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 Ian St. Martin about his brand new 40k audio drama Taker of Heads, which is available to order right now!
As usual, let’s get straight to the questions and Ian’s answers.
Track of Words: What’s the elevator pitch summary for Taker of Heads?
Ian St. Martin: Taker of Heads tells the story of a squad of Mortifactors aspirants, fighting to earn a place for themselves within their Chapter.
ToW: Without spoiling anything, who are the main characters and what do we need to know about them?
ISM: The main character of Taker of Heads is Adoni, who you may remember from my story Deathwatch: Swordwind. This story is set long before Swordwind, though, back when Adoni is a scout seeking to prove himself and become initiated as a full member of the Mortifactors.
ToW: Where and when is it set?
ISM: The story takes place on the jungle world of Aztlan, where the Astra Militarum are locked in a brutal guerilla war against the T’au. As for timeline, it is pre-Dark Imperium, and back before the destruction of Posul.
ToW: Is there anything that you’d recommend readers check out before reading this?
ISM: Not really anything beforehand, although I would recommend Deathwatch: Swordwind afterward if you enjoy the audio and are interested in more about Adoni and the Mortifactors.
ToW: What drew you to writing about Mortifactors in the first place? They’ve cropped up a fair bit in your writing so far.
ISM: I have just always found them fascinating, and since there was not much at all written about them, that grants me a degree of flexibility in coming up with their rituals and behavior that you just don’t have when writing about the Blood Angels or the Wolves.
ToW: And why this story? What made you want to write this in particular?
ISM: I like coming up with cultures for groups I write about, their value systems and how their perspective is honed by where they come from, and then amplified through everything that goes into being a Space Marine. This story was a great way to convey some of that world building for the Mortifactors, as well as to write more about Adoni, who was the first Space Marine I ever wrote for BL and thus will always have a special place in my heart.
ToW: What were your main influences when writing it? Did you draw upon any real-life experience to help you plan or write it?
ISM: As far as setting and tone, I think this was influenced by some of my favorite films, like Predator and Apocalypse Now, which helped inspire me as I wrote some gritty jungle fights. Also I did plenty of research about cannibal cultures throughout history and their various rituals, so some of that may have had an impact on my depiction of the Mortifactors themselves.
ToW: How does the final product compare to your original concept? Has anything changed much from your first ideas?
ISM: I can’t say for sure, having not listened to it, but as far as the script I delivered, after revisions the core concept and story of it were basically unchanged from my initial ideas.
ToW: How does this story compare to the rest of your work? Is it a familiar style, or a departure?
ISM: This is my first full-length audio, so that is very exciting for me. As far as style, I think if you enjoy my work, you will definitely have a lot to like here.
ToW: Do you have plans to continue any aspects of this story, or is it a standalone piece?
ISM: I’d love to do more with the Mortifactors either in pre- or post-Dark Imperium, especially if the powers that be let me depict the fall of Posul or follow on from the end of Swordwind. I have a feeling this won’t be Adoni’s last adventure.
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Thanks as always to Ian for taking the time to answer these questions. Keep an eye out for a review of Taker of Heads coming sometime soon.
Click here to order Taker of Heads.
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.