Posts Tagged: Cover Art

The Tyrant's Law by Daniel Abraham

It’s… alright, I guess. I haven’t been blown away by any of the covers for the series, and the shift in tone and subject, if not style, is a little jarring, but, hey, swords and axes had little to do with Abraham’s series, anyways. Torches are cool, I guess. I’m neither here nor there on the cover. It’s okay. I have no doubt that what’s underneath will be rockin’. Abraham suggests there might still be minor changes coming, but the design is almost final.

Speaking of, here’s the synopsis, beware, of course, of spoilers for the first two volumes, for there are several:

The great war cannot be stopped.

The tyrant Geder Palliako begins a conquest aimed at bringing peace to the world, though his resources are stretched too thin. When things go poorly, he finds a convenient target among the thirteen races and sparks a genocide.

Clara Kalliam, freed by having fallen from grace, remakes herself as a “loyal traitor” and starts building an underground resistance movement that seeks to undermine Geder through those closest to him.

Cithrin bel Sarcour is apprenticing in a city that’s taken over by Antea, and uses her status as Geder’s one-time lover to cover up an underground railroad smuggling refugees to safety.

And Marcus Wester and Master Kit race against time and Geder Palliako’s soldiers in an attempt to awaken a force that could change the fate of the world.

The Tyrant’s Law is set for a May, 2013 release, and I’m already salivating.

Abaddon's Gate by James S.A. Corey

Another solid effort from Daniel Dociu, Kirk Benshoff and Orbit Books. I’m glad to see them keeping continuity between covers, ’cause man, this series will look mighty fine on my bookshelf. Too bad there wasn’t a hardcover release…

Abaddon’s Gate is set for a June 2013 release.

The Rithmatist by Brandon Sanderson

Tor.com today revealed the cover art, and a synopsis, of one of the most curious novels slated for 2013, Brandon Sanderson’s The Rithmatist. The synopsis, written by Tor Teen’s Susan Chang:

The Rithmatist is an epic fantasy set in an alternate version of our world—a world in which life in the American Isles is threatened by the attacks of mysterious creatures known as Wild Chalklings. Chalklings are two-dimensional drawings that can be infused with life by Rithmatists and it is the job of the Rithmatists to keep the Wild Chalkings at bay.

You may wonder how a two-dimensional drawing could possibly be a threat. Here’s the answer: Wild Chalklings scurry across the ground like scorpions or land piranhas, and bite chunks out of your feet. At which point you fall to the ground and they swarm you. Enough said.

The Rithmatist is about a 14-year-old kid named Joel who wants desperately to be a Rithmatist. But he wasn’t Chosen, so he doesn’t have the ability to bring chalklings or Rithmatic lines to life. All he can do is watch as The Rithmatist students at Armedius Academy learn the mystical art that he would give anything to practice. Then Rithmatist students start disappearing, kidnapped from their rooms at night, leaving only trails of blood. Joel’s professor asks him to help investigate—putting Joel and his friend Melody on the trail of a discovery that could change Rithmatics—and their world—forever….

The cover itself is sorta bog-standard YA, thought the steampunk horse is kind of cool. The synopsis, however, sounds like pure Sanderson (which, in the opinion of this blogger, is a very good thing), and I’m as curious to see Sanderson play with alternate history as I’m excited to see him explore and develop yet another new magic system. I also feel like Sanderson’s prose and story structure fit well with a YA audience. Looking good, all around.

Update: The previous cover posted was an early mockup. Thanks to Peter Ahlstrom, Sanderson’s assistant, I’ve posted the final cover.

The Dark Defiles by Richard Morgan

Yep, it’s dark alright. And defiled. After the blades on the covers of the previous covers for the A Land Fit for Heroes series, The Steel Remains and The Cold Commands, it’s certainly an in your face change for the series. Pretty bitchin’, if you’ll excuse the term. It feels like a death metal version of the recent UK cover for Terry Brooks’ Bloodfire Quest, which, well, is a hilarious way to think of the series in general.

Dreadnought by Cherie PriestGanymede by Cherie Priest UK

In a bubble, I don’t mind them. They match up somewhat well stylistically with the original cover for Boneshaker (which is used in both North America and the United Kingdom), even if the technique is a different and not nearly as appealing. I also appreciate that they feature strong heroines that haven’t been over-sexualized. But, compared against the covers for the North American editions, including the fourth volume, The Inexplicables, Dreadnought and Ganymede can’t hold a candle. Another case of the pendulum swinging slowly in favour of North America when it comes to covers.