Q&A: William Collis, Author of ‘Eternity’s Blade’

We chat with author William Collis about Eternity’s Blade, which is an action-packed fantasy debut chronicling an assassin’s rise to power in a world of immortals—think Mistborn and She Who Became the Sun.

Hi, William! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?

Sure! In addition to being the author of Eternity’s Blade, I’m also an entrepreneur in esports and gaming. I even helped to co-found one of the large esports teams, OXG, which is probably best known for holding Call of Duty’s Boston franchise. In fact, my first book was actually a non-fiction analysis of the esports industry: The Book of Esports.

In my spare time, I’m an avid gamer and a huge fan of Japanese literature. In my mind, the two are strongly connected – I tend to view games as art (just like books are). For those interested, my favorite Japanese author is Jun’ichiro Tanizaki.

Although Eternity’s Blade is an original work, it’s definitely taken inspiration from my personal interests. So if you are a fan of Japanese novels or games, Eternity’s Blade could be a really great read for you.

When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?

I began writing fantasy ‘books’ really young – about fifth grade in elementary school. However, I put ‘books’ in quotations because I’m not sure these early attempts really count! But definitely from a very young age, I was extremely interested in writing.

I first started writing properly in high school. I was reading a lot of the traditional classics – Great Gatsby, Jane Eyre, and so on – and I remember being deeply impressed by the prose. It really inspired me to try to take writing seriously. Although Eternity’s Blade is very much action fantasy, I’ve tried as hard as I can to infuse my love for beautiful prose into the novel where I can to enhances its mysteriously elegant Heian setting (more on that later).

Quick lightning round! Tell us:

• The first book you ever remember reading: Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak. I read it to my kids recently too – still a classic!
• The one that made you want to become an author: I absolutely love traditional fantasy epics. My favorite would probably be Robin Hobb’s Farseer trilogy. But with Eternity’s Blade, I wanted to produce something that cut against the grain: a lightning fast read that leaves its reader wanting more. Eternity’s Blade is short – not sprawling. It’s action-packed – but also finds time to build a unique fantasy setting inspired by the courts of Heian Japan.  And it’s constructed more like a traditional page-turner — complete with a big plot twist right at the end! If that sounds like something you’d enjoy, please check out Eternity’s Blade!
• The one that you can’t stop thinking about: The ending to Murakami Haruki’s Norwegian Wood. Such a great, bitter sweet finish!

Your debut novel, Eternity’s Blade, is out August 19^th! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?

Heian-inspired action-packed fantasy.

What can readers expect?

First, an original premise. Eternity’s Blade takes place in an isolated valley of immortals. But our protagonist, Soh’shoro, is born with the power to kill – and be killed. This set up is simple, invests the protagonist with clear agency, and asks fun questions of the reader, such as: What would a world be like if only you could take life?

Second, an original setting. I took huge inspiration from the regal shadows of Heian Japan to craft the world of Eternity’s Blade. I hope this gives the novel a unique and entrancing atmosphere, while playing off many lesser known elements of Japanese culture.

Third, a novel that respects its reader’s time. Eternity’s Blade is short. It’s action forward. Its plot sets up a lot of conflicting elements which all pay off. In our busy lives, I hope I’ve written a novel that earns its reader’s attention.

Where did the inspiration for Eternity’s Blade come from?

This question has a fun answer! Almost twenty years ago, I was taking a Japanese literature course at Amherst College on The Tale of Genji. (Shout out to my amazing Professor Caddeau!)

For those unfamiliar, The Tale of Genji is the bedrock of all Japanese literature. But it’s also an extremely mysterious book. It was probably the first novel ever written – but no one knows who the author actually is! We suspect it was written by a woman – but maybe more than one, because the latter sections of the novel are drastically different. It is an account of the titular Genji’s glamorous life as a Heian prince – but he also dies and the story just keeps going. It’s a really fun text to analyze for all these reasons, and more.

Back to the question: As I was reading Tale of Genji, I was most struck by its fascinating setting. The Heian Court is a shadowy world of elaborate rituals, half-glimpses by fireflies, and carefully shielded beauty. When I had previously thought of historical Japan, I’d pictured the Sengoku era: samurai fighting for the title of Shogun. I realized then and there Heian Japan would make a great setting for an original fantasy story.

Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?

So many!

First and foremost, I loved writing the villain of the novel: the Onan’ji. He’s a creepy but fascinating figure – impossible to defeat in combat, deeply wise and cruel, strangely loving towards the protagonist despite torturing him. One thing I learned from video games, actually, is a great villain makes a story. I truly hope my readers think the Onan’ji is a great villain!

But my favorite character in Eternity’s Blade is actually Yei’an, one of Soh’shoro’s love interests. His other lover, the Ang’soon Princess, is arguably the novel’s focus – it’s her rotting mask that appears on the cover, after all. But I like Yei’an because she represents a chance for Soh’shoro to escape the darkness of his power. Their relationship is a cypher for the novel’s symbolism, which made their scenes together really fun to craft.

Did you face any challenges whilst writing? How did you overcome them?

This novel took twenty years to write – so I would say it definitely faced a lot of challenges!

I think I battled through many of the usual obstacles that writers encounter: lack of confidence, writers block, and so-on. For those who are interested, the best piece of advise I ever received on writing is this: Never write until you’ve reached the end of a scene. Always try to stop in the middle of something that interests you, so your writing is easier to pick up next time.

However, the absolute biggest challenge I faced while writing Eternity’s Blade was keeping it short! As I mentioned, I really wanted a novel that respects its reader’s time. This meant taking out tens of thousands of words, while doing so in a way that preserved both the story’s integrity and clarity. This experience really taught me that books are made in the editing.

This is your debut novel! What was the road to becoming a published author like for you?

Incredibly long and difficult! As I mentioned, I wrote Eternity’s Blade over twenty years. I think I submitted the first draft of the novel to agents around 2010, or thereabouts. My understanding is this experience is not that different from many other authors. Everyone gets rejected an enormous amount. But it’s still difficult and dispiriting nonetheless.

How did I get through these long periods of failure? Partly a lot of self-reflection. I think it really pushed me to improve as a writer. And partly confidence in the story. I just liked Eternity’s Blade so much – it seemed like such great narrative conceit that built to a big payoff – I had to keep writing it. I had to believe it would find its way to an audience.

On the plus side, the two decade journey really tempered Eternity’s Blade. The novel has matured and grown as a story into something I am incredibly proud of. The book is much better for having gone through its trial-by-fire, for sure!

What’s next for you?

I hope to keep writing fantasy! Over twenty years, I didn’t just produce Eternity’s Blade. I have many other novels drafted, and I hope I’ll get to share some more of them with the world. So if you enjoy Eternity’s Blade, stay tuned!

Lastly, what books have you enjoyed reading this year? Are there any you’re looking forward to picking up?

I’ve enjoyed many books this year! Actually, many of my classmates from Amherst College are also published authors, and I’ve been catching up on some of their works recently: Zia Erases the World by Bree Barton and Group Living and Other Recipes by Lola Miholland.

I also won’t pass up the opportunity to recommend some of my favorite Japanese literary classics: Naomi and The Makioka Sisters by Jun’ichiro Tanizaka, Norweigan Wood by Haruki Murakami, and – of course – The Tale of Genji by Murasaki Shikibu, as translated by Royall Tyler.

Will you be picking up Eternity’s Blade? Tell us in the comments below!