Category Archives: Interviews

Matthew Farrer Talks Urdesh – Part One

Welcome to part one of this in-depth interview, where I’m genuinely delighted to be talking to author Matthew Farrer and going into quite a lot of detail discussing his Urdesh duology from Black Library. After something of a long gestation, Urdesh: The Serpent and the Saint was released in June 2021, followed a few months later by Urdesh: The Magister and the Martyr. Between them these two books – telling a single overarching story, really – explore a crucial part of the Sabbat Worlds Crusade from a brand new perspective, as the Iron Snakes and Saint Sabbat lead the armies of the Imperium in the war for Urdesh against the forces of the Anarch. With both books now available in paperback, it seemed the perfect moment to chat to Matthew about the unusual journey that this story has taken and the books that are available now as a result.

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RAPID FIRE: Alec Worley Talks The Wraithbone Phoenix

For today’s Rapid Fire author interview I’m delighted to welcome the brilliant Alec Worley to talk about his new Warhammer Crime novel The Wraithbone Phoenix, which is out now from Black Library. If you enjoyed the audio drama Dredge Runners then you’ll be very happy to know that the odd-couple ratling/ogryn duo of Baggit and Clodde are back with a new adventure, but even if not there’s a lot to enjoy with this fun but deceptively dark new crime novel. I’ve read it, and can confirm that it’s brilliant! Read on to find out more about the story, the characters and some of the book’s key themes, along with some of the books, films and other visuals that had an influence on its creation – everything from Elmore Leonard to Wallace and Gromit!

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RAPID FIRE: Denny Flowers Talks Outgunned

Hello and welcome to this Rapid Fire author interview where today I’m chatting to the excellent Denny Flowers about his new Black Library book Outgunned, which is a 40k novel exploring the Aeronautica Imperialis from an unexpected angle. Outgunned is out now, and I would urge you to check it out – I was lucky enough to get hold of an advance copy (thanks Denny!) and I loved it, and I think this is really going to be one to watch for a lot of Black Library fans keen to get something a little different to what’s gone before. Luckily, you don’t have to take my word for it, as you can read on to find out more from Denny about what to expect in this fast-paced story of planes, picts and propaganda (including the influence of Blackadder on both characters and tone)!

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AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Peter McLean Talks War for the Rose Throne

Hello and welcome to this Track of Words author interview, where today I’m thrilled to welcome Peter McLean back to the site to talk about his brilliant fantasy series The War for the Rose Throne. The fourth and final book in the series – Priest of Crowns – is now out, and it brings the series to a brilliant conclusion, so I thought it was a good moment to chat to Peter and look back at the series now that it’s finished. We talked a little bit about what readers can expect from this final book, but the main focus of the interview is on the series as a whole, from planning and writing to characters and themes. There’s nothing particularly spoilery here, so whether you’ve been following the War for the Rose Throne from the beginning or you’re just about to take the plunge, check this out for a fascinating insight into one of the absolute best fantasy series of recent times!

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AUTHOR INTERVIEW: David Towsey Talks Equinox

Hello and welcome to this Track of Words Author Interview, where I’m joined by the excellent David Towsey – we’ve spoken before about his role as one half of writing duo D.K. Fields and the brilliant Tales of Fenest trilogy, but today we’re chatting about his new solo novel Equinox, which is out now from Head of Zeus. An intriguing fantasy novel with some pretty dark moments and a genuinely fantastic central concept, Equinox is one of those books that really gives the reader a lot to think about – I’ve read it, and I loved it. I’m delighted to be able to talk to David about what readers can expect from the book, where that clever concept came from, and loads more!

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AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Ren Hutchings Talks Under Fortunate Stars

Hello and welcome to this Track of Words Author Interview, where today I’m delighted to be chatting to Ren Hutchings about her debut novel Under Fortunate Stars, which is out this week from Solaris. A brilliant space opera full of great characters, accidental time travel, corporate bureaucracy and unwilling heroes, this book is full of mystery and warmth and wonder, and I absolutely loved it. I couldn’t be happier to have the chance to talk to Ren about the story, the setting and some of the themes she’s explored within it, so read on to find out more about this fantastic new science fiction novel (and make sure you keep going right to the end, where you’ll find a link to an original song that Ren has collaborated on, to accompany the book’s release).

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AUTHOR INTERVIEW: CL Werner Talks Three Swords

Hello and welcome to this Track of Words Author Interview where today I’m welcoming back the fantastic CL Werner to talk about Three Swords, his latest novel in the Marvel: Legends of Asgard range from Aconyte Books. This is his second book in the series, after The Sword of Surtur, but it concentrates on a different set of characters from last time and broadens its horizons to take in much more of the Ten Realms…including one location that comes complete with dinosaurs! Three Swords is out right now in ebook, with the paperback editions coming soon, so read on to find out more about the latest adventures of the Warriors Three, then get your order placed and get ready for action and adventure!

Without further ado then, let’s get on with the interview.

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AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Ron Walters Talks Deep Dive

Hello and welcome to this Track of Words Author Interview, where today I’m chatting to Ron Walters about his debut novel Deep Dive, which is out now from Angry Robot! A science fiction thriller exploring virtual reality, video game development, the costs of creativity and the difficulties of juggling work and family, this promises to be a fascinating novel that I think will resonate with a lot of people. It’s out now from Angry Robot books, so read on to find out more about the inspiration and influences that went into writing it, Ron’s journey to being published, and the importance of featuring parental figures in SFF.

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AUTHOR INTERVIEW: T.R. Napper Talks 36 Streets

Hello and welcome to this Track of Words Author Interview where I’m delighted to welcome the fantastic T.R. Napper back to the site, to talk about his debut novel 36 Streets, which is out now (in ebook/audiobook – paperback coming soon) from Titan Books. We’ve talked before about his phenomenal short story anthology Neon Leviathan, and since reading that I’ve been hoping for more…so a full novel is very welcome indeed (and let me tell you – it’s so, so good!). Fans of science fiction – and cyberpunk in particular – will find an awful lot to enjoy in 36 Streets, and in this interview we cover what to expect from the novel and how it fits in with the short stories in Neon Leviathan, and delve into some of the characters and themes of the book.

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RAPID FIRE: Justin D. Hill Talks The Bookkeeper’s Skull

Hello and welcome to this Rapid Fire author interview, where today I’m delighted to welcome Justin D. Hill back to Track of Words to discuss his new Warhammer Horror novel The Bookkeeper’s Skull. Alongside his excellent historical fiction (written under Justin Hill, without the D), many Black Library fans will be familiar with Justin for the excellent work he’s done tackling the Cadians (three novels, several short stories and counting), but The Bookkeeper’s Skull is in fact his fifth BL novel, and his first in the Warhammer Horror range. It’s available to buy right now in hardback, ebook and audiobook formats, so if you’re keen to explore the darker side of Warhammer 40,000 and life in the Imperium, then read on to find out more about this intriguing new novel!

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