Happy New Year Bernard !

Hope you had a jolly Christmas!

 

i’ve been reading War of the Wolf, which i got for Christmas, and am about two-thirds through, having just reached Uhtred and Sigtiryggr being at the Witan.

Its great and i’m loving it! Bit upset you killed XXX off though! How COULD you do that?

 

I wanted to ask you about Villains in your books though. I believe a Hero is nothing without a great Villain. They define each other. Without the Joker, Batman would just be a berk dressed as a bat! The Hero must slay the Monster or defeat the Villain. That’s what they do!

But, how do you create and define your villains? it seems to me  that in your books there are Villains, like Obediah or Haestan or Aethelhelm,or Ducos, who cannot physically match-up to Sharpe or Uhtred (although Hakeswill certainly seems  to be able to take a beating!) but they are incredibly devious bastards and they plot and sneak around…But, i think there are guys who aren’t really “Villains”, just “Opponents”. I  always really like Svein of the White Horse, and he never really seemed to be to be a “baddie”. He’s just a Danish warlord, and Uhtred likes and respects him. Cnut Longsword as well, and even Skoll. Without spoiling it for anyone who hasn’t read War of the Wolf yet, (and i’ve not got to the end yet!), but surely he is not going to get away with what he did? But, does what he did make Skoll a “Villain” or was that killing, just War?

i’m not actually sure what i’m asking you here! Just wondering about you views on Villainy in your books…

i know  you were tremendously fond of Obediah, and regret killing him off, and he is a gloriously repellent character, but what other villains and foes have you enjoyed creating?

i’m trying to think of ones that could match up to your heroes in a fight…Cnut, certainly and Svein. And Leroux for Sharpie…

Musing…musing…

i’ll finish with a more straight foward question! Even at 42 i still love wondering about things like this…

Ubba vs Steapa? Who would win? (i still think Ubba..)

 

Looking forward to Uhtred and Sigtryggr wreacking a just and bloody veheance!

(i only have one eye, so i feel a strange  kinshiop with Sigtryggr…and Odin!)

 

Kind regards as ever

Matt

Wiltshire