’s death and how this is constantly being challenged by different factions as more Vikings enter the fray and threaten the safety of those in places like the monastery at Oundle, Kilton and Four Stones. The cost of this being immeasurable to so many. Religion and the importance of faith whether it be Christian belief, or the old Gods is a constant throughout and plays such an important part in this book. So much happens in Gotland as well even if life is still safer and a haven for those who live there or take comfort in visiting, although to travel by sea is still a risk for all.As the story unfolds the reader is taken on a journey of such magnitude be prepared for a roller coaster of emotions and marvel at the strength of family ties and new challenges being faced all the time. I honestly believe this Saga novel will stay in your memory long after you reach the last page and then if you are like me you will want to read it again and again. If I could give this book more than five stars I would.

Hrald is extremely interested in Dagmar, daughter of Guthrun, the late king of the Danes in Anglia. As they grow closer a wedding was inevitable and the first months were idyllic as they grew into each other’s thoughts and values and Dagmar was cherished by the people of Four Stones. As her past caught up with her their lives changed. Danes moved in to attack and the warriors of Four Stones and from Wessex united against them. At the end of the battle Ceric’s response to the appearance of an enemy flag changed his life and that of the people for Four Stones forever. Meanwhile Hrald decided to travel to meet Sidroc, his father, in Gotland, and the family members discovered family members unseen foe decades. This is a very moving book and I highly recommend it.

I absolutely loved For Me Fate Wove This. It was an amazing book. I am passionate about historical books so thank you Octavia Randolph for fulfilling my desire for history. This book had so many little twists that I was not expecting.If you have not read a book by Octavia Randolph and you like reading about English history and Viking times you will want to read this series. The Circle of Ceridwen series is amazing.

‘Fate…’ sweeps you into a tale of love and joy, loss and grief, duty and friendship, fidelity and fealty. Events are dramatic, graphic and powerfully written. History comes alive through the eyes of characters with whom we identify and sympathize. A lyric beauty pervades scenes of pastoral countenance, whilst battlegrounds are compellingly stark and awe-ful in consequence.Octavia has reached a new height in the telling of her Saga and whilst she continues to surprise and delight, there is a fist in the velvet glove – expect to emerge from this story profoundly affected and keenly anticipating the next book in the series.