Mapping the world of Tarune

“What does it take to build a world?” I was recently asked.

With the release of book 2 in the Necromancers’ Pride Saga, Tides of War, drawing ever closer, D.W. and I have been pondering that question in great detail. It is often said one cannot see the forest for the trees. The same can be said about novels. One cannot see the world for the words. What I mean by that is there is so much that goes into writing a novel that we as writers are often too close to it to realize all the work that has been done.

For us, it has always been imperative that we build a world that feels real. Even though there are aspects to Tarune that do not exist here, such as magic and the physics of bestial flight, we worked diligently to envision a world that is complete and realistic. We then endeavored to populate it with beings that were created to exist truthfully in those terrains. Cultures and behaviors are of greatest import. In building this world, the cultures of the lands the readers experience give the book its color and flavor.

That being said, building a world of words only takes the reader so far. In order to truly experience the world we have built, we needed to give you, the reader, something visibly tangible. In other words, we needed to give you a map.

That was quite a long process. We drew the original concept, then went back and forth many times to insure the world visibly made as much sense as it did through the printed word. Forests and deserts, foothills and mountains, rivers and oceans all needed to mesh together harmoniously. We considered weather patterns, climates and seasons in creating the world in which our characters inhabit. Once done, we turned our drawings over to very talented artists to bring the vision to life.

Here now, we would like to present to you the map that accompanies the novels. This is the visible incarnation of the world we have built. Just click on the map to see it in greater detail.

Ultimately, what it takes to build a world is the belief that you can and the fortitude to see it through.

What aspects of the world of Tarune do you find the most interesting?

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