Today I have the pleasure of interviewing Shami Stovall, author of Knightmare Arcanist, that I gushed about yesterday as part of the tour organized by WriteReads. Shami is a multi-award-winning author of fantasy and science fiction, with several best-selling novels under her belt. Before that, she taught history and criminal law at the college level, and loved every second. When she’s not reading fascinating articles and books about ancient China or the Byzantine Empire, Stovall can be found playing way too many video games, especially RPGs and tactics simulators.
It was wonderful to connect with her! Enjoy the interview, and get some insights about the book, without any spoilers! 🙂 You can click on my reading experience graphic below to check out my thoughts on the book.
Welcome to Armed with A Book, Shami! Thank you so much for this opportunity to chat with you and this wonderful book. 🙂
Thank you so much for having me!
- The world in Knightmare Arcanist is filled with mythical creatures. Humans and the creatures have the potential to have a very special bond. What made you want to pursue such a rich world?
As for the question, I think it stems from multiple places. First off, I love mythical creatures. Secondly, I love things like Pokemon, lol. Having cute companion characters are the best, and I wish more novels had them! So, I decided to combine all my loves and have a magic system based around bonding to creatures.
- What were the challenges of creating such a massive world, in cast and setting?
Like most fantasy novels, I think the biggest challenge comes from making everything feel lived in. This is a place where people conduct their lives, and if they have magic and creatures, how does that affect everything? The biggest challenge is having all the moving parts come together—eating, sleeping, travel, magic, people—how do they connect?
- How do you come up with the magical abilities of the eldrin and the powers of the arcanist? Is there a mythical creature that you are most proud of?
I’m the proudest of the knightmare—it was completely made for the story! For most other creatures, I based them on real-life creatures, so their powers came from those stories (ie – the phoenix having fire and the ability to heal).
- Though in the first book of the series, Volke and his friends have only covered a small part of the world, there are numerous hints to it being massive. Where the apprentice arcanists’ adventures take them next?
In the next book, the guild deals very heavily with the Dread Pirate Calisto—the man who took one of Illia’s eyes. It’s a nail-biting adventure, and even takes them to a pirate port!
- Pirates and the havoc they cause play an important role in this story. Do you have a favorite legend or story related to pirates, whether from this world or in general?
I loved learning about the Golden Age of Piracy back when I was getting my history degree. It was a fascinating time frame, and tales of Captain Kidd (along with many others) are both filled with adventure and hilarity.
- You are also a professor. Does your teaching and research work influence your writing?
It definitely helps with the research. I know some great places to find information on history, civilizations, and even cutting-edge technology. Those resources definitely make it easier to build a world.
- Are there any books that you would say influenced and inspired you for this series?
I would say How to Train Your Dragon, Unsouled, and the Codex Alera series are all great inspirations (and some Pokemon in there too, lol).
Thank you so much for having me! I really enjoyed stopping by!
Hope you enjoyed this interview with Shami Stovall! Connect with her on Twitter and Facebook. Check out her website for more information about her works.
** Knightmare Arcanist by Shami Stovall is now out in stores so get a copy and let me know what you think! **
Amazon Print
Amazon Kindle
(available on Kindle Unlimited)
Many thanks to the author and WriteReads for arranging this interview. Be sure to check out other blogs on this tour! Follow @The_WriteReads for related tweets
Cover image: Photo by Ricardo Cruz on Unsplash
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