Has Angela ever been in love? (Submitted by Arron McManus)
Perhaps, but even if she has, I doubt even Solembum knows of it.
Elva was originally considered for the role of “Green Rider” before you chose Arya instead. Is it possible Elva could become a Rider in the future?
Possible, yes. However, I think that it would end up making her over-powered. She already has an amazing ability; being a Rider as well seems like overkill to me. If she were, though, she’d be pretty scary. Even Galbatorix wouldn’t have stood a chance against her.
Do you feel as though removing/healing Eragon’s back scar took away the one thing that held Eragon back and shaped him as a character? Why not have him overcome it or learn to live with it? (Submitted by Ryboodle)
Great question! It’s actually an issue/question I struggled with quite a lot. I didn’t want what happened during the Blood Oath celebration to feel like a gimme or a Deus Ex technique . . . which is one reason why I tried so hard to make it seem impossible that Eragon could defeat Galbatorix even after the celebration. You’re right, in one way it might have been more interesting if Eragon had to deal with the scar and its effects for the rest of his life. On the other hand, with the scar, I think it would have been too difficult for him to ever overcome Galbatorix. And, he never would have been able to hold his own physically with Arya, which seemed important to me.
When a dwarf or Urgal becomes a Rider, how will their body be affected? Will their bodies slowly become more elf-like as human Riders do, or will they take on an entirely different appearance? (Submitted by Jackson)
As with human Riders, dwarves and Urgals who become linked with a dragon will slowly acquire pointed, elf-like ears over the course of five-ten years. Also, they’ll acquire greater grace and strength, although they’ll never quite match the pound-for-pound strength of an elf, even if, objectively, they’re stronger (such as with a Kull). Over the course of their lives, one might say that a dwarf or Urgal Rider would end up refined, as if they had been distilled to the essence of both their individual self and the essence of their race.
What books did you use to research medieval times? (Submitted by Ace)
I have a book from Dover on clothing from the medieval era (I forget the exact time period), another Dover book on weapons and armor, and of course, the vast resources of the internet. I also remember checking out a number of books on ships when writing the sequence where Roran and the villagers steal the Dragonwing in Eldest. Other than that, I didn’t do a huge amount of specific research. I’m sure it shows to anyone who’s an expert in the field, but I think I was able to dig up enough details to paint a semi-plausible backdrop for this story.
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