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.

A good story of viking life

I liked this story a lot and it left me wanting more.

What was good:
The narrator's performance, it did take me a little to get used to but it worked once I did.
The story is well written, interesting and seems well researched.

What I didn't like:
It got wrapped up a bit too neatly in the end with the appearance of the neighbour that owed a debt to the family and then proceeded to guide Halfdan on the way. This was ok but I think it could have been done better.

We're going Viking!

An hour or two into Viking Warrior and I'm thinking, "Oh great, just another hero's journey adaptation with a 15 year-old protagonist."

After the recent successes of countless mediocre YA novels with similar MOs I was not expecting much.

I just finished listening to the book and I have to say that I was wrong to have judged the book so harshly before completing it. I was absolutely right to peg it as a hero's tale but that's not terrible. Lots of good stories are hero's tales.

Setting: This is a new environment for me, I haven't reach any Viking historical fiction and thought it would be a bit of fun. After all, many of the books we read take place in distant lands that sound a lot like England. I enjoyed the setting because it forced me to consider how life in northern Europe in the Middle Ages must have differed from England and France.

Characters: The main character of the story is a young boy who has his life flipped upside down. The boy is tossed into a situation with a experienced mentor to guide him through the transition he has just made in his life. He grows to love the mentor but his time with the mentor is ultimately cut short. This is the story of Harry Potter and Dumbledore. Or is it Ender Wiggin and Mazer Rackham? Luke Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi? Or is it ______ and ______? This was the only part of the story I didn't like; the main characters were very formulaic in nature.

Story: I enjoyed the story. It was engaging, exciting and unexpected. The characters were put through many unique situations where I had to ask myself, "is this historically accurate?" because I didn't believe it could be. The combat was detailed, intense and fast paced. Great story and a great set up for a series. Spolier alert: it's a Viking version of the Count of Monte Cristo.

Narrator: This is my first time listening to a book read by Jeff Hays. In the beginning (when I was skeptical) I thought his voice wasn't deep enough for the men and it was too deep for the women. However, as I continued to listen he won me over. He did a great job of keeping the story engaging and exciting and reflecting the tone of each scene in his reading. He is a good narrator and I look forward to listening to his future work.

All in all, I recommend Viking Warrior for the historical fiction fan who is interested in a fun Viking adventure.

Great Start!

I read this book several years ago. I enjoyed it then and was happy to see it on audible. The only downside to this entertaining story is the narration. Jeff Hayes does not have a Viking-Warrior voice. His voice is more mid-western farm boy. However, his voice is not insurmountable and the tale is still enjoyable.

Well Done!

Would you listen to Viking Warrior again? Why?

I will for sure if IF it is ever re-cast with a more authentic and better-researched narrator!

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

The obvious comparison is Cornwell's Saxon Tales and it is not a bad one. Cornwell is more polished and mature, but I enjoyed this story very much.

Author did an excellent job dropping our fictitious protagonist into the historical events of the time, though I am going to have to recheck my history. Roberts arranged Ragnar's sons in a different order (chronologically) than I understood. But he is probably a better authority than I am.

Which character – as performed by Jeff Hays – was your favorite?

Probably Halfdan. His voice is best suited for the young warrior. I have to admit though, I don't think Hays was the right choice for this for a few reasons.

1) He constantly mispronounced the names of well-know Vikings from History; Ubbe was "Ubbie". Lodbrok was "Lod- Brok". Halfdan was "Half-Dan".

2) Some voices simply did not align with my expectations. It's a personal preference thing, but it drove me to distraction..

3) I have a preference for British narrators in High Fantasy. I guess they just feel more authentic to me. I would LOVE to hear this recast with a Scandinavian accent.

Any additional comments?

I recommend this series highly!