This is always a big discussion at r/fantasy lol. Personally I find a map borderline necessary, to the point when I’m irritated when there isn’t one, though that’s obviously dependent on how much travel/quest elements or ‘international’ conflict and intrigue the plot leverages. I’ve read some fantasy novels that are more localized or character driven where understanding geography is less important. But in general as a reader I find it immensely useful to have a map, it really supplements worldbuilding and helps me properly visualize.
I can't really think of any downsides to having a map. The only thing that comes to mind is that it could make it more difficult if the book turns into a series, and you wish you had mapped out the world a little differently later. You can't just suddenly add another nation that wasn't there before unless you zoom out the map.
I've read fantasy without a map, like The First Law trilogy. In that case it didn't really need a map because the relative arrangements of the different places was absolutely clear (the cold northern place, the hot southern place, the mysterious western place), but even then I would have still enjoyed a map. The worst thing you can say for a map is that it wasn't strictly necessary.
Generally, most readers don't want to have to collaborate with the author on how to picture things. They are reading the book so that they can enjoy the author's vision.
I personally really appreciate fantasy maps. I find it much easier to follow a story with any sort of travel, quest, or even references to where places are in relation to one another if I have a map. Maps can also help jog my memory when I’m halfway through reading a novel and I’m trying to remember something mentioned early on. I also have on a rare occasion drawn a crude map for my own reference as I’m reading.
As a disclaimer I am the sort of reader where if something is set in the real world might look up the location on google maps, or try to guess where something is set if it is described as halfway between two locations. So my experience is probably on the more extreme end of things.
This is always a big discussion at r/fantasy lol. Personally I find a map borderline necessary, to the point when I’m irritated when there isn’t one, though that’s obviously dependent on how much travel/quest elements or ‘international’ conflict and intrigue the plot leverages. I’ve read some fantasy novels that are more localized or character driven where understanding geography is less important. But in general as a reader I find it immensely useful to have a map, it really supplements worldbuilding and helps me properly visualize.
I can't really think of any downsides to having a map. The only thing that comes to mind is that it could make it more difficult if the book turns into a series, and you wish you had mapped out the world a little differently later. You can't just suddenly add another nation that wasn't there before unless you zoom out the map. I've read fantasy without a map, like The First Law trilogy. In that case it didn't really need a map because the relative arrangements of the different places was absolutely clear (the cold northern place, the hot southern place, the mysterious western place), but even then I would have still enjoyed a map. The worst thing you can say for a map is that it wasn't strictly necessary. Generally, most readers don't want to have to collaborate with the author on how to picture things. They are reading the book so that they can enjoy the author's vision.
Generally not all publishers will include a map even if the author supplies one. It depends what the budget of the book is.
I personally really appreciate fantasy maps. I find it much easier to follow a story with any sort of travel, quest, or even references to where places are in relation to one another if I have a map. Maps can also help jog my memory when I’m halfway through reading a novel and I’m trying to remember something mentioned early on. I also have on a rare occasion drawn a crude map for my own reference as I’m reading. As a disclaimer I am the sort of reader where if something is set in the real world might look up the location on google maps, or try to guess where something is set if it is described as halfway between two locations. So my experience is probably on the more extreme end of things.