Theatre producer and author Adrian Buckle is launching his latest novel, A Darkness Over Rashford, at Spazju Kreattiv, Valletta, on April 10, in an evening dedicated to dark fantasy, readings and drama.
The book, the second instalment in the Deos Iræ series, continues Buckle’s exploration of myth, horror and the supernatural, drawing readers into a world where divine conflict, darkness and human frailty collide.
“I have always been an avid reader of fantasy, with Tolkien, Brooks, C.S. Lewis and Feist my favourite writers,” Buckle says.
“I remember reading The Lord of the Rings trilogy, my first fantasy series in just two weeks while I was on holiday in Aosta, Italy. I just could not put it down. I also love Greek mythology.”
As a sixth form student, he had to study The Odyssey for his Systems of Knowledge exam. However, he loved the stories so much that he ended up buying and reading the entire Greek Myths by Robert Graves.
Later, when he became a theatre producer, among others, he read Ovid’s Metamorphoses and adapted it to the stage.
“I eventually started writing my own stories and finally built up the courage to shape that writing into novels. That is how the Deos Iræ trilogy idea was born,” the author shares.
He adds that he turned to dark fantasy mostly thanks to his experience as a theatre producer, having worked profusely on the texts of Edward Bond and Philip Ridley.
“This has given me a philosophy in life where I tend to view things with a dark lens, even if I remain optimistic in my approach to life. A paradox, I know. But that’s me,” Buckle quips.
Aodhán, his first novel, is about a young man who finds himself in our reality with complete amnesia. He has difficulty understanding life in our world, mostly because he feels and is different. He has powers he does not understand and is hunted by different deities who want to take advantage of him to harness his power for their own intentions.
“The remaining Greek gods are in conflict with Yahweh and the angelic host, while the Norse trickster Loki and the demoness Satana are hoofing around to take advantage,” Buckle continues.
The book has so far received positive feedback and sales have been “higher than expected”.
“So I must have written something good,” he says, clearly pleased.
“I tend to view things with a dark lens, even if I remain optimistic”
The second instalment, A Darkness over Rashford, is set in and around the small American town of Rashford, where ordinary life is gradually overwhelmed by supernatural dread.
“The setting expands beyond the town into places such as the Mansion of the Gods, the Dark Tower, the Land of the Dead and other mythic realms, giving the story both a grounded small-town horror atmosphere and a vast cosmic scale,” the author explains.
The plot centres on the spreading influence of Satana and the Dark Tower, whose corruption begins to infect Rashford’s people, politics and landscape.
As disappearances, violence and strange transformations increase, mortals and gods are forced into uneasy alliance. Apollo, Athena, Hermes, Aphrodite, Eva Ramirez, Llewellyn, Aodhán and others struggle against an encroaching force that turns citizens into Darklings, unleashes Maenads and monsters, and pushes the world towards apocalypse.
“At its core, the novel is about a town under siege by darkness, but also about grief, love, divine conflict, sacrifice and resistance. What begins as a local horror story becomes a mythic battle between gods, angels, corrupted powers and fragile human courage, with Rashford as the focal point of a much larger cosmic war,” Buckle reveals.
The launch at Spazju Kreattiv promises to be more than a traditional literary event. The evening, which starts at 6pm, will include live readings by actors James Ryder, Mikhail Basmadjian and Antonella Axisa, and a dramatic presentation, with young actors interpreting scenes from the book.
Joseph St John will deliver a keynote speech on the book and its relevance to dark fantasy storytelling, while Buckle will participate in a Q&A session. He will also be available to sign copies of the book.
