Ask the Author: Andy Peloquin
Answered Questions (31)
Andy Peloquin
Building a newsletter is the most powerful marketing method for sure. It allows me to connect directly with readers and engage with them as often as I want.
Andy Peloquin
Darkblade is usually the best starting place, the best intro to my world!
Andy Peloquin
It is already there! You can find it here: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...
Andy Peloquin
Yes! Tantor has signed a contract to produce all 15 books in the series.
Currently, the release dates for Reckoner and Voyager are:
Reckoner will be available 7/15/25.
Voyager will be available 8/26/25.
Currently, the release dates for Reckoner and Voyager are:
Reckoner will be available 7/15/25.
Voyager will be available 8/26/25.
Andy Peloquin
Absolutely happy to help!
My website has the two suggested reading orders: https://andypeloquin.com/pages/readin...
Darkblade is the one I usually recommend, but you can start with either Queen of Thieves or Silent Champions, too.
My website has the two suggested reading orders: https://andypeloquin.com/pages/readin...
Darkblade is the one I usually recommend, but you can start with either Queen of Thieves or Silent Champions, too.
Andy Peloquin
The Last Bucelarii was the very first incarnation of Darkblade, with Hero of Darkness being the second, the Defengers of Legends box sets being the collections, and Darkblade now the one and only.
If you don't read the old versions, you are missing nothing. The story remains the same overall, but tweaked and overhauled to be a much better experience.
Those who have read the original versions, though, will find the new-and-improved versions a fascinating look at the same character done in a slightly different way for a whole new reading experience.
If you don't read the old versions, you are missing nothing. The story remains the same overall, but tweaked and overhauled to be a much better experience.
Those who have read the original versions, though, will find the new-and-improved versions a fascinating look at the same character done in a slightly different way for a whole new reading experience.
Andy Peloquin
Hey Felipe, great question!
I have purposely AVOIDED creating a map of Einan because the minute I do, that's when I'm locked into the EXACT layout of the continent and all its many kingdoms and empires and city-states.
For the sake of creativity and building a more epic world, I like the ability to add new areas as I need or as adds to the story. For example, being able to explore Ghandia in Awakener or heading to the Nyslian wine country in future books/series.
Maybe one day, when I'm done with Darkblade and the Hunter has gone across his world-spanning adventure, I will make a map. But for now, the only map exists in our heads.
I have purposely AVOIDED creating a map of Einan because the minute I do, that's when I'm locked into the EXACT layout of the continent and all its many kingdoms and empires and city-states.
For the sake of creativity and building a more epic world, I like the ability to add new areas as I need or as adds to the story. For example, being able to explore Ghandia in Awakener or heading to the Nyslian wine country in future books/series.
Maybe one day, when I'm done with Darkblade and the Hunter has gone across his world-spanning adventure, I will make a map. But for now, the only map exists in our heads.
Andy Peloquin
I talk about it here: https://andypeloquin.com/we-need-to-t...
It just needed rewriting to be a better execution of the story I wanted to tell. With a lot more writing and storytelling experience under my belt, I knew I could do it MUCH better
It just needed rewriting to be a better execution of the story I wanted to tell. With a lot more writing and storytelling experience under my belt, I knew I could do it MUCH better
Andy Peloquin
I'm so glad you're loving it, and I'm hard at working making RECKONER as badass as I can. I'm 30 chapters/70,000 words in, and I think you'll be quite happy from Chapter 1 when you're introduced to the badass antagonists and the characters who end up traveling alongside the Hunter.
Honestly, I can't think of any pure fantasy books that feature a shapeshifter/facechanger as the protagonist. I know they're pretty commonly antagonists, with some secondary supporting characters, but none come to mind. SORRY!
Honestly, I can't think of any pure fantasy books that feature a shapeshifter/facechanger as the protagonist. I know they're pretty commonly antagonists, with some secondary supporting characters, but none come to mind. SORRY!
Andy Peloquin
So the Hunter really only gets his shapeshifting abilities going for him in Books 2 and beyond, and starts practicing it for real in the time gap between 4 and 5.
I don't ever really describe how much he can change, because he doesn't ever change much more than his face or a few appendages here and there.
I think of it as "if a demon can shift its ENTIRE shape, a half-demon will have roughly half the shapeshifting ability", with "half" being a loosely used term. So the Hunter is very limited in what he can do, because the Abiarazi magic that would enable him to shift shape can only work on small parts.
Given time, he could probably shift his whole body, but he'd have to do it piece by piece.
I don't ever really describe how much he can change, because he doesn't ever change much more than his face or a few appendages here and there.
I think of it as "if a demon can shift its ENTIRE shape, a half-demon will have roughly half the shapeshifting ability", with "half" being a loosely used term. So the Hunter is very limited in what he can do, because the Abiarazi magic that would enable him to shift shape can only work on small parts.
Given time, he could probably shift his whole body, but he'd have to do it piece by piece.
Andy Peloquin
The grand story arc of Hero of Darkness 1-6 are combined into Darkblade 1-4. However, though the grand arc remains the same, the individual stories and details have been hugely changed. You'll HAVE to read the new books in order to understand what's happening in Darkblade 5 and beyond, with the all-new Hunter stories.
Andy Peloquin
I won't pretend to be an expert--I am still learning and growing as a writer daily--but I guess my best piece of advice would be to learn when to trust yourself and your understanding of the characters. I'm a plotter and I may start a story with a set idea, but as the writing progresses, things change during the course of creation and I have to trust that my brain, my innate creativity, and my knowledge of who it is I'm writing is putting together pieces instinctively, and eventually my conscious mind will catch up and figure it out. Some of the best story elements have sprung from a half-formed idea that I came up with on the fly. Now, I've learned to trust myself to make the ideas work
Andy Peloquin
sadly, no. Podium did an amazing job with the Hero of Darkness series, but they aren't interested in redoing the updated DARKBLADE version. So it will just be in ebook and paperback for now
Andy Peloquin
I...don't know. I'm not sure how Goodreads runs it. There is the Different, Not Damaged page with an picture: https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/sho...
Hope that helps!
Hope that helps!
Andy Peloquin
Sex is VERY little, and pretty much no nudity. But the violence level is pretty high. They're much more adult-focused!
Andy Peloquin
I could. But it's hard to type without fingers
Andy Peloquin
I think it might be Camorr (from The Gentlemen Bastards). Something about watching those canal gladiator fights would be AMAZING!
Andy Peloquin
I set out to write the series as six books, which ended in Savior. But as I was reaching the end of Savior, I realized there was so much more story to tell. After all the Hunter finds out about (SPOILER) and the truth hidden from the world in the War of Gods, as well as the existence of his (SPOILER) who has gone off somewhere in Einan.
So officially, the first "story arc" of Hero of Darkness is complete with Darkblade Savior. Darkblade Justice opens a new arc, but it's sort of "between" Arc 1 (ending in Savior) and Arc 2 opening in Book 8 (title TBD). I intend to start working on more Darkblade books no later than 2020, and get more of the Hunter's adventures out for you to read.
But, you'll find that reading the Heirs of Destiny series is a good way to learn one more piece of the "puzzle" that the Hunter will have to put together to fulfill his oath to (SPOILER) in Darkblade Savior. You'll learn some very interesting things in Heirs of Destiny that will give you an idea as to how the Hunter will pull off the impossible. :D
So officially, the first "story arc" of Hero of Darkness is complete with Darkblade Savior. Darkblade Justice opens a new arc, but it's sort of "between" Arc 1 (ending in Savior) and Arc 2 opening in Book 8 (title TBD). I intend to start working on more Darkblade books no later than 2020, and get more of the Hunter's adventures out for you to read.
But, you'll find that reading the Heirs of Destiny series is a good way to learn one more piece of the "puzzle" that the Hunter will have to put together to fulfill his oath to (SPOILER) in Darkblade Savior. You'll learn some very interesting things in Heirs of Destiny that will give you an idea as to how the Hunter will pull off the impossible. :D
Andy Peloquin
LOVED Solomon Kane! Those were old-school fantasy books that totally drew me in back when I first started reading. Him, along with Conan, Kane (by Karl Edward Wagner), Glen Cook's The Black Company, Brent Weeks' Night Angel, and Scott Lynch's Gentlemen Bastards were probably the most influential on my series. And, of course, the epic plot twist in the last book of the Malazan series--it's what shaped my approach to the Beggar God in my world. :D
Andy Peloquin
I think there have been three authors that really influenced me most:
1. Brent Weeks -- I fell in LOVE with his Night Angel trilogy, but I wasn't a fan of the Kylar Stern character; I wanted more Durzo! There were so few fantasy novels that focused on an older (40+) assassin character rather than the more common (at the time) coming-of-age series. So I decided to write one! Thus, the Hunter of Voramis was born.
2. Scott Lynch -- Everything about his world--characters, religious system, worldbuilding, and cynical worldview--spoke to me. A lot of my stories have a similar vibe or atmosphere to his because it imprinted on me in a way that few other fantasy series ever have.
3. Brandon Sanderson -- When I find myself uncertain of where to go in a story or how to structure a sentence, I ask "What would Brandon Sanderson do?" Then I pop open one of his books (usually Stormlight Archives) and find an example that gives me an idea of how to proceed. Definitely more along the craft (grammar, sentence structure, syntax, etc.) than the story and character progression, though.
There have been many more--A.C. Doyle, E.R. Burroughs, C.S. Lewis, and the list goes on--but I'd say these three have been the most directly influential in my career thus far.
1. Brent Weeks -- I fell in LOVE with his Night Angel trilogy, but I wasn't a fan of the Kylar Stern character; I wanted more Durzo! There were so few fantasy novels that focused on an older (40+) assassin character rather than the more common (at the time) coming-of-age series. So I decided to write one! Thus, the Hunter of Voramis was born.
2. Scott Lynch -- Everything about his world--characters, religious system, worldbuilding, and cynical worldview--spoke to me. A lot of my stories have a similar vibe or atmosphere to his because it imprinted on me in a way that few other fantasy series ever have.
3. Brandon Sanderson -- When I find myself uncertain of where to go in a story or how to structure a sentence, I ask "What would Brandon Sanderson do?" Then I pop open one of his books (usually Stormlight Archives) and find an example that gives me an idea of how to proceed. Definitely more along the craft (grammar, sentence structure, syntax, etc.) than the story and character progression, though.
There have been many more--A.C. Doyle, E.R. Burroughs, C.S. Lewis, and the list goes on--but I'd say these three have been the most directly influential in my career thus far.
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