(in San Diego, from before Sophie moved to the Lost Cities)

A PORTRAIT OF WYLIE WITH HIS PARENTS

(happy together, before tragedy struck their family)

A PORTRAIT OF TAM AND LINH WITH THEIR PARENTS

(standing in front of Choralmere, from before they were banished)

A PORTRAIT OF ELWIN AND LIVVY

(with Bullhorn!)

A PORTRAIT OF THE BLACK SWAN’S COLLECTIVE

(standing in Alluveterre)

Art by Laura Hollingsworth

Life in the Lost Cities

AUTHOR’S NOTE

ONE OF THE MOST FASCINATING (and challenging!) parts of my job for this series was creating the world of the Lost Cities. In fact, I spent more than a year brainstorming the elves’ history and culture—and then discovered how much I still had to figure out once I actually started writing the first draft.

I knew the elvin world needed to feel familiar in certain ways, since it shares our planet. But it also needed to feel wholly different, since it was built and inhabited by a totally separate species (a species that cut itself off from human contact, no less). Most important, it couldn’t just be a place where I threw together a bunch of stuff I loved. I had to follow the logic of each decision—even if it meant that certain things weren’t necessarily the way I would want them to be if I lived there.

Which is why the Lost Cities are luminous, and vibrant, and filled with places and foods and creatures and gadgets I wish existed—but they also aren’t perfect.

In fact, I’ve always thought of the elvin world as a “Crumbling Utopia”—a place that seems idyllic at first, but the longer you linger, the more you start to see the flaws in the system.

Those flaws are where the story comes from. After all, if the Lost Cities were perfect, they wouldn’t need Sophie Foster! (Or Keefe! Or Fitz! Or Biana! Or Dex! Or Tam! Or Linh! Or Wylie! Or! Or! Or! It takes a lot of characters to bring about change!)

So, don’t be surprised if you catch yourself thinking, That’s so cool! AND Wait—that doesn’t sound fair! as you read through this section (or the series itself). The Lost Cities are amazing in many ways. But not in all ways. At least not right now—we’ll see what happens once Sophie and crew are done saving the world.

(And don’t forget to keep an eye out for new details as you continue reading. You also might find that sometimes your favorite characters are the ones explaining things, since they do it way better than I can!)

The Council

THE LOST CITIES ARE GOVERNED by a Council—and while the Council’s authority technically only applies to elves, its role in negotiating and enforcing treaties with the other intelligent species causes the elves to see the Councillors as rulers over all. Members of the Council accept their positions not for privilege or honor or glory, but rather from a sense of obligation stemming from the fact that they believe they’re uniquely qualified to lead.

In Ancient times, the Council had three members. But as the population of the Lost Cities has grown, so has the number of Councillors. Currently the Council is a group of twelve. And given the vital role they play, the Councillors have each been assigned a goblin bodyguard for their protection. (Other security measures have been recently added and are kept highly classified.)

Each Councillor has the same level of authority—though they choose a “spokesperson” from among their ranks (always a Telepath who can mentally moderate their discussions before voicing the consensus) in order to ensure that the Council publicly presents a united front. And while many decisions require a unanimous vote, some only need a majority. In cases where dissent exists, the outvoted Councillors are expected to resist further argument or disruption (though Councillor Bronte notoriously struggles with that edict).

Elections are infrequent, only occurring when a Councillor either dies or chooses to resign—or in rare cases (like what happened with Fintan and the ban on pyrokinesis) when a Councillor finds themselves no longer qualified for the position. The most common reason for resignation is a desire for a family. Councillors aren’t allowed to marry or have children while serving (strong family connections could bias their decisions), and some eventually grow weary of the restriction. When a new Councillor is elected, the public first submits nominations from various members of the nobility who qualify for consideration. The remaining Councillors then vote among themselves to determine who will join their ranks, using a network of mirrors. When all the mirrors are aligned (and the vote is therefore unanimous), a beam of light refracts off their castles, bright enough to be seen anywhere in the Lost Cities.

The Councillors wear extravagant gowns and jerkins, highly embellished capes, and jewel-encrusted circlets decorated with their choice of gemstone. Their circlet jewel also adorns their throne in Tribunal Hall. At times, the Councillors need to appear more unified, and in those instances, they’ll wear silver cloaks and matching circlets, pull their hair back, and often keep their hoods raised, making it difficult to tell them apart. When they make their annual visit to the Point of Purity (to remind themselves where true power lies), they wear special cloak clasps shaped like glowing golden keys (which give them access to the Paragon—their transport for the journey—as well as prevent motion sickness and vertigo).

All current—and previous—Councillors also possess a small crystal gadget called a cache, which is designed to store Forgotten Secrets (information deemed too disturbing or dangerous for the Councillors to keep in their memories). Each cache contains a different number of secrets, and only the possessor of the cache is able to access theirs (using a process that’s kept highly classified).

Recent events involving the Neverseen have cast uncertainty on the strength of the Council’s power and their right to rule—as well as the appropriateness of certain past and present decisions. And while many—including certain Councillors—have come to agree that changes must be made, it’s vital for the safety and survival of the Lost Cities that the Council’s authority remain supreme. Therefore, every effort must be made to halt this rebellion before the world dissolves into war and chaos.

Currently Ruling Councillors

Despite numerous attempts, Councillor Alina has yet to approve an official portrait. According to her, “none have captured my beauty properly.”

Councillor Alina

ABILITY: Beguiler

JEWEL: Peridot

NOTE: Before being elected, Councillor Alina was the principal of Foxfire. She also dated Alden Vacker and rather notoriously tried to break up his wedding after their relationship ended.

STANCE: Despite seeming supportive when she was Sophie’s principal, Alina has openly sided against Sophie numerous times.

Councillor Bronte

ABILITY: Inflictor

JEWEL: Onyx

NOTE: As one of the only known Inflictors, Councillor Bronte additionally serves as a Mentor to Sophie Foster. He’s also the only Ancient member of the Council.

STANCE: Bronte used to be one of Sophie’s worst adversaries, but he’s slowly become one of her most committed supporters.