Discussion Items for Book Clubs

Are you familiar with the Ninth century timeline? If not, what prompted you to read the book?

Did the author adequately capture the timeframe for you to visualize the actual locations referenced in the story? If not, what was missing?

Were you comfortable with the verbiage? If not, what did you find difficult? Did you find the language easier to read as the story developed? Did the language help transport you back to the Ninth century? If so, were you able to relate to the characters as products of Ninth Century mores and not judge them according to Twenty-first Century standards?

Did you find the character list and map helpful? How many times did you refer to the list of characters before you were comfortable with the names and relationships?
Who was your favorite character? Why? How does your character’s development change over the course of the story? Does your character undergo behavioral change(s)? If so, are you happy with the new persona? Does your favorite character exhibit similar traits to your own personality? How?

How do you feel about the Religious dilemma which plagued the pagan characters throughout the story? Do you understand the depth of the internal conflict? How would you react if you were forced to renounce the deity that you worshipped? Would you readily accept baptism? Would you continue to worship your divine being in secret? Would you feel guilty each time you attended a prayer service and received the sacraments?

How do you relate to the Soothsayer / Oracle references? Have there really been many changes since pagan times concerning superstitious beliefs and omens? Do you read your daily horoscope? Does Friday the 13th, walking under a ladder and having a black cat cross your path send a chill up your spine? Are we so different from our ancestors?

How do you feel about the treachery and intrigue which surrounded the royal court? How do you think the violence of the times affected the King’s decisions? How do you feel about war and conquest? Are we different today? Have we learned from our mistakes?

Was the novel a page turner? Did you have trouble putting the book down? What were your favorite storylines? Were you disappointed with the way the story ended? Are you looking forward to reading the sequel?

Would you contact the author to express your views? If so, visit the author’s webpage for email instructions.