Just finished Warlord and it was wonderful and satisfying, a proper send off for the older, wiser, more self aware old lion. And thanks so much for not killing Finan. I was almost sure you would have him die defending his old friend and was prepared to be very annoyed with you. I’ll miss them both. As much as I loved Sharpe and the Sharpe series the Saxon Tales are even better. Sadly I could never get get interested in the TV Uhtred, not because he had black hair, a superficial thing, but because I just couldn’t get past his lack of size, so apparent no matter how many furs they heaped on him and very much not a superficial aspect of the Uhtred of the novels. I know you think the actor made a fine embodiment of Uhtred but I found it so aggravating and distracting every time I saw him barely more than eye level with his first leading lady and constantly surrounded by actors a half a head taller and half again as broad, I never got past the first few episodes. I’ll always only see Uhtred exactly as you wrote him, one of fiction’s all time great creations. I can hardly believe it’s over! It was a great ride. I love both history and well written and researched historical fiction, especially about lesser known eras and when the author includes notes about the known history, what is and isn’t fiction. Also love Viking tales so your Saxon Tales had it all for me. Brilliant.

Felice Sage