Today, we’re super excited to be able to exclusively reveal the cover for Nicole Evans’ upcoming debut novel BLOOD PRICE!

Nicole has been a staple of the fantasy community for some time now, championing self-published fantasy, so we are beyond thrilled that she’s taken the step to write and publish her own! Let’s find out more from the blurb…

The law of the gods is simple: those who kill must pay for it in blood.

In the land of Armadin, where nine clans exist in a fragile peace, Ashilde is one of the few chosen to pay the blood price. Through it, she becomes a warrior, capable of killing to protect her clan—alongside her hunters, who provide the essential animal sacrifice, lest they become the next clan to suffer the gods’ wrath.

When an attack wipes out their few remaining hunters, Ashilde must find a way to protect her clan and still appease the gods, despite her shaken faith. But when her monthly bleeding stops, she can no longer kill. Cast out by the gods’ decree, she’s given a single task: travel to the gods’ realm, atoning for the failures of the clan and herself alike. If she dies, another will be sent in her place, until the demanded atonement is fulfilled or her clan is wiped out. Entirely.

Bound by a promise to protect her people above all else, Ashilde embarks on a quest driven for answers. Aided only by a pair of animals and a small child she meets along the way, Ashilde must battle the elements, her pursuers and her own mind to reach the gods’ realm.

To save her people, Ashilde’s journey forces her to answer the ultimate question: is she willing to pay the price asked of her, now that she can no longer pay in blood?

Blood Price is due for release 1st October 2024. As always, pre-orders mean a huge deal to authors, and Nicole has made Blood Price super available:

Bookshop | Amazon | Barnes and Noble | D2D eBooks Collection

You can also add it to your Goodreads or StoryGraph lists! You can find out more about Nicole herself here

And now, for the main event!

Cover artist is Zoe Badini, you can find out more about Zoe here or visit her Cara page here. Zoe will have prints of the artwork of the cover available for sale on INPRNT this week! Here’s the artwork in full:

Let’s here from Nicole what she makes of this gorgeous artwork:

When looking for an artist, I knew I wanted someone who could not only create an epic cover showcasing the depth of the danger that Ashilde faces, but I also wanted to support a female or queer artist, given how important this book’s focus is in centering women. I wanted to mirror that in who helped bring this book to life, too. I’d always been a fan of Zoe’s artwork, so I was so thrilled when she agreed to work with me. 

 

I couldn’t be more blown away with what she came up with! There are so many easter egg details nestled within the cover that I can’t wait for people to untangle as they read. But my favorite? The blood dripping off the spear and staining Ashilde’s hands.

 

What could she have possibly done to stain her hands so permanently?