I’ve posted several different covers for Richard Morgan’s first foray into fantasy, The Steel Remains, but felt this one takes the cake as the best of the bunch. I assume this is for the upcoming Gollancz paperback edition, but don’t quote me on that.
Simple and evocative, this is exactly what a good fantasy cover should look like.
Best known for his successful Shannara line of novels, Terry Brooks is also the author of several other novels and series often overlooked by his fans. An under appreciated gem in Brooks’ library, the Magic Kingdom of Landover books successfully juxtapose humour and dark fantasy into short, blazingly fast novels.
In preparation for the next volume in the series, A Princess of Landover, Del Rey are releasing the earlier volumes in two omnibus edition. The cover of the first has just been revealed and it’s a beautiful thing, indeed!
From Brooks’ web site:
Magic Kingdom For Sale—Sold! began a new bestselling series for Terry in 1986. The novel was a vast departure from the three sprawling epic fantasies he had written before it, the story of Chicago lawyer Ben Holiday and his purchasing of a real magic kingdom. Right from the start Terry told his readers Ben Holiday was an alter ego of sorts, as Terry used the fictional character to discuss his transition from lawyer to full-time writer. Terry wrote five volumes about Ben Holiday, his magic kingdom of Landover, and a whole cast of unique characters—the last novel, Witches’ Brew, published in 1995.
After 14 years, Terry has returned to the Magic Kingdom of Landover series with the forthcoming novel, A Princess of Landover!
To celebrate Terry’s August 2009 return to The Magic Kingdom of Landover, Del Rey Books asked artist Steve Stone to create two new pieces of artwork to be used on collected omnibuses of the first five books in the series. The first omnibus, The Magic Kingdom of Landover: Volume I, contains the three novels Magic Kingdom For Sale—Sold!, The Black Unicorn and Wizard At Large. Volume II contains the two novels The Tangle Box and Witches’ Brew.
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On April 1st, Del Rey Books and I will send out the first of a new series of monthly Terry Brooks newsletters. The April newsletter will include the covers to Volume II and the new book, A Princess of Landover. Additional newsletters will contain more information, interviews with Terry, several fun contests, excerpts from all the books—and some other surprises!
Good timing, considering The Tangle Box (the fourth volume in the series) is the next novel on my pile of books to be read!
David Anthony Durham, author of Acacia: The War with the Mein, sent me the beautiful cover for his upcoming novel, The Other Lands, the second novel in the Acacia Trilogy.
Also included was a synopsis of the novel:
The apocalyptic struggle against the conquering Mein now won, Queen Corinn rules over the Acacian Empire of the Known World with a stern hand—aided by increasing mastery of the occult powers contained in the Book of Elenet. But far across the seas the mysterious inhabitants of the Other Lands seemingly control the fate of her empire—supported as it is by an underground trade in drugs and slaves. When she sends her brother Dariel on a secret mission across the hazardous Grey Slopes to investigate, it begins another cycle of world-shattering and shaping events.
I loved Acacia: The War with the Mein and cannot wait to get my hands on The Other Lands. Durham says he’s just putting the finishing touches on the manuscript and that a Septermber release is looking likely!
Fantasy Book Critic managed to get his hands on a working copy of the next novel in Robert V.S. Redick‘s first trilogy, The Chathrand Voyage. And it’s pretty bloody… well, pretty!
The stunning artwork is provided by Les Edwards, better known as the 2008 World Fantasy Award-winning artist Edward Miller (Scott Lynch, Ian Cameron Esslemont, Steven Erikson, etc).
He also has a synopsis for The Rats and the Ruling Sea, which picks up where the first volume, The Red Wolf Conspiracy left off:
Thasha’s wedding is hours away. It is a wedding that will both fulfill the promise of a mad god’s return and see her murdered. Pazel has thwarted the sorcerer who would bring back the god but both sides now face deadlock. Can Thasha be saved? Can the war between two Empires be stopped?
The Rats and the Ruling Sea is, once again, focused on the giant ancient ship The Chathrand, but now she must brave the terrors of the uncharted seas including massive storms, ship-swallowing whirlpools and lands forgotten by the Northern world, all the time involved in a vicious running battle with a ship nearly her match…
Robert Redick’s new novel takes the reader further into the labyrinthine plots and betrayals that have underscored the trilogy from the beginning. Along the way, we will learn more about the Ixchel as they fight for survival against the Chathrand’s rats, discover more about the true motives of the conspirators, live with Thasha and Pazel as they face death & deceit, and journey with The Chathrand as it sails into the infamous Ruling Sea…
This is yet another reminder that I still need to give Redick’s first novel a chance, the trilogy seems right up my alley.
Tad Williams’ Memory, Sorrow and Thorn series is my favourite completed trilogy. It has everything that makes tradition Epic Fantasy great: magic, a living world, a compelling quest for the protagonist and a memorable cast of characters. It’s nice to see the series getting another push from its publisher by way of a new set of covers.
While I’m a pretty big fan of the Michael Whelan originals, these aren’t too shabby!