Welcome to this instalment of Rapid Fire, my ongoing series of quick interviews with 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.
For this interview I spoke to veteran Black Library author CL Werner about his new book Lady of Sorrows, his seventh novel for the Age of Sigmar setting (eighth if you include the Warhammer Horror imprint). It’s available to pre-order as of the 4th July, and if you’re interested in learning more about the Mortarch of Grief – or just exploring more of the Realm of Death – then this promises to be right up your street.
Without further ado, over to Clint…
Track of Words: What’s the elevator pitch summary for Lady of Sorrows?
CL Werner: An epic quest by the people of the Twinned Towns to try to break the dread curse that hangs over their community. To break the cycle of horror and death that strikes them every generation when the spectral hosts of Lady Olynder try to annihilate their colony. Struggling against disaster and misfortune, these heroes seek out the mysterious Veiled Prophet who alone knows the way to victory.
ToW: Without spoiling anything, who are the main characters and what do we need to know about them?
CLW: Though she doesn’t feature in every chapter, the menace of Lady Olynder, the treacherous Mortarch of Grief, is felt in every page. She’s a remorseless and vindictive enemy whose malice has no limitations and spans the centuries.
Opposing her is a group of heroes drawn from the Twinned Towns of Eastdale and Westreach. Eastdale is a settlement of survivors native to Shyish – the Reclaimed, descendents of lost Belevegrod and steeped in the superstitious of the realm. Westreach was founded by colonists from Azyr after the Stormcast Eternals liberated the ruins, and as such they take what they view as a more advanced and logical view than their neighbours. This causes both peoples, Azyrian and Reclaimed, strife. The leader who can make them work together is Jahangir, a man of mixed blood brought up in the traditions of both cultures.
Following Jahangir in his quest is a mix of characters drawn from the Twinned Towns. Kvetka is a scholar from Eastdale, learned in the legends and folklore of Shyish. Venteslav is a captain in Eastdale’s Tombwatch, who guards against the undead that creep out from the ruins to stalk the town’s inhabitants. Mahyar is a warrior priest of Sigmar from Westreach, an Azyrite with a great degree of contempt for the backwards ways of the Reclaimed. Soraya is a cold and calculating warrior from Westreach, one of Jahangir’s soldiers in the Tombwatch before he sets out on his quest to deliver the Twinned Towns from the curse. To guide them across the wilds of Shyish in search of the Veiled Prophet is Zorgrath, a cryptborn with the feral legacy of ghouls in his veins.
ToW: Where and when is it set?
CLW: The story takes place in the realm of Shyish, some time after the founding of the Twinned Towns. The drowned ruins of Belevegrod and its environs form the principle setting, with a long trek through the haunted regions around the lost city to find the tower of the Veiled Prophet and then to locate the feared crypt-court of Lady Olynder.
ToW: Is there anything that you’d recommend readers check out before reading this?
CLW: With Lady of Sorrows I’ve striven to make the story as approachable as possible for someone just coming into Age of Sigmar. I think beyond a cursory knowledge of the setting (such as what a Stormcast Eternal is or who Nagash is) there’s no additional material that a reader needs to consult in order to enjoy the tale.
ToW: Why this story? Of all the possible stories you could have written about these characters, what made you go for this one?
CLW: I’m always drawn to the Gothic and Lady of Sorrows presented a great opportunity to delve into those themes again. It was a chance to return to Shyish and relate a really grim story of desperation, struggle, and sacrifice. Lady Olynder is a wonderful character and to be able to develop her a bit beyond what you find in the battletome was too good to pass up.
ToW: Do you think the recent introduction of the Warhammer Horror imprint has had any impact on stories like this? Has it freed you up to take things in slightly different directions, or do you think this is a story you might have written anyway?
CLW: I’m not sure, to be honest. I do find there’s a very similar feel between Lady of Sorrows and the work I’ve done with Warhammer Horror such as Castle of Blood. Some of that is likely to stem from the very nature of Shyish. It’s just about impossible to properly evoke the realm without conjuring the creepy and the outre. I do think the tone is much different from books I’ve done recently set in other realms, but I’m not sure I’d say there’s been any overt impact from Warhammer Horror. I suspect it really boils down to the plot itself to dictate any similarities a reader might find.
ToW: This sounds like a very different kind of story to your last Age of Sigmar novel – Profit’s Ruin – which has only recently been released. How do you go about getting in the right mindset, and changing between such varying characters and types of story?
CLW: A lot of outlining. I’m very big on plotting and getting the details down before starting in on the work. I’ll draw up character sketches for the cast as well, little cheat sheets that I use as a guide to maintain them in my own mind. When it comes to writing the story itself, I’ll try to find a soundtrack or soundscape that gets me in the proper mood.
With Profit’s Ruin that meant sounds of ocean waves and the rustle of wind through the trees when it wasn’t the soundtrack of some pirate movie or adventure film. For Lady of Sorrows I listened to a lot of sinister, moody horror music. Nox Arcana and Midnight Syndicate when it wasn’t some collection of themes from Hammer films. I find those always put me in the right mindset for working on horror. I’m even doing a bit of that right now.
ToW: How does this story compare to the rest of your work? Have you taken a different approach to this than usual, in any way?
CLW: I think Lady of Sorrows is a very good story and hope I’ve put enough twists and turns in there to keep the readers guessing. Each book I tackle offers its own trials and tribulations, so I’m not confident I’d claim there is any ‘usual’ when it comes to writing. Even with extensive plotting, you can still be surprised when you get down to details. Little things that don’t work out as smoothly in execution as you’d planned, which inevitably leads to revisions. I’m rather happy with how the novel finished and while I’d still give an edge to Castle of Blood as being the best thing I’ve written since The Black Plague, Lady of Sorrows is, I feel, the best work I’ve done for Age of Sigmar outside of Warhammer Horror.
ToW: What do you hope Age of Sigmar fans will get out of this by the time they’ve finished it, besides a great story?
CLW: I’d like to think I’ve developed the realm of Shyish a bit more for them. Perhaps not the right word for the Realm of Death, but more vibrant as it were. Each of the Mortal Realms has its own character, but there’s a lot that can be done within that character. If I’ve done anything beyond tell a good story, I’d want it to be to let fans look at Shyish in a different way. To consider for a moment how people and creatures can survive in a place dominated by the forces of Nagash.
ToW: Is this a standalone story, or do you think you might return to these characters or locations in future?
CLW: The story is very much self-contained. There’s always a chance I could return to some of these characters and places though. I’ve even slipped some references to the Twinned Towns in more recent work, but if I say more than that I’m apt to be paid a visit by Glaivewraiths.
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Thanks as always to Clint for taking the time to answer these questions. You can find loads more interviews with Clint and reviews of his stories by clicking here.
Lady of Sorrows will be available to pre-order from the 4th July.
Click here if you fancy taking a look at some other Rapid Fire interviews. If you have any questions, comments or other thoughts please do let me know in the comments below, or find me on Twitter.