New Viking deal: three more Fire Born novels
I have just signed a deal with my wonderful publisher Canelo for three more novels in my (new-ish) Viking series. That means that there will, ultimately, be at least six Bjarki and Tor adventures for you all to enjoy! I’m extremely pleased that my fictional creations have a new lease of life and that I shall be continuing to work with their superb editorial team. Given that the third book – The Loki Sword (Fire Born 3) – is not out until August 2022, Canelo are showing a huge commitment to the success of the series (and to me!)
I know that some fans of my previous works (notably the ten volumes of the Outlaw Chronicles, and the Holcroft Blood trilogy) are not yet up to speed on the Fire Born saga, so I thought I would do a little recap of the first three novels, and give a brief outline of the three that will come out over the next few years.
The Last Berserker (Fire Born 1)
Bjarki Bloodhand and Tor Hildarsdottir travel south into Saxony, hoping to join the Fyr Skola, the mystical school where warriors learn to become berserkers, the elite fighters of the Viking world. After many adventures and clashes with the Christian King Charlemagne (Karolus in my books), they fight an epic battle at the Dane-Work, a huge earthwork that protects the Danes against fury of the Frankish legions.
The Saxon Wolf (Fire Born 2)
Bjarki and Tor join forces with Duke Widukind of Westphalia, aka the Saxon Wolf, to battle the Christian Franks, in an attempt to expel them from his homeland. Their loyalty to each other and to their Saxon lord will be sorely tested at the Battle of Lubbecke. “A fine cut of bloody Dark Age beef,” said one reviewer.
The Loki Sword (Fire Born 3)
Bjarki and Tor embark on an adventure by sea and river into the Slav lands of Eastern Europe in search of a “magic” blade, which is said to have since belonged to the Norse trickster god, Loki. But the sword has been cursed by the dwarves who fashioned it – meaning that any warrior who wields it shall taste Death.
Fire Borns 4, 5 and 6
The details of these three future Bjarki and Tor novels are not set in stone yet – but I do have reasonably firm ideas about the directions this saga will travel. Fire Born 4 (provisionally titled King of the North) is about a civil war in Viking Scandinavia, with Geats, Danes and Svear all fighting for supremacy. Book 5 (Fury of the Northmen) will take our heroes to England, specifically to Mercia during the reign of King Offa. I want to do something about the battles between the English and the Welsh along the line of Offa’s Dyke. In Fire Born 6, Banner of the Bear, our heroes will be returning to Saxony, and picking up the threads again with Widukind – it will culminate in the Battle of the Suntel Hills, which was one of the few Saxon victories over the Franks. After that . . . who knows. Maybe six books will be enough, maybe not!
The Last Berserker (Fire Born 1) is available as an eBook or paperback here; The Saxon Wolf (Fire Born 2) is available here, and The Loki Sword (Fire Born 3) will be published in August 2022, but can be pre-ordered here. The next three books will (probably) come out in the summers of 2023, 2024 and 2025.
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