The Author's Answers
Here you will find more information about the worlds of G. J. Reilly, including background settings and ideas behind the novels, in the author's own words.
The world of Inquisitor:
The world of Inquisitor is, to all intents and purposes, the world we live in. Was this what you wanted?
"Yes. The idea behind Inquisitor was to have a world that people are used to, that doesn't take a great deal of imagination to visualise, then twist it just enough to make it otherworldly and exciting.
"What I really want is for readers to feel that they can be a part of the story, just by stepping through their front doors; that Inquisitor isn't just about the words on the page, it could be happenning all around them.
"That's not to say that the rules have been too confined. I've tried to keep to the laws of physics as much as possible, to give the story a more realistic feel. At the end of the day though, it's a story about sorcerers and psychics, so I've had to bend a few rules here and there. What I didn't want to do, was create something outrageously fantastical with talking trees, or animals in suits of armour."
2010 - present
What is Inquisitor really about?
Pretty much every story has a subtext. Can you tell us what Inquisitor is really about?
"Most stories are about what the reader makes of them. Because people are unique, the reading experience will be personal the individual. Inquisitor should, in the first instance, be nothing more than a story for its own sake; something readers of all ages can enjoy as a bed-time story, or something to take your mind off a tedious train ride to work. After that, the story is a series of snapshots of the lives of the main characters, as they live through an ongoing war.
"Without giving too much away, the main theme of this first book is deceit. I'm not talking about little white lies; I'm talking about whopping great lies that fester. Another important theme is loyalty. Hopefully, readers will enjoy trying to decide who they're rooting for before the end of this adventure. I want them to feel the indicision that Michael has to live with. Most of all, I want their loyalties to waver from one book to the next."
Is it a dystopian version of life?
2010 - present
Is this a dystopian fantasy version of our world?
"Definitely not. It's a parallel of the world we live in, with a few fairytale-esque tweaks, but not in the same way as another well known series either. The focus is on the war and the lives of those involved. While the academy does feature heavily in this first book, it's mainly because everyone up to a certain age has to go to school, like it or not."
Can you give us an example of what we can expect?
"Certainly. Michael's world is an exaggeration of our own. Those with most money go to the best schools, while those without can only hope for a schollarship place. But, as Michael soon finds out, it's not always a good thing. The exaggeration is that the graduates of the academy are being trained serve a wider agenda.
"That's not to say that regular people are being oppressed as such, but there is a definite impression that it could be a possibility. That's where the council comes in. They are there as a balance and, because of the nature of the war, I needed heroes and villains who had been a part of it since the beginning. Just don't forget that even the good guys lie when it suits them."
So is it a classic 'good vs. evil' conflict?