I’m old. Nothing makes me happier when I’m reading a sci-fi or fantasy book than a character reference list at the beginning, along with a map.

Kiddo had large a Lord of the Rings map on his wall for years as he read the books so he knew where the characters were and where they were going.

Yeaa, i mean, im young but that shit make tears in my eyes. All my love for maps and references list >>>>>

Extra points if it's not "conventional" (white people in the north, silk traders in the east, desert people in the south)

You open a book with a map and you know it's going to be good

1. Map 2. Other map 3. Street plans of principal cities 4. Cast of characters 5. Family trees 6. Pronunciation guide 7. Prologue 8. Chapter One, in which a humble orphan meets a mysterious stranger... Don't read books like that as much as I used to, but still remember them fondly. 😀