Art: Braldt Braids

These books, which I always think of as the four Farrland books (including Beneath the Vaulted Hills and The Compass of the Soul), grew out of one idea: what if Darwin had set out on his great voyage round the world and instead of discovering one of the cornerstone principles of science had discovered magic?

I confess to a certain fascination with Darwin and his theories, and a passionate love of sailing. Here was a chance to combine the two. The culture of these books is a blend of eighteenth and nineteenth century England with many twists and small oddities. It was great fun to do.

The books became much more complicated than I envisioned, and longer, the world acquiring detail and solidity as I went along. World Without End was the first book (but not the last!) that I virtually wrote anew between the first and second drafts.

I expended a lot of effort to get the details of the sailing and the ships right (though I intentionally mixed some elements that would be found on eighteenth century ships with things one would find on nineteenth century vessels - my world after all). I have always been disappointed that fantasy authors who write about voyages never seem to spend the time to get the details right. As usual, I did exhaustive research for these books. The maritime museum in Greenwich, outside London, and the maritime museum in Amsterdam were great sources of information and amazing places to visit.   

 

Reviews

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