I know what you're thinking. Another fantasy series steeped in vaguely Western European motif and a corresponding map depicting the "known Western world." Languages in WEC are also rooted, primarily, in European tongues (q.v., my more in-depth blog post on WEC's use of languages).

Truth is, the lands of WEC are large (one might even describe them as earth-sized), and the story's camera lens follows our PoV characters across numerous nations and city-states. Fantastical tales have always worked best for me when tied to familiar cultural components, even if that familiarity is purely imagined or nebulous. From Alexander the Great to Thermopylae, from Chaucer to the Age of Sail, from Arthurian legends to the Spanish Inquisition, as students and lovers of lore, readers and writers alike draw upon these stories. A map that harkens the cultural geography I grew up with seems a natural thing.

Getting back to cartography proper, you may also be interested to read further about how WEC's maps originally came into being; however, if not, below you can find the black-and-white versions of the north and south regions covered within Dead Men Tell No Lies and Dead Men Say No Prayers as well as the huge, full-size, color world map. Impress your friends by lamenating a printed version for your wall!

Click to embiggen!