I never look at the maps in fantasy books. Sweeping statement? Nope, I swear it’s true. I don’t find they add to the story one bit. Sure, the very first page of my ‘A Shaper’s Promise’ notebook has a rudimentary map of The Kingdom drawn on it in pencil because I had to work out distances and timings that made sense for a world without modern gadgets like cars and planes, but I hadn’t planned to add it to the book. So you can thank my big sister for the maps. She is a Geographer and therefore an avid map-looker.
Which begs the question: who looks at the maps in fantasy novels? Are there two distinct camps? Are we part of a continuum from ignorer to in-depth analyser with me at one end of the scale and my sister at the other? Maybe most people have a quick look and occasionally glance back to refresh their memory? I bet some have their ruler out to try to spot a flaw. (Please don’t, you’re bound to find more than one!)
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