The Enchanted Isles are an island chain that includes many strange and magical Islands.
The islands rest under a gorgeous pink sky, and in wild and turbulent sea.
Background[]
It includes the Enchanted Island. The chain lies in a strange iridescent sea somewhere in south between the Great Sea Ocean and the Southern Sea, the other side of the world[1], it may exist in another world, or both miles and dimensions away from Daventry[2]. However, sailors have returned to Daventry telling stories of the mysterious place.[3]
Graham was transported to the beach of the first island (perhaps even a small Eastern continent) by the Magic Doorway. The sand on the sparkling beach was a deep blue. The bright sunlight from the gorgeous pink sky, danced across it. Cliffs towered above the beach. The blue cliffs towering above the beach were totally unclimbable. The lower portion of the cliff has a layer in a turquoise color, and taking up most of the cliff face above the layer is another layer in a darker shade of blue (but nowhere as cobalt blue as the beach).
On the northern edge of the island, are several grey boulders. The rocks are rather drab; unlike the bright blue sand on the beach. The lavender waterfall tumbled down from the towering down from the towering blue cliffs. More drab boulders can be found on the southern edge of the beach. The edge of the beach carved away by the wild sea is a bright crimson.
The Enchanted Isles are located in a place where the oceans are red (though they have a rainbow quality as well)[4], and thus likely in the the place beyond the Great Sea Ocean known as the Crimson Sea[5]. The isles may also include the Blue Islands. The first island Graham visited in the Enchanted Isles was a blue island. The Enchanted Island and the small island northeast of it were blue as well. The Islands of Despond lie to east of the Crimson Sea.
There are occasional strange tales of wanderers from unknown parts, the ravings of shipwrecked sailors, and the wild tales gasped out by those who have staggered out of mountains or deserts or the darkest of caves. It is said there is a place where the oceans are red and the sands blue. Some claim to have seen islands that do not float in the waves, but hover above them; enchanted islands, perhaps the homes of great wizards.
These include the Enchanted Isles and other islands such Mordack's Island or the Floating Castle. Derek Karlavaegen placed these on his maps, convinced of their existence.
Landmarks[]
See also[]
Behind the scenes[]
The name Enchanted Isles originates out of the King's Quest Companion, in one reference by Valanice in The Perils of Rosella: From the Chronicles of Daventry, Part IV as early as the first edition of the companion. Most referenced only refer to Enchanted Island in singular terms. Other sources such as the KQ2 Hintbook, Official Book of King's Quest, and even the Companion uses the term Enchanted Island for the main island where the tower is located.
However in first edition it may be referring to the island with the tower and the little island with palm tree off it’s coast. Whereas the western landmass appears to be eastern Kolyma in the original context. The earliest maps in first edition also show a bunch of smaller rocky islets or shoals off the western coat of the island.
Derek has suggested the magical door and the keys lead to eastern Kolyma suggesting the blue continent is actually eastern side of the island/continent where Castle Kolyma is located. However this context only makes sense in the first edition and missing context in later editions.
In later editions the Enchanted Island is shown suspiciously by itself in southwestern side if the map with no other islands or islets, no sign of the larger blue island/continent. Thus altering the context to reference to the “Enchanted Isles” and making things a little more confusing.
According to the King's Quest Companion, the Enchanted Island/Isles are described as possibly being in another world by Gerwain, but also located somewhere in the world of Daventry, but its exact location is unknown.
Derek Karlavaegen had placed the Enchanted Island once on a map to the southeast of Kolyma in Southern Sea. However, he has also placed it to the southwest of Tanalore in the Great Sea Ocean on three other maps. This may imply that it exists in an area that wraps around the world. In KQ2 and the KQ2 novel it is implied that it could be in another world even.
See No Weevil, mentions a series of islands known as the Blue Islands and also a place known as the Crimson Sea which could be the same location. The Official Book of King's Quest refers to one of the landmarks on these islands the Blue Beach.
The Green Isles have also been described as being 'enchanted isles' as well in InterAction magazine.[6]
Later editions of the companion seem to suggest other islands such as the Fairy Island, and Mordack’s Evil Island are also enchanted islands that Derek placed on his maps.