The world

Aurelthyr, the Inward Realm, is a bowl ringed by mountains. Beyond the ridge in every direction there is sea, but most people who live inside it have never seen the ocean and don't think of themselves as islanders.

Five provinces

• CaelondorThe martial highland province, in the north.
• TharavosAgricultural lowlands, and the busiest roads.
• EiloriaThe scholarly province, home to the archive.
• MorvaneThe maritime province, on the southern coast.
• VeytharFrontier country, with marshes and old volcanic ground.

How the Five Crowns keep time

The year runs ten months and the week runs eight days. The three seasons aren't equal, and Deepfrost takes the last five months of the year. Two moons cross the sky, red Vael and pale Lunareth.

A road in this world is never only a distance. It's a question of when.

More in the blog: A Year of Ten Months, Two Moons Over the Five Crowns and Five Crowns, Five Gemstones.

Whispers of the Wyrm, Book One of The Bard and the Blade Saga, is out now.