Hannah
asked
H.M. Long:
Are there any historical influences for the various peoples in Hall of Smoke? I hear people on the internet saying Viking, but I was also getting some Celtic, Gallic and even Roman vibes? Maybe?
H.M. Long
Loosely! The original setting for the book was based on Romans on the Germanic frontier (the setting of Netflix’s Barbarians, for example) but as I began pitching it, “Viking” became the description most people connected with.
I love history, particularly connected to my own Germanic/Celtic and Scandinavian roots, and all of that seeped in. But whatever influences arose, I strove to make it my own.
I love history, particularly connected to my own Germanic/Celtic and Scandinavian roots, and all of that seeped in. But whatever influences arose, I strove to make it my own.
More Answered Questions
Sofie Draheim
asked
H.M. Long:
Do you believe a protagonist/narrator has to be likeable in order to capture a reader's interest? How far wrong can they go in their character/decision-making for a reader to remain invested in their journey? Any thoughts on this I'd be so intrigued to hear, as it's something I think about often!
Sofie Draheim
asked
H.M. Long:
A very dull question I'm afraid - but any top tips for writers who know that writing novels is their greatest dream, but have yet to actually commit and finish writing one novel - even the first draft of it? Thank-you - absolutely engrossed in Barrow of Winter currently! (Your world-building has really captured me!)
About Goodreads Q&A
Ask and answer questions about books!
You can pose questions to the Goodreads community with Reader Q&A, or ask your favorite author a question with Ask the Author.
See Featured Authors Answering Questions
Learn more