Violence forms the core of Bloodtide, which will undoubtedly attract criticism, how can you justify this?
I don’t justify it. If you don’t like it, don’t read it: don’t read it and you’ll never known whether the perspective of the book is humane or not. Although I remember the words of the narrator of another, completely unpronounceable saga, who said that you might as well enjoy the entertainment, because while you are, you’re not going to think evil thoughts – or do evil deeds, if it comes to that. Who is your favorite character in Bloodtide? Why? My favorite is Siggy. He’s a reluctant hero. He’s been badly damaged by events, and he understands enough to know that this has happened to him, but it doesn’t stop him from trying to trust his better instincts. He despises revenge, even though that’s what the whole story – his story – is all about. He’s very human. He lives in a world where the future is as fixed as the past and he finds that depressing, as you well might. For a long time he refuses to try and change anything, but in the end he joins the war against Conor, not for revenge or t
