Ask me what my favourite book cover is and I’ll probably tell you it’s the edition of Assassin’s Quest illustrated by John Howe. It’s a beautifully evocative image with complementary design, and even as my paperback yellows with age, I keep it on display on my shelves. It directly inspired me when it came time to publish the books in the Realm Rift Saga.

Something else that inspired me was this: you can’t get Assassin’s Quest with a John Howe cover anymore. The publisher commissioned new covers. And while my marketing head understands that new covers can reach new audiences, my reading heart thinks it’s sad that new readers can’t appreciate this beautiful book cover. So, when it came time to consider artwork for the ebook bundle for the Realm Rift Saga, I wanted to have my cake and eat it. Which is why I approached Felix Ortiz and Shawn King.

I stumbled across the work of Felix Ortiz and Shawn King within these hallowed Fantasy Hive pages and was blown away by what they could do. I knew that I wanted to work with them. Their work is eye-catching, evocative, and alluring; everything you could want in a fantasy book cover!

Working with both of them is a true pleasure. Felix works fast and with a true enthusiasm for what he’s doing. Due to the time difference, I would often wake up to two or three versions of the latest iteration of the illustration, all presented with an infectious enthusiasm. Shawn has a more direct style; I received far fewer emails and had the sense that he only sent something once he was confident it might be the final piece.

The final result is something totally new, totally unlike the other covers, and totally ready to excite new readers into giving the Realm Rift Saga a try!

If the cover has already intrigued you, here’s the synopsis:

An invisible, immortal enemy stalks the world. And it’s ready to strike.

Thomas Rymour spent seven years trapped in Faerie, at the mercy of its ruthless inhabitants. Broken and abandoned, Tom has struggled to find peace. But the creatures of Faerie aren’t finished with him yet.

From the frozen heights of the world to its labyrinthine depths, Tom will face immortal creatures, terrifying dragons, and undead monsters on his impossible quest to save the people he loves and the world they live in.

But how can he defeat an enemy that cannot be killed?

This bundle features the first three books of the Realm Rift Saga, including the award-nominated The Fey Man!

I’m in no doubt that Felix and Shawn have created a cover that can sit alongside my edition of Assassin’s Quest, and I’m really excited to see this bundle hit Amazon. The Realm Rift Saga is available now, and I hope fans will enjoy reading it as much as they enjoy looking at its beautiful cover!