A Roadmap to your Favorite Stories

I read an article a while ago about maps in fantasy books. To my surprise, the article's point was that the maps included in a lot of fantasy works detracts from the story and should be done away with.

WHAT?!?

I love maps in my fantasy books. Ok, I'll admit, some aren't that great, and some seem like the person drawing the map forgot to read the book. But every so often you get a gorgeously drawn map that helps you connect to the story in a more visceral way. It helps me imagine the world the author is describing. Rather than being a crutch to make up for bad world building, a really great fantasy map can bring together the author's words and your own imagination to create a totally immersive story. Maybe the author of that article isn't concerned with knowing what how the lands an author is talking about fit together, but I am. I like to see the journey drawn out, and to get a sense of scale and the relationships between the places described in the book.

Rather than continuing to hit you with nice vocab words (I've been waiting to use "visceral" for a while), I'd like to share some of my favorite maps with you.

Map courtesy of the Stormlight Archive Wiki

This map is a view of the city of Kharbranth from The Way of Kings, by Brandon Sanderson. I like this one because, rather than show the relationship between countries, it depicts Sanderson's description of how the city is protected from high storms by sitting in a cleft in the rock plain above it. Before I saw this picture I was having trouble picturing what he meant.

 

Map courtesy of Ursula K. Le Guin

Ursula K. Le Guin, author of the Earthsea series, drew this map herself. I received the first book in the series just a couple years ago from my fiancé, and I really loved it, but it was hard to wrap my mind around the world Le Guin was describing. Luckily, a handy map like this one was in the book. When an author describes a world so different from ours that it becomes hard for readers to see in their mind, a map like this can be a valuable tool for helping the story make sense. The fact that the author drew this map herself, and that it makes sense and looks good, is a nice bonus.

 

Map courtesy of Inheritance Wiki

 

The map Alagaësia from Christopher Paolini's Inheritance Cycle is not only beautifully drawn, but it is also a great tool for tracking the action in this very location driven epic. The map is a perfect example of how a fantasy map can mix gorgeous artwork and a story telling tool. The stories are set in very diverse areas all across the world, and this map helps keep it all straight in your mind. This was one series where I would find myself going back to the cover to consult the map, and then spend time just admiring it. It draws you in and brings to life stories that aren't even in the books.

 

These are by no means the only great maps out there, hiding inside the covers of great fantasy books, but they are some of my favorites. If you have you own favorites be sure to share them in the comments.