Hallo, Hallo dear hearts!
As you might have noticed – I’ve been gathering a keen interest in Viking Historical Fiction, sagas set round Anglo-Saxons and after canon stories about Camelot in recent years – continuing into this vortex of interest, I came across a rather curious novel called “Forged by Iron” – which I immediately wanted to read except to say it is a digital first release – meaning, there isn’t a print copy yet available to be read!
My interest in this story and the series it is attached to parlays into my interest I’ve been expressing in regards to the following authors: Marissa Campbell (ie. Avelynn series), Nicole Evelina (ie. Guinevere Trilogy), Signe Pike (ie. The Lost Queen), Jon Black (“Bel Nemeton”) and others like them I haven’t yet discovered! As I have come to realise there are a few niches of Historical Fiction which are curiously drawing my attention towards reading areas of History I might otherwise have overlooked or felt were just outside my zone of comfort to read.
Part of the allure is delving into lost histories of people who lived long enough not to be remembered by contemporary descendants is also an appeal because it allows the writers to draw a strength of believability in how they approach writing their character’s stories. I love getting lost in those kinds of stories where there is a lot of supposition about what actually happened and a wealth of industrious guesswork towards how these people not only lived but thrived, struggled and overcame their adversities just as readily as we face our own paths to walk in our own lives. There is a cunning sense of research stemming out of these kinds of stories intermixed with the human condition and the belief that despite the age of where the story can become set, there is a permeating confluence of interest in how these characters can tuck themselves into our heart for their compellingly brilliant courage and the strength of their character as they lived rather extraordinary lives indeed!
As soon as I read the premise of this lovely, I knew I wanted to host an interview with the author – if only to dig out a bit of the story itself, as a way of presenting what you can find as a reader if you delve into “Forged by Iron” whilst I want in the wings for a day wherein a print copy might surface and I too, can take this journey inside his story about Olaf. For now, I hope my questions and my curiosities help you choose to decide if this is also a saga you feel is right for you as a reader – as that is why I love blogging my readerly life – sharing my route into literature might spark a newfound curiosity for another reader as they stumble into a new area of literary adventure they might not have known about previously!
Brew yourself a cuppa and hug close to the convo!
Forged by Iron (Interview)
Subtitle: Olaf's Saga (Book One)
by Eric Schumacher
From the bestselling author of Hakon’s Saga comes Forged by Iron, the first in a series of thrilling tales about Olaf Tryggvason, one of the most legendary and enigmatic kings of the Viking Age.
Norway, AD 960. The fabric that has held the Northern realm together is tearing. The sons of Erik Bloodaxe have returned and are systematically killing all opposition to the High Seat. Through treachery, Harald Eriksson slays Jarl Trygvi, an heir to the throne, and then he comes for Trygvi’s wife, Astrid, and son, Olaf.
Astrid and Olaf flee their home with the help of Astrid’s foster father, Torolv Loose-beard, and his son, Torgil, who are oath-sworn to protect them. The group escapes east, through the dark, forested land of the Swedes and across the treacherous East Sea, all the while evading the clutches of Harald’s brutal henchmen.
But the gods are fickle and the group is torn apart, leaving them to fend for themselves in Forged by Iron, a must-read for all who enjoy action-packed historical fiction.
Places to find the book:
ISBN: 979-8627636924
ASIN: B085DDRK7M
Also by this author: Sigurd's Swords
Series: Olaf's Saga
Published by Legionary – A Next Chapter Imprint
on 25th April, 2020
Published by: Legionary – A Next Chapter Imprint
Converse via: #Viking/s, #HistFic OR #HistoricalFiction
This is a Digital First Release – however, hours after my interview posted I received word the paperback release is now available to be seen. I’ve added the ISBN to the book info section. I’ve also edited the pub date to reflect the new paperback now available to be purchased.
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