Maps

I love maps. Whenever I start reading a new fantasy series, the first thing I do is a Google image search looking for maps. I removed the large fold out map from the back of my red leather bound copy of The Lord of the Rings and laminated it. I have a folder on my computer with every map I could find from The Malazan Book of the Fallen (sooo many maps). So, naturally, when I decided to try my hand at writing my own fantasy series, I started by drawing maps. Lots of maps. Each picture is linked to a viewable copy of the file on my Google Drive that you can download at full resolution.

I started by finding a tectonic plate simulator called Tectonic Explorer that allows you to select a configuration of plates, draw the initial landmasses, set the relative plate densities, and assign force vectors to each of the plates. I let the simulation run until I liked how things looked, then took screenshots of six different views of the 3D model. The resulting globe was purely topographical, so I colored in things like darker green tropical jungles, white snow and ice, deserts, and rivers.

Next, I began hand drawing maps of the land masses with significant civilizations that will be part of the story. First was the Continent of Aekiren, followed by the Island of Xyleria, and finishing with the Continent of Ekkiji. The jungle Continent of Ulau is primitive and tribal, while the Continent of Myrrsketh is inhabited by dragons when they abandoned the realms of man. Neither of these will serve as locations in the series, nor will the uninhabited frozen continents of Tuathjaata and Daesjaata.

Finally, I drew maps of the individual regions within the larger continents. Book 1 starts in the Province of Ekkiji and the Island of Xyleria, then moves to Khetsfera, Wohnun, and Epheos from the Continent of Aekiren.

Book 2 starts briefly in Epheos before moving on to Kurejaan and the Jungles of Eph.

Book 3 starts in Khetsfera before eventually moving on to Rikære.