Welcome to this Track of Words Author Interview, 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.
In this instalment I spoke to the ever-prolific Josh Reynolds about his new book Wrath of N’Kai, the first Arkham Horror novel to be published by Aconyte Books. It’s due to be released as an ebook on the 1st September, with a US paperback edition released the same day and the UK paperback edition due on the 1st October. If you like a good occult detective story with a strong sense of 1920’s pulpy noir, this should be right up your street!
Without further ado, over to Josh…
Track of Words: How would you describe your new novel Wrath of N’Kai?
Josh Reynolds: Cosmic horror filtered through a pulp-thriller lens. Or maybe action-horror. There’s gunfights, double-crosses, gangsters, cultists, monsters and mayhem. Basically everything I like in a book!
ToW: Without spoiling anything, who are the main characters and what do we need to know about them?
JR: Our protagonist is Countess Alessandra Zorzi, international adventurer and thief. Newly arrived in Arkham, she soon finds herself caught between her mysterious client, the police, and a society of necrophagic connoisseurs as she searches for a resurrected mummy and the star-born terror gestating within it.
ToW: Can you tell us a little about the Arkham Horror world in which this story is set?
JR: The books – and the game they’re based on – are set in witch-haunted Arkham, which originated in the works of HP Lovecraft and was further expanded on by many other authors. It’s a Prohibition-era New England town with a dark history and black secrets, where the streets are haunted by sinister cults and worse.
As ancient gods stir, the town becomes the epicenter of their nightmarish schemes and unlikely heroes must rise to confront the evil that threatens Arkham and the world.
ToW: Were you already a fan of Arkham Horror before writing this, or was it your introduction to the setting?
JR: Oh yeah, definitely. It’s one of my favorite board games, though I haven’t played the newest edition. Taking an hour or so to set up all those boards and cards and then getting eaten by Azathoth in around twenty minutes – perfection.
That’s not sarcasm, by the way. I really do love that aspect of it. The unforgiving nature of the game, combined with the random selection of Great Old One, et al. made for some truly entertaining evenings.
ToW: Where did this specific story come from? Of all the Arkham Horror stories you might have written, what made you want to write a mystery/heist story in particular?
JR: I wanted to do something that combined my love of occult detective fiction with the monster-heavy cosmic horrors of the game, but also avoided the fairly worn trope of a Chandleresque hardboiled detective encountering a shoggoth. Alessandra is a character I’ve had in mind for some time, and this story seemed perfect for her. Her lack of experience with the supernatural would mirror the reader’s, allowing me to slowly reveal the horrors lurking in Arkham’s shadowed streets.
As far as writing a heist story, well that was another thing I’ve been wanting to do for a long time. While this story isn’t a traditional heist, it has many of the same elements, and I had great fun playing with them.
ToW: What about the ‘gentlewoman thief’, Alessandra Zorzi – what was the inspiration behind her character?
JR: Oh too many to name. Largely, she’s the result of my fascination with other literary thieves – Rocambole, Arsene Lupin, Raffles, Irma Vep, Parker, Dortmunder…the list goes on. I like tricky characters; ones who’d rather talk their way out of a jam than fight.
Alessandra can fight, if pressed, but she’d much rather snoop and scheme and sneak, which are things I’d much rather write about, so it works out well!
You can read more occult detective stories from Josh in his Royal Occultist series
ToW: You’re well known as a fan of the occult detective story – could you tell us about who or what your main influences were when writing this novel?
JR: Again, too many to count! In this case, it was mainly the works of the late CJ Henderson, as well as Manly Wade Wellman. Both were adept at creating characters who were instantly likeable and interesting, and then throwing them into battle with unknowable horrors – something I tried to emulate with this book. I hope it worked!
ToW: What do you hope readers will get out of this by the time they’ve finished it?
JR: Honestly? An entertaining few hours. I’d like to pretend I’m writing something for the ages, but the truth is – well, I think Stephen King said it best: I’m cooking hamburgers. I like to think they’re good hamburgers, but they’re still hamburgers.
I want readers to have fun, and to lose themselves for a little while in the stories I create. And if I can manage that, I think I’ve done my job.
ToW: Do you think you might revisit these characters for more stories in future?
JR: I’d love to, but that’s going to be up to the readers! If you enjoy the book, please let Aconyte know you’d like to see more of Alessandra’s adventures.
ToW: Can you tell us anything about what else you’ve got coming out from Aconyte, or what you’re working on at the moment?
JR: I’ve got a Legend of the Five Rings novel, Poison River, coming out later this year. It’s the first book in what they’re calling the ‘Daidoji Shin Mysteries’. In it, a louche Crane aristocrat investigates a case of attempted sabotage that spirals into blackmail and murder.
And I’ve just finished working on another big project for Aconyte, but unfortunately I can’t talk about it yet – though by the time this interview goes up it’ll probably have been announced! It’s unlike anything I’ve ever worked on before, and I’m excited to see how it’s received.
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Huge thanks as always to Josh for taking the time to answer these questions. For more information, check out my review of Wrath of N’Kai – I had a blast reading it, and can highly recommend it!
If you’re not familiar with Aconyte, they’re the publishing arm of Asmodee Games, and this is the very first novel in their new line of books. Head over to aconytebooks.com to find out more about the worlds that are going to be brought to life in a whole range of books coming soon, including more Arkham Horror stories.
Click here if you fancy taking a look at some other Author Interviews. If you have any questions, comments or other thoughts please do let me know in the comments below, or find me on Twitter.
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