Welcome to this instalment of Rapid Fire, my ongoing series of quick interviews with Black Library authors talking about their new releases. These are short and sweet interviews, with the idea being that each author will answer (more or less) the same questions – by the end of each interview I hope you will have a good idea of what the new book (or audio drama) is about, what inspired it and why you might want to read or listen to it.
In this instalment I spoke to Josh Reynolds, who’s a regular to Rapid Fire, being an incredibly prolific writer for Black Library His latest novel is Soul Wars, which ties into the brand new version of Warhammer Age of Sigmar – and is available to order as of tomorrow.
As usual, let’s get straight to the questions and Josh’s answers.
Track of Words: What’s the elevator pitch summary for Soul Wars?
Josh Reynolds: The War of Heaven and Death begins anew, as Nagash attacks the cities of Sigmar.
ToW: Without spoiling anything, who are the main characters and what do we need to know about them?
JR: There are a few main characters. Balthas Arum is a stiff-necked Lord-Arcanum of the Anvils of the Heldenhammer, with a sinister connection to the dead world of Mallus. Calys Eltain is a Liberator-Prime of the same Stormhost, charged with the defence of a secret tomb beneath the city of Glymmsforge.
There’s also the street-urchin, Elya, who plays a more pivotal role in the book’s events than it might otherwise appear.
ToW: Where and when is it set?
JR: Mostly in the city of Glymmsforge, in the realm of Shyish – though some parts take place in Sigmaron, in Azyr. It’s set during the Battle for Glymmsforge, as detailed in the Soul Wars starter set.
ToW: Is there anything that you’d recommend readers check out before reading this?
JR: Nope! It’s a brand new cast, doing brand new things.
ToW: Why this story? What made you want to write this in particular?
JR: Mostly the chance to finally depict that Sigmar/Nagash confrontation I’ve been wanting to write since the Realmgate Wars. Too, the chance to go nuts with such a sprawling cast was hard to resist.
ToW: Are there any connections in this book to your other Age of Sigmar stories?
JR: A few. Orius Adamantine from the novel, Black Rift, appears in a supporting role. There’s also a handful of mentions of people and places from my other stuff scattered about.
ToW: What were your main influences when writing it? Did you draw upon any real-life experience to help you plan or write it?
JR: Mostly, I drew on the new starter set booklets. I did some research on a few other things – desert travel, fortifications, etc. – but for the most part, I used what I was given.
ToW: How does the final product compare to your original concept? Has anything changed much from your first ideas?
JR: Not much. I think some unit names got changed between the book going to print and the boxed set being finalised, but that’s a risk whenever you’re trying to do something like this. Other than that, it’s a good deal longer than my first draft – I kept finding new things to add!
ToW: How does this story compare to the rest of your work? Is it a familiar style, or a departure?
JR: If you liked my other stuff, you’ll like this. If you didn’t, you won’t.
ToW: Do you have plans to continue any aspects of this story, or is it a standalone piece?
JR: I already have, actually! I recently wrote a short story about one of the characters, and I’d like to continue the saga of Glymmsforge in the future, sales and reader interest permitting.
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Thanks as always to Josh for taking the time to answer these questions. Check out my review of Soul Wars here for a bit more information on what to expect. If you fancy taking a look at some other Rapid Fire interviews, you can do so here.
Click here to order Soul Wars.
If you’ve got any questions, comments or other thoughts please do let me know in the comments below, on Facebook or Twitter, or by emailing me at michael@trackofwords.com.