The Strands Series

rdf:langString The Strands Series

rdf:langString The Strands Series is a series of books and short stories written by Gael Baudino between 1981 and 1994 and published between 1989 and 1997. The majority of the plot occurs in a fictional land named Adria, which is based on Medieval Western Europe, with parts of later books occurring in 1990s Denver, USA. Though many of the locations in Adria are fictional, the geography, culture, and language are realistic depictions of Europe during the 14th-15th centuries. The author describes Adria's placement in this way: "Imagine a slash between France and Germany, and then insert about 300 miles". The story arc takes place against the backdrop of historical events such as: the Medieval Inquisition by the Catholic church; the Crusades; the Western Schism; the fading of feudalism and the concomitant rise of a prosperous commerce-driven middle class; the Black Death plagues; the introduction of cannon into European warfare; and in the later books, contemporary urban decay.