Imperial Glory

Reiksguard

Relentless

“After writing about young warriors going to war in Reiksguard, for Imperial Glory I chose the topic of aged veterans fighting their last battle. Imperial Glory had perhaps the simplest overarching plot of all of my novels, a veteran regiment due for demobilisation marches against one last enemy stronghold and then marches back again. Despite this, it ended up with the largest ‘cast’ and most complicated interpersonal relationships of any of my books.

“The theme of leadership—both bad and good—resounds through the book. The deeper underlying theme, however, is that of personal guilt. While the novel is set during the—relatively straightforward—campaign on Voor, the real mystery comes from events that transpired years before and the scars it left on those who survived.

“It was a difficult book to write in many ways, but ultimately it’s one that I hope stands as more than a great adventure or a ripping yarn. As one fan wrote:
‘Even now after three days of finishing it, I think about it. It has stirred something inside and, at the end of the day, isn’t that what you want from a good book...to be moved?’”