Today marks the release of Acts of War I: Flashpoint by Aeryn Rudel. This exciting novel, the first book in the Iron Kingdoms Chronicles that tell tales following the release of new editions of the WARMACHINE and HORDES games, makes for an excellent entry point into a world of technology and magic. Author Aeryn Rudel has some unique insights into his new book and what makes it a great way to get started in the lands of the Iron Kingdoms…

1) You’ve written a great deal of fiction set in the Iron Kingdoms, some of it very focused on individual characters and historical events. We’ve also recently seen the release of “Wrath of the Dragonfather” and The Blood of Kings, both very popular books about the Iron Kingdoms. What makes Flash Point different from those other works?

Flashpoint is much less an ensemble novel and instead focuses primarily on a single character, Cygnaran warcaster Lord General Coleman Stryker. He’s the hero of the novel, and he gets the lion’s share of the spotlight. That said, Stryker’s longtime rival, the former mercenary and criminal Asheth Magnus, has a number of chapters of his own as well to give the reader a completely different perspective on the major events in the book.

Additionally, both “Wrath of the Dragonfather” and The Blood of Kings bring extant storylines to a close, wrapping up some of the major events from the previous editions of WARMACHINE and HORDES—and in the most exciting fashion, I might add. Flashpoint, on the other hand, is the beginning of the story for the new editions of the game and a perfect place for new readers to dive into the war-torn lands of the Iron Kingdoms.

2) Is it easy enough to tell good guys from bad guys in your book? Would you say it has a theme that the average reader can appreciate?

Well, I’ll admit to liking a bit of moral ambiguity in my characters, and you’ll definitely see that on display in Flashpoint, where Coleman Stryker is a hero. Full stop. And though he is forced to make some very difficult decisions in the novel that challenge his notions of good and evil and right and wrong, who and what he is—a noble warrior and a loyal patriot—shine through.

3) So, if I don’t know much, or even anything, about the stories or even the setting, do I need to know anything special in order to enjoy Flashpoint?

Nope, you don’t need anything but an interest in a world where steam power and sorcery combine to create a compelling mix of swashbuckling adventure. How’s that for an answer? We definitely wanted Flashpoint to be a novel where both longtime fans of the Iron Kingdoms and those just discovering the setting could pick up the book and dive right in, and I certainly wrote the novel with that as one of my primary goals.

Welcome yourself to the world of the Iron Kingdoms by buying Flashpoint in print at the Privateer Press online store or Amazon, or get the eBook from the Skull Island eXpeditions website (skullislandx.com), the Kindle store, barnesandnoble.com, iTunes, or DriveThruRPG.com!