On April 30, Peter V. Brett participated in a Reddit AMA. Things began with award-wing fantasy author Mark Lawrence. 

[–]MarkLawrence/r/Fantasy Best of 2013 & 2014 Winner (+AMA Author)

OK, a serious question, no 1000 ducks, no horses, none of that.

Demons … they rise out of the core and solidify … but their bodies seem to fit the area they appear in, rock demons in rocky places, wood demons in forests, sand demons in deserts etc. So my original vision of it was that they somehow construct themselves bodies using the local materials. But I’m not so sure of that now as it doesn’t really match the descriptions (from memory). But if that’s not the case then why would they have bodies that ‘fit’. Also – I’ve never been clear if they eat people or just kill them. Do they eat animals too – I’m thinking not or there would be precious few animals left? And if they did … what would all the sand demons be eating to keep fed?

So I guess that’s my question – in the core are all the demons basically the same thing and then they rise and build appropriate bodies, or are they sand and wood and fire demons the whole time and they just aim to appear somewhere that ‘fits’?

If it’s the former, then I presume if you had a sewage farm or a sweet factory you could get shit demons and candy demons rising?

PS – still really enjoying Skull Throne!

[–]PvbrettAMA Author[S] 

Yes and no. Demons are the same in the Core as on the surface. Some of their forms are influenced when the mind demon consort imprints on them at birth, but after that it’s more a matter of natural evolution; slow changes over the course of many years. Demons are immortal unless killed, so the same demon can change gradually over the course of its lifetime. No two are exactly alike.

Most drones are not smart enough to shapeshift, they dematerialize, ride a current to the surface, and put themselves back together more or less the same way from their original matter. But that said, they are influenced by both the terrain they pass through and their local brethren, and over time it affects their form.

Demons often do eat what they kill, but the act of killing itself, particularly their ancient enemies (humans), is pleasurable to them. They have hunted most of the mid-sized animals (and humans) to near-extinction. The only animals that remain are those that have adapted to fleeing/hiding, or those that have fed on demon meat or otherwise evolved big and badass enough to fight back, like nightwolves and Angierian mustang.

Demons also kill and eat below the surface. Sometimes each other, and sometimes subterranean creatures.

<snip>

[–]MisakAttack

HELLO PETER V BRETT,

I HOPE THE CORE IS GOING WELL. I LOVED THE SHIT OUT OF THE SKULL THRONE. NO JOKE, SON. LOOKING FORWARD TO WHATEVER YOU PLAN ON RELEASING NEXT.

DO YOU PLAN ON RELEASING A BIG BOOK FULL OF DEMON’S CYCLE NOVELLAS? WILL IT HAVE A SEXY COVER THAT MATCHES THE OTHER DEMON’S CYCLE COVERS? I LIKE IT WHEN BOOKS IN A SERIES ALL MATCH COVERS. PEOPLE SAY YOU SHOULDN’T JUDGE A BOOK BY ITS COVER, BUT THOSE PEOPLE ARE DUMB.

WATCHING GAME OF THRONES? SHIT’S CRAZY, RIGHT?
GOOD DAY AND HAVE A PLEASANT TOMORROW.

(sorry for yelling, I had a lot of coffee and I want attention)

[–]PvbrettAMA Author[S] 

THANKS SO MUCH. YES, TACHYON PRESS IS RELEASING THE GREAT BAZAAR AND BRAYAN’S GOLD AS A COMBINED MASS MARKET NEXT MONTH! YOU CAN CHECK OUT THE AWESOME COVER AND DETAILS HERE:https://tachyonpublications.com/product/great-bazaar-brayans-gold/

I AM WAITING TO BANK A BUNCH OF EPS OF GOT BEFORE STARTING THIS SEASON.

THANKS FOR hack! cough! Cough! Sorry. All this shouting is murder on my throat. Thanks.

[–]Rytn

Do you actually say “honest word” in everyday conversations? That’d be awesome, honest word.

How do you feel about the criticism you get about Renna? Has this affected her character design/development at all or are you keeping Renna true to yourself/herself/itself?

If you could give one piece of advice to writers what would it be?

[–]PvbrettAMA Author[S] 

I do say honest word sometimes. Usually only to people who get the reference, but it works surprisingly well regardless.

I was initially surprised at the extreme reactions to Renna. There are message board threads created just to hate on her, yet there is no character cosplayed as often, or with as much passion. There is a large group of readers convinced she is the real Deliverer.

I think some of the issue is that we are seeing on the page a lot of the magic-addiction and the emotional roller-coaster that Arlen went through off page. We lose track of Arlen when he starts warding himself and eating demon meat, and when we see him again years later, he is fundamentally changed. It’s why he understands so well what she’s going through, and believes in her. She’s the one that brought him back to himself, and he’ll be corespawned if he can’t do the same for her.

And that’s the other part of the issue. A lot of folks ‘shipped Arlen and Leesha in book 1, and then Renna came in and popped that bubble.

Regardless, Renna remains on the same arc she has always been. I would be a pretty sad excuse for an author if I let readers dictate what I write. And that right there is the best advice I can give you. Know when to take criticism, and when to ignore it. It’s a fool’s game trying to please everyone.

<snip>

[–]sharklops 

Hi Peter love the books! I’m the guy who sent you the spear image with the transparent background for your website.

Just wondering if, with the important role tattooing plays in your books, what if any tattoos do you have yourself?

[–]PvbrettAMA Author[S] 

Thank you! I only have one tattoo myself. It is a Japanese katana with a heart-shaped tsuba that I drew. The sword is called Heart’s Guard, and was carried by the hero of the first fantasy series I wrote. Those books were never published and never will be, but I learned a lot writing them. The tattoo, on my forearm where I see it every day, it a reminder to never quit aspiring to do better in writing.

Been meaning to get a ward circle tattoo, but I have been lazy…

Read the rest of the AMA at Reddit.

For more info about THE GREAT BAZAAR & BRAYAN’S GOLD, visit theTachyon page.

Cover design by Elizabeth Story.