With The Fate Of Silent Gods (hardcover, Kindle, audiobook), author Scott Drakeford is presenting the second installment of his secondary-world fantasy series The Age Of Ire.
In the following email interview, Drakeford talks about what inspired and influenced this epic military fantasy novel, as well as how he hopes the in-progress third book is not the end of the story.
For people who didn’t read the first book, Rise Of The Mages, what is that story about, and when and where is The Age Of Ire series set?
Well, in essence Rise Of The Mages is about a young man going to extraordinary lengths to save his brother after he is kidnapped. It’s a secondary-world fantasy that is my take on character-driven military fantasy.
If you’re looking for a longer, catchier version, I really can’t do better than the marketing copy that my editor and I revamped recently:
A young warrior and his improbable band of allies face impossible odds as they seek to rescue his brother from the servants of the Fallen God.
Emrael Ire is a student of war with lofty ambitions, despite being so poor his boots are more hole than leather. He and his talented younger brother Ban work hard to build themselves a better life at the Citadel, a school that specializes in both infusori Crafting and military arts.
Their lives are upended when the power-hungry Lord Governor of the neighboring province invades the school with the help of a sinister sect of priests devoted to the newly awakened Fallen God Of Glory. Many of the infusori Crafter students are captured — including Ban.
Though Emrael stands little chance against the Lord Governor and his armies, he’s desperate to save his brother ― even if that means accepting the help of allies with uncertain motives, or becoming a practitioner of a forbidden magic. There is nothing he won’t sacrifice to save his brother, but what happens when the cost of success is not his to pay?
And then, for people who have read Rise Of The Mages, and thus can ignore me writing SPOILER ALERT, what is The Fate Of Silent Gods about, and when and where is it set in relation to Mages?
The Fate Of Silent Gods is an immediate (plus or minus a few months) continuation of Rise Of The Mages.
Emrael and the gang have stirred up a lot of shit, and now they have to answer for it.
Where Rise was meant to feel like a classic fantasy quest to introduce the characters, world, and conflict, Fate jumps straight into epic military / political fantasy in the vein of a Bernard Cornwell or even The Wheel Of Time (minus the thousands of side quests).
When in relation to writing Rise Of The Mages did you come up with the idea for The Fate Of Silent Gods, and what gave you the idea of this second book?
Well, Rise Of The Mages was intentionally written to be the inciting incident for The Age Of Ire series from the beginning. I think readers of Rise will not be surprised to find that the actions of Emrael et al have sparked a wider conflict, and I hope they will be pleased to further explore the vast world that we see in bits and pieces in Rise.
As you said, Rise Of The Mages is a secondary-world fantasy story. Is The Fate Of Silent Gods one as well?
Fate is much more “epic” than Rise was, honestly. With Rise, I essentially tried to write a thriller in a fantasy world. Where Rise is something of a peep show with respect to the tech and world that Emrael and friends live in, Fate scores at least a few bases. Love it or hate it, Fate is where the Ire series truly becomes an epic military fantasy. The Wheel Of Time practically raised me, and I’m a huge fan of big stories going down in big worlds.
So, are there any writers, or specific stories, that had a big influence on The Fate Of Silent Gods but not on anything else you’ve written, and especially not Rise Of The Mages?
Oh, that’s a great question, because I think books in series tend to get lumped together, when I prefer that they live as very distinct (though obviously very related) stories.
I already mentioned him, but Bernard Cornwell had a huge influence on Fate specifically. His Saxon Stories series is astounding. TV watchers will know it as The Last Kingdom. I don’t recall exactly how many books are in the series, but I want to say it’s something like 15 or 16. We follow the story of Uhtred, son of Uhtred, from birth to old age as he loses and then fights to regain his birthright. Each book is basically just a series of battles, but Cornwell manages to make each extremely compelling and suspenseful. I really loved the series from start to finish.
I read those books after I wrote Rise and while writing Fate, and though the story already had a pretty well-defined trajectory, anyone who reads both will undoubtedly note some resemblance in the (many) fight scenes.
I will say, though, that I have no desire to drag my series out to 15+ books.
How about non-literary influences; was The Fate Of Silent Gods influenced by any movies, TV shows, or games?
I loved Peaky Blinders, and the morally-gray but tight-knit group fighting to build an empire for themselves out of nothing really resonated with me. I don’t think the show really influenced the structure or any specific element of either book, but I wanted the feel of my series to echo Peaky Blinders after watching it.
And then what about your dogs, Sabre and Canela? How did they influence The Fate Of Silent Gods?
Actually, I just lost my two dogs this year. It’s been a very rough year, I miss them dearly. They were my wife’s and my first “children,” and we were very fortunate to have them for 14 wonderful years. They often sat at (or on) my feet as I wrote the early drafts of the book. They didn’t directly influence the books, as I chose not to write in animal companions (yet?), but they indirectly influenced me and my work significantly.
Sabre, Canela
Now, as we’ve been discussing, The Fate Of Silent Gods is the second book in The Age Of Ire series. But is this series an ongoing one or is it a set number of books…?
Sci-fi / fantasy publishers tend to make deals in threes…sometimes in twos. Debut contracts like mine are very often for three books, and this being a series, was therefore assumed to be a trilogy.
At one point, I had hoped that the books would sell well enough to entice my publisher to pay me to write more books in the series. That would have required truly magnificent sales numbers, however, and unfortunately that hasn’t happened yet. I’ll never give up on this series, but as of right now it looks like the series will be complete at the end of book 3. I do have one card up my sleeve that I’m hoping might give me a second chance at making it a longer series, though. Perhaps 4 or 5 books if I get my way.
Either way, I’ve got solid plans for the end and how to get there. We’ll see.
And do you know yet what the third book will be called and when it’ll be out?
The last book in the planned trilogy is tentatively called Temple Of The Fallen, but I consider that a working title for now. I have not completed the book, but I anticipate it’ll be out early 2026 or so.
Earlier I asked if The Fate Of Silent Gods was influenced by any movies, TV shows, or games. But to flip things around, do you think Gods — and, by extension, Rise Of The Mages and whatever Temple Of The Fallen ends up being called — could work as a series of movies, a TV show, or game?
The Age Of Ire series would kick ass as an HBO or FX miniseries. One season per book.
And if HBO or FX wanted to make that miniseries, who would you want them to cast as Emrael and the other main characters?
Oh god. I don’t fucking know. I’m not one of those writers that writes with an actor in mind. These stories are wholly my own.
I’m also a big fan of shows that give lesser known (to me, anyway) talent the opportunity to shine and make the show about the story and not about the leading actors. And frankly, I just don’t know any actors in their 20s that would work well off the top of my head.
So, is there anything else you think people need to know about The Fate Of Silent Gods or The Age Of Ire series?
I do not write “clever,” know-it-all characters. I realize that these types are very popular in fiction these days, but truthfully, I can’t stand them. I much prefer characters who make mistakes, have real flaws, and find ways to succeed anyway.
I write about complicated people chasing difficult dreams in tough circumstances. I weave in themes and moral conundrums that interest me, and express my sense of wonder at the natural world and humankind’s ability to harness natural power via technology…and magic.
Finally, if someone enjoys The Fate Of Silent Gods, and they’ve already read Rise Of The Mages, what epic fantasy novel or novella of someone else’s would you suggest they check out next while waiting for Temple Of The Fallen or whatever to come out?
I recommend his books far too often, and god knows he doesn’t need the ego boost, but Richard Swan’s Empire Of The Wolf series suits my current tastes nearly perfectly. The Justice Of Kings is a good debut, but the second and third books in the series [The Tyranny Of Faith and The Trials Of Empire] are magnificent. The world, the characters, the writing, the strong horror undertones, everything is just so well done. The books have sold well already, but I think in ten years’ time they’ll be considered staples of the genre.
