Avelynn #2 – The
Edge of Faith
By: Marissa Campbell
Publish Date: September 26, 2016, Indie Published
Genre: Viking Romance, Early Medieval
Pages: 302
Desperate to return home, Avelynn seeks to find a way to prove her innocence, but she is pitted against Alrik as their desires for the future clash. With battle looming, Avelynn's faith in their relationship is further tested through a bitter struggle with Marared, a jealous lover from Alrik's past. Marared's threats turn deadly, and Avelynn runs afoul of magic and sorcery, causing her to question her beliefs and role as priestess.
When Avelynn and Alrik are betrayed, Avelynn is captured and Alrik is charged with regicide. The two become separated, a chasm of greed, deceit, and ambition driving them apart. In an act of harrowing faith, Avelynn will stop at nothing to find her way back to Alrik and break them both free from Wales's bloodthirsty grasp.
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The
Edge of Faith is a crispy written medieval action tale that draws you right
into the fast-paced sequel to Avelynn 1.
Avelynn
is determined from the start to remain true to her people despite the fact that
she’s had damning accusations thrown at her in the previous book that she’s
escaped from and is working to clear up. Luckily she has Alrik, her Viking
lover, and his boatload of warriors to support her, but they are faced with
powerful hidden forces that are determined to undermine them.
The
major theme is underhanded ambition and the many threads it weaves through the
plot and characters. This is really well done by the author and many times I
was surprised at the turn of events and wondered how Avelynn was going to come
out ahead. She’s an excellent female MC as she’s very determined, independent
and courageous. She’s also very experimental sexually!
I
like how the author shows that although women of the time didn’t appear to
wield much up-front power, through their use of intelligence, secret herbal
knowledge (avoiding pregnancy, or poisoning problem people), various types of
magic, and selective secretiveness (the men don’t have to know everything),
they nevertheless managed many things to their liking and advantage. Avelynn
herself is very clever in uncovering the truth about how she was defamed.
Avelynn
is pagan and her faith is not well accepted at the place/time. She’s however very
dedicated to the Goddess and even goes to make a dangerous offering to her at a
special site. I thought her pretty brave to do the ritual all night all alone.
I really liked the old nature magic, though not particularly blood sacrifice.
The
story reveals many social conventions of the times and I was interested to see
that they used a type of automatic fire starter of sorts. You get a good sense
of how people dressed, and what their homes and meals were like. I’m reminded
of shows like The Last Kingdom, and to some degree, The Vikings, as they share
common threads and even historic persons. If you enjoyed these shows, be sure
to check out this series.
The
ending is a very exciting crescendo as we learn the truth of several things through
an unexpected twist I didn’t see coming at all that ties into all the
characters. I found the outcome really satisfying, even though there will be a
book 3. The extensive use and explanation of pagan rituals and witchcraft
portrayed through the book also makes this a great medieval Halloween read. Medieval
historical fiction fans will love this. 4.6 Stars!
Marissa Campbell is a published freelance
author, and co-author of the award-winning, spiritual self-help book Life:
Living in Fulfillment Every Day. She is a proud member of the
Historical Novel Society, Romance Writers of America, Writer’s Community of
Durham Region, and local critique group B7. When she is not writing, she is
busy looking after her wonderful children, spending time with her fantastic
husband, hanging out with her awesome friends, teaching yoga, dancing,
laughing, and having fun!Grab your copy here:
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