The Shadow’s Curse Cover Reveal

I’m hoping that many of you have had the opportunity to read and enjoy one of 2013’s very dest debuts,  The OathBreaker’s Shadow by Canadian fantasy author Amy McCulloch.

If you didn’t, the story is set in a world where you tie a knot to secure any promises that you make. Should you break these promises you are scarred for life and seen as an oathbreaker – cast out into the desert, likely a death sentence. The book focuses on Raim, one of the brightest Yun guard prospects in his country; he has a special relationship with the future king and looks set to enjoy a life as one of the most important people in society. That is until the day that Raim is set to promise his life to the future king, for no reason that he can comprehend, he is seared and branded as an Oathbreaker… What unravels is an incredible YA adventure that is full of twists and turns, memorable characters, impressive worldbuilding and beautiful writing.

After having really enjoyed the first novel and waited – patiently-ish – for book 2 (I did e-mail Amy a few times begging for an ARC… admittedly O:) ), I was delighted when she got in touch and asked if we’d like to do a reveal of the second novel’s cover. So, before we reveal the cover, I shall pass you over to Amy to talk a bit about the writing of book 2 and her thoughts on the artwork that will preface her story:

Second album syndrome. Sophomore jitters. Writers talk about the book two dilemmas they face all the time. Many authors spend years crafting their debut, making it shiny for submitting to agents, then editors, then getting the final editorial spit & polish. It’s a process that can take the best part of a decade – and sometimes even longer. By contrast, the second book often needs to be conceived of, written and polished in a single year to fit a tight publishing schedule. No wonder writers get nervous!

For me though, it’s been a different story. The Shadow’s Curse has been sitting in my brain – if not on the page – for as long as The Oathbreaker’s Shadow. They’re a duology; two halves of the same story. I’ve been waiting to tell the end of Raim, Khareh and Wadi’s tale for a long time.

For anyone who was held on tenterhooks at the end of The Oathbreaker’s Shadow, don’t worry – all the threads of this plot’s knot come together by the end of The Shadow’s Curse!

Seeing the cover of The Shadow’s Curse for the first time was a big moment. I can’t believe I’ve completed this story. The cover fits perfectly with the slightly redesigned The Oathbreaker’s Shadow paperback jacket (out May 22^nd), which if you haven’t seen yet, looks like this:

 The Shadow’s Curse is also coming out straight into paperback, which is good news for anyone who’d like to read it in a cheaper format even sooner! July 3^rd is just around the corner. So without further ado… The Shadow’s Curse cover!

It looks pretty epic, if I do say so myself! It makes me so happy to have Wadi, my kick-ass female character, on the front alongside Raim.

Here’s the blurb for The Shadow’s Curse, if the cover has you intrigued! I’d also love to hear your thoughts on the cover over on Twitter: @amymcculloch

‘The most compelling new fantasy I’ve read in years’ – Jonathan Stroud

Raim always dreamed of becoming Protector of the Khan, but destiny had other plans for him. Now the new Khan has betrayed him, kidnapped the girl he loves, and started a bloody war for control of Darhan.

Raim longs to rescue Wadi, but his duty to the people must come first. Having made an unbreakable vow to protect Khareh’s life, Raim may be the only one strong enough to stop him. But in order to master his new-found sage powers, he must seek the truth about the dark secrets of his past . . .

‘The Oathbreaker’s Shadow is a very promising debut in what bodes to be an electrifying duology.’ – Robin Hobb

Here’s some more info on the author:

Amy McCulloch is a Canadian living in London, who fits writing around work as a Commissioning Editor at one of the UK’s leading fantasy imprints. She was bitten by the travel bug at an early age while accompanying her parents on buying trips around the world for their oriental carpet business. It was this love of travel that inspired her to set a novel in a hot, desert location (moving to freezing Ottawa, Canada, where her first winter hit -40°C, might have had something to do with that too). She studied Medieval and Old English literature at the University of Toronto. 

Get in contact with Amy:

Twitter: @amymcculloch

Blog: http://amymcculloch.wordpress.com

Facebook: http://facebook.com/amymccullochbooks/

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13643064-the-oathbreaker-s-shadow

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