Worldbuilding is the cornerstone of sci-fi and fantasy. Geography. History. Technology. Societies and cultures. Creatures and magic. It’s what sets the genre apart, and what drew me to fantasy in the first place. The wonder and amazement of reading about something new and fantastical. Creating my own has been a delight. And the possibilities when it comes to character, the opportunity it offers to tell stories that would not work in any other setting or enhance stories that might otherwise fall flat… it’s fair to say it’s my favourite aspect of writing fantasy, if also the hardest. So I wanted to give you a little taste of that worldbuilding.

 

“Renila edged closer to the precipice and looked out across the land stretched out below her. It was a rare, fine day and the bright morning sun had burned away the blanket of fog that had lain so heavy on the land before the dawn. It was cold, as it so often was this far north. The air was clear and crisp, and the smell of the pine forest was on the wind, drawing her gaze from the castle to the world beyond.”

— Blood of Ravens 

I’m afraid you’ll have to wait to read it to learn more about things like history, culture and magic systems. But I figured a wee sneak peak into the physical setting wouldn’t be too big a spoiler, so today I’m going to be giving a first look at the map for my debut novel, Blood of Ravens. I realise this is personal preference, but I’m often disappointed by fantasy novels that don’t have a good map, and for me a good map is something beautiful and informative. I’m not sure mine is quite up to the standards of Granddaddy Tolkien - prints of which once adorned my living room wall - but I’m quite happy with how it turned out.

As well as revealing the map, I’m also going to share some of the inspiration behind it. Because, like most writers, I’m inspired by the world around me and I am fortunate to live in one of the most beautiful countries in that world (yes, I know I’m biased). The Scottish landscape is as varied as it is breathtaking, but there is also an atmosphere - a character - to it that has influenced the world in which Blood of Ravens takes place. So before you take a look at the map, please feel free to flick through some specific sources of inspiration.

 
Glencoe

My first sight of Glencoe was with the mist rolling down between the Three Sisters… eerie, but spellbinding

Sunart Oakwoods

There is something other-worldly about how forests reclaim the land… like they are both ancient and sentient

Sallachan Beach

I have never felt more at peace than I did here, with the water lapping over my boots and the gentle rush of the tide coming in and out like the sound of the sea breathing

Glenisla

I love the smell of pine forests and now this little patch of Scots Pine is just 10mins down the road from us!

Loch Linnhe

I love sea lochs - waves and salt water without the overwhelming vastness of open ocean, and the mountains rising straight up out of the sea

Glen Gour

Autumn is my favourite time of year because it’s golden hour all day long, where everything you see is gilded in that soft, warm light

Ardnamurchan

This is what my mother-in-law describes as MAMBA land - miles and miles of bugger all! But I love it, in all it’s wild, untamed majesty

Beauly

Even when the weather isn’t great, Scotland is still bonnie… which is just as well, since the weather is invariably awful

 

And now to the map. I’ve spent more hours than I care to admit on this, and it’s been through as many rounds of edits as the manuscript - massive shout and thanks to Petra Zublasing for her input and help finessing in the final stages - but even the early sketches were invaluable in helping me piece together the puzzle of plot and then keep track of it throughout multiple drafts and edits. There are multiple copies of this kicking around my computer, each defaced with various multi-coloured scrawls, none of which shall ever see the light of day… but I digress.

So, without further ado, here it is - the world of Blood of Ravens!

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I hope you’ve enjoyed this little insight into the world of Blood of Ravens, and that you’re looking forward to learning more in due course. Let me know what you think of the map in the comments below! Next week I’m talking about that other main character I (deliberately) failed to mention in last week’s blog… the Villain! Make sure to sign up to my mailing list if you want to be the first to know when that and any other new content is posted!