St. Martin's, August 2001, 25.95, 500 pp.
ISBN 0312203802
He was born to be a leader of the Druids, destined to save them and their way of life from the New Religionists by finding a new land were they could live and prosper. Madoc ap Owen Gwyneth does not know that his destiny was foretold before his birth because he was raised as the child of crofters who found him as a baby floating in the river. When he was seven they sent him to the Druid Colony in Ireland because his thirst for knowledge was great.
Eventually, he traveled to Wales for further teaching. There he learned that his birth father was the Prince of Wales and that his mother was his mistress. When his half-brother poisoned his father and took up the mantle of leadership, the Druids were hunted down and killed. The Archdruid gave Madoc a fortune in jewels to build a floatilla so that he could find a place for them to call home. Eventually, ten ships with twenty men on each sail for what will be later called the new world, enduring hardship and trouble nearly every mile of the journey.
CIRCLE OF STARS, a work of literary historical fiction, continues the story that began in CIRCLE OF STONES and is every bit as fascinating and enthralling as its prequel. Readers will be amazed to see the early influence of Henry II of England on the political and religious situation in Wales and Ireland and they will see a side of Thomas Beckett rarely seen in history books. Anne Lee Waldo has written an epic yet this reviewer believes there is more to the story to tell.
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Time/era of story
- distant past/middle ages
Political/social activism
Yes
Plotlet:
- religious issues
Life of a profession:
- religious figure
Culture clash?
- Being oppressed by outside culture
Is this an adult or child's book?
- Adult or Young Adult Book
Outside culture (society)
- European
- British
Job/Profession/Status story
Yes
Ethnic/regional/gender life
Yes
Main Character
Gender
- Male
Profession/status:
- champion of justice
Age:
- 20's-30's
Is this an ordinary person caught up in events?
Yes
How sensitive is this character?
- sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Physique
- average physique
Main Adversary
Identity:
- Male
Age:
- 20's-30's
Profession/status:
- Prince/Nobleman/King
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- almost none
How sensitive is this character?
- mean, arrogant
Sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Average intelligence
Physique
- average physique
Setting
United States
Yes
The US:
- Southeast
Europe
Yes
European country:
- England/UK
Style
Person
- mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death?
- generic/vague references to death/punishment
Unusual Style:
- a lot of stream of consciousness
Amount of dialog
- roughly even amounts of descript and dialog
