The Red Litten World Cover Reveal

Hooray! It is June 4th! As I promised it’s time to reveal the cover of my next novel: The Bell Forging Cycle, Book III: Red Litten World. Let’s get to it:

The city of Lovat is dying. It just doesn’t know it yet. Trapped behind blockades, its citizens starve. Only the wealthiest can afford to snatch up what food does slip through, leaving the poor jostling for scraps. But money only goes so far. Inside their gleaming towers, the well-fed elevated are being killed off one-by-one.

Caravan Master Waldo Bell—only a few months removed from the harrowing events along the Broken Road—just wants to keep his head down and be left alone while he waits for the blockades to break. But when familiar symbols written in blood appear at a crime scene and an old debt comes calling, Wal finds himself thrust into chaos.

Now, forced onto Lovat’s blood-soaked upper levels, Wal faces his most dangerous challenge yet: within a city on the verge of self-destruction, he must fight to save not only his own life—but the life of every Lovatine struggling below.

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Isn’t it lovely? Once again, Jon Contino returned to lend his considerable talents by creating the lettering for Red Litten World. I’ve always been an admirer and fan of Jon’s work and there is something with his focused Arts and Crafts approach that captures the feel of the Bell Forging series. He nails that looming sense of unease prevalent throughout but adds an undercurrent of approachability which I really appreciate. As always, I am honored to have his help. Thanks a ton, Jon.

The background image comes once again from the late 19th-century french artist, Gustav Doré. (Sensing a theme, perhaps?) I love Dore’s work, and I’ve used his illustrations on the last two covers as well. This time the engraving was selected from Dante Alighieri’s Divine Comedy, in this case, Inferno. There Minos stands, centers on the lounging former Cretan king, Minos, now judge of the damned at the gates of hell. As with the previous books in the series, this illustration was selected specifically for Red Litten World. There’s a hint on the cover at what lies inside the pages.

I like scattering Easter Eggs throughout my work, and not only in prose. Each of these little details add to the overall experience when a reader picks up one of the Bell Forging Cycle novels. From the choice of the background image, to the little symbols I place along the spine. Everything is selected to give readers a little more depth should they go looking.

So there it is! The cover for Red Litten World is revealed! I think it fits perfectly within the series while bringing its own unique look. Check out how great Red Litten World looks in a lineup with the other two books:

Perfect right? Red Litten World is due out later this year and there will be a launch announcement coming soon along with a sample chapter. I cannot wait to get this into your hands. I think you’re going to love this one.

What do you think of the new cover? Which cover is you favorite of the series so far and why? Leave a comment. Let me know!