The Whispering Bell by Brian Sellars

First Line: After the great sickness famine gripped the land, garnishing it for riot and murder.

The Whispering Bell is a novel about Wynflaed, a young woman of Mercia who was orphaned because of a famine that ravaged the land. A good thegn and his family found her, took her in, and raised her with love and kindness.

Wynflaed and her unwavering courage come to the notice of Wulfric, a powerful warrior and leader within the king’s army. He so enchanted by her, that he seeks her hand in marriage. As a wedding gift, Wynflaed receives a floundering lead mine. Wulfric is eager to enter into a lifetime of peace with his new wife and soon-to-be family and vows never to go to war again. But this promise proves too difficult to keep, and encouraged by his father, Wulfric departs to fight one last battle.

Wynflaed is left behind to care for their home and estates under the scrutiny of Wulfric’s malicious brother, Rendil. The mine flourishes and everything is going well. When rumours reach her that Wulfric has been killed in battle, Wynflaed’s world quickly deteriorates and she finds herself homeless, hunted, enslaved, and persecuted.

In The Whispering Bell, author Brian Sellars unleashes a rich, intriguing plot, ripe with emotion. It is a complex tale of woe, which rivets the reader to its endearing heroine whose courage in the face of adversity draws the reader deep into the story. Brian Sellar’s intense research into this period of history is clearly evident, making the story highly believable. The characters evolve with the story, some holding steadfast and others changing in unexpected, very human, ways. Filled with vivid descriptions of people, places, and articles, this book shines as an authentic example of early English history. The Whispering Bell has it all, love, passion, turmoil, treachery, murder, and intrigue.