Interview with Tom Haward, author of dystopian alt history The Path of Chaos
It is the year 2030, and the Roman Empire never fell. Emperor Nero II rules half the world, but half the world is not enough for the unpredictable Emperor.
Britannia is a Roman outpost. London Bridge is lined with crucified bodies. The streets are patrolled by soldiers in high-speed, horseless chariots. Nero views Britannia as a vital but fractious asset for his planned invasion of the Republic of Indigenous America.
Boatman King was born out of rage. A rage that propels him to try and destroy the Empire. He’s not alone: he leads clandestine rebels fighting to drive the Empire from Britannia. These rebels are his weapon, which he hopes will obliterate Nero and the entire Empire.
Rebellion, though, comes at a steep price. Olivia, Boatman’s wife, is caught and crucified on London Bridge by Nero’s son, Maximus, who is intent on flushing Boatman from hiding.
Instead, Maximus draws Maverick ‘The Beast’ Kirabo, Boatman’s fearsome second-in-command, a champion gladiator who now fights for Rome’s dismay, not their entertainment.
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Excerpt from The Path of Chaos
“Soldier Gallus and Soldier Marius, I need you to accompany me to my home.” Both soldiers saluted and followed Faust to his chariot. Faust climbed on and sat down at the rear. Gallus remained standing whilst Marius fired the engine. The bulletproof glass roof closed over the soldiers’ heads and sealed the chariot. They sped off away from London Bridge going south to Augustus Park where Faust’s house was situated.
Within fifteen minutes Faust was striding through his front door, gun drawn and Gallus and Marius flanking. The town house had three floors, six bedrooms in total and an airy, open-plan ground floor. Each soldier took a floor and searched. They quickly cleared the rooms, finding no-one present and nothing out of the ordinary to report.
They convened in the kitchen, and Faust holstered his gun.
“Maybe we beat them to it?” said Marius.
Faust grunted and didn’t bother to respond. He knew something wasn’t right in the house but could quite place it. He needed to walk through and check it off. He’d only searched the ground floor but something didn’t make sense.
“I need you both to stand guard outside. Anyone so much as approaches the house suspiciously I want you to shoot them. If anyone is allowed access to the house without my permission, I will crucify you both upside down. Understand?”
Both men nodded and saluted and left the house to take sentry out the front.
Interview with Tom Haward
-What inspired you to become a writer?
I’m not sure I was inspired to become a writer, it’s been something that’s part of me since I was a child. I have always found joy and comfort in creating stories. The big moment for me though, was when I dared to think I could write something that a wider audience would want to read and it could be a vocation for me that I could earn a living out of. It was that moment when I believed in my abilities and it’s been a long journey, but I’m proud of every step.
-If you could visit your book’s world for a day, what one thing would you do?
The world of The Path of Chaos is a brutal one, but one thing I would love to do is have a ride in one of the high speed, horseless chariots that the Romans use. They’re hydrogen powered and have bulletproof glass roofs, so would be very fun to ride in at sixty miles per hour around the streets of London.
-It’s two in the morning. What does your protagonist reveal in confidence? (Don’t worry, we won’t tell.)
Boatman, my protagonist, would reveal that he doesn’t really have a clue what he’s doing. He’s been fighting the Empire for years but most of the time has been blagging it. A bit like what it’s like being an adult in the real world!
-Which of your characters would you go out for drinks with?
I would definitely go for drinks with Maverick and Tobias because I would love to hear about Maverick’s time as a gladiator and also the stories from his training in the Aestii region. Tobias would be brilliant to have with us because he’s funny and the banter he and Maverick have would keep the night entertaining.
-You’re in a tavern, and a dwarf challenges you to a duel. What do you do?
Dwarves are super strong so he would likely beat the hell out of me. I would see if I could get him to agree to a roast duel and see who could come up with the most cutting insult.
-Is there a genre you could never write? Which and why?
I could never write a Romance. I love romance and am romantic in real life, but I don’t feel my writing fits with the genre. I also don’t think I could write a particularly genuine sex scene and would probably find it singled out for one of those awards for worst written scene of the year…
About Tom Haward
Tom was born in Essex and at 4 months old he and his identical twin were adopted into an oyster farming family. Tom now runs the business as generation eight of Haward oyster farmers. He has a fiancée, baby daughter and a cockapoo.
Tom has an MA in Creative Writing and has loved telling stories since he was a child, whether verbally or through prose.
The Path of Chaos is his debut novel. He is also working on a six episode comedy screenplay and tweets passionately about his family’s industry and the challenges it faces.
Giveaway
The author will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner.
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Sounds like a good read.
The book sounds very intriguing. Great cover.