Blog tour: The Devil's Apprentice by Kenneth B. Andersen
Welcome to the blog
tour for Kenneth B. Andersen’s The Devil’s Apprentice, the first volume in The Great
Devil War series.
What is the book about?
Philip is a good boy,
a really good boy, who accidentally gets sent to Hell to become the Devil’s
heir. The Devil, Lucifer, is dying and desperately in need of a successor, but
there’s been a mistake and Philip is the wrong boy. Philip is terrible at being
bad, but Lucifer has no other choice than to begin the difficult task of
training him in the ways of evil. Philip gets both friends and enemies in this
odd, gloomy underworld—but who can he trust, when he discovers an evil-minded
plot against the dark throne?
And what about the author?
Kenneth B. Andersen is
an award-winning Danish writer, who has published more than forty books for children
and young adults, including both fantasy, horror, and science fiction.
His books have been translated into more than 15 languages and his hit-series about the superhero Antboy has been turned into three movies. A musical adaptation of The Devil's Apprentice opened in the fall 2018 and film rights for the series have been optioned.
Kenneth lives in Copenhagen with his wife, two boys, a dog named Milo, and spiders in the basement.
Want to know more from the author himself? Keep reading…
Was this always going to be a series? And did you have the entire plot entirely figured out since the beginning?
A: No, I didn’t – at all. At first it was actually just going to be “The Devil’s Apprentice” – end of story. But as the story took shape, I started getting tons of ideas and it occurred to me that there was an even bigger story to tell - the story of The Great Devil War. Originally there was going to be four books in the series, and then the story was done. But a few years after book 4 was published in Denmark, I realized that Philip’s story and the story of the Great Devil War wasn’t quite finished, and it continued in book 5 and 6, giving me a chance to write the real ending of the story. Book 1-4 are out now. Book 5 and 6 will be released next year.
What kind of research, if any, did you have to carry out while you were writing these novels? In general, is research something you enjoy or a means to an end?
A: I’ve read a LOT in the Bible, using different stories in my plot, twisting them and looking at them from a different perspective. I’ve also done a lot of research of different mythologies (Greek, Nordic, ect.) as they also play a part in the story. My Hell is very much inspired by Dante’s Divine Comedy and the story of the Devil War is inspirered by John Milton’s Paradise Lost.
The film rights for the series have been optioned. If you could choose anyone, who would you cast in the role of Philip?
A: The kid who plays Will in Stranger Things. He would be perfect.
The series was originally written in Danish. Do you think that there are any elements that have been lost or gained in the English translation?
A: There are. Some things can’t be translated and in this story there is a lot of playing with words. On the other hand I’ve added new stuff where it makes sense, playing with English words instead.
If you are already working on your next writing project, would you mind giving us a little anticipation of what we are to expect?
A: I’ve written six books about the superhero Antboy. A story about an ordinary boy who gets bullied at school. One day he gets bitten by a very special ant and develops the most amazing powers: He becomes very strong, he can climb walls, his body is like a suit of armor – and he pees acid. The books have been turned into three movies (you can catch them on Netflix, they’re low budget, but high on charm). It’s been seven years since I published the last Antboy-book, but now my little superhero finally returns. There is going to be three more Antboy-books, which comes out next year – it’ll be the grand finale!
What are you reading at the moment?
A: Chaos Walking book 2 by Patrick Ness. It’s great. A Monster Call by Patrick Ness is one of my favourite books.
Due to the popularity of social networking websites, interacting with readers – be it via Twitter, Facebook Instagram etc. – is becoming increasingly important. How do you cope with these new demands on authors and do you think that they somehow disrupt your writing schedule?
A: It certainly takes a significant amount of time using the social media platforms, but for me it’s also a great way of communicating with my readers. PS. On my Facebook page I do a giveaway every Friday the rest of the year. Sometimes you can win an e-book, sometimes a signed hard copy. Check it out.
What one piece of advice would you give to aspiring writers?
A: Read a lot, write even more.
Thank you for your time!
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