Viking Warrior

Strongbow Saga #1

by Judson Roberts

He's the son of a chieftain and a princess—yet Halfdan was born a slave. Now he is becoming a man and it is time for him to meet his destiny. Though raised a slave who could only dream of freedom, young Halfdan's fate may be about to change. If freed, he may train as a Viking warrior, and come to know the glories of true brotherhood and the horrors of unspeakable evil. In the world of Vikings, a warrior's destiny is forged in the heat of battle. If the fates decree it, Hafdan may emerge as a new hero . . . a new myth . . . and perhaps a new legend.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Young Adult, Fantasy, Fiction, Historical, Adventure, Medieval

368 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 2006

About the author

Fascinated 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.

Reviews

[Trish · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is Sarah's latest series. She borrowed the book from the school library and passed it along to me after she read it. She's almost done with the second book now and tells me that I will want to read it, too.

I found that I understood a lot of the terms and the reasoning behind the Viking way of life because of the first Nancy Farmer book I read recently. In comparison, this one is less poetic and less fanciful, but the similarities confirm the truth and realistic qualities of the story. The character, however, is not someone who was taken as a slave, but one who was born to the slave of a great chieftain. It was a fresh perspective and I enjoyed walking in this character's shoes. I was actually shaking during the last 100 pages (the margins on this book are huge, so 100 pages is not really a whole lot - I read them during one of Zoe's feedings last night). You can guess what's going to happen, and you know that the hero will prevail somehow, but the story still grabs you as it unfolds.

Perhaps because of my recent conversation with my mom, I noticed the religious undertones and felt I had to speak with Sarah about it to see how she was taking it. My mother had said that she felt my daughter read too much fantasy and that the mind of a child would not be able to distinguish real life from fantasy. At first, I was indignant... "Mom, she's reading about dragons... she knows they're not real." Then I became thoughtful for days. Sometimes I dislike the influence my mother has over me... she can manipulate me with a word. And even though I know that, I still sometimes feel powerless before it. At any rate, I decided to be objective. The more I have taken her views into consideration, the more I know that they are unfounded because she is working from her own set of values which are very different than mine. She doesn't know my daughter as well as I do. I feel strongly that our religious teachings for our children are an anchor and ground our children into the truthfulness of our existence. I appreciate my mother's honesty, however, because I don't want to assume that my perception of my daughter's reality is the same as how it really is for her.

When I spoke to Sarah about it, we had a good conversation about the natural man. The Vikings were all about passions and emotions and acting on them, so their gods reflected that. To see a "White Christ" forgive and be kind was the equivalent of weakness in their eyes. I confirmed with her that there was definitely more power in forgiveness and being kind than the status of killing four people for their insults or intended humiliation. I found out that she felt the same as I did... that it was interesting to read someone's different perspective on religion, but she was not in any way swayed from her beliefs.

I know that has she grows there will be challenges to her faith and understanding of life. I hope that there will be so that she can choose firmly what she will hold on to. I would not want her to live our way of life just because we tell her to.

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book looked unusual and intriguing - we don't get much historical fiction or male main characters these days.

Halfdan and his mother are slaves to his father, a Viking warlord. The warlord's wife knows that her husband prefers Halfdan's mother, and is cruel to the Irish captive and her son. But when Halfdan's father dies, his mother is sacrificed as favorite concubines were, and Halfdan himself is adopted into the family according to his father's wishes. His stepmother chafes at this, but his half-brother and sister take kindly to him.

It's been a long time since I picked this one up, so I can't remember many more details. Halfdan and his brother go on a trip to visit an Irish monk, who has somehow become an important land owner in Scandinavia. They are attacked by (I think) Saxons and the brother is killed.

This is where I stopped reading because the graphic violence had become dispiriting, and the characters weren't compelling enough for me to hang in there. Halfdan is a generic angry boy, who grieves for his brother and seeks to avenge him, but seems to care little about all his mother suffered - rape, slavery, and eventually human sacrifice - at the hands of his father and other Vikings.

Then again, none of the other characters has deep-running emotions either. Roberts is more comfortable reciting details of Viking weaponry - which is great for world-building, but a novel should be more than a historical diorama, which is what this book feels like in places.

Roberts clearly did a lot of research on Viking weapons and methods of war, which he tells in a wordy, often awkward style. The chapters vary wildly in length, but some can run twenty or thirty pages. Halfdan is given an ill-informed mistrust of Christianity, which could be realistic, but here feels anachronistic - almost as if the author is allowing his own modern opinions to bleed through.

All in all, this is basically Eragon minus the dragon, the magic, and about nine hundred pages. Some of you will, doubtless, enjoy it. I personally found it shallow and in some places disturbing.

[Susan Peek · Rating 4 out of 5]

I LOVED this book and can't wait to read Book 2 in the series! The characters are very well developed (you'll fall in love with the two heroes, believe me!), the details of Viking life are incredibly well-researched and portrayed, and the plot moves at breakneck speed. I couldn't wait to put the kids to bed every evening so I could read a few more chapters. I even dreamed about the book when I was asleep!

So, if I loved it so much, you may be wondering, "Why only 4 stars instead of 5?" Actually, my reason is very simple. This book is obviously targeted at a teen audience (the back says 14 and up) but to my dismay, I personally would not let my own teenagers read it until they are a bit older. There are quite a lot of references to rape and concubines (it is a Viking book after all). Nothing graphic, and the author handles it extremely well (in fact I don't know how he could have written the plot without that element), but I still wouldn't give it my own children to read. Maybe that's just me. As an adult however, and still young at heart, I really, really enjoyed this book!

I won't spoil it, so only if you read the book, you'll know what I'm talking about. I do SO MUCH wish Halfdan had accepted "the White Christ" instead of Odin. That was my only real disappointment with the plot. But then again, there are 3 more books in the series, so I may end up being surprised . . .

[Eric · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book surprised me in how well the characters and story are well crafted. Some parts were kind of predictable and followed a sort "theme" these types of books seem to follow. Overall though, a great historical fiction read. This is a young adult tale but would recommend it for older teens.

I listened to the audio book and the whole production is well done.

[Alana]

I DNFed this book so I'm not going to give it a rating. I have no opinion on its contents, but. I just couldn't get into it.

[Alan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Norse, like most Medieval societies, were heavily stratified, but not entirely inflexible. Slavery endured longer in the lands of the north, having given way to serfdom much centuries earlier in the Christian kingdoms of Western Europe. Furthermore, the Vikings developed a thriving slave trade. Slavery was not intensive as in Sparta or the Antebellum American South, but slaves were a tradeable commodity. Viking raids took Irish, Saxon and Frankish slaves to work farmsteads in Iceland, Norway and Denmark and on to eastern markets in Baghdad and Constantinople. The Viking sagas give a detailed look at the workings of Norse society, including the role of slaves. However, with few exceptions, slaves in the sagas are depicted as dumb, cowardly and untrustworthy. Such would be the opinion of the warrior elite whose perspective dominates the sagas. After all, with such low qualities thought the masters, the slaves then deserve their lot in life.
Viking Warrior is the story of Halfdan, the thrall son of a slave and her Viking master. A teenager by our standards, but a man in what was harsher times. Halfdan's rise to freedom is both plausible and tragic, and Roberts' deserves credit for depicting numerous details of the Norse underclass' daily life. Of course, one of the requirements (cliches) of the hero's journey tale is that the hero must be of low origins until his potential greatness is recognized by someone with power to elevate the protagonist's status. So, Halfdan does not long remain a slave, but retains the worldview of one who had been rejected by elite society.
Roberts keeps the pace brisk writing with a modern voice rather than the faux-saga style employed by many of the modern authors of Viking fiction. and soon introduces the villain that will bring tragedy to hisnewly fortunate life. The villain is brutal and merciless, but ultimately colorless. For a four book series, new and better written antagonists is a must for one to keep coming back.
The Strongbow Saga has potential and I will pickup at least one more volume. The nuanced point of view and interesting origin of the hero overcomes the plot's reliance on heroic cliches.

[Leigh Collazo · Rating 2 out of 5]

More reviews at http://readerpants.blogspot.com.

Overall Rating: While this book wasn't really for me, I wholeheartedly recommend this one for middle school boys who like lots of action, war scenes, learning about Viking culture.

What I liked: I can remember studying the Vikings for the first time in fourth grade. We had a young student teacher who knew much about Viking culture and passed that along to the 32 eager young minds in Ms. Schiffanelli's class. Viking culture is just plain interesting, and Roberts has no doubt done his homework. He seamlessly intertwines Norse mythology, poetry, war, and daily Viking life with Viking and world history. Roberts' enthusiasm for Viking culture shows in his descriptions of their clothing, homes, families, and customs. While certainly violent, the brutality of the story's events believably reflect Viking culture and challenge the stereotypical brutal, barbaric pirates that pervade many of today's Viking stories.

What I didn't like: This is very much a story intended for male readers. Where are the female characters? The only women in the story are Halfdan's mother, stepmother, half-sister, and a few slaves and wives. While women at the time may have been seen less than heard, I found myself longing for a young female counterpart to Halfdan. War, sparring, feasting, multiple rapes, and bloody animal sacrifices are exciting, but I personally missed the female perspective. The lives of Viking women must be at least as interesting as the warrior side; perhaps Roberts explores this in the sequel.

Content

Language: none

Sexuality: multiple rapes, but none are described. The reader knows they happen, but they take place off-screen.

Violence: High--animal sacrifice, blood, gore, murder, kidnapping and rape

Drugs/Alcohol: the Vikings drink "mead" and Halfdan is hungover the next day

Status in my library: We do not have it, but I plan to purchase it. There is definitely a market for middle school boys.

[Charlotte]

I have not rated this book as I think it would be unfair to rate it based on my opinion as it is suitable for a much different audience than me. It is categorized as a young adult book, but it is a far more boyish young adult than many teen books. I decided to read it as I have a professional interest in the Viking period, and the depiction of Viking life was indeed well done. I was engaged for about half the book thinking it was evolving into something more complex, but it turned into a boys' adventure book following a rather predictable plot line, but made less believable by some rather questionable decisions in key scenes. You kidnap a princess and don't expect her family to follow and attack you? You go on a major expedition with just 6 men when you know you have two well armed enemies about? I skimmed the last 25% without, I think, missing anything of the essence of the story. I don't think I will bother with the further adventures of Halfdan, who will no doubt fulfill his destiny and come into his own in the end.

[Kerry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Even though I seem to have some genetic imprinting to hate Vikings, I very much enjoyed this book. The story is engrossing and the historical aspect is accurate. A reader will really get a taste of life in the mid 800s Denmark. I just finished this one and found out there are 5 in total. The first 3 are out.

[Niel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book full of action, honor and betrayal. I was sure if I would like this book since I'm more of fantasy buff but this was good. I like how a slave became royalty and had to learn to act as such, but learns the cost of it. The story was great and I'm looking forward to reading book 2. Halfdan definitely changed throughout the story and I see more change coming great historical fiction book.

[Maryanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unexpectedly beautiful writing which throws you straight into vivid landscapes, emotions and characters. Gripping adventure with the start of a vengeance quest, battles, weapons, forest skills, Norse Gods. Sadly no sheildmaidens though, all too busy cooking.

[Marga Vr · Rating 4 out of 5]

Berdina read it and rated it highly It's carefully written with glossary and historical background. Gave it to Stefan

[Socrate · Rating 3 out of 5]

Într-o clipită, ursitoarele Norn au schimbat modelul de pe pânza în care îmi ţeseau soarta. Se întâmpla într-o după-amiază, târziu, pe când lucram în port, lângă pontoane. Întreaga zi tăiasem buşteni, transformându-i în cherestea, şi îmi simţeam spatele şi umerii grei din cauza mânuirii bardei. Nu mă deranja munca în sine, căci, deşi aveam doar paisprezece ani, eram înalt şi puternic, asemenea multor adulţi. Şi îmi plăcea să lucrez cu lemnul. Încă din fragedă copilărie, mâinile mele umblaseră foarte iscusit atât cu lemnul, cât şi cu metalul, har care m-a salvat de munca mult mai grea de la câmp. Mă deranja, totuşi, că trudeam pentru alţii. Nu-mi era pe plac că trăiam doar pentru a sluji nevoile altora şi pentru a le respecta ordinele, căci ei erau stăpânii, iar eu eram sclav.

  Cum se întâmpla adesea, mintea îmi zbura pe când munceam şi visam că sunt liber şi că sunt un luptător. Nu aveam nici un drept să nutresc asemenea năzuinţe, căci trăisem întreaga viaţă ca un sclav şi, pe bună dreptate, eram condamnat să mor tot sclav. Cu toate acestea, visam, căci închipuirea îmi permitea să evadez din realitatea propriei mele existenţe. Cu fiecare lovitură de bardă, îmi imaginam că lupt contra englezilor, umăr la umăr, într-un zid de războinici, oameni liberi. Hrorik, căpetenia care-mi era stăpân şi bărbatul care mă zămislise, se afla chiar şi acum în Anglia, luptându-se cu localnicii. Majoritatea oamenilor liberi de pe moşia sa şi din satul învecinat erau acolo, împreună cu el. Dacă aş fi fost liber –, îmi spuneam –, m-aş fi putut duce şi eu.

  Mama a venit la mine, în port, şi s-a aşezat, fără să rostească nici un cuvânt, deasupra pantei pe care lucram. Când îşi termina treburile –, ceea ce nu se întâmpla des –, îi plăcea să vină, să se aşeze tăcută şi să mă privească muncind. Mă simţeam stingherit când se uita aşa. Mă făcea să mă simt ca un copil şi, odată, i-am zis-o furios.

  — Îmi pare rău, Halfdan, mi-a spus ea. Îmi face plăcere să-mi privesc fiul la lucru. Dar, dacă te deranjează, n-o voi mai face.

  Apoi nu i-am mai pomenit despre asta, căci sunt puţine lucruri plăcute în viaţa de rob. Îmi iubeam mama şi nu voiam să-i iau puţina bucurie pe care o putea avea.

  După o vreme, Gunhild, soţia lui Hrorik, tatăl meu, s-a năpustit dinspre casa cea lungă şi a ocărât-o pe mama.

[SAM · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars!! This is the Viking saga I've been wanting to read! This historical fiction book is about Halfdan, a bastard-slave, who after tragic events, is compelled to avenge the wrongs done to him and his family. This book one (of four) of the Strongbow Saga tells of Halfdan, his 9th century Danish Viking village, his family, Viking culture, beliefs and his journey from a slave to a free man. The setting and world-building is descriptive, yet not overly done. I love learning about the Vikings, and even though this story is fiction, it feels that most Viking descriptions, every day life and raiding life was accurate. The writing is simple, but not dumbed-down by any means. It feels like the language on the show Vikings on the History Channel, how they talk to each other; simple, but effective. The story and the writing made me invested in Halfdan and want to see him succeed. There are descriptions of weapons, training, and some battles but all were very interesting to read. Halfdan does seem to be good at almost everything he tries, but his humility outshines the convenience factor. The premise reminds me a little of The Count of Monte Cristo, but Viking style. That alone is enough to keep me reading this series. All-in-all an outstanding book for any Viking lover, which I highly recommend!

[Sacha · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book captured my attention from the very first chapter. I really enjoyed the original voice that Judson Roberts used. I could tell he did a lot of research into the historical details of the time and place he set this story in. I also loved that there was a glossary in the back and a part that explained some historical relevance of the time.

Now for the characters. These characters were incredible. I loved that each person had their own personality and reacted realistically to what was happening around him. The POV character (Halfdan) felt exactly how you would expect him to, especially since he was raised as a thrall (slave) and not as a chieftain's son like later in the book.

I picked up this book because of a BookTuber I follow (Elliot Brooks - seriously her channel is amazing I highly recommend it) and it didn't disappoint. I will for sure be continuing this series.

[Heidi · Rating 5 out of 5]

For starters, I think the cover of this book is hilarious. Mine didn't come with a sleeve (bought used) so it's just a red book. I also picked it up in the young adult section as a potential for my nephew, and I'm glad I read it first. While he's almost 13 and has an advanced reading level, I don't necessarily think this would be an appropriate book for him. It talks about r*pe several times and it is detailed and gruesome (animal sacrifices) at times. Having said all that, it could potentially fall in the 'new adult' category, above young adult. It was a good book and I had a hard time putting it down. It keeps you wanting more. It is a series, so I'll probably try to find the next book. It's definitely not the book I thought it would be, but I enjoyed it.

[Yami · Rating 3 out of 5]

the book just flows, and it was kind of predictable , the turns and events are not a surprise, yet it is not a bad book, it focuses on the surroundings and describe it in details, and it seems that all characters have a story or two to share, I am kinda curious how Halfdan's chr. will grow , but it needs to spice thins a little with plot twists, the fights and narrating are okay...will see how it goes with book2.

[Lori · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was decent enough. I love the whole Viking era and this book still does give me the satisfaction of reading more stories about it but it's very basic, makes for fast easy reading. I went through it quickly but didn't feel any trepidation or suspense when I should have. I know it's probably going to be predictable. But I'm still curious about how things I know will happen are going to happen. So moving on to the second book in the series!

[Shelby Rose · Rating 3 out of 5]

This gave a historically accurate, and heartfelt image of the Viking era. The characters were enjoyable and developed greatly throughout the story. It was written in a easy, readable format that made reading the story quick. However, it did fall at a flat baseline for me and the overall story seamed to go slow. With the way it ended I could clearly tell this first novel was setting the base for the rest of the saga so I will still give the second book a try!

[Victoria · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF 215 OF 341 pages read.

Just extremely brutal, rape is brushed off the moment it's done with no accountability, wordy and felt uncomfortable with the antichristian sentiments. Also, after the first half you notice it's actually a boring story with little intrigue, just a lot of descriptions and a protagonist who forgets his sacrificed mother and jumps into the arms of his captors and becomes their number one fangirl. No depth. Not for me but if it's for you, all to you.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

Viking Warrior, the first of the Strongbow Saga, is an excellent book written in a way that makes you feel as if you are there in the middle of the action. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it and will likely read the rest of the books in the series. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in Vikings or studying Viking history.

[Sarah Lombard · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved reading this book!
It was very very interesting and much better than the Vikings show because it was full of Viking spirituality and adventure. I very much looked forward to reading it every day as it got me thru some rough times. Highly recommended and am starting the next book

[Courtney K · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked the characters and setting. The plot was interesting, revenge is my favorite trope. However, the writing style was dry. There were lots of descriptions of weapons and battle strategies that I could do without, especially during high stakes points in the narration.

[Lex · Rating 4 out of 5]

This seems more to be a more accurate representation of Viking life than we usually see.
The first third was a little hard for my get through, but we needed to connect and understand Halfdan to appreciate his character’s growth.
I quite enjoyed this one.

[Tom · Rating 3 out of 5]

The writing style is very straight-forward and easy to follow. I liked the care the author took to present an historically accurate portrait of the Viking time-period. I'm looking forward to learning how the story ends in the subsequent novels.

[Asl4u · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was okay - nothing so stellar that I must run out and read book 2 but it was an okay story. I got distracted and read two dog training books while in the middle of this one.. so it took me a while to finish it.

[Michelle Ruiz Kretzer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great writing! The discriminations. in this book literally puts you in the right then and there.. You can almost see the sword, feel the warmth of the fire and smell the forest.. Fantastic.. Can't wait to see how this 4 book series ends!

[Sean · Rating 4 out of 5]

Exciting enough to keep me reading, and apparently well-researched enough to convince me that I know something meaningful about the time and place in which it was set, this book was compelling enough that I want to continue the story of Halfdan in the next book.

[Aaron Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read the first three books. I liked them pretty well, but I wanted to take a break to read some sci fi before I finished the series with book 4. These are kind of like action-adventure/revenge historical fiction. They're a bit simple, but I like them.

[William Lockett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun easy re-read. Book is a logical step up in level from a Rangers Apprentice type of story. Author has clearly done a large amount of research into 9th Century European culture, especially the Frankish, Norse, and Anglo-Saxon cultures.