The High King’s Vengeance Cover Reveal with Steven Poore

When Steven Poore’s first book, Heir to the North, was published by Kristell Ink I have to confess I did an evil thing. What? NO! Not that thing! Jeeez! I immediately judged the book by its cover. Its digital representation didn’t shout at me to hit the buy now button. It wasn’t a close up of a broody, part hooded warrior mage, wielding a sword or surrounded in the green glow of magic which publishers like to use on the covers of Epic Fantasy. Why go so very different?

Then I saw the hard copy. Still no green glowy magic stuff. Having read the book, I think I understand why. The Heir to the North cover did stand out from the sea of black, green and Ye Olde English favoured font. It dared to be different amongst the shelves, or in this case vendor tables. A bit like the story hiding within really.

Come on Steven, I know authors have very little control over their covers, but what was it about Heir to the North’s cover spoke to you?

I don’t get the apparent hate for the cover! No seriously, I don’t get it! I’ve actually only had one person say they really didn’t like it so far, and that’s been more than balanced out by people coming up at conventions and saying they loved it. I suppose I’d much rather have a cover that polarises people than one that just fades back onto the table, so at least if you’re talking about Jorge Torres’ artwork the book is visible!

A good thing about being published by a small press – one of many things – is the amount of control I did have over the cover art. Sammy Smith was very open to ideas. Both books were already written, and I wanted to play with readers’ expectations. The cover for Heir to the North is an archetypal quest – the nominal hero at the front, protecting the girl (Cassia). It’s how Cassia sees herself and how she expects the story to play out. I don’t think it’s spoiling too much to say that it doesn’t turn out that way!

Cassia, your mistreated and observant protagonist, has a rough time of it from the start. Did you ever consider being a true gentleman and wading in to make her life a little easier?

When did any hero of epic fantasies ever have it easy? No, making it easy was the last thing on my mind. You can probably tell that Heir to the North harks back to the epics of the ’80s and ’90s – another touchstone for the art as well – and the books I loved when younger, like The Dragonbone Chair (Tad Williams), The Baker’s Boy and The Barbed Coil (JV Jones), always make it difficult for the protagonist. There was a limit, of course – I’m not a fan of abusing characters for the sake of it. I don’t want to get into that end of the grimdark spectrum.

All right, we don’t appear to have any evil wizards planning world domination around, but while we are on the topic of (not) saving damsels in distress, if you could raise a fantasy army what cause would they march for?

So many possible answers… but there’s a serious lack of decent ale in a lot of fantasy. Characters are always drinking poor beers in small dives. I reckon if you hoisted the standard for quality ales, you wouldn’t be lacking for soldiers. It might wind up as a stagger more than a march, but in our hearts we know the cause is sound…(hic)

Baum and Cassia trudge through some ‘reet’ miserable weather and historically rich lands as part of their journey, was there an inspiration for the vivid landscapes or is it your imagination we have to thank?

While most of the North is kind of based on… well, the North… and Hellea is a sort of amalgam of Athens and Alexandria, I loved writing the chapters set in Galliarca, which I based on a week I spent in Marrakech several years ago celebrating my sister’s wedding. The contrast between the walls and alleys of the souks and the houses and courtyards hidden behind them, the difference of it – I wandered about for a week and never once felt like a tourist.

Outside of writing epic novels, you organise the Sheffield Social, a regular meet for U.K. fans of the Fantasy and Science Fiction genres. Does that heavily impact on your writing routine, or provide inspiration?

Both, would be the fairest answer. It’s inspiring in its own way to get brilliant writers like Jacey Bedford, David Barnett, and David Tallerman in to read from their work and chat with an audience, but it’s also tough to keep it all up in the air and still find the time to keep up with the writing, especially when you take into account the day job and all the other assorted stuff. Maybe I’m just not a natural organiser! Don’t think I’m complaining too much though – it’s great to see other people enjoying them too.

After an unexpected twist at the end of Heir to the North, the sequel is due out later this year. What can fans look forward to in the next instalment of the Malessar’s Curse series, The High King’s Vengeance?

More hard times for Cassia, I’m afraid! She doesn’t get much of a break, even with a Galliarcan prince on her side. More dragons too, and more of the history behind Baum’s ages-long campaign against Malessar. An army of stone, a twisted god… and even a hint of romance. And an ending that I hope you’ll agree the story fully deserves.

Stop right there! COVER REVEAL DRUM ROLL PLEASE!

Did writing High King’s Vengeance provide any unexpected challenges?

There were a few threads I hadn’t tied up in HTTN – some of which I hadn’t realised I’d left hanging. The biggest challenge was making them all work in a way that didn’t seem contrived. Fortunately I’d left a rather big clue for myself near the start of the first book… The new dynamic between Cassia and Rais took a little while to lift off too – it turns out Cassia had some very firm ideas on that. Sometimes characters really don’t want to stick to the plot.

Lastly, (I have to ask!) what are your thoughts on the cover for The High King’s Vengeance?

You won’t be getting any hooded warriors or green glowing auras, I’m afraid! I love it. I love the contrast between Heir to the North‘s cover and the cover for The High King’s Vengeance – HKV is the dark mirror to Cassia’s naivety. She’s also no longer in the background – Cassia’s front and centre this time. I hope you can see that she’s had to grow up quickly and make some hard decisions. Jorge has done a stand-up job with both covers. I can’t wait to see this one in the flesh!

Thanks Steven!

As well as the Malessar’s Curse series, published by Kristell Ink, Steven has stories published in Fox Pockets from the BFS award winning press Fox Spirit Books.

Feel free to add The High King’s Vengeance to your to be read pile on Goodreads!

*****