Interview with ALLEN LYLE, Author of RED SUN RISING

In the world of fantasy fiction, few stories manage to blend history, politics, and myth as seamlessly as Red Sun Rising. Set in a post-apocalyptic future where the remnants of fallen empires shape a brutal and intricate world, Allen Lyle’s debut novel is an epic tale of power, ambition, and survival.

A lifelong fan of both history and speculative fiction, Allen brings a deep love for dynastic intrigue, world-building, and storytelling into his work. Inspired by strategy games like Crusader Kings III and his passion for historical what-ifs, he has crafted a gripping narrative where the fate of Yuropa hangs in the balance.

Today, we sit down with Allen to discuss the inspiration behind Red Sun Rising, the challenges of writing complex political fantasy, and what readers can expect from his expanding world. Join us as we dive into the mind of a writer who dares to ask: What happens when the past and future collide in a world of gods and war?

Q: Red Sun Rising blends history, fantasy, and post-apocalyptic elements into a unique world. What inspired you to create this setting, and how did your love of history influence its development?

ALLEN: It’s all of my interests in one! I wrote this book with “Wouldn’t it be cool if…” in mind. There is a whole mess of influences in Red Sun Rising. I grew up a nerd reading Warhammer and Dungeons & Dragons books and that interest never really left, although it did certainly evolve. I’ve also always been drawn to post-apocalyptic fiction, Octavia Butler’s Parable Series, Cormac McCarthy’s The Road, and Walter M. Miller’s A Canticle for Leibowitz ignited that interest in me.

History was my favorite subject in school and I always enjoyed European history the most. I wanted my book to have that specific feeling and I read quite a lot working on this book. It pulls from Charlemanic times and I stole quite a lot from the Byzantine Empire as well. 

Q: Ducaine de Bordeaux is a complex character navigating ambition, betrayal, and power. What was your approach to crafting his journey, and did you draw from any historical figures or personal influences?

ALLEN: I take a lot of influence from the more gritty and grim side of science fiction, but at the same time I frequently felt like people were evil because they were evil or they were good because they were good. I wanted to write characters who had motivations and beliefs that made sense to them. I tried my hardest to do this with Ducaine. He does great evil and great good but hopefully, the reader can at least understand why he takes the actions he does, whether they agree or disagree. Ducaine was not based on any one ruler, but more of an amalgamation of many. Most of the characters in the book are similar in that draw from many people in history but I will say Sesmelda was 100% based on my wife. 

Q: The novel explores themes of power, destiny, and sacrifice. What message or emotions do you hope readers take away from Ducaine’s struggle?

ALLEN: I wouldn’t say it’s particularly a revolutionary message, it’s the idea that power corrupts and forces sacrifices in the pursuit of it. That can take many different avenues but for Ducaine it steals his family and his friends from him, power is incompatible with love. I think the counterbalance to that is Ducaine is always willing to get his hands dirty, he is not above getting in the dirt with his people or his troops and I find that an admirable quality, and I hope readers do as well. 

Q: You’ve mentioned being a fan of games like Crusader Kings III. Did your gaming experiences shape the way you approached world-building and political intrigue in Red Sun Rising?

ALLEN: I imagine I am pretty rare as an author because playing Crusader Kings III and other map games was a key part of my journey. In these games you plan an action, you execute it, and you handle the consequences. That is essentially how you write a novel.  Red Sun Rising started with Crusader Kings III. I was (obviously) unemployed and had quite a lot of time on my hands. I started writing down the events in a game I played where I went from a Count to an Emperor. While some things were certainly changed, Ducaine’s story is not that different from that particular campaign. 

Q: The Church of the Divine Inheritance plays a major role in the story. How did you develop the religious and political structures in your world, and what real-world inspirations did you pull from?

ALLEN: I am not a religious person but there are few things I love more than looking at old churches and cathedrals. I regularly curse the architects of today because I wish we never stopped building like that. I just knew I wanted that in my book, it’s a huge influence. I also knew that being loosely based on medieval times, religion was going to need to play a big part in the setting. I did my best to imagine how religion would evolve after the complete collapse of civilization and the result is the Lord of Bones. It has Christian roots, rituals, and scripture, but Jesus has been supplanted by what is essentially the Grim Reaper.

I thought a civilization experiencing a mass extinction event would find death to be something worthy of worship. That they would believe there could be no heaven when life on earth was hell. How would they deal with that? What themes would emerge into religion? The book grapples with those ideas. 

Q: As a first-time author, what were some of the biggest challenges you faced while writing Red Sun Rising, and how did you overcome them?

ALLEN: I would say far and away the biggest issue was simple. I had no idea what the hell I was doing. At all. In a previous life, I wrote songs so I had at least some capability to put words together, but I certainly did not imagine I would ever be capable of writing a book. My biggest strength as a would-be author was just how many books I have read in my life. When I started writing the first thing I did was reread some of my favorites and take copious notes. I started getting an idea of the voice of the book doing this. I also watched some of my favorite movies and essentially novelized them, I wanted to get an idea of dialogue and I think this was by far the most useful thing that I did. And of course, I watched a lot of YouTube videos! But this book was not remotely a solo effort. 

My mom had begged me to write a book since I was a teenager, and I always told her that was crazy, I could never do it. She believed in me far before I did! I ended up getting laid off twice in a year and I had a lot of time on my hands. I had the framework of a story from nerding out over CK III and I thought why not give it a try? 

My wife, children’s author Morgan Swank (Buy her books! Bones Ironclaw, about Lief Erikson’s cat, and Mort, about vultures and the role they play in ecosystems), was a huge supporter. Not just financially. She has a background in writing and I can absolutely guarantee this book would not have happened without her. She really helped me refine what was just a bunch of words into an actual story. Chris Lambert at Moon Publishing took the actual story and made it into a novel. 

I am named as the author but these people and more can take equal credit. 

Q: With this being the first book in what feels like an epic saga, what can readers expect next from you? Do you have plans to expand this world further?

ALLEN: We are currently hard at work on book two and we are hoping to publish six total! Each will take an interest in a specific historical period. The upcoming one is heavily influenced by the Barbary Coast pirates as well as Al Andalusia. I expect to continue that theme with the following books, the Crusades, Mongol Invasions, and more! I am very excited to continue working on the world and making it as interesting as I can!

Red Sun Rising is now available for Pre-Order on Allen Lyle’s website. All preorder copies will be hardback and shipped on July 20th, 2025 eight whole days before release. The first 50 preorders will receive a one-of-a-kind Red Sun Rising collector’s edition Tarot Card.