Nikolas Everhart Talks Heart Master (The Legacy Of The Mad King)

A Fantasy Project

Nikolas Everhart is a writer who has already written a number of fantasy short stories and Heart Master is his full length debut. Here he talks about his prose full length debut…

TRIPWIRE: What was the genesis of Heart Master?

NIKOLAS EVERHART: Heart Master came about originally as a short story entitled Fist and Heart with Draven being a member of Seguris’ band of thieves who pilfers the relic and then turns against his employer at the harsh treatment of some innocents.  The idea originally came about from a weapon in a dungeons and dragon campaign that could take on multiple forms.  I took it a little further by making the gauntlet sentient and thus an epic, ill-fated partnership was born between Draven and Ansalon.

TW: You have written a number of prose short stories, but this is your first full length prose work. How daunting was it to write a full-length novel?

NE: In some ways, it’s easier at least for me. Short fiction can be challenging trying to get everything out in 10 or 15 pages.  Novelising Heart Master let me explore the relationships a bit more and develop characters like Seguris into more fully realized people that readers could relate to.  I would say nearly every short story I have written was really just a blueprint for a novel.

TW: How did it end up at Dragon Street Press?

NE: I have been a fan of DSP ever since its inception around 2018. They prioritised alternate storytelling and unconventional styles which appealed to me.  They were an early front runner for Heart Master and when they were acquired by one of the most respected members in my local writing community, it was clear I couldn’t find a better publisher for my first book.

TW: How many drafts have you been through on the book?

NE: Officially this was the 4th draft, unofficially closer to 9 or 10. I had several versions with minor updates like adding and deleting minor characters and about 6000 name changes.

TW: Which authors have been your greatest influence as a writer?

NE: That’s always a tough question.  My earliest influences are probably Robert E. Howard and Michael Moorcock. I was enthralled with their iconic characters that are still just as salient today as they were decades ago. In a modern sense I’d have to cite Brian Lumley and Kristen Britain for their ability to weave complex worlds that I just didn’t want to leave. David Estes’s Rune Marked series was probably an influence on the relics in Heart Master if I’m honest.  David Farland can create deeply textured worlds like no other, and finally my mentor Wendy Vogel taught me how to trim things down and imbue my book with a pace that can’t be matched while still not losing depth from the story.

TW: Talk us through the plot of Heart Master

NE: Draven is a thief who covets the respect of his peers. To earn this, he endeavors to steal the jewels of the goddess Nerys, but instead barely escapes with his life and a relic imbued with the spirit of a knight that bonds to his arm. Half a continent away a slave-turned-warlord has been gifted a divine talisman  by the God of Conquest to attempt to resurrect a long-dead empire that at one time enslaved the known world. Our unlucky thief finds himself in a conflict between the gods with champions and adversaries on all sides, most of them desirous of his demise.

TW: Do you have plans for more adventures with Draven planned?

NE: At present, I hope to wrap The Legacy of the Mad King up in three books, but honestly this is a vast world with many gods, relics, and other champions that haven’t even been introduced yet, so the sky could be the limit if it gains enough traction with readers.

Heart Master is out now from Dragon Street Press

Heart Master