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The following interview was originally published on the French wiki on April 29, at the following address.

Entretien : sur les traces d'une Assassin samouraïWiki Assassin's Creed

Are you passionate about the medieval world and Japan? Well, you're lucky, because this time we're going to tell you about the novel that brings the two together, Assassin's Creed: Fragments – The Blade of Aizu. The story follows the evolution of the young but reckless Atsuko in a misogynistic Japan, from her status as a simple samurai's daughter, to an Ashigaru, and finally being recruited by the Assassins, during the Boshin War. Released on April 15, 2022, this book is written by Olivier Gay, who was kind enough to answer some questions we thought the reader would appreciate knowing.

We invite you to read this interesting interview and give us your opinions in the comments! 😉

1. You describe each scene as if the reader were experiencing it. Before you started writing The Blade of Aizu, were you familiar with the franchise?

I've always been a big gamer, and of course, I've played all the different AC games (aside from Syndicate, the period didn't inspire me)! Like many, I was a fan of Ezio, and spent hours on Black Flag or Origins. 😉

2. Some characters are historical figures. How did you decide on their allegiance to the Assassins or the Templars?

I wanted to be close as much as possible to the actual events of the Boshin War and therefore the opposition between the Shogun and the Emperor on one hand, and the one between France and England on the other. From there, it was easy to imagine that the Emperor's supporters were the Templars, while the Assassins were trying to overthrow the Emperor and return power to the people.

3. Without making it a particular focus, the novel nonetheless focuses a lot on Miyamoto Musashi's Masamune. Is it a Sword of Eden?

Probably... who knows ^^

The topic remains open, so developers can either bounce it off a game, or another novel can be released on the subject!

4. You mention the Battle of Sekigahara in which the Assassins were involved, mentioned only in the – now defunct – game Assassin's Creed: Memories. How did you hear about it?

It's a fascinating battle, considered both one of the greatest samurai battles in History and a founding battle for the Tokugawa dynasty. It involved many famous figures, including Tokugawa Ieyasu and of course Miyamoto Musashi. We can therefore imagine that it remains a reference for teenagers from the late Edo period like Ibuka or Atsuko!

5. Mentor Nakano Takeko is beheaded by Shiba Atsuko, whereas historically it is her sister Yuko who does the deed. Is this slight inconsistency due to an oversight, or was it deliberate?

It was deliberate to give Atsuko a key role in a historically documented situation. After all, Atsuko disappears after the battle and no one knows what happened to her, so we can imagine that the official story is different from reality.

I thought it would be interesting to put her in a situation where her mentor puts her honor in her hands. For all her talent, Atsuko is very young, and this adds to the horror of all she will have to accomplish.

6. We have followed Atsuko's development into a promising Assassin. But what about her emotional evolution? Do you think her relationship with Matsuo will progress and that they will perpetuate the Assassin lineage together?

I was very reluctant to add romantic feelings between the two (I love inserting romance in all my novels) but I found that, in this case, it was more a relationship of mutual respect rather than love. Matsuo saved her not because he was in love with her, but because he recognized her talents and imagined he could recruit her one day. It's a lot less romantic this way! As for Atsuko, she's suffered enough from her condition not to want to be helped or protected just because of her feelings.

But once they get to know each other, it's entirely possible that feelings will arise - in a slow-burn romance style that I really like 😉

7. William Lloyd is the only Templar in the novel. Why didn't you try to revive the Japanese Rite of the Templar Order to regain power over Japan? This suggests that there were no new members of the Order at this point in the story. Is it the case?

It's hard to explore all the subjects in a single novel, for there will be too many details that might confuse even myself. I focused on the Assassins because Atsuko quickly finds herself under Takeko's wing, and it was interesting to get their – inevitably biased – point of view on the ongoing war and its stakes. But, of course, Lloyd isn't the only Templar in Japan, he's just the most visible. Most are content to pull strings in the shadows – as in the famous Icarus affair in Nagasaki.

8. At the end of the novel, Brunet and Parkes discuss what will become of Japan after the war. What happens to the Japanese Assassins now that the Shogun they supported is no more?

That's not for me to say, or at least not yet. We'll see if another book is ever written about this period.

9. A game called Assassin's Creed: Red set in feudal Japan has been announced by Ubisoft. Does it have any connection with your novel?

Not at all, even if the developers are united by the same passion I have for Japan – and of course, I'll be a hardcore gamer of this next game! 😉

10. If you were to do the sequel, what would you write about?

If I were to write a sequel, I could either continue to focus on Atsuko, or take on another hero who would find himself caught in the midst of the changes of this new Meiji Era – and who would meet Atsuko (who would then no longer be the main character but a skilled Assassin, ten years after the events narrated in The Blade of Aizu)!

The following interview was originally published on the French wiki on April 29, at this web address.

Entretien : chasse aux infos sur les sorcières des LandesWiki Assassin's Creed

Released in January 2022 in French, Assassin's Creed Fragments: The Witches of the Moors is a novel written by Adrien Tomas and set in 1609 in Bayonne, in the heart of the French Landes region. It tells the story of two young sisters, Ermeline and Margaux, who must mourn their happy youth and choose their destiny - Assassins or Templars.

After reading the book, a number of questions remained unanswered... impossible for us to leave the wiki with such uncertainties. So we worked out a few questions and passed them on to the author, who replied us.

⚠️ Please note that what follows reveals some story elements and is intended for those who have read the book. Don't go any further than the 2nd question if you don't want to see the surprise effect go up in smoke!

1. In your book you describe some of the mechanics of the games, such as the way eagle vision manifests itself. Have you played any of the Assassin's Creed games?

I've hardly played any Assassin's Creed, apart from a few hours of Odyssey. However, my father-in-law is a gamer and I've seen him play several times, which has given me a few keys to understanding the universe.

2. Why did you choose to divide the novel into 3 characters?

It's something I often do in my novels, giving everyone a voice, including the antagonists (in this case the Templars, represented by Pierre de Lancre). It often makes things less Manichean when you can see everyone's point of view. I like the idea of having two groups with radically different philosophies confronting each other, and not just 'good guys' and 'bad guys'.

3. Is the Shroud of Eden in the book a new artefact, or is it something we've already seen in the saga?

I deliberately didn't specify whether it was a 'known' Shroud of Eden, but scattered clues so that we could understand that it was the Shroud of Eden that appeared in Italy in the 15th century. In the saga, its trace is lost between the 15th and 19th centuries: in the meantime, it is recovered by the Templars and hidden in France, before being stolen again by the Assassins. Margaux takes it to the New World at the end of the novel, along with Ezio's sword.

4. Why did you choose the Shroud of Eden as the relic and not another one?

The Shroud had a 'hole' in its history that I had the opportunity to partially fill, which suited me fine. It also corresponded to the concept of Catherine, the midwife and healer who used it for the good of humanity.

5. Many of the characters in the book have no official identity. Are any of them familiar characters from the franchise?

No, all the characters in the novel are original creations and/or historical figures of that time.

6. Are any of the characters related to a well-known character from the franchise? Fabrizzio Auditore comes to mind...

Fabrizzio's name and the fact that he holds the Auditore sword imply that he is a descendant of Ezio. However, the character appears too briefly for it to be relevant to describe his relationship, so I preferred to keep it as a reference.

7. Is Margaux Nicodemus's biological daughter?

This is deliberately not made explicit in the novel, but she is. The fact that she is the descendant of two Assassins, one of whom is particularly sensitive to Isu artefacts, explains her great mastery of the shroud.

8. Are you planning a sequel?

There are no plans for the moment, but I'm open to suggestions if UbiSoft or Editions 404 want to continue the adventure.

9. Do you have any other projects with the Assassin's Creed licence?

Not at the moment.