Magic is very real and practical to Tortallans, from the common hedgewitch to the King's court mages. Tortall is a place somewhat reminiscent of the European Middle Ages, with its monarchy, court, nobility, and knights, but is otherwise a completely different world. The Hunt Records take place hundreds of years before the other books, and Barzun, a nation between Tortall and the Inland Sea later is occasional mentioned. The Trickster books mostly take place in the Copper Isles, further south than the Yamani islands. To the east of Maren and Sarain is The Roof of the World, a large mountain range. Carthak (setting for Emperor Mage) is south of Tortall across the Inland Sea, while to the west lie the Yamani Islands and the Copper Isles.

To the east are Galla, Tusaine, and Tyra, and past them are Maren and Sarain. Tortall and Scanra are at war in the last two Protector books and the first Trickster book, Trickster's Choice. To the north is Scanra, a wild and somewhat barbaric country. The capital of Tortall is Corus, located near the western coast on the Emerald Ocean.

The Tortall series is named for the country in which the majority of the works are set, Tortall. The Tortall universe is a fictional setting shared by six book series: Song of the Lioness Immortals, or Wild Magic Protector of the Small Daughter of the Lioness, or Tricksters and Beka Cooper ( Provost's Dog) the Numair Chronicles, as well as multiple short stories. This is a list of works by American fantasy author Tamora Pierce.

Song of the lioness series