Books in Moonstone

In Moonstone, books are sacred, magical, and foundational to society. Books of the Tree are made by an illuminatrix, a “light-inscriber.” They are blank, but hold sense-memories within their pages, and the memories can be retrieved by those who know how. The Moonstone Covenant, a book that sets down the rules for the governance of the city, is kept at the center of the city’s Council Chamber. Other books might be containers for spirits, or reveal long-ago secrets. Books, from cheap pamphlets and penny novels sold on bookboats, to rare volumes in the Library, are a key part of this story. below is a photo of some of the magical and sacred books in my house, that might have inspired the books in The Moonstone Covenant.

—Jill Hammer