Aman was born in Mysore, India. He grew up in Vizag, studied in Bangalore, lived in Bangkok, completed a PhD in experimental psychology at the University of Canterbury, and has settled (for now) in Melbourne, Australia. His writing draws from modern Indian history and is influenced by writers and artists like David Gemmell, Brandon Sanderson, Takehiko Inoue, and Kentaro Miura.

Welcome to the Hive, Aman! Let’s start with the basics: tell us about Kavithri – why should readers check it out?

Thanks so much for having me! 

In Kavithri you follow a railway porter on a journey to find a future for herself while she simultaneously confronts the violence and horror from her and her people’s past. There’s magic, action (sword fights, fistfights, etc.), and — despite going to some really dark places — plenty of humour. 

If you enjoy tight, single POV narratives like in The Rage of Dragons and The Will of the Many, or characters like Arya Stark, Gideon Nav, and Kaladin from the Stormlight Archive, Kavithri will be right up your alley.

What can you tell us about Kavithri herself, your outcast underdog protagonist?

I’ve always been drawn to stories about the underdog — nobodies who overcome incredible odds, outsiders who do the right thing despite everyone and everything being against them, stubborn fighters who roll with the punches, take hit after hit, and remain standing.

Kavi is all that and so much more. Her sense of humour, her anger and bitterness, her vulnerability and fear, her drive to protect what she loves and her clear moral compass — all combine to make her a compelling and sometimes achingly relatable character to write (and, I hope, to read).

Can you tell us a bit more about your other characters? Who else can we expect to meet?

Jarayas Bithun. Widower, retired lawyer and politician, ring-fighter/boxer of renown in his youth. Kavi’s mentor.

Massa Zanzane. Exorcist, hoarder, gossipmonger. Hires Kavi when his previous assistant quits.

Ratan. Massa’s personal steam-rickshaw driver. Loyal, reticent, drives like a maniac. 

There’s talk of a mage academy, Jinn, necromancers and even steam powered rickshaws… What inspired your worldbuilding and magic system? 

A whole mishmash of stuff; off the top of my head: contemporary Indian society, a what-if early-industrial Indian subcontinent where the Revolt of 1857 was successful, anime and manga like Evangelion and Berserk (and whole bunch of others), and magic systems in epic fantasy series like Mistborn and Malazan.

How important was it to you to represent South Asian culture and draw upon aspects of post-colonial India? 

To be honest, it’s not something I thought about when I wrote Kavithri. I wrote it primarily as a fan and lifelong reader of the genre, and because it was something I wanted to read but couldn’t find in a bookstore or a library (It quickly became clear as to why this was the case when we tried to get it published; huge thank you to Brendan Durkin and Gollancz for giving Kavithri a chance). The setting is South Asian because it’s where I’ve spent most of my life, and the novel draws upon aspects of colonial and post-colonial India because it’s an era that’s personally more meaningful and relevant to me than ancient/medieval Indian history.

We see such varying opinions from authors when it comes to the time of editing their books. How have you found the editing process? Enjoyable, stressful or satisfying?

It starts off stressful: a sixteen page edit letter lands in your inbox and you read it thinking there’s no way I’m going to get this done on time. It becomes enjoyable when you sit down and actually do the work: the story gets more fleshed out, your characters gain more depth, and you’re happy to be back in this world you dreamt up. And in the end, your editor and his notes have helped you elevate your story so you can’t help but feel satisfied with how your book has turned out. (That was my experience anyway.)

Without giving away any spoilers, can you tell us one of your most enjoyable scenes to write? 

There’s a boxing match (midway through the book) that spans several chapters which was incredibly fun to plan and write.

We always appreciate a beautiful book cover, and Kavithri looks ready for war on yours! How involved in the process were you? Was this the particular aesthetic you hoped the artist would portray?

I initially sent through a few reference images and notes; mentioned that I’d really like a cover with a mysterious, menacing figure on it — à la Paul Atreides on the cover of Ace’s Deluxe edition of Dune. Brendan, my editor at Gollancz, sent me back some sketches, there was some back and forth, and the cover you now see is what was settled on. So yes, I was (fortunate to be) involved in the process.

One of our favourite questions here on the Fantasy Hive: which fantastical creature would you ride into battle and why?

Cerberus.

Why? There’s a manga called Eyeshield 21 that I was really fond of when I was younger. In it, one of the characters has a dog called Cerberus and I’ve always had a soft spot for the multi-headed hound of Hades ever since.

Some fun facts about Cerberus from Eyeshield 21 (as per the wiki): “… known for his excessive appetite, ruthlessness and his outstanding intelligence compared with other animals. In chapter 100, Cerberus shows that he is able to defeat taller, tougher-looking dogs and force them to serve him. Cerberus is shown several times to be able to stand and walk on two legs. In chapter 251, it is revealed that Cerberus can bench press 120kgs (264lbs).”

Tell us about some South Asian inspired fantasy books you love. Any hidden gems?

Samit Basu’s The Simoqin Prophecies. Published in 2004 (hard to believe it’s been twenty years since), it was India’s first ever SFF novel written in English. Hilarious, subversive, and authentic. A pioneer of South Asian inspired fantasy and one of my favourite novels.

Can you tell us a little something about your current work(s) in progress? Will Kavithri have a sequel?

I’m currently drafting another epic fantasy novel: Minority Report meets Hellblazer/Constantine in a mage academy is the best way I can describe it.

Yes, Kavithri does have a sequel. It’s titled City of Jackals and is in the final stretch of the editing process.

Are you planning anything fun to celebrate your new release? Do you have any upcoming virtual events our readers may be interested in?

Besides visiting bookstores on release day and looking for my book on the shelves (!!) I don’t really have anything planned at the moment.

Finally, what is the one thing you hope readers take away from your writing?

That no one is really an outsider. We’re just waiting to find our people.

Thank you so much for joining us today!

Kavithri is out today! You can order your copy HERE