The Cartographer from Greenwood

Ms. König has created a rich elven world, for all the characters, both present and mentioned, are elves. The story takes place entirely during a powerful rainstorm in the village of Snowcreek in the land of Eridris. There is a deep history, which is brought out slowly as the two main characters, Aeglas, Lord of Eridris, and the eponymous cartographer, Soread, talk.

Soread is a complex character with a talent to make maps that seem to bring magic back into the world (to paraphrase Aeglas). There is unresolved conflict between Eridris and Greenwood which brings tension between the two elves. However, the reader is left hopeful, at the end, that the seeds of resolution have been sewn.

The story is sprinkled with interesting side characters, the first of which is Aeglas’ wife, Calenleya. Raelyn, Aeglas’ Chief Counsellor, is also well-defined and complex. Several others do not physically appear but are mentioned with enough detail that we feel them as characters in the story.

I look forward to more of the Cartographer and the world created by Ms. König.