Bjarki Bloodhand has finally managed to subdue his gandr, the spirit that gives him the ferocity of a bear in battle. Yet losing his berserker prowess may leave him at the mercy of his foes. Meanwhile, his half-sister, the shield maiden Tor Hildarsdottir, has slain two warriors from the personal retinue of the new Jarl […]
Widukind of Westphalia – the Saxon Wolf
Who was the ‘wood-child’ – the wolf – who rallied the pagans of Saxony against Charlemagne’s Christian armies at the end of the 8th century? And why has he been paid so little attention? Angus Donald writes about Widukind, the war leader who plays a major part in the second book in his Viking Fire […]
The Saxon Wolf by Angus Donald
March, AD 773. Bjarki Bloodhand is now Fire Born – a legendary berserker inhabited by the ferocious spirit of a bear in battle. Yet he has sworn never again to allow that sacred rage to possess him, lest he for ever lose himself in the madness like his father. Tor Hildarsdottir yearns to save pagan […]
The Last Berserker by Angus Donald
The year 771, Northern Europe. Bjarki Bloodhand and Tor Hildarsdottir are journeying south into Saxony. Their destination is the Irminsul, the One Tree that links the Nine Worlds of the Middle-Realm. In this most holy place, they hope to learn how to summon their animal spirits so they can enter the ranks of the legendary […]
How to become a berserker – a historical novelist’s guide
For a historical fiction writer with two successful adventure series and a passing acquaintance with magic under his (sword) belt, writing about berserkers was probably a logical next step for Angus Donald. But what, exactly, is a berserker? And how do you become one? He tells Historia… I was a little taken aback, when I […]
Blood’s Campaign by Angus Donald
August 25, 1689. The English Army is besieging Carrickfergus in Ireland. Brilliant but unusual gunner Holcroft Blood of the Royal Train of Artillery is ready to unleash his cannons on the rebellious forces of deposed Catholic monarch James II. But this is more than war for Captain Blood, a lust for private vengeance burns within […]
Robin Hood and the Caliph’s Gold by Angus Donald
Autumn 1191 and Robert, Earl of Locksley, also known as the notorious outlaw Robin Hood, and his loyal lieutenant Alan Dale, are returning home fresh from a victory in the Third Crusade. They decide to travel via the Mediterranean sea-route, despite the dangers of the imminent stormy season. Disaster strikes and Robin and his men […]
The never-ending Battle of the Boyne
The Battle of the Boyne. It’s one of those events in Irish and British history that’s loaded with significance (think Orange marches and gable-ends) even though not many people know much about what actually happened. As Angus Donald confesses he discovered when writing the third of his Holcroft Blood novels. We’ve all see them on […]