I can’t tell you how much I enjoy the Warrior Chronicles series, not only because they are a great read, but due to the fact that I can relate to so much of what is in them.
For one, one half of my family is descended from German/Anglo Saxon/English stock, the other from a Danish sea captain who emmigrated to the USA. Second, as a teacher of English Literature for over 30 years, I have read, studied, and taught not only Beowulf, but the more obscure poems including The Ruin, The Seafarer, The Riddles, The Battle of Brunanburh, and The Battle of Maldon. I never tire of them. To me there is nothing more rewarding than coming across something with which one has had experience or prior knowledge, and so your books bring me significant joy .
Finally, these interests led me to make two visits to the UK during which I visited Hadrian’s Wall, Durham, the tombs of Bede and Cuthbert, Lindisfarne, Chester, the churches at Wearmouth, the British Museum (Sutton Hoo treasure, Beowulf Manuscript), among others. On the ride to Lindisfarne, we spotted a forbidding pile to the east: Bamburgh Castle.
I have just taken a break from reading The Empty Throne to write this missive because I felt that I needed to let you know how much all of your books have enriched my life and contributed to my love of history and literature. So, thank you.
One more note: My best friend grew up in Lexington, Mass. where during a reconstruction project his family discovered musket balls embedded in the framing of their front door. He was a classmate of a member of the Dawes family, who he said despises the Reveres to this day! (Calls Revere a self-promoter.)
James Comley