Hannah got to sit down for a written interview with Cameron Johnston and discuss his book, The Last Shield, out today! Please go get this amazing book that features a “Gender-Flipped, Die Hard in a castle!!!”
- What made you want to become a writer?
I’ve always loved making up stories. Many of us did when we were kids playing with our toys (as opposed to us big kids who play with more expensive toys, RPG’s and writing), and it’s just something I’ve always enjoyed. Some people can look at a funny shaped rock and go “It’s just a rock” and some of us look at it and imagine it as a troll that wakes up and goes wandering at night. There is a kind of magic in that.
Also, I’ve read some bad books in my time and thought “If that got published, maybe I can too…” Turns out, yes you can, if you put enough work into improving your writing.
- What books inspired you to write?
The Dragonlance books, Conan stories by Robert E. Howard, and everything by David Gemmell certainly did, as well as The Weirdstone of Brisingamen by Alan Garner, and The Dark is Rising by Susan Cooper. I think my own fiction exists somewhere between all of those, taking influence from pulp swords and sorcery, heroic and epic fantasy, deep folklore and dark magic.
- Can you tell us a little bit about your book?
The Last Shield is being pitched as a Gender-Flipped Die Hard in a Castle, following Briar, the commander of Sunweald’s elite Shields, as she tries to guard the regent and realm against those who would do them harm. In the line of duty, she suffers a debilitating wound, and is forced to adapt to a new normal which is far from what she was before. Meanwhile, a band of brigands and traitors hatch a plot to invade the palace, capture those Briar is sworn to protect, and break open the arcane vault beneath the palace that houses magical artefacts of terrible power.
- What excites you most about your story?
The character journeys are always the thing that excites me the most, but wrapping all of that up in my love of Scotland combined with elements from my favourite Christmas movie? That was immense fun to write.
- Your main character Briar really leaps off the page (which, small spoilers, leaping may not be the best choice for her later on). What was it like writing her with all her challenges in this book?
It was a marvellous journey writing her character. Instinctively, I probably wanted to write somebody in the vein of John Wick, Conan, or Red Sonja, a real badass warrior charging in and cutting through the enemy. Except, I couldn’t with Briar. She had to pick and choose her battles and the terrain, use subterfuge and tools, and generally fight smart. When stairs are more of a problem than the axes of the enemy, it makes things very interesting for you as a writer.
- Again, small spoilers, she does have to fight through some physical pain. What made you decide to have Briar struggle physically throughout the book?
Over the years of reading fantasy, I have read many battles, but only rarely do you get to see the aftermath, the medical treatments, or the wounded and disabled warriors. Warfare was, and is, brutal, and it feels like that is not depicted as often as it should.
- Kester seems a bit of a mess at the beginning of this book. What can readers expect his journey to be?
He’s a teenager. We were all a mess at that age, and when you have all that wealth and privilege and those parasitic hangers-on, well, we have all seen how that can turn out for the entitled children of the super-rich. When events transpire to open his eyes, he realises that he does not want to be that person.
- I also really liked Alaric in the opening scenes. What inspired his character?
All too often, in real life and in fiction, the people in power are corrupt and self-serving. With Alaric, I just wanted somebody trying to do their best for everybody – even at the cost of his personal freedom and happiness. It felt refreshing to write a character forced into playing the game of politics, and even though he does it well, he hates it. He’s the sort of politician you wish you had.
- I was so impressed in your first few chapters how well you set the scene and really showed us the different character dynamics. Was it fun playing with different types of people who had different motivations and understandings of the world?
My previous book was The Maleficent Seven, starring seven thoroughly villainous characters, so The Last Shield was quite a departure from that, with a lot of people trying to do what they think is best, and others only out for themselves. Everybody is the main character of their own story, so it’s always good to remember that when you are writing characters, and especially ones who are not ‘your’ main character.
- I know this book promises dark magic and mystical creatures. I don’t want to spoil too much, but what did worldbuilding look like for you in this book?
It took a lot of inspiration from ancient Scotland: the landscape, the ancient places, archaeology and folklore. Mossy standing stones, dark forests, rugged terrain and ancient, crumbling castles mix well with ancestor-worship, rituals and magic. Also, an arcane vault made out of the fossilised remains of a dragon is just downright cool.
- What excites you most about your characters?
The chance to see how readers react to them – I really hope that they love Briar and loathe some of the others. Hopefully a few characters will surprise them.
- What made you interested to write about druids as main characters?
The thing about the druids in history is that we know astonishingly little about them. Their original knowledge and beliefs were an oral history that is now lost, save whatever survives in snippets of folklore and tradition. What was originally written down about them came from the Greeks and Romans, who were hardly unbiased second-hand sources so take all of what they wrote with a shovel of salt. As a writer, it is fascinating to take a little of those texts, a little archaeology, and later traditions and rituals and bake all of those ingredients into what could only ever be a fantasised version of them.
- What was something you struggled with in the writing process?
Time and energy management were hard with this one. Like most authors, I also have a day job, and due to staffing changes there it has been…well, it has been a whole time of it I won’t get into. Writing a whole novel takes a lot of time and mental energy, and both of those were in very short supply. It’s lucky that I enjoy writing…
- What was the publishing process like for you?
Smooth and entirely hassle-free. It’s not an exciting answer, and I have heard many horror stories from other authors, but the staff at Angry Robot Books have been nothing but supportive and incredibly enthusiastic throughout this whole journey. They get a big old gold star from me.
- What are you reading, watching, and/or enjoying?
At the moment I am reading Dirt Upon My Skin by Steve Toase, and A Sword of Bronze and Ashes by Anna Smith Spark. TV-wise, Ghosts US, and Resident Alien.
- Where can people find you and your book?
On Wednesdays We Read Podcast 
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