Up till now this blog of mine has been just about my personal opinions of stuff and a few videos, but this is something totally different. Thanks to the wonderful people at "Angry Robot" and the lovely author "Anna Kashina" I received an ARC for her new novel "The Blades of the Old Empire" which I read, liked and reviewed. So when I was offered the opportunity of interviewing the author for my blog by the same people I jumped to the opportunity and here is the result as I promised earlier -
Well, goodbye and I wish that your book does very well and hoping to see you again here in the future.
To know more about the lovely author and her works (including the new one of course) visit her interesting blog -
http://annakashinablog.wordpress.com/
PS: Hopefully other publishers that I reach through to by netgalley, angry robots and other sources will give me such opportunities for more interviews and stuff like this in the future.
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| Anna Kashina |
1) Welcome to the
blog. First tell us a bit your new novel "The Blades of the Old
Empire"?
Thank you for hosting me. It is great to have this
opportunity to talk about my new book.
“Blades of the Old Empire” is a fast-paced adventure fantasy
with elements of romance. It is centered around a power struggle between the
kingdom of Tallan Dar and the Kaddim Brotherhood, a dark older of sorcerers
planning to overthrow the king and restore the Old Empire. Prince Kythar, the
heir to the throne, possesses a magic gift that enables him to resist the
usurpers, so the conflict erupts around the prince. He and his protectors, the
Majat warriors, become the prime target for the Kaddim.
2) This is your first
book for "Angry Robots", so how does it feel to be a part of this
publishing house?
It has been really wonderful, right from the start. Working
with Angry Robot made me feel as part of a dynamic and powerful team--everyone
is so good at what they do, so that I can focus only on perfecting my story
with secure knowledge that somebody who is better at it than me will take care
of the rest. I think joining the Angry Robot family has been one of the best
things that happened to me, definitely in my writing life.
3) Assassins are kind
of common in these times in fantasy books, so what is different about your
protagonist "Kara"? Why would the readers feel connected to her and
the other main character "Kythar"?
Well, my assassins, the Majat, are more like elite
mercenaries, so they are very far from the traditional assassins of other
fantasy books. They are commonly hired as bodyguards, but as it turns out their
top ranks are also indispensable when it comes to a necessity to assassinate
someone--hence the name.
In this book, Kara serves in her capacity as a bodyguard to Prince
Kythar. In addition to being a kick-ass warrior she is also a very attractive
woman, and she is having trouble dealing with this combination. She also has
trouble dealing with the Majat code, which requires for her to follow orders no
matter what. I hope that this conflict makes her different, and interesting.
My book is somewhat unusual, because, while I consider Kara
to be the main protagonist, she has no point of view in the story. It is told
through the eyes of Kythar, who admires her. I am hoping this admiration will
reach far enough to make the readers feel connected with both her and Kythar. I
should also mention, however, that there are other characters in the book who
are nearly as major and very connectable to. I hope everyone would find a few
characters to enjoy.
4) You mentioned in
your opinion about the book that it is much different from your other books due
to its movement and action, so the magic system must be a key factor about
this. So can you tell us something about that?
True, the magic system in the Blades has to do with combat
for the most part. First the Majat: their top ranks, Diamonds, are faster and
stronger than regular humans, and these qualities are a form of magic of its
own, even though it is never emphasized in the kingdom where magic has been
forbidden for centuries. The bad guys, the Kaddim, cannot really stand up to
the Majat in a fight, but they counter their disadvantage by mastering mind
magic, which can make a person confused and disoriented and can all but disable
a Majat in battle. Prince Kythar’s magic upsets this balance. His ability comes
down to focus, making him able to resist the Kaddim’s mind control. Of course
he is no match for them in a fight, so it wouldn’t have been a problem, but at
the beginning of the book he manages to pass his Kaddim resistance to his
Diamond Majat bodyguard, Kara. This is how everything starts...
5) In every fantastic
setting "world-building" is a major aspect, so can you give us some
info on that regarding this book?
A lot of world-building went into the story, and most of it is
developed behind the scenes, so I am hoping I chose the right balance of how
much to put into the book. The world is a blend of cultures, with elements of
East and West, and everything in between. It has its own mythology and
folklore, and even distinct elements of matriarchal societies. The clearest
aspect of this that probably stands out in the story has to do with the Majat:
warriors who practice Eastern martial arts in a medieval European setting. I
hope the readers will find it different, and fun.
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| Cover of "Blades of the Old Empire" |
6) To work with
romance on fantasy setting is kind of a tricky business, please tell us how the
element of romance works in this book and how it will complement the overall
plot?
To me romance is an ultimate form of character development,
so the two major romances that thread this book became a natural part of the
story. It seemed so natural that, to be honest, I did not realize this was a
romantic fantasy until I finished the book. I think the main role the romance
plays in this book is by showing unexpected sides of two major characters who
are perceived differently by everyone else. For fear of spoilers, I will not
elaborate, but I do hope this creates the right expectations.
7) So, 2013 has been
great year for fantasy lovers, can you tell us about some of the books you read
or liked?
Out of the new releases in 2013 my favorites were probably
two books by Amy Raby, two installments in her Hearts and Thrones series: “Assassin’s
Gambit” and “Spy’s Honor”. They were published as romance novels, but to me
they read more like fantasy. I am eagerly awaiting the release of the third
book in the series.
My other recent favorite was N.K. Jemisin’s “The Hundred
Thousand Kingdoms”, but it came out earlier than 2013. I admire N. K. Jemisin’s
work.
8) So what to expect
from you after this novel? Can you give a little insight on your upcoming
projects?
I have just completed “The Guild of Assassins”, book 2 of
the Majat Code, and am now working on book 3. I do have some other unrelated
projects in the pipeline, but they are probably best left off from this
interview. Living in the world of the Majat Code has been fun, and I hope to be
able to develop the series further.
Well, goodbye and I wish that your book does very well and hoping to see you again here in the future.
To know more about the lovely author and her works (including the new one of course) visit her interesting blog -
http://annakashinablog.wordpress.com/
PS: Hopefully other publishers that I reach through to by netgalley, angry robots and other sources will give me such opportunities for more interviews and stuff like this in the future.
