Andrew Q. Gordon

When I began writing the series, I think the first ‘place’ I envisioned was Haven and the Plaines of Gharaha. Yar-del City, however, is probably my favorite place in the ‘world.’ When Honorus sent His servant to Ardus, the lord of the gods tasked Kel with creating a kingdom in the virtually unsettled lands. Legend has it that Honorus, in the guise of a white eagle, guided Kel to the spot where he’d build his ‘gleaming city by the sea.’

As a wizard whose lifespan would be measured in centuries, not decades, Kel took his time with the construction of his throne city. Unlike other cities, which grew up around something—a fortress, town, trade center—Kel laid out his city from the first stone and included plans for future growth. He also had the assistance of small army of dwarves who relished the opportunity to build a lasting monument above ground.

Situated on a plateau overlooking the Kessan Ocean, Yar-del City didn’t lend itself to the sprawl that over large cities eventually experienced. And with the crown forbidding construction in and around the city, Yar-del City remained the way Kel envisioned when he began construction.

Farrell favored the high walls overlooking the sea. Other than the time spent with his mother, fondest memories of Yar-del were time times he sat on the walls and listened to the ocean crashing against the rocks below.

When we meet Farrell in The Last Grand Master, Yar-del had been conquered almost ten years prior. We never actually get to see Yar-del City in the series, in First Love, we get to see a tiny slice of the city. (I think, however, we will visit the city during book four if things go as I’ve planned)

There are times that really wish I could paint or draw so that I could transfer the image in my head to paper. Maybe by the time we get to book four I can find who can create the city as I see it so very one reading can see what Farrell sees when he refers back to the city. Until then, it stays where it is.