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Strongbow Saga #4
The Long Hunt
The victorious Viking army has returned to Denmark from Frankia, after capturing Paris and extracting an enormous ransom from the Franks in exchange for leaving their kingdom in peace. Now Halfdan, with the aid of Jarl Hastein and his warriors, is ready to bring Toke, the chieftain who murdered Halfdan's brother Harald, to justice. The Strongbow Saga is an epic tale of one man's unstoppable quest for justice and vengeance that carries him across the 9th century world of the Vikings. In The Long Hunt, book four of the Saga, Halfdan sees his quest for vengeance turn into a long and grueling pursuit, as Toke flees eastward through Danish waters and across the Baltic Sea. But though he is now outnumbered and on the run, Toke proves to be a cunning and ruthless foe, and his pursuers will soon find themselves to be the ones in danger.
452 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2012
57 people are currently reading
373 people want to read
About the author
Judson Roberts
10 books119 followersFascinated since childhood with the Vikings, and a lover his entire life of captivating stories, Judson Roberts decided in 1999 to attempt to combine these interests and write a novel set within the world of the Vikings. Two years and countless hours of research later, the Strongbow Saga, a historical fiction series for adult and teen readers, was born.
Over his long and varied career, Judson Roberts has been a police officer, federal agent, organized crime prosecutor, and private investigator. He is also a distant descendant of Rollo, also known as Rolf or Hrolf, the Viking leader who in 911 AD entered into a treaty with the King of the Western Franks and was granted the lands located around the mouth of the Seine River which eventually became known as Normandy, after the Northmen who settled there. He currently lives in Houston, Texas, where he is working on the next volume in the Strongbow Saga series.
Over his long and varied career, Judson Roberts has been a police officer, federal agent, organized crime prosecutor, and private investigator. He is also a distant descendant of Rollo, also known as Rolf or Hrolf, the Viking leader who in 911 AD entered into a treaty with the King of the Western Franks and was granted the lands located around the mouth of the Seine River which eventually became known as Normandy, after the Northmen who settled there. He currently lives in Houston, Texas, where he is working on the next volume in the Strongbow Saga series.
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
June 15, 2016
I had a lot of mixed feelings about this book. actually, scratch that--I had a lot of mixed feelings that had nothing to do with the book itself and a great deal to do with the publishing and the direction the series is going to take.
as a bit of explanation, Harperteen, the former publisher of this series, discontinued it after three books. this fourth is a self-published continuation of the same series (oddly enough another favorite series of mine, the Knight and Rogue books by Hilari Bell, were also discontinued by Harperteen and continued through self-publishing. so apparently if you're writing an awesome series of books, don't go with Harperteen.) there's no difference in the quality of the story or the writing, but the printing of this book was awful (ugly cover, the inner layout in my copy slanted oddly, and the book wasn't pleasant at all to hold--all stiff spine and sharp edges).
but publishing issues aside, on to the story. Halfdan is as interesting a character as ever, an odd paradox of kindness and cruelty, pursuing his vow of vengeance across the open seas. most of the draw of this story--or of the whole series, really--is the constant contrasts and paradoxes, always clashing and struggling with one another. as always with revenge epics, I was torn between hoping Halfdan would succeed (justice!) and hoping he'd give it up (mercy!).
added to this, the book is also a fun adventure, with pirates, rescues, and damsels in distress.
however, none of the questions raised so far by the series were answered in this book. plot-wise, Halfdan advances a little further towards his goal of revenge, the stakes are raised, and it ends--on a cliffhanger, with no promise that the series will continue (though I'm desperately hoping it will).
All in all, if you're a fan of the series this book is well worth a read, but it's a continuation, not a conclusion--and be aware you'll finish it with even more questions than when you started.
as a bit of explanation, Harperteen, the former publisher of this series, discontinued it after three books. this fourth is a self-published continuation of the same series (oddly enough another favorite series of mine, the Knight and Rogue books by Hilari Bell, were also discontinued by Harperteen and continued through self-publishing. so apparently if you're writing an awesome series of books, don't go with Harperteen.) there's no difference in the quality of the story or the writing, but the printing of this book was awful (ugly cover, the inner layout in my copy slanted oddly, and the book wasn't pleasant at all to hold--all stiff spine and sharp edges).
but publishing issues aside, on to the story. Halfdan is as interesting a character as ever, an odd paradox of kindness and cruelty, pursuing his vow of vengeance across the open seas. most of the draw of this story--or of the whole series, really--is the constant contrasts and paradoxes, always clashing and struggling with one another. as always with revenge epics, I was torn between hoping Halfdan would succeed (justice!) and hoping he'd give it up (mercy!).
added to this, the book is also a fun adventure, with pirates, rescues, and damsels in distress.
however, none of the questions raised so far by the series were answered in this book. plot-wise, Halfdan advances a little further towards his goal of revenge, the stakes are raised, and it ends--on a cliffhanger, with no promise that the series will continue (though I'm desperately hoping it will).
All in all, if you're a fan of the series this book is well worth a read, but it's a continuation, not a conclusion--and be aware you'll finish it with even more questions than when you started.
December 16, 2016
4.5 stars
The story keeps continues the account of Halfdan's quest for vengeance. I cut the rating to 4.5 stars because of the huge cliff-hanger at the end. The book is still a great read with battles and character development.
Halfdan arrives back home from a victory over the Franks. He has earned much renown because of his talent with a bow and now possesses the name Strongbow. The homecoming was not a happy event however. Toke told lies that Halfdan was dead and that he, Toke, was the sole heir to the estate. Upon news though that Halfdan lives, Toke takes his warriors and kidnaps Halfdan's half sister Sigrid and leaves. He plans to sell Sigrid as a slave. After much debate, Halfdan, Jarl Hastein and company embark to hunt Toke down for his treachery. Along the way, Halfdan finds himself in the company of and responsible for a young Finnish woman.
This is as much of a coming-of-age story as a Viking adventure story which lends much appeal to the overall story. The story is steeped with a rich historical element as well. For example, we see through Halfdan's eyes how superstitious the Viking people were of this time.
Again, the audio book is execellent!
Now a break in the reading since Book 5 has not be released yet. Hopefully, it will be available soon!
The story keeps continues the account of Halfdan's quest for vengeance. I cut the rating to 4.5 stars because of the huge cliff-hanger at the end. The book is still a great read with battles and character development.
Halfdan arrives back home from a victory over the Franks. He has earned much renown because of his talent with a bow and now possesses the name Strongbow. The homecoming was not a happy event however. Toke told lies that Halfdan was dead and that he, Toke, was the sole heir to the estate. Upon news though that Halfdan lives, Toke takes his warriors and kidnaps Halfdan's half sister Sigrid and leaves. He plans to sell Sigrid as a slave. After much debate, Halfdan, Jarl Hastein and company embark to hunt Toke down for his treachery. Along the way, Halfdan finds himself in the company of and responsible for a young Finnish woman.
This is as much of a coming-of-age story as a Viking adventure story which lends much appeal to the overall story. The story is steeped with a rich historical element as well. For example, we see through Halfdan's eyes how superstitious the Viking people were of this time.
Again, the audio book is execellent!
Now a break in the reading since Book 5 has not be released yet. Hopefully, it will be available soon!
January 25, 2021
3.5 stars. This may be my fault, but I had no idea this wasn’t the end to this series; The Strongbow Saga. Still as of today there are no further books after this fourth in the series, and looks like there may never be. So I was very disappointed when the book ended and Halfdan STILL had not met up with the person he swore revenge on. The book itself, Halfdan’s journey out of the Dane-land was interesting and full of action, drama and great characters. I just can’t get over my disappointment with no resolution to the main plot after four books.
August 1, 2017
this the fourth book , yet tell now am not sure why I like it so much, I LOVE Halfdan , and though the novel is slow ,I kept going ,and at one point I started to truly enjoy it , I mean am reading it for hours, and I keep reading, and the journey does not end.
now Halfdan with the help of Hastein crew and some from his village are starting a journey to chase Toke, and to avenge the death of their comrades, and as they sail the author give us all the details to make you there and feel it , even the boring details, there was nearly two pages describing how they were slicing the meat of a sacrificed ram.
the narrating is weirdly fascinating, and has rare charm to it, and totally detailed, it should be treasured by anyone who might be a fan of the viking era.
about the plot...mostly a self-reminder to read when the next one is released
now I don't know how long will wait to read the next book......
now Halfdan with the help of Hastein crew and some from his village are starting a journey to chase Toke, and to avenge the death of their comrades, and as they sail the author give us all the details to make you there and feel it , even the boring details, there was nearly two pages describing how they were slicing the meat of a sacrificed ram.
the narrating is weirdly fascinating, and has rare charm to it, and totally detailed, it should be treasured by anyone who might be a fan of the viking era.
about the plot...mostly a self-reminder to read when the next one is released
now I don't know how long will wait to read the next book......
September 19, 2019
This book brings the Strongbow Saga to a thrilling conclusion. It wraps everything up neatly and tidily while also allowing for the readers to imagine what might have happened after the conclusion. It ends the book just the way I like it, with finality, but also with allure to know what happened next.
September 25, 2014
It ends on a cliffhanger again!
=======
"Gudfred has told us, of course, that it was Toke and his men, not bandits, who killed Harald, up on the Limfjord," Floki said. "Had we known, Toke would be dead now. We plan to avenge Harald, and the others—Rolf, Ulf, Odd, and Lodver—too. They were all good men, and our comrades. "But Baug and I have been talking, and thinking, about this tale you told Gudfred. About Toke's attack. And there is one thing we do not understand. How is it that everyone else—Harald, Rolf and the others, and even all of the folk of the estate up there—was killed, but you survived? Harald was the finest swordsman I have ever known, and Ulf a very skilled and experienced warrior. Yet they were killed, and you escaped unharmed. How did that happen?" Floki's words took me by surprise. I had not expected them, nor the tone of his voice, or the scorn visible in his eyes. I could feel my face getting hot and flushed, and my feelings swirled in a confused mix of anger and shame, as I realized Floki believed—and was all but accusing me to my face—that I was a coward. All but. And then, when I said nothing, he did. "Did you run from the fight?" he asked, sneering. "Did you flee, and leave the others behind to die?" Had this been Frankia, had this been a member of our army there, and I the warrior Strongbow, I would have killed Floki for his insult, or died trying. But this was my home, or so I had considered it. Here I was just Halfdan, not Strongbow. I had believed this man was one of my people, and I one of his.
You should understand that we follow the jarl, not you. You may be Harald's half-brother, and Hrorik's son. You may be a warrior to the jarl and his men. But we know who you are. We know what you are. You are not a chieftain—especially not our chieftain, and you never will be. We are not your men."
I have been thinking," he continued, "about the estate in Jutland, the lands that were your father's, and your brother Harald's after him. You do have a lawful claim to them. No one else has a stronger one. It might be possible—I suppose—to work the lands successfully with only the slaves you freed, if they do not all run off. But it is a chieftain's estate. A man who holds such lands, if he wishes to keep them, must surely have some followers who are more than former thralls. He must have housecarls, warriors, who can fight to protect the estate and its folk, if necessary." I thought it ironic that Hastein was ignoring the fact that I was a freed slave, yet was capable of fighting, but I said nothing. "It is clear to me," he said. "To take that estate as your own, you must become a chieftain. The folk of the estate must accept that you are one. So you must learn how to act like a chieftain. In part you must learn how to command men, and how to make them wish to follow you. But there is more to it than that. You must conduct yourself in all things as if you believe you are as good as any man, and better than most. So I have decided—it is I who must teach you these things. There is no one else who can. You have no one else—your father and brother are both dead." I was speechless. This was totally unexpected. "Well?" Hastein asked. He clearly expected some response. "I…I do not know what to say." In truth, I was not at all certain this was something I wanted. When we had been at the estate, I had asserted that I had a claim of right to it. But Hastein was correct: it was a chieftain's estate. And I was not chieftain, and did not believe I could ever be. To the folk of that estate, I would surely always be just Hrorik's bastard son and a former slave. But I could not tell Hastein that—especially not now. "I thank you," I finally said.
"So that is why I told you to change your shabby clothes," he continued. " If you wish men to believe that you are a person of note, a chieftain or at least someone who might someday become one, you must look and act like one. It is also why I wished to ride to Jarl Arinbjorn's estate, rather than walk there. From now on, you must always be aware of the impression you make when others meet you—particularly important men, such as Arinbjorn. And it is also why I told you to bring your bow. You have already gained some renown as a warrior, in no small part due to your unusual skill with your bow. A renowned war-king, Ragnar Logbrod, has named you Strongbow, in front of an entire army. That is an honor that few achieve. Do not let others—and particularly do not ever let the carls of your estate— forget that. Many a great man is great to a large extent because others believe he is."
============
There are many ways one can react to danger and misfortune. The measure of a man is often revealed by how he chooses to do so. The six pirates who found themselves suddenly stranded on the small island, the rest of their comrades all either slain or taken prisoner, had elected to drink themselves into a stupor.
"You mentioned the path of your life. It is useful to think of life that way. Each of us, as we travel through our lives, regularly come to places where the path forks—where there are different directions our life may take, depending on some decision we must make. In your life for example, what would have happened if, after Toke slaughtered your brother Harald, and his men and the folk of the farm up on the Limfjord, you had not sworn to avenge their deaths? What if you had just fled, caring only for your own safety, and had become a homeless wanderer? For certain, if I had met you under such circumstances, I would not have been moved to offer you a place in the crew of the Gull. And had that not happened, you would not have been with me and my men in Frankia, and would not have been in a position to save the life of Ragnar Logbrod. And had that not happened, you would not have been honored by him before an entire army as ‘Strongbow,' a warrior of renown. Do you see how it works? How so much has flowed from that one decision you made? How your life could so easily have gone a different way?" The more Hastein tried to explain it, the more confused I felt. "If it was part of the Norns' plan that I seek to avenge Harald and kill Toke, could I have decided anything else?" "Oh, yes," Hastein said. "It was your decision to make, or not to. The path of a man's life is not like runes carved into stone, which cannot be changed." "But if, as you suggest, the path my life has taken thus far is part of a great pattern of fate being woven by the Norns, had I not sworn vengeance—had I just fled from Toke—would the pattern not have been altered?" "Ah!" Hastein said. "That is a good question!" He clearly was enjoying this discussion far more than I was. "What makes fate so very hard to grasp is its vastness. That is why mortal men do not have the ability to truly comprehend it." That, among other things, I thought. "To the Norns," he continued, "every man's life is no more than a few threads—and short threads, at that. You have seen cloth woven, have you not?" I nodded. When growing up I had watched my mother and the other women of Hrorik's household seated at the big looms, weaving the threads they'd spun from sheep's wool into cloth. "Think of it this way. Many, many threads are woven into a single bolt of cloth. And to make something as large as a longship's sail, many bolts of cloth must be woven, and sewn together. If a single weaver were to fail to weave a few short lengths of thread in their proper place and order into a single bolt of cloth, it would not change the sail in any way you could notice, would it?" I shook my head. "Fate—the fate of the whole world, which the Norns are weaving, is far, far vaster than a longship's sail. Unlike mortal men, the Norns can see, as they weave, that which has not yet come to pass. As they hold the threads of each man's life in their fingers, they can see a path our lives could follow that would best serve the pattern they are weaving. We are, each of us, given the chance to follow that path which the Norns wish us to take. But if any man, through his own decisions and actions, turns aside from that path…" Hastein shrugged. "He is but one man, and his life but a few threads. There are other lives, other threads, which can be woven instead to achieve the final pattern. No single man's life can change the course of fate itself."
"Why do you try so hard to serve the Norns?" Many believed in fate, but I had never before heard of anyone who tried to serve it. "In truth, because I believe it often profits me to do so. I believe the Norns caused your path and mine to cross for a reason. I believed, when we met and I learned what had befallen you, that the Norns wished me to take you into the crew of the Gull, and to aid you in your quest for vengeance. But aiding you has certainly brought benefit to me, as well. You saved my life more than once in Frankia. I could have died there, but instead I came away from Frankia a much wealthier man." "So you believe that by aiding me—by furthering what you believe is the Norns' plan for my life—you will benefit as well?" That somehow made me feel better. "I believe that if any of our lives no longer furthers the pattern the Norns are weaving, we will be of no use to them, and then the risk grows that they will choose to cut the threads of our lives."
=======
"Gudfred has told us, of course, that it was Toke and his men, not bandits, who killed Harald, up on the Limfjord," Floki said. "Had we known, Toke would be dead now. We plan to avenge Harald, and the others—Rolf, Ulf, Odd, and Lodver—too. They were all good men, and our comrades. "But Baug and I have been talking, and thinking, about this tale you told Gudfred. About Toke's attack. And there is one thing we do not understand. How is it that everyone else—Harald, Rolf and the others, and even all of the folk of the estate up there—was killed, but you survived? Harald was the finest swordsman I have ever known, and Ulf a very skilled and experienced warrior. Yet they were killed, and you escaped unharmed. How did that happen?" Floki's words took me by surprise. I had not expected them, nor the tone of his voice, or the scorn visible in his eyes. I could feel my face getting hot and flushed, and my feelings swirled in a confused mix of anger and shame, as I realized Floki believed—and was all but accusing me to my face—that I was a coward. All but. And then, when I said nothing, he did. "Did you run from the fight?" he asked, sneering. "Did you flee, and leave the others behind to die?" Had this been Frankia, had this been a member of our army there, and I the warrior Strongbow, I would have killed Floki for his insult, or died trying. But this was my home, or so I had considered it. Here I was just Halfdan, not Strongbow. I had believed this man was one of my people, and I one of his.
You should understand that we follow the jarl, not you. You may be Harald's half-brother, and Hrorik's son. You may be a warrior to the jarl and his men. But we know who you are. We know what you are. You are not a chieftain—especially not our chieftain, and you never will be. We are not your men."
I have been thinking," he continued, "about the estate in Jutland, the lands that were your father's, and your brother Harald's after him. You do have a lawful claim to them. No one else has a stronger one. It might be possible—I suppose—to work the lands successfully with only the slaves you freed, if they do not all run off. But it is a chieftain's estate. A man who holds such lands, if he wishes to keep them, must surely have some followers who are more than former thralls. He must have housecarls, warriors, who can fight to protect the estate and its folk, if necessary." I thought it ironic that Hastein was ignoring the fact that I was a freed slave, yet was capable of fighting, but I said nothing. "It is clear to me," he said. "To take that estate as your own, you must become a chieftain. The folk of the estate must accept that you are one. So you must learn how to act like a chieftain. In part you must learn how to command men, and how to make them wish to follow you. But there is more to it than that. You must conduct yourself in all things as if you believe you are as good as any man, and better than most. So I have decided—it is I who must teach you these things. There is no one else who can. You have no one else—your father and brother are both dead." I was speechless. This was totally unexpected. "Well?" Hastein asked. He clearly expected some response. "I…I do not know what to say." In truth, I was not at all certain this was something I wanted. When we had been at the estate, I had asserted that I had a claim of right to it. But Hastein was correct: it was a chieftain's estate. And I was not chieftain, and did not believe I could ever be. To the folk of that estate, I would surely always be just Hrorik's bastard son and a former slave. But I could not tell Hastein that—especially not now. "I thank you," I finally said.
"So that is why I told you to change your shabby clothes," he continued. " If you wish men to believe that you are a person of note, a chieftain or at least someone who might someday become one, you must look and act like one. It is also why I wished to ride to Jarl Arinbjorn's estate, rather than walk there. From now on, you must always be aware of the impression you make when others meet you—particularly important men, such as Arinbjorn. And it is also why I told you to bring your bow. You have already gained some renown as a warrior, in no small part due to your unusual skill with your bow. A renowned war-king, Ragnar Logbrod, has named you Strongbow, in front of an entire army. That is an honor that few achieve. Do not let others—and particularly do not ever let the carls of your estate— forget that. Many a great man is great to a large extent because others believe he is."
============
There are many ways one can react to danger and misfortune. The measure of a man is often revealed by how he chooses to do so. The six pirates who found themselves suddenly stranded on the small island, the rest of their comrades all either slain or taken prisoner, had elected to drink themselves into a stupor.
"You mentioned the path of your life. It is useful to think of life that way. Each of us, as we travel through our lives, regularly come to places where the path forks—where there are different directions our life may take, depending on some decision we must make. In your life for example, what would have happened if, after Toke slaughtered your brother Harald, and his men and the folk of the farm up on the Limfjord, you had not sworn to avenge their deaths? What if you had just fled, caring only for your own safety, and had become a homeless wanderer? For certain, if I had met you under such circumstances, I would not have been moved to offer you a place in the crew of the Gull. And had that not happened, you would not have been with me and my men in Frankia, and would not have been in a position to save the life of Ragnar Logbrod. And had that not happened, you would not have been honored by him before an entire army as ‘Strongbow,' a warrior of renown. Do you see how it works? How so much has flowed from that one decision you made? How your life could so easily have gone a different way?" The more Hastein tried to explain it, the more confused I felt. "If it was part of the Norns' plan that I seek to avenge Harald and kill Toke, could I have decided anything else?" "Oh, yes," Hastein said. "It was your decision to make, or not to. The path of a man's life is not like runes carved into stone, which cannot be changed." "But if, as you suggest, the path my life has taken thus far is part of a great pattern of fate being woven by the Norns, had I not sworn vengeance—had I just fled from Toke—would the pattern not have been altered?" "Ah!" Hastein said. "That is a good question!" He clearly was enjoying this discussion far more than I was. "What makes fate so very hard to grasp is its vastness. That is why mortal men do not have the ability to truly comprehend it." That, among other things, I thought. "To the Norns," he continued, "every man's life is no more than a few threads—and short threads, at that. You have seen cloth woven, have you not?" I nodded. When growing up I had watched my mother and the other women of Hrorik's household seated at the big looms, weaving the threads they'd spun from sheep's wool into cloth. "Think of it this way. Many, many threads are woven into a single bolt of cloth. And to make something as large as a longship's sail, many bolts of cloth must be woven, and sewn together. If a single weaver were to fail to weave a few short lengths of thread in their proper place and order into a single bolt of cloth, it would not change the sail in any way you could notice, would it?" I shook my head. "Fate—the fate of the whole world, which the Norns are weaving, is far, far vaster than a longship's sail. Unlike mortal men, the Norns can see, as they weave, that which has not yet come to pass. As they hold the threads of each man's life in their fingers, they can see a path our lives could follow that would best serve the pattern they are weaving. We are, each of us, given the chance to follow that path which the Norns wish us to take. But if any man, through his own decisions and actions, turns aside from that path…" Hastein shrugged. "He is but one man, and his life but a few threads. There are other lives, other threads, which can be woven instead to achieve the final pattern. No single man's life can change the course of fate itself."
"Why do you try so hard to serve the Norns?" Many believed in fate, but I had never before heard of anyone who tried to serve it. "In truth, because I believe it often profits me to do so. I believe the Norns caused your path and mine to cross for a reason. I believed, when we met and I learned what had befallen you, that the Norns wished me to take you into the crew of the Gull, and to aid you in your quest for vengeance. But aiding you has certainly brought benefit to me, as well. You saved my life more than once in Frankia. I could have died there, but instead I came away from Frankia a much wealthier man." "So you believe that by aiding me—by furthering what you believe is the Norns' plan for my life—you will benefit as well?" That somehow made me feel better. "I believe that if any of our lives no longer furthers the pattern the Norns are weaving, we will be of no use to them, and then the risk grows that they will choose to cut the threads of our lives."
September 4, 2017
Took me quite awhile to finish this but I was glad I didn't stop. The story is very detailed and full of information that if you're interested in history and such, you'd really appreciate all the hard work of research that the author did to make this story as real as possible. I still remembered reading and re-reading the 1st. book of the series and wanting to read the next book. Now I'm looking forward to read the 5th one. :)
February 15, 2021
Although this book has left me dying to know what happens next.. And still I have not seen a date for book 5 which is frustrating.. I would still strongly encourage people to read this series.. What an amazing story being told here.. And again, the way author describes the things in this series leaves you holding your breath through the battles, feeling pride with the warriors and fear for their captives.. Great books!
September 26, 2017
I was so disappointed by the end of this book because it was only then I realized this isn't the last book in this series! And it's been four years and there still is no next book! I feel the author is a George R.R. Martin wannabe. Having said that this book was the most disappointing for me. It was the longest and the least exciting, even if there is a big battle.
Read
December 1, 2020A good follow up to the original 3. The author did a great job of weaving previous storyline threads into the book without being tedious or repetitive. I did not need to go back and re-read the first three to understand and follow this story. Great Job Judson!
November 4, 2021
This book was medium. I also was not impressed that it didn't finish the series. I somehow just assumed stuff would be finished by the end, but not even close. I guess the author just kind of forgot to finish the series?
December 7, 2019
I so enjoyed this book so much I hope there is a sequel in the future
August 2, 2020
Great series, with great characters. Lots of action non-stop.....
March 4, 2017
Huaaaaa!!!!! Where is book 5? And it's such a cliff hanger.
February 17, 2017
Good adventure set historically in the era of the Viking warriors. Plenty of action and adventure.
July 28, 2015
The book four book "the Long Hunt" is better than prevous 1-2-3 book. Perhaps Halfdan is now a great warrior in his archery and combat. This book has list of Characters, not to remember so many names before, and it has maps of Denmark to Sweden. It bas rare diagrams of Vikings sea battle, and glossary of scandinavians cultures, plus well researched historical notes. Reading this book is like watching a movie, so smooth, detail, and exciting. I have a little disappointed because the story is not over. His deadly half brother Toke escaped to Ireland after set up traps for Jarl Hastein's pursuit, and his beautiful half sister Sigrid was sold to slaver on way to today's Staraja Lodoga on River Volkhov. Now I have to wait for book five.
June 4, 2014
Book 3 left us on a cliffhanger with the hero halfway between an oncoming army and a ship in the river. I waited years for book 4. The author explains that there was a delay due to regaining rights, etc, a common occurance in today's changing publishing world. Now it is out and filled with action and great scenes and historical info and terrifying battles and all that stuff and I adored it so I won't do a spoiler but let me just say, I do hope the author is working hard and fast on the next book. For anyone who loves Viking history, Roberts puts it in an exciting series.
June 1, 2016
This series is best read as one continuous novel (and since each book is relatively short, it might all fit into one novel), in the tradition of Scandinavian epics. Or like TV shows. So it's hard to review each installment as its own book.
This one was bit more disappointing than the rest, since nothing major was resolved, and new problems arose for Halfdan. But I'm hooked and will read the next book. I fully expect to see some resolutions. If they're not there by the end, I may change my review!
This one was bit more disappointing than the rest, since nothing major was resolved, and new problems arose for Halfdan. But I'm hooked and will read the next book. I fully expect to see some resolutions. If they're not there by the end, I may change my review!
April 22, 2017
I was so excited when I found that this book had been released, after so long waiting for it! I don't know how but I was under the impression that it would be the conclusion to the series, but I definitely don't mind! The characters and story line is well written and offers insight into a completely different culture. I will definitely be reading the next one :)
July 12, 2014
The best book so far in the Strongbow saga. The story is simply written and easy to follow. I sometimes miss descriptions so you really can smell and taste the story, but still the story catches one. Looking foreward to the next in the saga!
December 11, 2014
Good story but no end.
Th.e book as the others in this series is well written but the story ends a long way before the end of
F the book. Guess you need to buy the next book to see what will happen. I will not.
Th.e book as the others in this series is well written but the story ends a long way before the end of
F the book. Guess you need to buy the next book to see what will happen. I will not.
July 18, 2014
Ok, I love the series, but WTF? How many books are there going to be? How freaking long do I have to wait for the next book???
January 2, 2014
An outstanding addition to this series. Cannot wait for the next book(s)
May 17, 2014
Enjoyable long awaited continuation of this series. Each book strengthens the story
April 17, 2014
Hope there will be another book to the saga! Toke needs to be dealt with!
May 2, 2015
I was rather dismayed when I got to the cliffhanger end of this book and then realized no book #5 has been released yet!
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