by As it was foretold in bygone days of yore, August 27th has arrived. As prophesied, the cover for Gleam Upon the Waves will be revealed. Let’s begin, shall we?
You can see a bigger version below. Click on the image to view it larger.
In the lower depths of the city of Lovat, a King Tide rises. On the mantle of this aberration rides a vile stench that permeates the city from root to crown. When a job comes along for Caravan Master Waldo Bell and his crew offering a chance to slip away, it’s easy to be interested. When it comes from the city’s newly elected mayor, it’s impossible to ignore.
Outward bound on an enormous floating casino Wal finds himself out of his element. This won’t be routine caravan work. This job is more diplomacy than delivery, taking Bell Caravans out of the shadowed warrens and off dusty trails to the canals of Empress, the mysterious capital of the hermit-nation Victory.
But, things are never simple in the Territories. As the situation grows increasingly complicated and sinister forces begin to circle, Wal will discover darkness runs deeper than he ever thought possible; reality is not what it seems, and a new apocalypse is closer than anyone predicted.
I’m sure you noticed that like all the previous Bell Forging Cycle covers, the background image was another piece by the late 19th-century French artist, Gustav Doré. I love Doré’s work. Here I used the Plate I engraving from Doré’s illustrations for La Grande Bible de Tours entitled: The Deluge it depicts a scene from the story of Noah’s Ark as humans and animals struggle to save themselves as floodwaters rise. Tides. Floodwaters. Waves. Boats. Lots of nautical themes happening here. Wonder what that means? Hmmm.
Funny enough, Jon Contino nailed down the lettering for this cover years ago—way back when we were locking down the look for Red Litten World. I fell in love immediately, and it’s been hard to stay quiet. Jon’s distinctive approach to typography has always worked perfectly for the Bell Forging Cycle. His visceral and emotional approach to design has helped capture the sense of unease in the series and solidify the tone in a way that helps it stand out. He outdid himself with this one.
From a design perspective, I think it settles perfectly within the series as a whole while maintaining a unique voice of its own. Look how great it looks in the lineup:
Huge thank you once again to Jon for helping me out with this. (Also, he’s got his own book out now and you should go buy it.) There will be more to come in the future. Gleam Upon the Waves is due out later this year (hopefully!), so expect more announcements with launch dates and the like and a sample chapter for you to read. I cannot wait to get this one into your hands. It’s been a long time coming, and I think you’re going to love it.
What do you think of the new cover? Which cover is your favorite? Why? Leave a comment. Let me know!
Need to Get Caught Up?
If you’ve only read a few of my novels, now is the perfect time to nab my previous books and catch up on the series before Gleam Upon the Waves drops. Order from any of the retailers below or support your local indie book shop and have them order it for you.
• Amazon • Barnes & Noble • Kobo • iBooks • GooglePlay •
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K. M. Alexander 
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