Like most fantasy novels, The Queen of Attolia takes place in an imagined world which shares some features with a real place and era in history. The historical setting it draws on is the ancient Mediterranean world, especially ancient Greece.

The terrain bears a marked resemblance to that of Greece and Asia Minor. Eddis, Attolia, and Sounis, the three countries where the story's actions take place, share a rugged peninsula. Attolia and Sounis have seacoasts and harbors, enabling both countries to deploy naval forces and prosper from seaborne trade. Most of Eddis's territory lies at the top of mountain ranges; only one province seems to be lowland and have coastal frontage. Eddis has other resources.

Its capital and environs, located on the heights, are easily defensible. The one pass and land route between the other two countries runs through Eddis, which can easily inspect or delay traffic at...