I must say I am a big fan of yours, your research is thorough and I love learning the general details of a period while being entertained. I was curious about something, and please understand that I am not a writer so if this is an obvious question/answer then please excuse me, why is it that your main characters (Thomas, Derfel, Uhtred) all have such weakness in them? Is it something you think the character should have to make them more real/human? You will find it quite amusing to know that I got so angry at Uhtred last night reading The Pale Horseman that I threw the book into the Thames…now I have to order another one. What made me angry was when Uhtred, having just saved Alfred’s life on a march swears allegiance for nothing. Hopefully I get a chance to hear from you, which I would love. Many kind regards George