Bizenghast while Lalibela, a holy town in northern Ethiopia, inspired Bali Lali's. Another minor character, Dr. Morstan, takes his name from Mary Morstan, Dr. Watson’s wife. "марионетка", the Russian word for marionette, inspired the name of the antagonist Maphohetka. LeGrow comments that the series "is about life, death and fabulous outfits (not in that order)" and notes that there are "a lot of religious themes" present. The town of Bizenghast "represents a world cut off from that sort of constant access [of technology]." The series was initially written to span about fourteen volumes and be divided into three seasons: the first
Mary Linskill of her literary pieces. She worked in various places, such as Manchester and Newcastle, and later became qualified to become a schoolteacher in Hawksworth. She then served as a governess in Derby. Many of her early writings such as "Tales of North Riding" in 1871, published under the pseudonym "Stephen York", appeared in the "Good Words" magazine. Three of her major novels were "Between the Heather and the Northern Sea" in 1884, "The Haven under the Hill" in 1886, and "In Exchange for a Soul" in 1887. Though moving from Whitby early in her life, Mary was forced to return