My apologies for keeping Eolyn's friends and followers waiting on this. I had hoped to do the cover reveal before the end of 2013, but what can I say? The devil was in the details.
Thomas Vandenberg worked very hard on this image to get everything just right. The scene depicts a confrontation between Eolyn and a Naether Demon, one of many released from the Underworld by dark magic. Up in the tree, you'll see one of Eolyn's students, Mariel. Lying on the ground is a knight who did not fare very well in his fight against the monster.
Naether Demons have an interesting history; as the author, I have quite a bit of sympathy for their situation, even if they are bloodthirsty beasts. I'll give more backstory on the Naether Demons in a later post, as part of our countdown to the release of High Maga on April 4th. For now I will confess that I was a little wary of putting a Naether Demon on the cover of this novel. They are amorphous beasts, more ghostly spirit than solid flesh. Tom's rendition is somewhat different from what I see in my own head, and I suspect that every reader will develop a unique idea of what a Naether Demon looks like. Maybe down the line, a few months after the novel is released, I can host a "draw me a Naether Demon" contest to showcase the diversity of images these monsters inspire.
Our official countdown to the release of High Maga begins with today's cover reveal. Every post from now to April 4th will touch upon a topic relevant to the novel. You will meet many of the primary characters, some returning from Eolyn, others newly introduced for this novel. We'll also have previews of scenes from the novel, maybe a reading or two, information on launch events, giveaways, and more.
For next week's post, you'll get to read a scene from the chapter that inspired this cover art. Looking forward to seeing you then!
