Hello Mr. Cornwell,
First off, thanks for the excellent read. I’m a historical fantasy author and read the Last Kingdom with the intent to do research. It only took a few pages for me to combine my previous motivation with the joy of a story well told.
I’m writing a story that follows the Roman desolation of Carthage in 146 BCE. I read your Historical Notes in the Last Kingdom; about how you’d altered a few things such as Ubba being at one place as opposed to the historical timeline, as well as your justification for doing so. It prompted me to think about my own story and how I’ve clung to the timeline as told by ancient historians. Having read your story, and how you altered a few things, I wanted to know what your rational/process is for deciding if it’s alright to replace individuals, events, etc.
Sincere thanks for your time,
Ian Shaughnessy
p.s. any pointers on traipsing the landscape of historical fiction would be greatly appreciated. This is some nit picky territory I’ve just entered.