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.
For this interview I spoke to David Annandale, whose new novel Curse of Honor is his first from Aconyte Books, and kicks off their new range of Legends of the Five Rings fiction. It’s published in the US (in paperback) and as an ebook on the 6th October, while the UK paperback is due out in November. If you fancy a bit of fantasy horror, and whether or not you’re already familiar with this particular setting, I can strongly recommend this great novel!
Don’t just take my word for it, though. Here’s David to tell us more…
Track of Words: How would you describe your new novel Curse of Honor?
David Annandale: In the dangerous border region between Rokugan and the Shadowlands, the heir to the throne of Striking Dawn Castle discovers the ruins of a mysterious city. He is so eager to prove himself that he unintentionally unleashes supernatural horror on his family and the castle.
ToW: Without spoiling anything, who are the main characters and what do we need to know about them?
DA: The aforementioned heir is Haru. As a warrior, he has been a disappointment to all, most particularly to himself. He is obsessed with proving that he is worthy of his political position, and this clouds his judgement, even though he means well.
His opposite number is Barako, a lieutenant at Striking Dawn castle, and like Haru, a member of the Takeguchi family of the Crab Clan. She is as sober and skilled an officer as Haru is hot-headed, and it increasingly falls on her to avert the disaster Haru has unleashed, all of which comes at a great emotional cost to her.
ToW: For anyone who isn’t already familiar with it, can you tell us a little about the Legend of the Five Rings (L5R) world in which this story is set?
DA: The world of the game and the books is Rokugan, an empire that draws its inspiration from feudal Japan. It’s a world of magic and supernatural creatures, and of deeply complex political struggles.
ToW: Were you already a fan of L5R before writing this, or was it your introduction to the setting?
DA: This was my introduction to the setting, and I immediately fell in love with the world. Have I mentioned how gorgeous and wonderfully detailed the game books are? Because they really, really are.
ToW: You’re well known as a big horror fan – was it always the plan to write a fantasy horror story once you knew you were going to work in the L5R setting, or did the horror element develop as you planned the story out?
DA: That was certainly always the angle I had in mind for Curse of Honor, but that was just one of several ideas I came up with when I was asked to pitch something for the setting, and the others had different emphases. But yes, once it was decided that this was the story to go with, I wanted to go full-out with the horror in a fantasy setting. I find mixture of the two an interesting challenge (horror and science fiction have a much more natural symbiosis, I think), and it’s one I like taking a run at whenever I can. And I think the setting of Legend of the Five Rings provides some very rich material for the fusion of fantasy and horror.
ToW: There’s a strong element of clan/house politics in this story too. You’ve explored this sort of subject in some of your Black Library stories as well – what appeals to you about including political elements in your writing?
DA: Political conflicts, with their intersecting, multiple agendas and the way the personal and the large-scale are deeply entwined, are great engines for drama. Political needs can distort personal relationships, and personal concerns can create disasters that affect the many. Writing about political conflicts is like being able to play recklessly with volcanoes — lots of fun.
David’s 2019 Warhammer Horror novel The House of Night and Chain
ToW: Where did you look for influences outside of the game itself, when writing this? Did anything inspire you in particular?
DA: I would have to say the spirit of such films as Onibaba (1964) and Kuroneko (1968) had an influence. And I can hardly write about a snow-bound, isolated setting with a horrible threat without acknowledging the shadow of both the 1951 and 1982 versions of The Thing.
ToW: What do you hope readers will get out of this by the time they’ve finished it?
DA: At the most obvious level, I hope they’ll find an exciting, scary story with characters that will matter to them. If they’re L5R fans, I hope they’ll feel I’ve done justice to the setting. I’m also trying to explore (in the sense of asking questions, but not necessarily finding answers) themes about the individual’s responsibility to themselves, to their society, and vice versa.
ToW: Do you think you might revisit these characters for more stories in future?
DA: I would certainly like to. I’ve already been roughing out a synopsis for a follow-up. So we’ll see.
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?
DA: My next book with Aconyte is The Harrowing of Doom, my first Doctor Doom novel, and I cannot tell you how much it means to me to have had the chance to write about my absolute favourite Marvel Comics character. I’ve recently completed another Warhammer Horror novel for Black Library, and just turned in an Age of Sigmar novel. Watch this space!
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Thanks as always to David for taking the time to answer these questions and give us all the lowdown on his new novel. If you haven’t already, you can read my review of Curse of Honor right here.
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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