Cover Reveal of Twelve Kings by Bradley P. Beaulieu

I am honoured to say that I’ve been involved in the cover design of Bradley P. Beaulieu’s Twelve Kings and possibly even played a (tiny) part in how it turned out. OK… so when I say ‘involved’ all I really did was give Bradley my thoughts on the cover’s numerous drafts over a period of months and when I say ‘tiny’ I mean itsy-bitsy. However, it is the first time I’ve been even this involved in a cover design project – therefore getting to see ‘behind the scenes – and I have to say I am blown away by not only the finished cover, but by just how involved Bradley and his Editor (the lovely Gillian Redfearn) were in how it panned out.

I’d always assumed that when it came to covers the author tells the publisher roughly what they want. The publisher then says “sure” or talks them into something they think is better and more marketable. From there the ideas are sent off to the artist and they forget about it, concentrating on those all important prose. Actually, speaking with Bradley over the last few months, I’ve seen just how heavily involved both author and publisher are in the whole process (this author and this editor anyway).

Since January I’ve gotten numerous e-mails from Bradley, each with a new look cover attached. He started out with a cover that had a crown of thorns, then the thorns became less crown-like and began instead to creep along the page. From there it was decided that there should be something for a reader to focus on. Something like a piece of scenery or a character or icon or weapon – something. I’m giving you the short version here, but many e-mails in-between these larger change suggestions saw comments from Bradley’s editor such as the artist should ‘make the thorns smaller’ and ‘bring back some blood and dirt’, etc. It was early May when we transitioned from a sandstone background with creeping thorns to an archway of thorns with a character approaching. Even then though the character was not wearing the same kind of clothing or wielding the shaped weapons as she is in the final version that came through to me in July. As I look at the final cover today and compare it side-by-side to a version from May it is truly like a game of spot the difference –  gems have been added, clothes changed, weapons upgraded, thorns sharpened, archway widened, character’s proximity to said archway changed, and much more besides. Most impressive of all is that I bet bradley and Gillian could give you a logical reason for each one of these…

Anyway, you’ve heard enough from me, I’m delighted to be given permission to show you the final cover. Then, once you’ve check it out, I’ll hand you over to Bradley for some thoughts:

Thoughts from Bradley P. Beaulieu:

This cover was a long time in the making. I was lucky enough to have my editor, Gillian Redfearn, include me on some of the initial brainstorming, and I had chances to provide comments along the way as different incarnations progressed (and some were set aside), but I give credit to Gillian and the Gollancz art team for coming up with something that really captures the feel of the book.

The main character, Çeda, is a pit fighter, and clearly that aspect of her life is shown front and center here. But Çeda’s persona in the pits is only one small part of her story. She also works from the shadows against the Twelve Kings of Sharakhai. She’s been biding her time for years, ever since her mother’s death at the hands of the kings, waiting for the right moment to strike.

That moment finally comes when she goes out on the holy night of Beht Zha’ir, the night when the two moons are full and all are forbidden from treading the streets. It is on this night that one of the asirim, the fearsome defenders of the Kings, stops her and whispers a long-forgotten words in her ear. That one strange event—a thing chillingly linked to her mother’s death—gives Çeda a way to uncover the secrets the kings have worked so hard to bury in the sands.

I love that Çeda is stepping out from darkness and into light. I love that she’s holding a pair of shamshirs as she does. I love that she’s treading a dangerous path, a path lined by thorns and blood. It captures the essence of this book with a glance. Add to that just how eye-catching the overall design is, and I think Gollancz have come up with a real winner.

I hope you agree, and I hope you give the story a chance, because I’d love to share it with you.

Oh, and don’t forget about our competition to win a copy of Bradley’s novel months ahead of its official release date. If you missed that post telling you how earlier in the week then shame on you! But, as always, we’ve got your back – you can find it here 🙂

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