Keelan

Keelan asked Naomi Novik:

Hi, I'm really enjoying the series so far, so thanks for writing them. I've got a burning question though: is it possible to form a strong bond with a dragon without using a harness? Was Laurence's concern over Temeraire flying off at the start of the first book warranted? Or was it all European superstition?

Naomi Novik It's not superstition exactly, it's more that they think of it the wrong way round. In the West, a dragon that isn't willing to accept a harness is not useful to the Aerial Corps. And if a prospective captain can't get a dragon to accept a harness when it's newly hatched and hungry and most amenable to persuasion, chances are no one will ever be able to persuade it to do so.

It is absolutely possible to form a strong bond between a dragon and a human without harness--in fact I would expect it's easier. You're asking quite a lot of a creature that instinctively wants to fly off to let you put a harness on it.

More Answered Questions

Debojit Sinha

Debojit Sinha asked Naomi Novik:

After League of Dragons, will we see Temeraire and the crew again? Or have they quite flown off into the sunset Down Under?

Jade

Jade asked Naomi Novik:

Hi, I’ve recently just started reading your Temeraire series and I’m loving it, though I’ve just found out that the book covers I have don’t carry on throughout the entire series (the white backgrounds with the black images on). I’m just wondering if there will ever be a possibility of the last three books ever being published with these covers? Thanks

Jeannie

Jeannie asked Naomi Novik:

Hi Naomi! I've just finished Temeraire, I absolutely LOVED it! Thank you so much for writing it! Now I'm going to read all the rest, Yay! But as I've sought to buy the complete set, I've noticed a dreadful hodgepodge of publications. So I hope your publishers see this message: Please do a matching set? I will buy it :D

All answers from Naomi Novik…

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