The Song of Jig – As performed by the disgustingly talented Tom Smith.
Map – Some fantasy novels have detailed maps, lovingly created by talented artists. This is not one of those novels. If you’d like to see how I kept track of the labyrinthine tunnels and caverns in the goblin mountain, just click the link and download the PDF. (Darnak would be so disappointed in me.)
Easter Egg: The Wendelson Crest – The crest worn by members of the Wendelson family and their soldiers was inspired by this design used by my Russian publisher Eksmo in their editions of Goblin Quest and Goblin Hero. Click the link to see the Eksmo version.
Grell – In Goblin Hero, Grell is an old goblin nursery worker who tags along with Jig as an excuse to escape diaper duty. But in the first draft, Grell started out very different indeed.
Veka – I started playing with ideas for Veka’s character back in 2001, before setting the project aside. In Goblin Hero, Veka works in the distillery making muck and daydreaming about wizardry. Here she is from my earliest scribblings.
Jig’s Quest for the Shield of Shadowstar – Originally in Goblin War, Jig needed to recreate an ancient artifact from the War of Shadows. To do so, Tymalous Shadowstar pushed him into the void, where raw magic surrounded him. If Jig’s will was strong and his concentration perfect, he would be able to recreate the shield. I cut the entire subplot, but it’s an entertaining little quest.