Interview with Sarwat Chadda, author of ASH MISTRY AND THE CITY OF DEATH and ASH MISTRY AND THE WORLD OF DARKNESS

I am absolutely delighted to welcome back long-time friend of the Inkpot Sarwat Chadda, who is the author of the ASH MISTRY TRILOGY, a dark and thrilling MG fantasy that's been described as doing for Hindu mythology what PERCY JACKSON did for the gods of Olympus.

The second book in the trilogy - ASH MISTRY AND THE CITY OF DEATH - is released in the US on 29th October (just in time for Halloween, folks - great creepy read for those who don't like candy!) but those of us in the United Kingdom already know how the trilogy ends because ASH MISTRY AND THE WORLD OF DARKNESS was released here on 4th July (this is where I do a taunting dance of smug satisfaction to the US Inkpot readers - but don't worry, it'll be out Stateside next year).

UK cover for Book 1

The ASH MISTRY TRILOGY follows a normal British Indian teenage boy called Ash Mistry.  Overweight and under-exercised, Ash loves Dungeons and Dragons, computer games and being with his mates.  He hates India.  This is a shame because he and his younger sister Lucky have to spend a summer there with his archaeologist uncle who's carrying out a dig for the sinister Lord Savage.

An accident at the dig site sees Ash infected with a splinter from the aastra of Kali, the dread goddess of death.  He becomes her servant, the perfect agent of death, just as the world needs him.  For Lord Savage has dark plans for the world, plans that involve demons and demon kings, past lives and deadly futures ...

In this interview, my questions are in bold and Sarwat's answers are in italics.

I was at the UK book launch for ASH MISTRY AND THE CITY OF DEATH where you spoke about how the lack of Asian superhero characters and your love of Hindu mythology were both big inspirations for the ASH MISTRY TRILOGY.  Did you have a lightbulb moment when you worked out how to combine those two elements or was it a process of evolution?

I have my old notes so I can see the evolution of the idea from some generic supernatural detective story to something based on Indian mythology.  Then, the more I thought about the Indian setting, the more it just seemed RIGHT.  There was an insane amount of material.  You have the terrain which covered the Himalayas to the desert to ancient cities filled with temples to cyber-cities of the 21st century.  There was unbelievable wealth and extreme poverty and the conflict between an amazingly structured and traditional society trying to play catch-up to become a superpower.

The levels of conflict and contrast were so extreme, it was perfect.

What ended up in the trilogy is just a fraction of the brainstorm that happened at the beginning.

Interestingly, the Asian protagonist came a little later, and I'll be honest, I did have my concerns about the appeal of an ethnic hero and if it would end up being side-lined because people might think an Asian writing about an Asian set in Asia might end up having niche appeal.  Then I realised life was too short worrying about such things and just went for it.

US cover for Book 2

Your first two books were YA fantasy and ASH MISTRY is a middle grade trilogy.  Does the age group of the intended audience affect what you write and how you approach your writing?  I'm specifically interested because there are some spectacularly dark moments in the books (especially in ASH MISTRY AND THE WORLD OF DARKNESS, which had some scenes where I had to put it down and make myself some tea before coming back) and I was wondering how you came at that?

When I wrote DEVIL'S KISS I wasn't part of the publishing world and didn't know what YA was.  So when I wrote my first book I just had the idea that the heroine, Billi SanGreal, needed to be 15 based on parental and physical needs.  That's the age where you decide what sort of adult you'll be and the age when the scales fall from your eyes regarding your parents.  You start to see their flaws and, at one level, cannot forgive them for not being perfect.  Plus Billi's a highly trained warrior, so needed to be that much older so that it seemed believable she could kick ass so hard without having supernatural powers.

Those were the issues I wanted to bring out in my first series.  It was what it was.  The whole YA thing came up well after it had been written.

The ASH MISTRY TRILOGY wouldn't work that same way as my hero needed to be basically a bit crap.  That seemed to work for someone younger.  But he inhabits the same world as Billi SanGreal, so there was going to be a certain level of horror.  And let's face it, it's called THE WORLD OF DARKNESS for a reason.

Finally, regarding the issues with what is YA and MG, I really don't care.  It's just another form of age-banding which, frankly, was a stupid idea in the first place.


To paraphrase Doctor Who, I think a thousand reader advocates just punched the air and said "YES!".  [/grin]

Without going into spoilers, you really explore the different elements of Ash's character in ASH MISTRY AND THE WORLD OF DARKNESS.  Do you find that your characters are shaped by their choices and events as you write them or do you map out your characters in advance so their characteristics shape how they approach events?

UK cover Book 3

Oh, it has to be both.  I do believe in plotting and do plot quite detailed outlines but am always happy to go off piste if something better comes up.  Ash evolved over several drafts and with help from my editors.  The ending of the series was about enlightenment, what Ash realises about the nature of life and was heavily influenced by my mother's passing.  None of that existed when I first set out on writing the story.  The strain of mysticism just grew and Ash along with it.  In the end all my stories have had some religious aspect and that spills into the books whether I plan it or not.

The past lives were an interesting way of exploring Ash.  What is immortal about humanity?  Do we have fundamental, unchangeable values?

Who's your favourite character in the books and why?

Ash, obviously!  Firstly, he gave me all of history to play around with.  Plus it was great fun watching him develop.  It's been a great journey.

Close second (very close) is Parvati.  She made a perfect foil to Ash and there was an interesting twist with her being half-human, half-demon and not sure which side to be on and not having either side trust her.  One of the unexpected plot twists was her rise.  I never expected that!

The villain of the trilogy - Alexander Savage - would make my top 5 Evil Git List.  Just when you think he won't stoop any lower, he finds new despicable depths to plumb.  What makes a good villain?

Belief.  The villain must believe in his cause.  This is something I worked on in all my villains.  They all, very sincerely, believe they are making the world a better place.  They just need to get rid of the undesirable elements.  The best way to view the villain is as someone who could have been the hero but had just one flaw too many.

That's why the relationship between Savage and Ash is quite close.  Savage sees a lot of himself in Ash and he's not wrong.  It's just that Ash has restraint.  He's able to control his darker elements.  Savage surrendered to them long ago.

US cover Book 1

What are your top 3 tips for anyone out there looking at incorporating mythology or religious elements into their fiction?

I really believe in research.  I've read too many books where the writer just didn't know what they were talking about.  Sadly it's still an issue with children's and YA fiction.  It's lazy and insults the reader.  Firstly, if you are going to deviate from the standard text, do it because you choose to, not because you didn't know.

Secondly, only work on something you love.  That applies to everything in writing.  Try your best to ignore the market.

Lastly, develop a thick skin.  Someone, especially if you're dealing with religion, will take offence.  Ignore them.

Great advice and thank you so much for taking the time to stop by!

In the United Kingdom, the entire ASH MISTRY TRILOGY comprising:

- ASH MISTRY AND THE SAVAGE FORTRESS

- ASH MISTRY AND THE CITY OF DEATH

- ASH MISTRY AND THE WORLD OF DARKNESS

are available from Amazon, Waterstones and all good bookstores.

In the United States, ASH MISTRY AND THE SAVAGE FORTRESS is available to buy and ASH MISTRY AND THE CITY OF DEATH is available to order from Amazon, Barnes and Noble and all good bookstores.

Sarwat Chadda and Book 1!

What We're Reading

The Inkies have gone into fall with books in hand. You'll notice a lot of personal research, a variety of genres and target age levels, and above all, a lot of happy readers!

Here's what we're reading...

"At the top of my nightstand are two books: TEXTING THE UNDERWORLD by Ellen Booraem, which I heard about through the Inkpot and wanted to read immediately because of its fabulous title, and THE GOLEM AND THE JINNI by Helene Wecker, an adult fantasy that I picked up after two non-writer friends separately recommended it to me. For non-fiction, I'm in middle of the audiobook of SEAL TEAM SIX, one of a long line of military memoirs I'm reading for research. They tend to be quite good reads!" – Leah Cypress

"Other than a whole bunch of nonfiction research, I'm currently paging through Diana Wynne Jones' TOUGH GUIDE TO FANTASYLAND and giggling uncontrollably". – William Alexander

"I am lucky enough to be reading an advanced copy of DEATHSWORN by inkie Leah Cypress. It is fabulous! I am staying up way too late reading to find out what happens! It is about a sorceress who has lost her magic, sent to tutor magic to a secret sect of assassins -- and the two tutors sent before her both died under mysterious circumstances. Magic, mystery, intrigue, romance, this book has it all!" – Erin Cashman

"I’m reading RULES FOR GHOSTING by A.J. Paquette, which is so much fun I’m gonna go out and find me some ghosts. The POV flips back and forth between a sweet girl ghost and the nice boy human who just moved into her house, and at the moment a wacky and possibly evil “ghosterminator” has just arrived on the scene. I’m extremely nervous." – Ellen Booraem

"I'm actually concentrating on TRANSCENDENCE by CJ Omololu, and THE SCREAMING STAIRCASE by Jonathan Stroud right now, both brilliant fantasy novels!" – Keely Parrack

"I just finished reading MICHAEL VEY: THE PRISONER OF CELL BLOCK 25 which was a quick and exciting sci-fi for middle grade. This book seems to be exploding in popularity so I was eager to check it out and I’m glad I did. With a hero who has electrical powers, loyal friends, and a positive message, this was a fun read!" – Jennifer Nielsen

"I am reading PI IN THE SKY by Wendy Mass & breaking my brain on it! So creatively clever!!!" – Dawn Metcalf

"I am reading CINDER by Marissa Meyer which I picked up on sale at Oblong Books in Rhinebeck, NY. I am also reading BETWEEN THE LINES by Jennifer Murgia and PODS by Michelle Pickett. My attention has very scattered lately, like my book list." – Lisa Amowitz

"The last book I read, which I admit was not that recent but one I really enjoyed was TUESDAYS AT THE CASTLE by Jessica Day George. It was entirely charming and I think a sequel just came out." – Grace Lin

**Yes, Grace - she released WEDNESDAYS IN THE TOWER earlier this spring and it's wonderful!**

"I just finished listening to the audio book version of THE ADVENTURES OF HUCKLEBERRY FINN, read by Elijah Wood. He did an incredible job!"
– Nancy Holder

"I'm reading a book set in Paris: DIE FOR ME, by Amy Plum, which is one of those rare fantasy novels that make full use of a foreign setting. Paris really comes alive in this book!" – Anne Nesbet

"I'm doing something completely different from the norm and reading
SAILING ALONE AROUND THE ROOM by Billy Collins, which was recommended to me by a number of friends. It's contemporary poetry and not fantasy fiction, of course, but it's helping me approach my current work-in-progress with a heightened awareness of the relationship between the conscious and the unconscious. Collins creates unexpected juxtapositions between commonplace external realities and unpredictable internal ruminations, and in a way, that's what I'm also trying to do with my WIP." – Mike Jung

Did He Smile His Work To See?

WHEN THE STARS THREW DOWN THEIR SPEARS, the third book in Kersten Hamilton's YA Goblin Wars trilogy, just released. Inspired (in part) by William Blake's poem The Tyger, the story deals with choice, destiny, faith, and the burden of the past. Woven together of magic and myth, art and poetry, the world of the Goblin Wars is a place where evil has a will (and a shadow following) of its own–but also where song has power, and bent things, once good, can begin to find their way back to where they began.

It's the conclusion to a gorgeous series (we talked about TYGER TYGER and IN THE FORESTS OF THE NIGHT earlier) that does not disappoint. I already want to go back and soak up a little more magic. (and if you haven't read the first two, this is your lucky September, because they should all be read in a row, and now you can!) (seriously, GO.)

Kersten, ever gracious, has answered some questions for us. Enjoy!

AG: You've spoken before about your reasons for writing the Goblin War books; can you now tell us more about writing and creating them?

KH: There was one element of the creation of these books that I did not want to talk about until I knew whether or not I could finish well. I have finished as well as I am able. And so:

Philip Pullman’s HIS DARK MATERIALS trilogy was very much on my mind when I started THE GOBLIN WARS. I hope that, like Pullman’s books, mine are enjoyable to people who simply want an adventure. But there is more to both trilogies. HIS DARK MATERIALS is a parable of the Republic of Heaven; THE GOBLIN WARS is a parable of the Kingdom of God.

I completely love Pullman’s writing and completely disagree with the final note of his worldview. Here is a quote from one of my favorite Pullman interviews:

“Firstly, a sense that this world where we live is our home. Our home is not somewhere else. There is no elsewhere. This is a physical universe and we are physical beings made of material stuff. This is where we live. 

Secondly, a sense of belonging, a sense of being part of a real and important story, a sense of being connected to other people, to people who are not here any more, to those who have gone before us. And a sense of being connected to the universe itself. 

All those things were promised and summed up in the phrase, 'The Kingdom of Heaven'. But if the Kingdom is dead, we still need those things. We can't live without those things because it's too bleak, it's too bare and we don't need to. We can find a way of creating them for ourselves if we think in terms of a Republic of Heaven.

This is not a Kingdom but a Republic, in which we are all free and equal citizens, with – and this is the important thing – responsibilities.” (http://www.surefish.co.uk/culture/features/pullman_interview.htm)

I agree wholeheartedly with Pullman that “All of those things were promised and summed up in the phrase, ‘The Kingdom of Heaven’.”

But if the Kingdom is dead, if it never existed, why do we still need those things? Why do we feel that living without them is too bleak and too bare? We—all of humankind—are hungry for exactly those things. We long for the Kingdom. That longing shines through the myths, legends and great stories of every tribe and nation. It is part of what makes us human.

AG: Poetry and song are wound through all three stories, especially the last one. Did you have to go searching for the right lyrics to fit, or did the songs come first and guide the story? 

KH: The lyrics, poems and stories had worked their way into me for years, and were present in every part of the story’s creation, like strands in a Celtic knot. For instance, G.K. Chesterton’s The Ballad of the White Horse burned into my soul the first time I read these lines:

 

For the man dwelt in a lost land

          Of boulders and broken men,

          In a great grey cave far off to the south

          Where a thick green forest stopped the mouth,

          Giving darkness in his den.