Firegold's events take place in a fantasy world which bears more than a little resemblance to the Pacific Northwest. There is a range of high mountains, surrounded by rugged foothills. The Dalriadas, nomadic tribes whose lifestyle is built around horsemanship and hunting, inhabit this harsh land. On the other side of the Red Mountains are the Beyondlands. Little is revealed in the novel about the Beyondlands; they seem as far away to Jonathon's people as Ultima Thule. Winding down from the Dalriada lands is the Mirandin, which is a swift-running river in the South Valley where Jonathon lives. The Valley dwellers are farmers; the river provides water to an otherwise arid land. Stonewater Vales' families specialize in orchards. Living in a small community, most are suspicious of anything new or different. Jonathon's father's far-ranging hunting is a matter for gossip, as is his mother's origin in the North...