Alex asked Juliet Marillier:

My favorite of your works is "Flame of Sevenwaters." I was burned at age 2 and have scars on my face and right hand, so I relate to Maeve a lot. I needed surgery so that I could use my hand. I've dealt with people's cruelty as well as my own self-doubt. I wanted to ask if you had done research about burns and medieval treatments when writing about Maeve. Was Liadan's treatments based in historical medical practices?

Juliet Marillier Great question, Alex. When researching the burns treatment for Maeve I consulted both early medieval texts and modern medical experts (I happen to have one of those in my family, very useful.) I made all aspects of Liadan's treatment consistent with what would have been available at the time, and I've sought expert opinion about the scarring on Maeve's hands and how that would limit her movement and control. However, I believe that without antibiotics it's actually far more likely Maeve would have died from infection after such serious burns. I have also stretched things a bit with what Maeve was able to achieve physically in this novel. I didn't want to make her do anything impossible, but I did want her to test herself to the limit. She's one of my favourite characters.

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