About "The Realm of Marvels":

In this short story I delve into the organized slums just outside of the rich center of the city of Achart; The Realm of Marvels.  These slums are loosely based on ‘La Cour de Miracles’ in 17th Century Paris, the lawless, ill-famed quarter of the poor.  This is a micro-world within The Paramount, a completely self-sufficient district run by a self-proclaimed baron with suspected ties to House Gothaurs.

            The story revolves around the character Sardon and his encounter with the foundling Pit Mouse, both of whom will eventually appear again in The Dark Revolution Trilogy. The short story not only describes their budding relationship, but also gives the background ten years before the short story These Are the King’s Men and fifteen years before the events in the novel The Demon-on-Stilts.  Considering the vastness of The Paramount, these small bits of information will help the reader understand the nuances that led up the revolutionary wars and the establishment of The Just Republic in the Centerlands.