A New Page of the Wondrous Ledger: Vale Maille

Wondrous Legends started with books. Which, in retrospect, may have been an overly narrow interpretation of the word wondrous. Because apparently once you build a fictional world full of eccentric characters, magical disasters, ridiculous governments, and people with very strong opinions about fashion, sooner or later some of it escapes the page. In this case, it escaped in the form of several hundred tiny metal rings.

I’m very happy to introduce Vale Maille, a new handcrafted chainmaille jewelry line under Wondrous Legends. The actual artisan behind Vale Maille is my husband, Fred, who has been making chainmaille pieces for friends, family, and the occasional unsuspecting coworker for quite a while now. What started as a hobby has gradually turned into an increasingly impressive collection of earrings, pendants, bracelets, and other wearable constructions made one ring at a time.

And because apparently no creative project in this household is allowed to remain completely disconnected from one of my fictional worlds, Vale Maille also has a resident spokesperson.

Enter Garrick Vale. Garrick is a Dwarven fashionisto from the World in Draft universe: confident, flamboyant, meticulously dressed, and entirely unconcerned with anyone else’s opinions about who is “supposed” to wear jewelry. He first appears in the upcoming fourth World in Draft novel, The Ledger Edits Back, and was inspired by Fred. In other words, he was inevitable.

The connection felt natural almost immediately. Chainmaille already belongs comfortably in a fantasy world, but Fred’s work isn’t primarily armor—though that does include the scalemail bra he made me. It’s decorative, intricate, playful, and sometimes unapologetically elaborate—which feels much more Garrick. Vale Maille lets us take a tiny piece of that fantasy aesthetic and turn it into something physical.

The pieces themselves are handwoven from individual rings, primarily either aluminum or stainless steel, with hypoallergenic earring posts. Some designs are simple and lightweight. Others involve more complicated weaves, layered structures, decorative elements, and the occasional moment when I look over and realize Fred has spent two hours constructing something the size of a pendant.

This is apparently what passes for relaxation in our house.

For now, Vale Maille is starting small. We’re still figuring out which designs people respond to, what makes sense to keep in regular inventory, and how much of this wants to become an ongoing part of Wondrous Legends (it might just be a phase).

Fortunately, we have an excellent place to test that. Vale Maille will make its first public appearance at Hickman Hallows on October 24, where Fred and I will be sharing a booth with books, jewelry, stickers, and whatever level of Halloween chaos the evening decides to provide.

If the jewelry proves popular, you’ll likely start seeing more of it on the Wondrous Legends website as we build out the line. And if not? Well, Garrick will probably insist we simply haven’t displayed it properly.

Either way, I like what Vale Maille represents for Wondrous Legends. This company began as a home for stories, but I don’t think stories have to stay confined to books. Sometimes they turn into art. Sometimes into music. Sometimes into stickers. And apparently, sometimes they turn into chainmaille

A new page of the Ledger, indeed.

Signed somewhere between inspiration and chain links,
S.G., Keeper of the Wondrous Ledger

We have a page dedicated to Vale Maille here on the website, so check it out!

If you actually see this before 10/24/26, here’s more information about Hickman Hallows: https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/2026-hickman-hallows-fall-festival-and-community-market