I recently wrote a chapter of Edge of the Wild, the third book in the Altinor trilogy, from the point of view of Tarban, a young soldier in the Delvidran army.

During it, he’s with the Commander of the army, Laton.

He is both frightened and intrigued by her and what they speak about.

Laton is the central antagonist of the books, other than Ordran.

An exceptional warrior, she is intelligent, ambitious, tortured, stern, loyal, at once strong and brittle – Laton has a very human alchemy of qualities that make her a fearsome antagonist to Daniel.

Do you have a favourite antagonist/villain in literature?

One of mine is Long John Silver, from Treasure Island.

He first appears one way to Jim Hawkins, the story’s protagonist.

Then due to each of John Silver’s choices later in the book, Jim finds his view of him often changing.

Whether an out-and-out evil villain or an ambiguous antagonist you sometimes found yourself empathising with or even rooting for, which adversaries did you enjoy reading about?

‘Jim, Long John Silver and his Parrot’ by N.C. Wyeth for a 1911 edition of Treasure Island.