The Alternate Lexicon
So I love maps. And I love fantasy fiction. And my current favourite is the Monster Blood Tattoo series by DM Cornish.
He made a zoomable map that I am thoroughly enjoying, except for the plot continuity errors.
First, let me say that this is one of the most beautifully rendered maps I’ve seen created for a fantasy world. I love the zoomable element, which makes it accessible and easy to navigate, and the quality is just excellent. If someone can provide me with explanations for what I think are errors, I would love to know what’s going on.
This post contains minor spoilers for Lamplighter.
First, to orient ourselves, the second book takes place for the first half in Sulk End, at Winstermill, the Lamplighter fortress:
As you can tell, the fully zoomed-out map has us slightly to the right of center and to the bottom.
As the story progresses, Rossamünd and Threnody head to Wormstool, not marked on this map as far as I can tell (I cannot find any of the Lamplighter house names, so I believe this to be a deliberate choice). It is described as being at the far east end of the Wormway/Conduit Vermis, at the edge of the Ichormeer, so I have located it approximately here:
We have moved up and right on the zoomed out map, as is expected for going east and a bit north.
However, this is where the plot issue comes in. Threnody is described as pointing out the hills overwhich Herbroulesse lays in the first day of travel from Winstermill. “Threnody slid over to Rossamünd’s side of the carriage and, pulling back the drape, stared at the low northward hills where Herbroulesse was hidden, still dark despite the morning glow.” Herbroulesse is marked on this map (with a spelling error of one s), but it is down south near the Serenine:
(Also shown is Naimes, Europe’s duchy.) A zoomed slightly zoomed out view provides us with Fontrevault, as well, of importance to the Lady Vey and Europe:
I can find one other use of the name Herbroulesse on the map, further south to cover a large territory. I am unclear which of these are truly intended as the calendar stronghold, but as Fontrevault is noted as a sequestury and given the same symbol marking as the Herbrouless I have shown here, I think I’ve chosen correctly. Either way, neither place is to the north of a day’s ride east from Winstermill.
Also, I am a pedant.
Of epic preportions. But I love you, and now feel a need to go over the book-maps and see where they match up, though I know it shall blur before my eyes. My just-now-re-glassed eyes. Hurrah!
I intend to buy myself copies of the books when I buy your copy of the aspie book from amazon–free shipping for all, that way. Huzzah! I’m getting an off set, though, because the US cover in hardback of Foundling is weird. I want the ones that the pictures match, so I’ll have a paperback Foundling and a hardback Lamplighter, I suppose.
That’s actually what I have (paperback foundling and hardback lamplighter), though the paperback is now in Australia if you want me to send that along. (and I’ll pay you some money to order something from amazon on my behalf so you can still get free shipping) Looks like this and matches <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Foundling-Monster-Blood-Tattoo-Book/dp/0142409138/kevinholtsber-20/" this unless those are the ones you don’t like, in which case ignore me.
[...] elegant and gorgeous and well designed and I wish it was about 200 pixels bigger each way). Second, Fontrevault is a noteable location. It is mentioned by Threnody by name as the place where her mother and Europe were in sequestury [...]