Introducing... THE TETHERED CITADEL Trilogy
The Tethered Citadel trilogy is a fantasy written for the general market, and comprises MAP'S EDGE; WORLD'S EDGE and SORCERER'S EDGE. It is set on a fantasy world, beginning at the edges of the tyrannical Bolgravian Empire, and heading off the map.
David says: This series had its inspiraiton in an overseas holiday (remember them!) to Japan. I was struck by how the landscape of Japan and New Zealand had so many similarities – both countries are formed by islands at the edge of the Pacific, on a roughly northeast-southwest axis, with a mountainous spine, in similar climatic zones (though on opposite sides of the equator). Remove the buildings and differing agriculture, and the two countries start to look quite similar.
I also saw similarities between the Japanese warrior culture of the past, and the Maori of New Zealand. That started me thinking initially about alternative history ideas like “What if Japan had found New Zealand before the Europeans?” (an idea that still intrigues me), but then, as is the way of these things, the idea got blended with other concepts, and lo and behold, The Tethered Citadel was born, a story set in a fantasy world that draws inspiration from both countries, as well as Europe.
What emerged from all that is a fantasy journey off the map, full of surprises and discovery, both in terms of lands and people, but also of new ways of thinking and behaving. It’s a culture clash story, a little guys against the oppressors story, and about finding your family. But mostly, hopefully, its pacey and enjoyable entertainment. I hope that’s how you find it, if you give it a go.