Copy of Interview with Henrik Rohdin, author of The Oaken King
Tell us a little about your new book:
My new book is “The Oaken King,” intended to be the first novel and jumping off point for a forthcoming dark fantasy series called the Soulsword Cycle. I’ve only written science fiction previously, for the most part, but I’ve read considerably more fantasy over the years so this is in a way me returning to my roots. The book follows about 6 different POV characters as they navigate the aftermath of a demonic attack early in the story that decapitates the leadership of an alliance of kingdoms called the Oaken Pact, or as I like to call it when I talk about the book, “medieval NATO.” You’ve got your standard plucky orphan thrust out into the wild world, in this case a stableboy named Soren, but I also have some characters I’m really excited about hailing from cultures based on non-Western European sources. My personal favorite is a swordswoman from a desert culture inspired by the Bedouins named Naqah, who is hired by a strange priest to escort him as he investigates the cause of the demonic attack, and a plotline that is almost all table-setting for future books featuring Koyik, a Ranger up in the frozen north who hails from a people based on the Inuit, who is torn between her faith and her people’s culture and heads on a scouting mission that goes terribly awry. There are some fun worldbuilding surprises I’ve got waiting for readers, as I don’t use any stock fantasy races, but you’ll recognize where I’ve drawn inspiration for some of my creatures and cultures from more non-traditional sources.
Who are some authors who inspire you?
Without a doubt the fantasy gold standard for me is Tad Williams, specifically the “Memory, Sorrow and Thorn” trilogy that I devoured as a teenager. It’s a series that everyone has heard of but has sort of fallen by the wayside since it was released due to the popularity of some of its derivates like Game of Thrones (George RR Martin was inspired by Williams before setting out to write ASOIAF) or The Wheel of Time, which similarly mixes traditional high fantasy with more serious grounding. The vibe of Williams’ trilogy as well as A Song of Ice and Fire are definitely what I’m aiming for with the forthcoming Soulsword Cycle. I haven’t exactly been shy over the years in broadcasting my admiration for Tad Williams when discussing my writing publicly, and getting to interact with him on a Reddit AMA when his sequel trilogy “The Last King of Osten Ard” was a huge fanboy moment and highlight for me!
Lord of the Rings or Game of Thrones?
I’ve always loved Lord of the Rings and grew up watching the trilogy frequently, even binging the whole extended edition one New Year’s Eve with my dad when I was in high school. That said, the aesthetic of Game of Thrones fits my writing style more; grittier, more grounded settings, a little darker overall. I’ve studiously avoided stock fantasy races like elves or dwarves, because personally I think Tolkein set the bar and everyone else is a pale imitator when it comes to those two.
Tell us a little about some of your writing process:
I love the actual writing piece, sitting down and trying to come up with how to phrase a sentence, poring over my notes and outlines, that “aha!” moment when I have a new idea I hadn’t considered. Marketing is a huge pain in the rear, though, and is my greatest (and it is quite substantial) Achilles heel. I’m terrible at online marketing and figuring out how to get attention for my novels. Working on that, though!
What’s next on the horizon?
I’m working on the sequel to the “Oaken King” right now, tentatively titled “The Swordmaid of Harash.” I plan on eventually finishing my original flagship series, the “League of Planets Adventure,” which only has a seventh book left, but after writing the sixth entry in that series I was so burned out I wanted to try my hand at something new… so of course I dabbled in epic fantasy, an even more challenging genre! Then we’ll see! I tend to follow my muse wherever it takes me. A big goal of mine is to invest more time into trying to build a reader base with such a substantial backlist.
Where can readers find more:
Readers who are interested in following what’s next from me are welcome to follow me at:
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/henrikrohdinauthor/
Twitter - @HenrikRohdin
I also am fairly active on the r/fantasy subreddit under the handle KingSweden24.
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A new fantasy series!
A new fantasy series?
Maybe... Maybe...
So I had an idea while driving from Tennessee back to Kentucky this Labor Day. I've been thinking of ways to incorporate new and exciting magic systems into my fantasy writing and well, I might have it figured out.
Here's the pitch: this new fantasy series will surround characters who are 'Shadowliths' - gifted with the ability from birth (or perhaps learned as well) to consciously take the form of their shadow and go about doing things. Fantasy things. I like this magic system for a few reasons. Firstly, it makes an interesting circumstance arise: the caster can only control his / her shadow during the daylight. The night does not provide enough light to make substantial shadows after all. Putting such an ominous feeling magic system into a new fantasy setting where they only have power in the day seems oddly refreshing to me. I'd expect a shadow-based fantasy magic to be more powerful at night, not less.
Secondly, I like the idea of the shadowlith going into a stupor while controlling the shadow. A lot of fantasy worlds (DnD, WoW, etc.) feature absurdly powerful wizards casting spells until they run out of strength, energy, favor, mana, etc. Until their spell power is fully drained, they are basically immortal. I'd love to see casters made incredibly vulnerable by their art. That could be a great twist on a fantasy staple which I have personally never read before.
So did I try it yet? Of course! I've officially begun work on a side-project fantasy book (or maybe novella, who knows?) which I tentatively call: "The Shadowlith" - cheesy title but I'll probably change it.
Maybe I'll have something ready for the publisher in the next 6 months, but it isn't likely. I'd bet this idea won't be fully fleshed out until the fall / winter of 2017.
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