The Sword and Laser discussion
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Assassin's Apprentice
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AA: Maps
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Robin Hobb was interviewed on Geek's Guide to the Galaxy and she gave away a secret about the map in the book that I found amusing.I always try to look at the maps so I don't get lost. I read Dance of the Dragons last year on my Kindle and the map was way too small to see so I had to dig out a print copy of Feast of Crows. Maybe I'm just getting too old to see.
World of the Six Duties in Assassin's Apprentice looks like Alaska turned upside down.
I like maps, they help me get into the story.
I look at maps when I start the book and then tend to ignore them unless I get really confused as to where the characters are at any point in the book. I didn't really need the map for this book.
Darnit, we had a great thread on this awhile ago but I can't find it to add to the discussion. I do a lot of audiobooks and rarely do I even think of the maps. I know tha I've ended up reading Kindle versions of books without even realizing a map was thee, due to the way Kindle starts on the first page of the book...sometimes you miss more than maps, like a intro or other useful tidbit. But for me, maps are not that useful.That said, I DO like big full-color maps that are sometimes made as part of collector's editions or are done by fans. I like world maps, too, and used to be one of the two main reasons why I subscribed to NatGeo (the other being the amazing photography).
It's far easier to search your email than to search Goodreads.
I love maps! i study them quite often while reading DTE books. But If i have a kindle copy, more than 90% of the time I can't make anything out on it. you zoom in and it just gets blurry (whihc happened in this book and in my last two books). they need to work on the maps in ebooks. why bother putting them in if you just shrink them down to the point where you cant even read the names of places? That and getting to the map and getting back to my spot is just too annoying
I found the maps to be of more interest when I was younger. I would for example look at the map of Middle earth with great interest throughout reading the book, following along with their journey and identifying the different locations. However, now I tend to just look at a map when I first start a book, and then usually I don't go back again unless there's something I'm confused about. In this book's case, I don't think I even looked at it until I started the second book. I agree with Kp though, the ebook maps are not too spectacular and could use some serious improvement. That's really one of my only complaints about using my Kindle.
I usually use the maps when people mention travelling from place to place for instance ,(view spoiler)they just make it easier to imagine the journey if we have a kind of representation.
saying that though I dislike when an author gives us too many maps ( Tiganna gave like 4.
the style of map in Ass ap is similar to Tolkeins maps is it a particular style of map or?
I figure if an author includes a map and has their characters travel around it, they must consider geography important. So I will frequently flip back to reference the map when characters move from place to place. I do have a love for authors who mix things up beyond the usual continental landmass though--whether Earthsea's archipelago or the actually fantastic cosmology of Discworld.
I find that sometimes the map can be a spoiler. I think this happened to some extent with Elantris. Seeing the shape of the area can give a big clue into a reveal in the book.
I do the same, look at it at the end.
I love maps (I'm not good with them, but i love them), so I check the map as I read the book and places are mentioned. Or I did. Not being able to do this is actually the only thing I dislike about the kindle . . . and how small the maps are.
I tend to flick back to the map when the book mentions a new place name. It helps me to get things straight in my head.
DTE I usually look back at the maps to get a visual idea about where all the characters are. But since I have started reading digital copies on my iPad, I don't. It just doesn't cross my mind since I never have to open up the book each time I read, it just jumps to where I left off. But in books like LOTR, I would probably still look at the maps to help keep me from getting lost in the story.
I'm with Kirsten. I like a good map to refer back to as I read. One of my pet peeves is when the map doesn't include all the locations mentioned in the book. Bonus fury when the same deficient map then does include other locations that are never mentioned. Grrr.
Heather wrote: "I'm with Kirsten. I like a good map to refer back to as I read. One of my pet peeves is when the map doesn't include all the locations mentioned in the book. Bonus fury when the same deficient ma..."
Sooooo true! Why go to all the trouble of creating a map if all the places aren't on there! It's kind of the point of having them in the first place.
Valerie wrote: "Heather wrote: "I'm with Kirsten. I like a good map to refer back to as I read. One of my pet peeves is when the map doesn't include all the locations mentioned in the book. Bonus fury when the s..."
That makes them more like a real map. Where your actually going is likely not on the map, but the big places are - even if you wouldn't want to go there.
Valerie wrote: "DTE I usually look back at the maps to get a visual idea about where all the characters are. But since I have started reading digital copies on my iPad, I don't. It just doesn't cross my mind sin..."When I read on my iPad I usually search the net and find a copy of the map and save it. Then I can open it the photo viewer and flip back and forth to it while reading.
I enjoy looking at the maps, but I tend to only look at them thoroughly once I've finished reading the book. Other than that, I'll look at them when the characters travel to a new place, or mention a place of importance, just to orientate myself.
I love the maps, but then I love all maps. I always like to keep a track of where events in the story are happening and quite often use the map to see where events are happening in relation to others and how the surrounding geography could effect the story. I especially did this in chapter 17. I knew where he was before he did.
There are times when I feel like I should just Xerox a copy of the map to a book or look it up on-line and print it out as many times as I flip back and forth from map to page. I must have added twice as much time to reading Lord of the Rings that way.
I'm definitely a map reader. And if there's a separate atlas (check out Karen Wynn Fonstad; I also have several of the Discworld maps) then I use those to trigger a reread.
kvon wrote: "I'm definitely a map reader. And if there's a separate atlas (check out Karen Wynn Fonstad; I also have several of the Discworld maps) then I use those to trigger a reread."Yeah I have her The Atlas Of the Land - from Stephen R. Donaldson's Thomas Covenant series - and that book is REALLY comprehensive.
terpkristin wrote: "I know tha I've ended up reading Kindle versions of books without even realizing a map was thee, due to the way Kindle starts on the first page of the book...sometimes you miss more than maps, like a intro or other useful tidbit. "I find it really annoying that kindle books do that; Often the first thing I do when I get a book on my kindle is to set it onto the cover, right where I think it should be to start off with. That way, I don't miss my maps and other little bits and bobs which I like to look at before I begin reading.
I tend to look at maps in the beginning, and then I may refer to them again if I'm unclear how to places relate to each other, especially when there are multiple characters moving around and I'm curious of the likelihood of them running into one another. In this book, I didn't need it much, since there were not many locations, and the travelling too and from was explained well enough that I never had cause to wonder where things were. I had a good look once I'd finished though. In general, I like the presence of maps.
I love maps in general, so I appreciate it when an author includes a map of their story world. In a print book, I'll often bookmark the map and review it periodically while I'm reading. Epic fantasy often involves a lot of travel, and I like following the characters' journey on the map.I do most of my reading on a Kindle now, and while I like that it picks up where I left off, I wish going to a bookmark and returning to your previous location were easier.
I also wish I could configure the Kindle to display the book cover at least briefly before it returns to my last reading location. When I pick up a physical book, I see the cover and it almost instantly puts my mind back into the story. As it is now, I have to hit the menu key just so I can see the book title and remember what the heck I was reading.
I never look at maps other than maybe a quick "thats pretty" as I quickly flip past the page. I find my imagination does quite well without them.
Cattfish wrote: "Do you read the maps which come with many fantasy books? Or do you simply ignore it and read the story?Myself I only look at the map at the end of the book, I think it kills the flow otherwise.
..."I enjoy the maps it helps to claify how far away something is and sometimes it's just fun to follow their route. Enjoying the maps is one reason i decided to quit reading digital books.
Random wrote: "I never look at maps other than maybe a quick "thats pretty" as I quickly flip past the page. I find my imagination does quite well without them."I agree. I only happened to look at this map because it was mentioned that it looks like Alaska upside down.
I've only ever read Lord of the Rings and Eragon that had maps in. I always look at the map before and after reading but only occasionally while I'm reading, just to see what way the land is going as the characters move through their journey.
Myself I only look at the map at the end of the book, I think it kills the flow otherwise.
How bout you guys?