It would appear that Brent Weeks’ The Black Prism has had a re-design. While I had no problem with the original cover (it matched the style of his Night Angel Trilogy), the new cover artwork is a lot more atmospheric and, now that we know a little bit more about what the novel’s actually about, it seems to match better.
The original, leaked artwork:
And the newer, slightly Prince of Persia-esque artwork:
And here’s the synopsis:
Gavin Guile is the Prism, the most powerful man in the world. He is high priest and emperor, a man whose power, wit, and charm are all that preserves a tenuous peace. But Prisms never last, and Guile knows exactly how long he has left to live: Five years to achieve five impossible goals.
But when Guile discovers he has a son, born in a far kingdom after the war that put him in power, he must decide how much he’s willing to pay to protect a secret that could tear his world apart.
I must admit to not being 100% sure about having the protagonist named Gavin, as it seems a little… I don’t know… not entirely heroic. I’m sure I’ll get used to it, though. (What a terrible bias to have…)
Thanks to the excellent A Dribble of Ink for posting about this – otherwise, I wouldn’t have known about it. I have since found the original post on Orbit’s website. Although I do disagree with Adrian – I like this cover quite a bit. It’s simple, and more in keeping with the UK market (as far as I can tell). It’s clear, though, that we have different tastes when it comes to cover artwork, as I personally don’t like the new artwork for Brandon Sanderson’s The Way of Kings, which is done in the US style.
The name "Gavin" is still under discussion, actually. This is a US/UK divide in language, strangely. Our connotations are totally different, apparently. In the US, it sounds cool and different. Hrm. Hazards of publishing internationally, I guess. My UK editor is on your side. I have to decide 1) how much I should be swayed, and 2) can I come up with another name I like at LEAST as much as I like "Gavin Guile"?
ReplyDeleteI don't usually comment on blogs, but I think your reviews are thoughtful, so I thought I'd give you an inside peak. :)
Glad you like the cover. I like it, too! And I'm really pleased that Orbit were willing take a risk and branch out with my style.
-Brent Weeks
Hi Brent - thanks for stopping by!
ReplyDeleteThere's nothing wrong with the name "Gavin" per se. But I guess it does just have a different... feel to it in the UK. Not exactly heroic-sounding, I guess. Bit like "Jeffrey" or "Bernard"...
Can't wait for "The Black Prism", hope writing is going well.