It’s got a maaaaaaaaaaaaap…

When you enter the guestroom in our house, you will see three things:

1. A bed
2. Shelves of books
3. Maps

The bed is so you can, in theory, sleep. You can also read there. I’ve known one guest who watched some movies there. Basically, it’s a comfy area to be comfortable on.

The shelves of books are for comfort, too. There’s nothing quite so relaxing for me as being surrounded by all my friends. I’ve seen enough memes to know that I’m not alone in that. To gaze upon worlds bound in ink and paper is an amazing thing.

But the maps…?

Books tell stories, but so do maps. When you open a volume and see a map, you’re already presented with a world. Why are the mountains called that? What is this landmark? Look at that neat island!

I’ve always loved the idea of stories in maps like that. I suspect it’s why my favorite Doctor Who opening is with the seventh Doctor, Sylvester McCoy:

Every single point of light, another story, another world to visit!

It’s one of the reasons I loved the first volume of Star Wars: New Jedi Order so much: finally, a map of the Star Wars universe!

I remember pouring over the maps in Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time.

It’s fun reading Brent Week’s notes about his map for Lightbringer. He wanted a map that looked totally different from other fantasy maps, and I think he delivered!

And guess what?

One more fantasy map joins the ranks!

OK, that’s not it. Well, it kind of is. See, I wrote the novel The Keeper of Tales. When I penned that first draft, I had no idea what the world looked like. As I revised, though, I needed to have a rough idea of where everything was. So, I drafted a map.

That’s not the map you’re going to see in The Keeper of Tales, though. My publisher, the ever-amazing Dark Owl Publishing, got a professional to prettify the entire thing.

One more reason you should get The Keeper of Tales when it comes out March 1:

It’s got a maaaaaaaaaaaaaap!

And no, I’m not posting it here… it’s just so pretty! You’ll have to peek into the book to see it!

Do you have a favorite map of fantasy lands? There’s plenty I didn’t mention, from Lord of the Rings to Prydain to Narnia to… well, lots! Sound off. What makes a good map in your eyes?