Interview: Piers Furney talks about The Dreadlord’s Accountant

Piers Furney has always had a passion for reading and writing since primary school. His favourite books call the genres of fantasy and science fiction home, but honourable mentions lie amongst thrillers.

The genesis of his first novel, Alkaline Dawn, provided a much-needed escape during the academic writing of his Master’s Thesis in Psychology. A lover of rich and engaging worlds across video games, books, film, and television, Piers lives with his wife in New Zealand. Piers talks to NZ Booklovers about his new book The Dreadlord’s Accountant.

Tell us a little about your novel.

Abigail Ashhurst was born to inherit a frozen empire. Unfortunately, she was cursed with both a conscience and a talent for numbers.

A lifelong disappointment to her ruthless dreadlord mother, Abigail fled the icy Arcane Tundra after a family tragedy left its throne drenched in ash and expectation. She’s now stuck in the blazing desert of the Timeless Sands with only Kovon, a deeply unhelpful frost sylph who lives under her sink.

Indentured into Dreadlord Kyfaz’s service after accruing gambling debts she couldn’t repay, Abigail’s job is simple in theory: refill Aarkand’s treasury before the annual state tribute arrives. In practice, this means squeezing coin from squabbling dreadsworn houses, navigating ministers who treat fiscal responsibility as a personal attack, and preventing powerful jinn from sabotaging one another long enough to pay their taxes.

Then the bodies begin appearing.

Demons are discovered butchered across the desert, marked with ancient ritualistic symbols no one dares discuss openly. Abigail quickly realises someone is moving against the state from the shadows. As political alliances fracture and the desert itself seems to whisper with something ancient and vengeful, Abigail must navigate murderous court intrigue and increasingly suspicious nobles, all while keeping her head attached to her body.

Because in the Timeless Sands, debt is rarely paid in gold.

What inspired you to write this book?

I’ve always found it interesting to think about evil empires and the organisation, planning, and funding that goes into them. I wanted to tell a story about someone caught right in the bureaucratic middle of having to manage something so bad it was led by actual demons.

What research was involved?

The Dreadlord’s Accountant is heavily inspired by a blend of Persian, Egyptian, and Russian cultures and heritages. I spent a long time in libraries and online knowledge bases researching architecture, language, food, and customs to craft a setting that felt familiar but also fantastical.

What was your routine or process when writing this book?

I’d already written my debut sci-fi novel, Alkaline Dawn, the previous year, so I knew I could finish a book and what sort of writer I was likely to become. My process was a lot of upfront planning and whiteboarding timeframes, arcs, and plot points, and then opting for consistency of writing over perfection. I made it my mission to write 200 words a day minimum, with weekends often seeing several thousand.

If a soundtrack were made to accompany this book, name a song or two you would include.

One piece of music I’ve found that would be great accompanying parts of the book is called Persia - Ancient Journey Fantasy Music by Fantasy Meditations. The section between 3:00 and 7:23 is perfect for a number of climactic scenes.

If your book were made into a movie, who would you like to see playing the lead characters?

Tough question. I think Jodie Comer or Florence Pugh could be good as Abigail Ashhurst, since both of them are able to do intense, but also off-the-wall and peculiar. Kovon the frost sylph could be voiced by Alexander Skarsgård.

What did you enjoy the most about writing this novel?

I think I enjoyed writing the beleaguered and brilliant main character, Abigail, the most, followed by crafting the desert setting full of demons. Something about the extreme heat lent itself to telling a story about inheritance, expectation, and taking control of one’s own destiny.

What did you do to celebrate finishing this book?

I actually managed to finish the book’s first draft just before I was best man at my friend’s wedding. That was an unplanned coincidence but it felt like a double celebration for me.

What is the favourite book you have read so far this year and why?

Snow Crash, by Neal Stephenson. It was a hectic, slick, and stylish riff on turbo capitalism and the disenfranchisement of democracy. I’m a big pop culture fan and this classic cyberpunk romp had loads of good stuff - even after all of this time.

What’s next on the agenda for you?

Marketing The Dreadlord’s Accountant! Social media and other PR activities consume much of my focus, but I have started on a sequel, and I have an idea of a new novel that will most likely be a cyberpunk thriller.

Selburose Press