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 veteran Black Library author CL Werner, about his new Age of Sigmar novel The Tainted Heart, which sees him return to the subject of witch hunters for which he formed quite a reputation in the Old World. The Tainted Heart is available to order right now!
As usual, let’s get straight to the questions and Clint’s answers.
Track of Words: What’s the elevator pitch summary for The Tainted Heart?
CL Werner: Two devout witch hunters in the service of Sigmar wage a vicious campaign against the diseased disciples of Nurgle, but are forced to question everything they believe when the corruption of Chaos reaches out to claim one of them.
ToW: Without spoiling anything, who are the main characters and what do we need to know about them?
CLW: The principle characters are Talorcan of Ravendirge and Esselt the Braelander. They are mortal witch hunters serving the Order of Azyr in the Khanate of Arlk, an empire in the realm of Chamon.
ToW: Where and when is it set?
CLW: The story is set after the Realmgate Wars, after Chaos has been turned back and civilization has begun to creep back into the Mortal Realms. The tale begins in the Desert of Droost in Chamon, but it ends much farther away.
ToW: Is there anything that you’d recommend readers check out before reading this?
CLW: I have tried to make this particular story as self-contained as possible, so I would not say there is anything that is vitally necessary to read beforehand. Having said that, however, I would recommend looking into one of the Age of Sigmar anthologies for a general feel of the setting within its wider context.
ToW: Why this story? What made you want to write this in particular?
CLW: Writing witch hunters in Warhammer Fantasy was, I suppose, something of a specialty for me. Aside from Mathias Thulmann, witch hunters managed to pop up in several of my stories, and not always those in Sigmar’s service either. When i learned of the Order of Azyr and the introduction of witch hunters who were mortal humans to Age of Sigmar, it was almost a natural thing for me to have an interest in exploring the subject. I suppose it stems from a very old fascination for the historical witch hunters and how that profession might be conducted in a world where the witches and monsters are all too real.
ToW: What were your main influences when writing it? Did you draw upon any real-life experience to help you plan or write it?
CLW: Any time I write about witch hunters, I figure Matthew Hopkins and Solomon Kane are lurking somewhere in my subconscious. So far as deliberate influences go, I would say several books on the history of ancient Egypt inspired some aspects of the setting (while others reflect the Arizona desert just outside my door). The narrative itself might have a dash of Poe in there, and maybe a hint of Hammer horror films by the very end.
ToW: You’re well known for writing about Witch Hunters in the Old World; did any of Mathias Thulmann creep into your writing of Esselt and Talorcan, or did you keep them separate?
CLW: If anything, I would say that Talorcan and Esselt have a story that is quite different from what Thulmann lends himself to. With Thulmann we had a man at the edge of fanaticism, with a nigh-unshakable faith in Sigmar and an unremitting confidence in the justice of his acts. I don’t want to say too much, but in The Tainted Heart, things are not so clear-cut.
ToW: How does the final product compare to your original concept? Has anything changed much from your first ideas?
CLW: Several aspects did change, both from narrative demands and editorial suggestion. There is one character who became quite a bit younger, for instance, and there were some late adjustments to the Khanate of Arlk that I felt would help it stand out a bit more from other Age of Sigmar kingdoms. The character of Velthur became much more imposing every time I wrote about him, and it forced me to go back and amend his earlier appearances to reflect this. There was also a sequence with some characters pursuing other characters that wasn’t working and so had to be cut. There was also a character who survived much longer in my initial outline, but who was dispatched quite a bit sooner in the final version.
So, yes, you could say the shell around the central story underwent a considerable metamorphosis between the planning and final execution.
ToW: How does this story compare to the rest of your work? Is it a familiar style, or a departure?
CLW: The Tainted Heart is quite a bit of a departure for me. Certainly all the familiar trappings are there: witch hunters, daemons, obscene sorcerers, and grotesque plagues. At the core, however, it is a love story. Where that love story leads, well, that is something I’m certain my editor would not appreciate me spoiling ahead of time.
ToW: Can you give any hints as to what we might expect from these characters after this story?
CLW: The only hint I’ll give will be a bit cryptic until someone is reading the book – you haven’t seen the last of Velthur. Make of that what you will.
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Thanks as always to Clint for taking the time to answer these questions. Keep an eye out for a review of The Tainted Heart coming sometime very soon!
If you fancy taking a look at some other Rapid Fire interviews, just click here. 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.