Dragon Week: Interview with Author Corey Ratliff

Today I’m wrapping up Dragon Week (and a half) with an interview. I’m excited to share an interview with Corey Ratliff, author of the Elmerïan Chronicles.



WS: Will you introduce yourself to the readers?



Corey: Absolutely. My name is Corey Ratliff. I am a fantasy author of Elmerïan Chronicles and a couple other series.



WS: How would you describe your writing?



Corey: I would like to think my writing is visceral, yet engaging, well paced and accessible to all readers.



WS: Your book, Whispers of a World Breaker, features dragons heavily. What inspired you to include them in your writing? 



Corey: I pretty much owe all my love of dragons to Christopher Paolini. At least in my youth. Dragons are majestic, mighty, mysterious, powerful, sometimes whimsical and wise. They serve as great companions or characters. And there are practically endless ways to write them.



WS: There are so many different personalities given to dragons throughout fantasy history. What are your dragons like?



Corey: My dragons are intelligent, analytically and emotionally. While they generally are similar in thought as their bonded rider, they tend to develop their own sense of self and desires as they get older. They make mistakes. They learn. Some are nice and some want to burn the world.



WS: How do your dragons interact with your fantasy world? Did you have to adjust for their inclusion? 



Corey: In my world, dragons are mostly revered. I have a few variations of them, but the main bonded dragons are usually protected or hunted. Them, and the bonds through them, can save a nation or threaten the world. It definitely made me think deeper on a world building level.



WS: What role do they play in your books?



Corey: Dragons are the bringers of magic and longevity of life in my world. They gain emotional control and a sense of greater intelligence than non-bonded dragonmages, or riders. Through the years, they play pivotal roles. They’ve been the subject of study and wars.



WS: Your main character’s role becomes that of a protector to a dragon. How does that affect his personality or outlook?



Corey: In the beginning, Aric is in denial. Hans were never supposed to become bonded to dragons—or so he thought. The bond immediately gives him a drive to protect his dragon. But as the Story moves forward, he needs to figure out what his role is in the world. His bond, his magic, and his relationships shape everything as he always tends to circle back to Eldras. He knows what the risk of loss is. And he’ll fight with everything he has to protect the dragon, and sometimes it’s not the heroic way.






Purchase Links: Whispers of a World Breaker Rise of the Shadow Bound (pre-order)