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806 thoughts on “Discussions”

  2. I first found this series while browsing through Books-A-Million and sat down to read the first book while I waited for my mother to pick me up. I didn’t have the money on me at that time to purchase the book so I went back once a week every week for a month until I had the money to buy the book. After that it took me the rest of that day and part of the next to finish Viking Warrior. I couldn’t put it down. After that I waited anxiously for the next book to come out. After each book came out I was there usually by the next day to get the next book. At the moment I am eagerly waiting for the fourth book to come out, and have been regularly checking to see if there had been any updates on the release date for it. And while the series may be marked as a young adult book there is not a single person who I have shared it with young or old who hasn’t loved the books and they are also eagerly waiting for the installment in this particular set.
    Thank you for a great read,
    Hannah

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    • I have been listening to books 1 & 2 on audio books from our library for the blind. Book 3 isn’t on audio dang it, so I had to get it in print & use my magnification to read it. I just started the series last month. I can’t wait for the 4th book to come out & I wish they would put book 3 &4 on audio too.

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        • How can I get your books on audio? I am an avid user of an audiobook website. Martha said she has listened to 1 & 2 already, but I cannot find any of them.

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          • Brian, I’m afraid there currently are no commercially available versions on audio (at least none that I’m aware of). The audio versions that some have referred to are, as far as I know, versions that were created for the blind or visually impaired, I believe by the Library of Congress.

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  3. Hi Judson,

    I bought the three books of the Strongbow saga a couple of months ago – I’m a big fan of historical novels of this period and Arthurian times – it’s taken me a couple of months to find the time to sit down and read them, but have just completed reading all 3 books, in 4 days, whilst on a short break to Reykjavic (very appropriate, don’t you think!) – I couldn’t put them down, and probably missed most of the points of interest on the Golden Circle tour, but there you go – totally absorbing, and no ‘dead’ passages where nothing much happened, just cover to cover (or, in this case, button to button) action – it totally took me over and I genuinely couldn’t put my kindle down, much to my wife’s annoyance. I’m totally depressed that I’ve got to wait for the fourth instalment, but will relish getting my hands on it as soon as it is published – any idea as to when that might be ?? I’m also very glad that you’ve left so much scope for further books in the series, and I look forward to reading the further adventures of Halfdan, the fourteenth book in the series, in about ten years time!!

    Thank you so much, and please keep on writing them.

    Best regards,

    Mark

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    • I hope they do a decent job. Although Ragnar Logbrod was almost certainly a historical Viking chieftain (there are some historians who question whether he was a real person), and his sons Bjorn and Ivar certainly existed, there also were very some very obviously fanciful, fantasy stories told about him that date back to Viking times, which have survived. If those are the focus of the series, it could be not so good–the sort of Hollywood treatment that furthers inaccuracies about the Vikings and their culture.

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  5. I’ve enjoyed your work andam anxiously waiting for the next installment. While I’m waiting, who would you recommend as an author to pass the time with?

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    • A somewhat older novel set during the Viking era, which I think is very good, is “The Long Ships” by Frans Bengtsson. It’s a single, stand-alone novel, not part of a series, but it does a good job of portraying the Vikings, and telling a good story.

      Bernard Cornwell writes a number of historical fiction series set during different time periods. My favorite is his Richard Sharpe series, set during the Napoleanic Wars. He also has a series set during the Viking time period that is very popular and successful. While I don’t necessarily agree with some of Cornwell’s portrayal of Viking society and culture, he’s an excellent writer and story-teller.

      Richard Clavell was an excellent writer of historical fiction, who wrote a number of books set in the far east. His novel “Shogun,” set in medieval Japan, has been one of all-time my top favorites ever since I first read it decades ago.

      If you like historical mysteries, I strongly recommend two set during the Roman time period: Lindsey Davis’ Marcus Didius Falco series (the first book is “The Silver Pigs”), and John Maddox Roberts’ “SPQR” series.

      And if you have not read Tolkien’s “The Lord of the Rings,” by all means give it a try. While it is in the fantasy genre, Tolkien was an expert on Norse and Anglo-Saxon culture, and drew heavily on that knowledge and history when creating his world. The Riders of Rohan, except for the fact that they are horsemen rather than ocean-going, are actually a pretty good representation of Viking culture and society.

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  6. Mr. Roberts,

    I have been a fan from the beginning. When the first book came out, I was 14. After I read the first book, I was instantly hooked. Now while this may have led to waiting a number of years for the fourth book to come out, I know it will be well worth the wait. I love this series more than most I have read.I have read the Harry Potter series and while I enjoyed them, I want your next book to come out much more than I did while waiting for Harry Potter.

    I would also like to compliment you on your writing style. I am no author and therefore cannot say what aspect of you writing that has drawn me in, but I am kept begging for more. Also, I would like to say that while these books may be labelled for young adults, I would consider this to be an injustice. While Halfdan may be only 15, this story is written so I have continued to love it into my adult years. I am sure I am not the only one who would say that it will be very sad when the series ends. I can only hope that you will continue to write afterwords.

    I have read something about a sub-plot about Halfdan and his role as a possible chieftain? Well, I would also be interested in him captaining a ship or some such super awesome thing like that. I would love to see him leading more, especially as he lead only briefly in book 3.

    Awaiting “The long Hunt”

    Jacob

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    • Mr. Robert – HUGE HUGE fan… i started picking up The Strongbow Saga when i was around 15 or so… i understand that there’s a 4th book in the making???? this is fantastic news for me you see, i have read the first three books numerious times over and had at least 6 different friends reading it as well. i am 22 now and happy to say because of your amazing art of storytelling i had purchased a bow of my own and taught myself to shoot, still learning how to craft my own arrows though. anyway long story short a have the ut most respect for you and how you have crafted an addiction both for viking mythology, the art of archery, and your beloved character Halfdan.
      May the White Christ and the All Father Odin smile on you –
      Josh

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      • Thanks, Josh. That’s great that you’ve taken up archery. A company called 3Rivers Archery sells arrow-making supplies–you might check them out. When I make Medieval/Viking style arrows, which tended to be heavier than modern arrows (the extra weight helped with armor penetration), I use oak dowels to use as the shafts. They’re also more resistant to breaking than the lighter cedar used in most wooden shafts today.

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  7. Hi there

    I was just wondering what the differences were between Halfdan and other free men(as in their rank in society). Since Halfdan claimed his birthright as a chieftains son, does he have more claim over free men in society, like a prince would? would he be ranked over the members in the crew, and is seeked out as a leader like Harald was sort of? or is it simply his age that stops this?
    Ive been reading the posts, and i also like the fact he has a beard, and that he should be getting haralds and his fathers old clothing weapons, valuables and such.
    thanks very much Mr. Roberts!
    Chord

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    • Hello Chord, thanks for writing, and thanks for your questions. In fact, I’d like to mention here that I very much appreciate all of the questions readers ask. They really help highlight issues in the story that sometimes I have not given enough thought to.

      For example, thinking about questions I’ve received about how Halfdan will be received by the people of the estate, will he become their chieftain, etc., I realized I had not thought that issue out deeply enough–I’d been focusing more on some of the bigger plot lines in the story. In Halfdan’s case, his status is complicated. On the one hand, he has gained renown as a warrior, and considerable wealth, during the campaign in Frankia. And as you point out, he is a chieftain’s son. But on the other hand, he’s also a former slave. While that might not matter so much in some circles, where he’d be judged primarily by his actions and achievements, it would be harder for the warriors of the estate to overlook. It would be one thing for them to accept him as the brother of their chieftain, but another to accept him as their leader, when he once was a slave within that very household.

      This issue has actually grown into a significant sub-plot in book 4, so I don’t want to give any more away about it at this time. But again, to all who’ve asked questions about this aspect, thank you–you’ve helped shape and enrich Halfdan’s story.

      Judson

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  8. Hey Jud — Long time fan, just found out you had a website. Very excited to find even with the delays that we can expect the book sometime soon

    Will we get to see Halfdan blacksmithing more in the next book? Or naming his sword like Harald did?
    I also just wanted to mention I liked the fact Halfdan has a beard! Will he be turning 16 soon?

    Thanks for all your work!

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    • Thanks, Jack.

      I don’t currently plan to have Halfdan do any blacksmithing in book 4, but there’s a lot of the book left to write, and sometimes details become appropriate as the story develops. We’ll see what happens.

      Re: Halfdan turning 16, I guess that will happen during the course of book 4. Book 1 begins early in the year of 845, in the waning weeks of winter, well after the Jul feast, which would take place around the winter solstice–i.e., around the time we celebrate Christmas today. Halfdan’s training and his flight down Jutland occur over the last weeks of winter and into early spring. The Frankia campaign in books 2 and 3 takes place over the late spring and summer of 845, and by the time Halfdan returns to Denmark, when book 4 begins, it is early autumn (he had a busy year!). The story in book 4 will last at least into the spring of 846, so he will turn 16 during the course of that installment of the story.

      Incidentally, I’ve noticed in a few reviews of the series that some readers find it unbelievable that someone so young might be able to do what Halfdan does in the story–he has been accused of being somewhat of a teenaged superman. Plausibility of the story as I’ve told it aside (that’s a separate issue), in fact there are historical accounts in some of the old Viking sagas of young men no older than Halfdan being captains of ships and their crews, and in a few instances, even leading armies. Such young warriors were exceptional, of course, rather than the norm, and such warriors in the sagas were generally members of noble or royal families, so would have had access to training, arms and armor, and followers by virtue of their position and upbringing. Nevertheless, there were young men who became very notable warriors in their mid-teens. It’s also important to remember that back during this time period, young people, both male and female, were considered to have reached adulthood at a much earlier age than we, in modern cultures, mark the transition from child to adult.

      In telling Halfdan’s story, I try very hard to not only portray the historical facts and the Vikings’ culture as accurately as possible, but also to make Halfdan a plausible, if somewhat exceptional. character. To that end, nothing that he does is beyond the range of what actual Vikings, in some cases quite young ones, actually did, according to accounts in the various old sagas.

      Back to writing book 4!

      Judson

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      • ” I’ve noticed in a few reviews of the series that some readers find it unbelievable that someone so young might be able to do what Halfdan does in the story.”
        I feel like, in some aspects, they’re right.
        Halfdan is not only one of the best archers in Scandinavian (possibly the world), but also an adept fletcher, blacksmith, woodsman and skilled warrior. This last part is most notable to me, because he only receives approximately a month’s training, yet he is able to defeat more skilled warriors like Snorre who had a decade or more of training, and decades of experience.

        I would like to see some more weakness from Halfdan, because he seems rather unbalanced at the moment.

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  9. Here is a book that “Strongbow” fans can read while waiting. This is a book written in the 1950’s by Poul Anderson called “The Broken Sword”. It’s about a Viking who has a curse put on him by an old woman whose family was killed by this Viking. The curse was that the Viking’s first-born son would be raised away from men and he would foster a son who would kill him. Then comes the fantasy element…an elf steals the Viking’s newborn son and switches in his place a half elf/ half troll child (who looks human). This book is not as great as the Strongbow ones but it will kill time until we get the new one.

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    • Thanks, Melissa, and what a great idea to suggest other books here. A really good Viking-era historical novel I highly recommend is “The Long Ships,” by Frans Bengtsson. It’s my own favorite fiction work about the Vikings (after the Strongbow Saga, of course 😉

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  10. Hello Judson just read your first book very enjoyable.I had read a lot of viking fiction recently the raven bloodeye books are highly recomded,when finished them went looking for new series stumbled across yours on g reads ,but had awful trouble sourcing it here in Ireland/ europe .wondering why its so diffucult to get them this side of the alantic?

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    • Hello Peter,

      Thanks for posting, and I’m sorry to hear the books are difficult to get in Ireland. Since I parted ways with HarperCollins, the original publisher of the series, Amazon is the series’ primary distributor in the U.S. and currently the only one overseas, although in the U.S., other bookstores and vendors can order the print editions directly from CreateSpace, the company (which actually is a subsidiary owned by Amazon) that prints them for me.

      I know Amazon does distribute both the print and Kindle editions of the books in their various European online stores, including the UK, France, etc. I don’t believe they have an independent Ireland division set up, yet–from Ireland, can you order from Amazon UK? If it’s the print versions you’re interested in, I would think Irish bookstores could special order them for you, as the print company, CreateSpace, earlier this year set up printing and distribution centers in Europe.

      By next year, I plan to also expand e-book distribution to Kobo, which I believe is available in Europe, and to re-establish them with Barnes & Noble, which has begun selling its Nook e-books this year in the UK as well as the US. I also plan to explore having the books translated–initially into French–and making e-book and print editions available in that language, as well as in English.

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