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Pandora’s Box Has Been Opened
Liberator: The People’s Guard follows the Liberator as he faces off against two new super villains, one has the ability to take any form, both organic and not, and a being that absorbs the life force of others. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
It was really just the natural evolution of the story. Volume 2, left off with the idea of the various nations ramping up their eugenics experiments, so it naturally led to the question of “what would happen if someone were accidentally exposed to this super soldier serum?” Like the book says, Pandora’s box has been opened and there’s no closing it now. Plus it was also a case of creating a rouges gallery for the hero. A hero is only as good as the villains they fight. The Liberator really doesn’t have a main adversary the way Superman has Lex Luthor, Batman has the Joker, or the Ninja Turtles have Shredder. I just needed some more villains for him to fight and I decided to make these two female for a more gender balanced story. Incidentally, several months ago I was in a store at a mall, talking with one of the staff about my books. When I told her about Oksana and her ability to absorb the life force of others, she loved the irony of the fact that women are the live givers, and here’s this woman who’s essentially taking that life force energy back. Something I never even thought about when writing, or at least I wasn’t consciously aware of it.
What were some ideas that were important for you to personify in your characters?
In the case of the villains, as stated above, it was really just a matter of creating a rouges gallery for the hero. Upon creating the villains the first question was “How did they get these powers?” Then I went from there. With Oksana, it was about a plant operator who hated her job, her life, who was under constant stress and upon getting her powers her reaction was basically, “Now’s my chance to get back at everyone who ruined my life.” As for Mistika, I’ve often read about how in the Soviet Union they would brag about how they evolved beyond “capitalist/materialist greed”. While that was the official government stance, the reality was quite different. For Mistika it was just a case of, “With these powers I can have/do whatever I want and no one can stop me!” As for Tovarich, it was really hammering home the fears and doubts in the back of his mind. The idea that maybe he’s not the hero everyone thinks he is. He’s the guy who’s staying up at night wondering “What if the state I’m supposed so serve is actually the REAL bad guy here?”
How did you balance the action scenes with the story elements and still keep a fast pace in the story?
I always put the story first. For me it’s a question of “does this scene serve the overall story?” I’m not the type of person to just put random action scenes just for the sake of having an action scene. It’s like with a movie, having gratuitous violence, sex, language, CGI, special effects for no reason other than “Hey, look what we can do,” doesn’t make for a good story. It’s like my script writing teacher in college (the late Michael Monty) often said, if your story is garbage, no amount of violence, special effects, sex and so on will save it. Basically I play the scene out in my head as if it were a movie, then I try to find the words to properly describe what I’m seeing in my mind, so I can give you as clear a picture as possible when you’re reading the book. Particularly when the Liberator was fighting Oksana. When it begins, you’ve basically got Superman fighting a normal woman only for it to end with him being the normal man fighting Supergirl. It was a case of how do I realistically make her drain his powers without him figuring it out too soon. The idea of her messing with his mind seemed like a logical way to throw him off. That and I like it when a story goes into the character’s heads; what are they thinking? Why do they think/feel this way? What do they believe in and so on. For me personally, that’s more exciting than giving them cool powers and seeing what they do with them.
Will there be a follow-up novel to this story? If so, what aspects of the story will the next book cover?
Oh yes volume 4 will continue the story. (Don’t tell me you didn’t notice the “sneak peek at volume 4” part in the book!) I actually wrote both together as one story, but I was having a bit of writer’s block, so the story as a whole wasn’t finished. I was debating, “should I wait until I finish it all, or just put out what I’ve got so far and make it like a two-part episode of a TV series?” In the end I decided, since I’ve got most of the first half done, I’ll finish that part up and come back to finish the rest later. I don’t write in a linear fashion. I’ll often just jump between parts in no particular order, writing and playing connect-the-dots with the different scenes in the book. If I can’t think of something, I’ll just write down “add more later” in brackets, then come back to it. While I don’t want to give away too many spoilers, it will feature some unexpected twists and a villain team up with Mistika, Oksana and the Intellectual.
Also I naturally have to throw in a plug for my other series “Mystical Force”, as I’m currently writing volume 7 of that one. That will introduce a character I’ve been teasing for the last few volumes, the “descendant of the darkness” mentioned in the prophecy all the way back in volume 1. Hopefully that one will be out around spring of 2026.
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While trying to fight her, she ends up draining the Liberator of his powers, leaving her the super- powered being while he’s nothing more than an ordinary man. The Liberator’s super-strength and invulnerability left many criminals cowering in fear. Now it seems he’s about to find out what it’s like to be on the receiving end.
Included in this book is a special bonus story: “The Misadventures of Captain Communist,” a humorous parody of the Liberator series. Meet Vladimir Prokov, dictator of the Soviet Union and its greatest hero (by decree of the Central Committee), Captain Communist, along with his trusty sidekick (and real hero of the story), Socialist Boy. Together, they fight to protect the workers of Russia from the icy hand of that cold-hearted capitalist, Mr. Free-Enterprise, who wants to run his own business selling frozen treats. It’s camp comedy and political satire blended with superhero shenanigans for flavour. See good triumph over evil, or evil triumph over good, or one form of evil triumph over another form of evil. It really all depends on where your social/political/economic views lie . . .
Liberator: The People’s Guard Vol. 3 Metamorphic-Humans
The third volume of Liberator: The People’s Guard throws us straight into a harsh world where ruthless politics, dangerous science, and volatile new powers keep clashing. Early scenes in Cherbosk show terrified workers drowning under impossible state demands, then the chaos explodes when a catastrophic chemical spill sets off a chain of events that births new metamorphic humans. Soon after, a violent shapeshifter named Mistika tears through banks and museums while the Liberator scrambles to understand her powers and the government’s role in creating beings like her. The story mixes political fear, personal struggle, and huge action in a country desperate to control forces it barely understands.
As I read through these chapters, I felt pulled in by the sense of pressure everyone seems to live under. The writing made me feel that tight knot of stress in my stomach, the one you get when you know something terrible is coming, and there is nothing you can do but watch it arrive. Oksana’s frantic attempts to please her superiors hit me hard. She rushes, she panics, she breaks things, and she pays the price. Those scenes made me feel frustrated and sad because you can see her fear coming off the page. Then you have Mistika, who storms into a bank like a comic book villain brought to life. Her scenes are intense and sometimes brutal, and I was shocked at how casual she is about killing. The casualness made her feel more real and more frightening.
The political tension is strong, and I kept feeling uneasy about how often the government hides the truth. The conversations about the super soldier serum made me pause, especially when Tovarich realizes he might not be the only one or even the first one. That whole debate around a genetic arms race made the story feel bigger than a simple superhero fight. It gave me this weird mix of worry and curiosity. I liked that the book did not give easy answers. Instead, it let the fear simmer while the characters tried to keep moving forward.
This volume would be perfect for readers who enjoy superhero stories that lean darker and more political. If you like action mixed with fear, moral tension, and characters who feel trapped by forces bigger than they are, this is a strong fit. I would recommend it to fans of gritty comic book worlds and anyone who likes stories about power that comes with a cost.
Pages: 116 | ASIN : B0FTV1KZ2X
Anger Issues
In Mystical Force Vol. 6: The Enemy Within an apprentice faces past trauma and her questionable past as she learns to harness her own powers. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
It was just the natural progression from where Volume 5 left off. At the end of volume 5, Shi-ria took Chiyoko on as her apprentice, so it only made sense to have volume 6 pick up there. I could have just had her learn to harness these powers between books, but it made more sense to show her gradually learning how to use these powers, plus struggling to cope with her anger issues. As anyone with anger issues (myself included) knows, overcoming your own anger is like facing your fears. It’s not a one-and-done deal. Take public speaking for example, a lot of people have that fear, yet giving a speech in front of a crowd doesn’t automatically mean that fear is gone. It takes time and effort to learn to deal with it. The same goes for Chiyoko, learning to control her rage. It becomes second nature to you, like a default program your brain automatically runs. You have to constantly work at it to reprogram your subconscious mind so you don’t automatically fall back into old habits without even realizing it.
Do you have a favorite scene in this installment of the Mystical Force series? One that was especially enjoyable to craft?
Ooo…that’s a tough one. Which do I choose? It’s like asking a parent to pick their favourite child. But if I have to choose, I would probably say it’s the part where we go into the backstory of Dead-Eye Sammie. Personally, I love a good origin story. It helps to explain how and why the characters became who they are, especially for a villain. Villains don’t think of themselves as evil. Only in a comedy/parody or a badly written story do villains act evil simply for evil’s sake. It makes them more relatable to explore what it was that drove them to villainy. I especially liked the part where she found and murdered the man responsible for killing her parents only to learn he was a parent as well; and that in her rash, lust for revenge, she realized that—to quote Obi Wan from Revenge of the Sith, “You’ve become the very thing you swore to destroy.” Plus it gave me a chance to explain a bit more about her home world, the planet T’nubria in the Torathol Empire. I love world-building. I love going onto fan wikis like “Avatar,” “Wookiepedia,” or “Memory Alpha,” and reading up bios on fictional worlds/nations written in the same style as a Wikipedia article about a real-world country. That’s part of the fun of writing sci-fi and fantasy.
The science inserted in the fiction, I felt, was well-balanced. How did you manage to keep it grounded while still providing the fantastic edge science fiction stories usually provide?
Honestly, I don’t even think about it. I remember a quote from the audio commentary on the DVD for 1964’s Mothra vs Godzilla (my favourite movie by the way), talking about Shinichi Sekizawa, who wrote the screenplay for the film. They mentioned how he didn’t consider himself an expert in any scientific field and felt the audience would get lost if bogged down in too many technical details. I’m the same way. Like with my other series Liberator: The People’s Guard I’m no expert in genetics or any of that stuff. As long as the story flows naturally and makes sense from a plot/character perspective, then people will be more forgiving if the science isn’t technically accurate.
Can we look forward to Vol. 7? Where will it take readers?
Oh yes, there will be a volume 7 coming out. Right now I’m working on Liberator Volume 3, so Volume 7 of Mystical Force will come right after that. As for where it will take readers? I’ve been writing for decades now, usually, I write an outline/synopsis like the plot summary you’d seen on Wikipedia for a book or a movie. Usually, I take my story arcs summary and use that as the basis for each specific book. Depending on what I’ve written, some of the story arcs were lengthy and had a lot of detail (several pages worth), others were little more than a brief paragraph. Sometimes I’ll even start writing something only to discard it because it’s just not working. Sometimes if I have a few short stories lying around, I’ll combine them together for a book, essentially having an ‘A’ plot, ‘B’ plot, and maybe even a ‘C’ plot too; so I can’t commit to anything for certain right now. I can, however, tell you this, having not been seen since volume 4, Tokijin and Sister Rose will return and will have to deal with their lingering relationship issues from that book. There will be new villains introduced and the character of Black Ninja, whom I’ve been hinting throughout the series (plus his brief unseen cameo in this book) will finally make an appearance and will lead to even more exciting adventures for future volumes.
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Chiyoko has been training hard as Shi-ria’s apprentice, and while she has made progress, she hasn’t yet defeated her greatest opponent, her own temper. As her powers grow, Scarlet Knightwalker becomes more worried that Chiyoko will be more easily tempted to use that power to lash out against those who wronged her. Just like the Poison Starfish who want revenge for Shi-ria, Chiyoko and Shinjo dealing a crippling blow to their criminal empire.
To do this, the Poison Starfish have hired the notorious mercenary Dead-Eye Sammie, who also wants revenge against our heroes. To enlist Dead-Eye’s help, the Poison Starfish must go through Dead-Eye’s business partner, the mysterious Ms. Alcro. But in helping the Poison Starfish, is Ms. Alcro helping the same criminals who ruined her life as a child and set her on this dark path years ago? Have she and Dead-Eye become the very criminals they despise?
It’s uneasy alliances and betrayals as heroes and villains clash in a battle of revenge versus justice. Sometimes, the real enemy isn’t your opponent on the battlefield but the darkness within: your own fear, anger, and hatred. But how does one conquer the enemy inside when no weapon can kill or wound it?
Mystical Force Vol. 6: The Enemy Within
In Mystical Force Volume 6: The Enemy Within, Craig Weidhuner continues his action-packed series set in a universe where martial arts, mystical energy, and shadowy criminal empires collide. This volume dives deep into the personal and emotional struggles of Chiyoko, a young apprentice Taman Knight learning to harness her powers, all while navigating trauma and a shadowy past. At the same time, we encounter nefarious characters like Dead-Eye Sammie and the Poison Starfish crime syndicate, whose operations threaten the fragile peace of Teikoku City. The stakes are high, and so is the drama, with intense action sequences, deep emotional revelations, and a clear sense of impending doom.
The story took me through a rollercoaster of emotions. Take the scenes where Chiyoko struggles to heat her tea using her mystical abilities, guided by her master Shi-ria. You can feel her frustration when nothing seems to work and then the palpable thrill when she finally succeeds, filling her with a newfound confidence. That moment was well-done and relatable, a simple yet powerful way to show character growth. But, as much as I loved these tender moments, some of the emotional outbursts felt repetitive, like Chiyoko’s ongoing rage and struggle with her inner darkness. But it does make sense given her backstory with her abusive mother and abandonment issues.
Now, the action scenes are a whole different beast. When Chiyoko goes up against Dead-Eye Sammie in the park, it is gripping from start to finish. The vivid descriptions, Chiyoko’s rage-fueled kicks, and her desperate attempts to summon the Taman’s energy, were thrilling, almost cinematic. And let’s talk about Dead-Eye Sammie! The big twist revealing her true identity was a nice surprise and played well against expectations.
The book also explores philosophical themes related to good and evil, energy balance, and the impact of unchecked emotions. Shi-ria’s lessons about the Kolri and Koldar forces (the mystical energies representing light and darkness) present thought-provoking ideas. However, some readers might find the detailed explanations about inner balance to be lengthy, which could potentially slow down the pacing. That said, the themes were clear and these ideas give the story more depth and elevate it from being just a straightforward action-adventure.
The Enemy Within is perfect for readers looking for fantasy-action with a spiritual twist. It’s a little like Star Wars meets Naruto, with an emphasis on martial arts, mystical energies, and battles that carry real emotional weight. If you enjoy stories of redemption, the struggle between light and darkness, and complex character dynamics, this book is worth the ride.
Pages: 107 | ASIN : B0DG5RJMY8
A Genetically Enhanced Hero
Liberator: The People’s Guard: Vol. 2 Genetic Arms Race centers around a modern-day superhero who is forced to take on two powerful, genetically engineered enemies bent on destruction. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
I honestly don’t remember. The overall story for Liberator was one I’ve been working on for a while now (like my other series Mystical Force). I’ve had the basic idea for these stories probably since I was in high school so we’re talking late 90’s. To me, it just seemed natural that if a nation like Ruthenia (which is my stand in for the Soviet Union) would create a genetically enhanced hero, then it stood to reason that Usonia (my stand-in for the US) would do the same. It’s not unlike when America first developed the atom bomb. It was only a matter of time before other nations, like Russia, would say, “If they’ve got a weapon to destroy us, we need an even bigger one to destroy them. To ensure that if they try and use it against us, we can do the same to them.” No wonder they call it “MAD,” whether it’s bombs or tampering with one’s genes it’s Mutually Assured Destruction.
Did you plan the tone and direction of this second volume in the series before writing, or did it come out organically as you were writing?
Yes and no. As I stated above, I’ve been writing for years now. It was always an overall synopsis, like what you’d see if you were to look up a movie on Wikipedia. So “yes” I had a general idea of the tone and direction for the second volume before writing, while at the same time “no” because, like any story, things change during the writing process. Ideas I came up with didn’t work for one reason or another, so I modified them as I went along. So again, “yes” the tone and direction the book ultimately takes did come out organically as I was writing but at the same time “no” I already had the idea ahead of time, though not exactly the same way it turned out. That’s the funny thing about life, sometimes two seemingly contradictory statements can both simultaneously be true. Weird, isn’t it?
Artificial Intelligence is becoming increasingly prevalent. What type of research was required to get that aspect of your novel just right?
I have no idea what you’re talking about. Where in my book do I mention AI? By the time AI was starting to become what it is, the book was already in the final stages of publishing so the story was already completed at that point. The issue with AI (as I see it) is that we humans – as a society – are not yet evolved enough to know how to use it properly. Creating “deep fakes” and revenge porn with it for example; not to mention the entertainment industry trying to get rid of the human factor by having AI write novels and movie scripts, replacing actors with AI and such. To paraphrase the line from Jurassic World, “You were so busy asking if AI could do X, you never stopped to ask if it should do X.” I remember watching a video where a right winger asked an AI chatbox if a transwoman is really a woman, then having a meltdown when the AI said “yes” and that we should respect their choices when it comes to gender identity. It just goes to prove that they didn’t really want artificial intelligence, they want artificial conformation bias. They don’t want AI to actually think, just to tell them what they want to hear. Much like with the issue of genetic engineering in the book, to quote my character Pavel, “It always comes down to an our-kind-against-their-kind mentality.” If anything I can see AI becoming our species caretaker, having to make all our choices for us because it’s decided that we as a society aren’t mature enough to make our own choices in life.
Is there a third installment planned for the Liberator series? If so, where will it take readers?
Volume three involves a group of eco-terrorists who stumble upon General Duboshnev’s attempts to create more super soldiers like the Liberator. It also brings in the character of Scarlet Knightwalker, thus helping to tie this series into the events of my other series Mystical Force. Speaking of Mystical Force, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that I’ve almost finished work on the next volume (six) of that series. That book follows Chiyoko (Shi-ria’s apprentice from volume 5) training to become a Taman Knight while having to deal with her own anger issues and the risk of history repeating itself. Not to mention we also get a more in-depth look at the character of Dead-Eye. I’d say more but, you know, spoilers and all.
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When Ruthenia created the Liberator, they opened up Pandora’s box. Now General Flagg wants to create his own version for his country. Flagg turns to a Ruthenian crime boss named Grigori Chekhov to get his hands on the formula. So it’s up to Petro Volkov to recreate the serum that made the Liberator, despite being unable to get his hands on the original formula. He creates a knockoff serum that when tested on one of Chekhov’s hired thugs turns him into a super-strong, mindless brute that’s now terrorizing Ruthenia. Meanwhile, Flagg succeeds in creating his own version of the Liberator with help from a mysterious businessman with a connection to Flagg’s past. Modelled on his own image, the Patriot is the official state sponsored hero of Usonia. Unfortunately, this new hero, like Flagg, is a fanatical zealot who sees non-existent conspiracies against his country everywhere. If he’s the official state hero, then who will protect the state from their own hero? Now Tovarich is forced to fight off two super powered foes, one who answers to no one and another who is a greater threat to his own nation than a hero. But how do you stop something that can’t be destroyed?
Liberator: The People’s Guard: Vol. 2 Genetic Arms Race
In Liberator: The People’s Guard: Vol. 2 Genetic Arms Race, the second installment in Craig Weidhuner’s dynamic series, we are introduced to the fascinating world of genetic supremacy, a sharp departure from the traditional nuclear arms race. This science fiction narrative centers on Tovarich Revanov, also known as the Liberator, Ruthenia’s state-sponsored superhero. Endowed with extraordinary abilities due to a secret DNA-altering formula, Tovarich represents the pinnacle of human potential, evoking comparisons to a modern-day Superman.
Weidhuner’s novel adeptly explores the geopolitical tensions that escalate as rival nations, notably Usonia, become entangled in a desperate quest to replicate Ruthenia’s groundbreaking achievement. This pursuit sets off a chain of events, teetering on the brink of an international crisis, and raising the possibility of former adversaries uniting to confront a common threat. The narrative places Tovarich at the heart of this tumultuous scenario, posing intriguing questions about his role in the unfolding drama. The book thrives on its brisk pacing and action-driven plot, making it an exhilarating read. Weidhuner’s writing style is accessible and engaging, perfect for a leisurely reading experience without demanding excessive intellectual exertion. The fight scenes are particularly noteworthy, vividly rendered with cinematic flair, reminiscent of epic battles from a Marvel blockbuster. These sequences add a palpable sense of excitement to the story. Weidhuner shows notable growth as a storyteller from the first book in the series. While the initial installment was criticized for its predictability, this sequel introduces unexpected twists and a heightened sense of suspense, maintaining the reader’s engagement throughout. The novel also shines in its exploration of pertinent themes, such as the risks of extremism, illustrated through the actions of a far-right military general. These elements add depth to the narrative, encouraging readers to ponder the broader implications of the story’s events.
Genetic Arms Race is a commendable addition to Craig Weidhuner’s series Liberator: The People’s Guard, offering a blend of sci-fi intrigue, action, and thought-provoking themes. It stands as a testament to Weidhuner’s evolving narrative skills and his ability to craft a story that is both entertaining and reflective of contemporary issues.
Pages: 113 | ASIN : B0CM9TSVC8
LITERARY TITAN 