The Saxon Wolf (Fire Born 2) is now written – sort of . . .
I typed “The End” at the bottom of the first draft of The Saxon Wolf today, which is a great feeling. Obviously, there is a lot more work to do on this sequel to The Last Berserker (below): I have to do my edit and then send it to my publisher and do his edit, and we need to work on a cover, and then a final proofread and so on. But another one of my books exists in the world (No.16, since you ask) and I absolutely love this stage of the book-making process.
I’d better tell you a bit about the novel: it continues the saga of Bjarki Bloodhand and Tor Hildarsdottir, who are two Norse warriors who become embroiled in the Saxon Wars against Charlemagne in the 8th century. At the time, Denmark (the Dane-Mark) was an ally of Saxony and its new duke, Widukind of Westphalia, who was resisting the annexation of his ancestral lands. Bjarki is a Dane, Tor is a Svear (from Sweden). They are both kick-ass fighter and Bjarki is Fire Born, a berserker, who can summon his animal spirit to enter a frenzy in battle.
I’m feeling pretty exhausted at the moment, tbh. I had my second Covid jab yesterday and its making me feel woozy and I have been writing like a fiend for the past few weeks. I’m about to head off for a large G&T and a bit of Netflix with my son so this won’t be a long blog but, instead, here is a rather scrappy version of the blurb on the back cover, which I cooked up with my brilliant editor a few weeks ago. It should give you a flavour of The Saxon Wolf.
Begins . . .
Conflict flares once more in Saxony . . .
March AD 773
Bjarki Bloodhand is now Fire Born – a legendary berserker inhabited by the ferocious spirit of a bear in battle. Yet he has sworn never again to allow that sacred rage to possess him, lest he for ever lose himself in the madness like his father.
Tor Hildarsdottir yearns to save pagan Saxony from the grip of the Christian Franks, who now occupy half the region. But she also has serious problems closer to home with her fast-growing pet bear cub, Garm and, worse, she seems to be falling in love.
Widukind, new lord of the Saxons, is on a mission to reconquer the lands of his fathers from the Franks. He will stop at nothing to win the hearts of the men and women of the North, and bind them to his cause. But will they follow the Saxon Wolf in an unwinnable war? And will Bjarki join them?
The epic second novel in the Fire Born saga, perfect for fans of Bernard Cornwell, Giles Kristian, Matthew Harffy and Theodore Brun.
Ends.
We are aiming to publish The Saxon Wolf this autumn in paperback and as an eBook. The audio book will come later, probably in early 2022. I hope you will all enjoy it in your format of choice. And if you haven’t read The Last Berserker (the first in this new Viking series) the Kindle version is on sale for just 99p! Click this link to buy a copy.
I am SO looking forward to the release of this book!
Very glad to hear that, Susan! Should be out this autumn. Regards, Angus