Viking Warrior

Strongbow Saga, Book 1

By: Judson Roberts

Narrated by: Jeff Hays

In ninth century Denmark, a child born to a slave is also a slave, and the property of his mother's master. Halfdan, the son of an Irish noblewoman and the Danish chieftain who captured and enslaved her, has grown up a slave in his own father's household. But the Norns, the weavers of the fates of all men, have different plans for him - although rarely do they give a gift without exacting a price.

The Strongbow Saga is an epic tale of one man's unstoppable quest for justice and vengeance that carries him across the ninth century world of the Vikings. In Viking Warrior, Book One of the saga, a cruel twist of fate both frees Halfdan and robs him of the mother he loves, setting him upon the path to a new destiny. But a brutal act of treachery and murder upends Halfdan's new life, sending him on the run with ruthless hunters hot on his trail.

©2006 Judson Roberts (P)2014 Judson Roberts

Good start!

The most important thing about a novel that is first in a series is whether or not that novel makes a reader (listener) look forward to the next novel in the series. Viking Warrior has done that for this reader (listener). I look forward to hearing about the continuing adventures of Halfdan in the next novel in the Strongbow Saga, Dragons From The Sea.

The hero of the story, Halfdan, is born a thrall to a household in Denmark. However, there is more in both his family history - and his future - than the life of drudgery that a thrall can expect. Halfdan experiences a change of fortune that sets his life in a new direction. The manner in which this change of fortune occurs and the reactions of those who had known him as a thrall were a bit of a surprise, as they don't "fit the mold" of the change of fortune theme that is somewhat common in literature. That's not to say that his change of fortune is without conflict, as is to be expected, but I won't elaborate more in order to avoid spoilers.

I listened to the audio production of this novel, narrated by Jeff Hays. There was a long musical intro that had me a bit concerned that there might be too much in the way of audio effects (I can't stand when narration is hard to hear over background music). Fortunately, that was not the case. It was just an intro. There were a few sound effects in the narration that took me by surprise, but they didn't detract from the narration or the story. Jeff Hays voices each of the characters in the story suitably and distinctly (no females annoyingly portrayed badly by a male voice trying to imitate female vocal range).

I couldn't get into it, didn't finish

What did you like best about Viking Warrior? What did you like least?

I like this era and genre but I just couldn't get into this book...

Would you recommend Viking Warrior to your friends? Why or why not?

No, because I didn't really enjoy it

Have you listened to any of Jeff Hays’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

no

Was Viking Warrior worth the listening time?

nope, I didn't finish it

Definitely Not a Viking Saga

Having recently finished a Viking trilogy, I was greatly looking forward to a new series to replace it. Immediately upon starting the book, I knew it was not to be. I normally, do not write bad reviews, but in this case I was so disappointed I decided to review it. The Vikings were a hardy people and also very rough characters. The characters in this novel are the best behaved, cultured marauders in history. This is a 9th Century story told in 21st century script - not very believable.

The narration is pitiful, bordering on boring. I was hard pressed to finish the book

I was tempted to download the second installment at the same time I downloaded the first - glad I did not waste a credit.

My Pick for Historical Fiction

This is my favorite historical fiction series. 5 Stars to the author , Judson Roberts, & 5 Stars to the narrator, Jeff Hays. I've listened to this 5 Star audio book series many times. Every character comes alive and I was transported into the drama. Wonderful!

Judson Roberts is amazing!

do not sleep on this series of books! honestly takes me back to my teenage years getting lost reading the books for hours multiple times!
Judson Roberts always answers his emails too so if you have a question he'll answer

Good and…

I really wasn’t crazy about the narration. Good ability to change choices or speakers is lacking.

The story it’s self is good. I just wish there was more detail. I just noticed it is labeled as young adult. Maybe that is why I feel this way. I just want more detail and depth. I will look for more books by the author to see if he has similar novels aimed at more mature readers. I really appreciated the authors notes at the end.

Great Narrator

The narrator did an amazing job and really brought each character to life. The story was interesting, although as an historian I find the author at times too free with the historical background, although overall it was a fun diversion during my commute. Despite amy criticism about historical accuracy, it is far historically correct than most historical fiction.

Fast-paced and well-researched

This is how I like my historical fiction. Fast-paced, action-packed, with likable and sympathetic characters, high stakes, and epic overtones. If you like fantasy fiction and have a taste for Nordic history, this book is for you.

My only complaint is that it's too obviously the first episode in a saga. I'm prefer an omnibus so I can read them all at once.

Great Book, Lively Narration

Would you consider the audio edition of Viking Warrior to be better than the print version?

The audio edition certainly brought the story and the characters to life. The narration is well paced, builds a solid picture in your head and sounded great overall. I would prefer the book, but that is just because I prefer books in general.

A few complaints of the narration. The laughs, coughs, sighs, etc sounded prerecorded and somewhat unnatural. Sometimes it is difficult to tell the voices of the characters apart, and as mentioned by other reviewers, not very viking-ish. Nevertheless, it was very enjoyable and lively.

What other book might you compare Viking Warrior to and why?

There certainly not many YA books that is similar to Viking Warrior. Few has as much historical depth and detail as this, I believe this is what sets it apart. Even though it seems to be a simple "quest" story (I'm referring more to the second and third book here), it has a lot of twists and turns and strong human emotions.

The "life and death" situation in this book is much more serious, perhaps due to the sometimes gory details. This makes it much more mature compared to other YA books. I would strongly recommend this book to more matured middle school/freshmen students.

An Excellent Start

What did you love best about Viking Warrior?

The story of rising from a lowly servant to a future monarch. The characters had interesting dialogue and back story. The theme of revenge is one that I can't wait to see explored in future novels/recordings.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Hafdan. His perceptions of the world around him change over the course of the book as he learns to look through the lens of a future leader. Also, his survival and stealth skills were extremely interesting to listen to as he planned an ambush.

Have you listened to any of Jeff Hays’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

This was my first, but won't be my last.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Not exactly. It was interesting to hear a story about vikings though. The subject matter isn't often explored, and I appreciate the author's synopsis at the end.

Any additional comments?

I enjoyed the book and look forward to listening to the other books in the series.