Tell us a little about your new book:
My new book is “The Oaken King,” intended to be the first novel and jumping off point for a forthcoming dark fantasy series called the Soulsword Cycle. I’ve only written science fiction previously, for the most part, but I’ve read considerably more fantasy over the years so this is in a way me returning to my roots. The book follows about 6 different POV characters as they navigate the aftermath of a demonic attack early in the story that decapitates the leadership of an alliance of kingdoms called the Oaken Pact, or as I like to call it when I talk about the book, “medieval NATO.” You’ve got your standard plucky orphan thrust out into the wild world, in this case a stableboy named Soren, but I also have some characters I’m really excited about hailing from cultures based on non-Western European sources. My personal favorite is a swordswoman from a desert culture inspired by the Bedouins named Naqah, who is hired by a strange priest to escort him as he investigates the cause of the demonic attack, and a plotline that is almost all table-setting for future books featuring Koyik, a Ranger up in the frozen north who hails from a people based on the Inuit, who is torn between her faith and her people’s culture and heads on a scouting mission that goes terribly awry. There are some fun worldbuilding surprises I’ve got waiting for readers, as I don’t use any stock fantasy races, but you’ll recognize where I’ve drawn inspiration for some of my creatures and cultures from more non-traditional sources.
Who are some authors who inspire you?
Without a doubt the fantasy gold standard for me is Tad Williams, specifically the “Memory, Sorrow and Thorn” trilogy that I devoured as a teenager. It’s a series that everyone has heard of but has sort of fallen by the wayside since it was released due to the popularity of some of its derivates like Game of Thrones (George RR Martin was inspired by Williams before setting out to write ASOIAF) or The Wheel of Time, which similarly mixes traditional high fantasy with more serious grounding. The vibe of Williams’ trilogy as well as A Song of Ice and Fire are definitely what I’m aiming for with the forthcoming Soulsword Cycle. I haven’t exactly been shy over the years in broadcasting my admiration for Tad Williams when discussing my writing publicly, and getting to interact with him on a Reddit AMA when his sequel trilogy “The Last King of Osten Ard” was a huge fanboy moment and highlight for me!
