28 August 2026 · Weekly update

A week spent mapping Sramad

The Atlas has grown clearer, deeper and easier to explore, while careful revision work continues on Book One.

This week I've spent a lot of time moving between the manuscript and the map. I completed another substantial revision pass through a run of later Book One chapters, concentrating on clearer motives, stronger conversations and making sure each important moment earns its place. It's the kind of work that can be almost invisible from the outside, but it makes the story feel steadier and more alive every time I return to it.

The most visible progress has been in the Atlas of Sramad. The main world map has been rebuilt and refined so the geography is clearer, the terrain holds up when you zoom in and the names no longer have to be baked into the picture. Countries remain visible at first glance, while a new control can reveal all fifty-one mapped countries, cities and landmarks whenever you want the fuller view.

I've also been working down from that world view into the individual regions. Tamakari and Stelix now have detailed maps of their own, and the eastern countries have fuller guides covering their landscapes, people, histories, politics and traditions. I've tried to make each place feel like somewhere with its own life, not simply a name waiting for the story to pass through. That includes the ways Essan is understood from one culture to another, and the pressures created by the Myaks without giving away where the books may take those threads.

There's still a great deal to build, but the Atlas is becoming much closer to the companion I've always wanted for the series: somewhere readers can wander, zoom out, follow a road and discover how one corner of Sramad connects to another. If you'd like to have a look, the updated map is open now. I hope you enjoy exploring it, and I'll be back next week with another note from behind the scenes.