The Road to Vengeance

A great book with plenty of action and excitement. This book answers several questions, but leaves you longing for the next one. Definately read this book.

This series is great fun. It's listed as teen or youth literature, but I would say that it's also appropriate for adults who enjoy a good adventure story. The hero is an appealing personality who has all the skills necessary to achieve his best destiny. Like L'Amour would have, the author has clearly done all the research to bring Viking culture and society to life. This is not an epoch that has left many artifacts or histories behind, but the world created by the author is plausible, even compelling as he puts his protagonist in a series of dramatic squeezes. I bought the first two book because Orson Scott Card praised them on his blog. I enjoyed them so much that I shared them with my teen-age daughter, a voracious reader who wanted to know when I was going to get the third book. She's in college now, but she still wants to know if another book comes out. I hope it does soon because these books are fun to read.

Don't let the fact that this series is listed as "Young Adult" give you second thoughts about reading these three books. The story and journey of Halfdan, a young Viking thrall whose life greatly changes with the death of his father, a famous Viking chieftan. If I thought the first book was great, " Viking Warrior", the second book "Dragons from the Sea" was even better, and the third book "The Road to Vengeance" even better than the second! Judson Robert's writing rivals that of Bernard Cornwell's and that's saying something. Wonderful descriptive writing, interesting characters, and an imaginative and engrossing plot. If you like Vikings you don't know what you're missing! I would give all three books 10 stars and wish writers could write as fast as I can read.

The vivid Strongbow Saga continues in The Road to Vengeance, as Halfdan brings home his prisoner, the lady Genevieve. Protecting her long enough to retrieve her ransom from her wealthy father proves harder than he originally thought, and as the Northmen continue their aggressive assault on Frankia, Halfdan finds himself growing weary of war. But soon he is caught up between two oaths he made to himself: that of vengeance, and to not become the man his father was. As adventurous and intelligent as its predecessors, Roberts's latest is riveting. Halfdan is a quick witted, painfully honest, and tangible character. No detail, no matter how shocking or lurid, is left out of this carefully composed and rousing novel that is not just about Vikings and their battles, but is a stirring tale of the rise of a hero, and perhaps even a legend.

Halfdan's quest for revenge continues in the third book of the riveting and highly entertaining STRONGBOW SAGA. He returns to his ship and captain with his prisoner, Genevieve. But he finds it difficult to protect her while at the same time fending off attacks from Toke's men. THE ROAD TO VENGEANCE is a vivid, honest portrayal of the trials and tribulations of life in the 9th-century, and it delivers an unflinching look at the many realties of that time period. This is one high-spirited adventure novel that you won't soon forget. Reviewed by: The Compulsive Reader