This book is a companion to my books Without a King and Wanderlust.
This is for anyone who, like me, enjoys extra details about fictional worlds. Updates will happen sporadically, simply because I don't want to spoil anything that is revealed at st...
The Kingdom of Zianna, and the stories that take place around it, have been an ongoing project since September 9th, 2010, when I sent my friend this email:
Hey, I had a really weird dream last night, and then I wrote a story based on it! (Because that's what I always do) It isn't a full story yet, just the first three chapters. In my dream I was Finn. So read it when you have some time and tell me what you think!
What I wrote was the first three chapters of what would become Without a King's first draft. And I never stopped working on the series.
As you can probably guess, a lot of imagination and work has gone into this world over the years, and not all of the information I create has a place in the stories themselves. I've created this Guidebook as a way to share some of this background information with anyone who is interested in learning more. Inside, you'll find history and mythology, illustrations and maps.
I am always happy to share more about this world. If there's anything you would be interested in learning more about, let me know!
THE STORIES
Greatest Thief Series (Without a King, An Aimless War, A Country Falls, Unreleased Books 4-6)
The Greatest Thief series is the coming-of-age story of Finn, a clever Zian thief who finds himself intrinsically mixed in with Zianna's politics. Written in first person, we follow Finn as he meets, befriends and falls in love with the powerful Lord Tandrix. While trying to find his place in the kingdom, Finn learns the importance of embracing his skills, and teaches the nobles around him that talent doesn't go hand-in-hand with wealth. Along with two found families, a group of thieves and a unit of knights, Finn changes Zianna forever.
This series includes the novella For a Year.
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The story of Captain Lord Tanden, an explorer with insatiable wanderlust, and First Mate Soren. With alternating third-person points of view, we see both men grow and change as they explore the world and navigate their feelings for each other. Coming from a kingdom with a ruling class against same-sex relationships, Tanden and Soren discovered that not every culture agrees. Learning about their neighbouring countries helps them learn about themselves, while they gather around them a crew of friends who accept them for who they are.
The Wanderlust books contain mature scenes.
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In Ink and Wine
The romantic tale of Lady Clarille, and the rich Zian merchant Keridel. In a country run by Teltans who look down on Zians, Clarille must brave defying the beliefs of the day to be with the man she loves.
This story is linked to the Greatest Thief series, as Clarille and Keridel are Tannix's maternal grandparents, but can also be enjoyed as a standalone story.
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RECOMMENDED READING ORDER
The reading order is a little bit confusing, I'll admit. Probably the best way to read these books is in the order that they're published in, simply because that was the natural way for me to set up certain reveals. But as that is a little awkward to do once the books are published, this is my recommended order.
Wanderlust
Wayfarer
Waterborne
Without a King
An Aimless War
For a Year (This takes place between WaK and AAW, but the various reveals and hints work better if read after AAW. That said, reading it when it takes place is fine!)
A Country Falls
In Ink and Wine
GUIDEBOOK SECTIONS
The Guidebook is currently divided into three mains sections.
Section One - The Stories
A timeline of events, including when each story takes place
Greatest Thief Character illustrations and bios
Greatest Thief Character Profiles (with AI "photos")
Wanderlust Trilogy Character bios
The Tandran Family
Section Two - History and Cultures
Brief history of Zianna and the Teltan Conquests
History of the types of cities in Zianna
Ships and Navies
Teltish Nobility Traditions
Section Three - Religion and Mythology
An overview of different religions we've encountered
The Zian Pantheon of Gods and Goddesses
A series of Zian myths
Section Four - 'What If' Scenarios
Some fun bonus stories playing around with various characters and situations (Not canon!)
