Cwen

The Seventh Book of the Annals of the Heroic

By: Bryce Gibby

Narrated by: Michael Troughton

"See what you have wrought, my beautiful enchantress!"

Cwen is a captivating tale of adventure, magic, romance, and destiny, set in ancient Germania and Britannia. Born common, the daughter of an Italian glassblower and a Saxon maiden, the raven-haired beauty possesses remarkable grace and cunning. Preferring the forest's solitude to village life, she develops a profound and fearless fascination with nature, where she learns to feel realities that cannot be seen. This passion for nature is exceeded only by her love of an ancient codex, a gift of her father's, believing it holds a key to untold secrets.

Her fate takes a perilous turn when she is abducted by a Sorceress of Seidr, plunging Cwen into a world of dark magic. Guided by unearthly powers, she rises to become a High Priestess of Ashtoreth. Yet, doubts linger in her heart. Discontented with the carnal and bloody rituals of paganism, she secretly seeks the One written of in the ageless codex, The Great Magician, who wields supreme power and is subject to none, not even death!

Cwen's life becomes a dangerous quest as she uncovers astonishing truths and confronts inconceivable challenges, torn between devotion to the moon goddess and a passionate desire for true enlightenment. A must-read for epic fantasy and historical fiction fans, the enchanting story of Cwen will transport you to a mysterious world where a young girl risks everything to find her true purpose and achieve an extraordinary destiny.

Although book seven in The Annals of the Heroic, Cwen is a standalone work. The previously published books in Gibby's Arthurian series are The Princess of Selgovae and the High King, His Majesty and the Prince of Lothian, The Captain and the Dark Queen, The Red Dragon and the Crown of Saxnôt, The Knights of the Argoat, and The Young Knight of Selgovae.

©2021, 2022 Bryce Gibby (P)2024 Bryce Gibby

A Faith-Focused Historical Fiction

Michael Troughton breathes life into this book with a refined and colorful performance, one which elicits nostalgic memories of the British narration of the tales of Redwall.

It is evident that the author Bryce Gibby has conducted extensive research into the historical events, European geography, and religious texts mentioned in this book. Any history buff who cherishes the Pagan, Saxon, and British medieval ages will enjoy this christian-focused re-imagining.

Cwen is a character that I found both relatable and perplexing. As a female listener, I was pleased to see that Cwen has agency and makes decisions to forward the plot. I enjoyed seeing her grow and learn and overcome various challenges through the story. There were many characters I found myself loving, such as Kaduk, and many others I found myself loving to hate, such as Austus and King Asquine.

Favorite scenes that stuck in my mind include the forest exploration with the dogs, the clever string through the dungeon, the daring escapes from the castles, the battle in the mists with the ghost of King Arthur, and the treacherous river crossing with the refugee children.

The descriptions of combat were clear, concise, and never confusing, which I greatly applaud. The descriptions of landscapes and nature were picturesque and enriching. There were a few times where the story was interrupted for long periods of time by what I felt was too overt of a history or religious lesson, but overall, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this book.