We chat with author K.A. Riley about Recruitment, which is a twisty techno thriller that transforms one teen’s forced military enlistment into an accidental rebellion; perfect for fans of The Maze Runner and the Divergent series.
Hi, K.A.! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
I’m a full-time author who used to be a full-time musician, which means I’ve made two terrible (and amazing) life choices over the years. I live in wine country in Ontario, Canada with a human or two and my drooly Golden Retriever, who is my constant companion during long daily hikes through the woods and plentiful naps. When I’m not writing dystopian or fantasy novels, I’m listening to audiobooks or watching movies or wildly unpredictable documentaries. Also, I am a huge fan of chocolate.
When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?
I remember coming home one day when I was six years old and announcing to my parents that, “I can read and I would like all the books, please.” I had a habit of gobbling up every book I could get my hands on, but I also loved inventing tales in my mind. When I walked by strangers’ homes on the way to school, I fashioned the life story of every person in every house, and I didn’t realize that wasn’t a normal thing to do until I was well into adulthood.
Now, I fashion stories for a living, which means I’m incredibly fortunate.
Quick lightning round! Tell us:
- The first book you ever remember reading: The abridged version of Black Beauty
- The one that made you want to become an author: The Fellowship of the Ring
- The one that you can’t stop thinking about: Fall on Your Knees by Ann-Marie MacDonald
Your latest novel, Recruitment, is out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Harrowing, comforting, frightening, inspiring, dystopian.
What can readers expect?
Recruitment begins in a destroyed mountain town where all the adults have either vanished or lost their lives in attacks by an unseen enemy. Only children and teenagers have survived, and every year, when the current crop of sixteen-year-olds turns seventeen (their assigned “birthday” is November 1st), they’re taken to a mysterious combat training facility. No one knows what happens after that. When this year’s group arrives at training, they find that their foray into military life isn’t what they’d expected. It’s far more dangerous, challenging, and painful than they ever could have predicted, and they quickly realize it’s entirely possible they won’t all make it out alive.
There’s a little romance, a lot of friendship, serious danger, escape rooms, riddles, challenges, and mystery.
Where did the inspiration for Recruitment come from?
The idea came to me years ago when I found myself missing the era of The Hunger Games and Divergent and the feeling those novels evoked in me. It’s very much along the same lines but with several twists, one of which is the fact that the main character, Kress, has a deep bond with a raven called Render who plays an important part in the novel (in fact, the sequel is called Render). Before I began drafting the novel, I had seen a photo of a young woman with a raven on her shoulder and was drawn in by the bird’s size and magnificence. I loved the idea of a protagonist who was bonded to such an intelligent and mysterious creature, and adored the idea of starting the story in an isolated mountain town where no one really knew what was happening in the outside world.
Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
I love Cardyn (Kress’ best friend) and Render with a passion. Cardyn is a goofy, cheerful, loyal guy, and the friend everyone wishes they had. Render is the soulful companion we would all love to have.
I also thoroughly enjoyed developing the relationships between the characters—the rivalries, the competition, the realization that they sometimes need to lean on one another.
I’m a big fan of riddles since the first time I read The Hobbit, so I had a great time coming up with riddles and puzzles to include in the book for the characters and readers to solve.
Did you face any challenges whilst writing? How did you overcome them?
It’s always a challenge to deal with a large cast of characters, and this book has nine major players. So, ensuring they each had a distinct personality and unique challenges to face was in itself a huge challenge. My approach is generally to let the characters guide me through the book and let them behave in the chaotic way they sometimes do, which is something I love about writing! Giving fictional characters free rein in my brain is so much fun.
What’s next for you?
A couple of secret-ish projects (both dystopian) as well as The Prince Killer, which is the sequel to my “cozy, stabby fantasy,” The Princess Killer. I’m also working on the next book in the Thrall series, which is entirely different in that it’s a New Adult romantasy series with a somewhat dystopian vibe.
I’m excited about the secret projects, but all I can tell you is that you’ll know more about them very soon.
Lastly, what books are you looking forward to picking up soon? Any you’ve got your eye on that are releasing in 2027?
I’m always on the lookout for new thrillers, and, of course, dystopian and fantasy books. I’m late to the game because I’ve been so busy, but I’m BEYOND eager to read Veronica Roth’s The Sixth Faction, Morgan Rhodes’ Falling Kingdoms, and Nisha J. Tuli’s Storm Caller. In 2027, I’m excited about H. M. Wolfe’s upcoming Python, anything Lisa Jewell releases, and So Rises the Night by fellow Canadian Elayna R. Gallea.
