A Darkly Humorous Urban Fantasy Saga With Heart
James Wood’s trilogy delivers a gripping blend of fantasy, humour and emotional depth, exploring flawed heroes, sentient weapons, and a universe where nothing is purely good or evil.
James Wood brings readers a genre-bending thrill ride in The Ebon Knight, the first book in his contemporary urban fantasy trilogy, The Ebon Knight Chronicles. With a blend of sardonic humour, heart-stopping action, and a pinch (or more) of romance, James weaves a tale as grounded in human complexity as it is in fantastical wonder. At its core, the series explores the eternal struggle between Light and Dark—not as simple opposites, but as forces filtered through flawed, fascinating characters who dwell in the murky grey in-between. Avid fans of fantasy, mythology, and roleplaying games will find much to love here. From the fiercely loyal Furies to a sentient sword with a dark past, and a bulldog named Charlie who steals every scene he’s in, James infuses his work with originality and wit. He doesn’t shy away from the philosophical underpinnings of chaos, identity, and redemption, all while keeping readers turning the page. We sat down with James to discuss the inspirations behind his vivid world, his dynamic cast, and the creative journey that led to the birth of the Ebon Knight.
Readers are captivated by Wood’s unexpected twists, vivid characters, and a storyline that refuses to follow predictable fantasy formulas.
How did your experiences with your real-life English Bulldog, Charlie, influence the characterization of the dog in “The Ebon Knight”?
The Charlie in the series is a glutton, a doofus, and is always sleeping, snoring, or farting… but he also has a heart of gold with real feelings and is very expressive. That is EXACTLY what he’s like in real life! Many of my readers, even if not “dog people”, love how Charlie is portrayed in the books. Charlie’s antics provide some comic relief, but he is also the glue that helps the other characters find common ground at times. His scenes were amazing! Hopefully, I don’t end up owing him royalties or something.
In “The Ebon Knight,” you introduce a complex conflict between Light and Dark. What inspired you to explore this eternal struggle?
I played a lot of D&D growing up, and I have always been interested in the struggle between good and evil, light and dark, because it’s so binary. Humans are NOT binary; we all have good and evil in us with strong points and weak points. I wanted to write about flawed characters battling for one side or the other even though their own beliefs and actions are a little more on the grey side than anything else.
Ava Pentran’s character is described as a “Dark Witch” with a secret. How did you develop her backstory and motivations?
How would the youngest Princess of the ruling house of the Dark be outcasted from the most diseased, evil, and malfunctioning family in existence? Was she not evil enough? If not, why? Well, she has a secret that changes who she might have been, who she was expected to be. Everything she is at the series start has been informed by that secret power. Even though the readers are introduced to it quite early in the book, no one else in the world of the Ebon Knight knows what she can do – not even her closest companions. The information Ava is privy to, and the things that she knows about people and their motivations (that no one else could know), really drives her development and (hopefully) makes her not only a very sympathetic character, but a favorite character.
The sentient sword “Argenta” plays a pivotal role in your narrative. What challenges did you face in bringing such a unique weapon to life?
How do you portray a sentient evil… thing… trapped in a sword? It wasn’t easy, but finding out who and what Argenta really is, and following her journey from crazed killer to something better, is one of the highlights of the series. I loved writing her.
The Furies are portrayed as formidable warriors. How did you research and incorporate elements of mythology to shape their roles in your story?
The Furies as a whole, and some of the Furies as individual characters, are probably one of the facets that really sets my books apart. I have had many females tell me how much they love the Furies, and I have even had a couple dress up like them for Halloween! How cool is that? If you mashed together a pissed off Amazon with an unamused Valkyrie, and then super charged them with some demon blood and gave them a battle form – that would be a Fury. You don’t want to anger a Fury if you can avoid it… In spite of all that, they are extremely loyal, duty-bound, and not at all mindless killers. Read the books, you’ll love them!
The concept of “The Other” introduces a malevolent force into the conflict. What themes or messages are you aiming to convey through this antagonist?
The Other is the third power that runs creation, or not. It is chaos incarnate, or not. It has its own agenda, or not. Much of the series revolves around the Other, and what its true goals are. What would a third power in the eternal conflict want? Why did it even get involved? Readers get to see the Other evolve EXPONENTIALLY, in the true sense of the word, as the series progresses.
What advice would you offer to aspiring authors looking to create compelling characters and intricate worlds in their own fantasy novels?
If you don’t find yourself interested in your own characters, how could they be interesting to anyone else? If a reader can predict what one of your characters would do in any given situation, you should probably write a little deeper. Many of the reviews I have received mention the unexpected twists and turns that the series takes, and I am super proud of those reviews! My books WILL keep you on the edge of your seat, but without stupid and contrived plot surprises that make no sense.
