Hello, I am a big fan of the Sharp Books. I am a part-time college student taking a coures call Modern Epic Fantasy. My course requires that I do a review of a book that is relevent to the course. I have choosen your epic adventure “The Last Kingdom.” The review should be an analysis of literatry value, content, style and factual warrant… I would like to ask a few questions about your book and what your motivation was to choose this era and characters moral dilemas.

1. Who would you say influenced you most to write the style of books that you do?

2. Beyond the commercial success of your books how do you hope your works will be remebered/evaluated as Epics or historical fiction …?

3. What inspired you to write the Saxon Stories?

In Redcoat Sam Gilpin has a value conflict that causes him to switch sides; In the Last Kingdom Uthred is torn between allegiance to both sides. 4. Do you intially plan a moral conflict or does it naturally develop with the character/story?

Both of the primary authors in this course Tolkien and Terry Brooks work hard at giving each name and event a image/meaning that is not verbalized. They both follow the Epic styles of Roland and Beowulf who raise the question of Morales and Values. 5. The Arthur Books, Grail Quest and Stonehenge all had the same feel. Were they influenced by the Medieval Epics and did you intend the “Last Kingdom” follow this idea?
Steve Fernaays