Harsh-Fantasy book cover. Scarred. Bleeding. Determined.

Fear the Cold

Ky Bateman

Writer. Gamer. Dungeon Master.

Two young warriors vow to protect their village. In secret, Triston swears to the clan chief’s daughter that he will protect her above all others. A rival chief descends on their village, and in the chaos of battle, Triston abandons his friends. Step-by-step, this novel follows the boy who ran, the boy fought, and the girl they left behind.

Primary market is young and new adult (15-30).

This is book one in a long series which will have vastly different cover designs, therefore, the font (particularly the subtitle font) will be the main identifying feature between books. Aim for something strong but simple. This story is Arthurian in nature, set in a deep winter. It is not "grim-dark" fantasy, it is "harsh fantasy": our characters undertake gallant quests, but pay a price for their success; blood, trauma, and scars. The trope we play on is a "save the princess" story. Our trio of characters aspire to the brave Lancelot, or pure Gwenivere legend, but suffer personal defects (arrogance, fear, envy, hate), which fit them all into an anti-hero / anti-heroine mold.

Avoid use of obvious stock imagery. Avoid typical "high fantasy" set dressings: such as knights in plate armour, maidens in royal dresses, or high castles. Our characters exist in a dark age, the armour would be scale mail, the "maiden's dress" would be simple with a single embellishment, and the castle would be an eating hall made of stone.

Every design category has flexible pricing for all budgets. Book cover starts at $399.