You may remember a cover reveal in January for our first title, The Legionnaire by Samantha Traunfeld, and are probably wondering why we're doing another.
Well, if you missed the announcement in Publishers Weekly, Ulysses Press has bought a 10% stake in Inimitable Books and has allowed us to distribute our titles through Simon & Schuster (which is why The Legionnaire is no longer being published on June 6, 2023, as initially planned and is now coming out on October 3, 2023). But this also means that I received some feedback on the original cover needing to be done in an illustrated art style to match the trend in many other fantasy novels.
The news came with not much time to fix the problem, but thanks to the incredibly talented Diana Dworak and the awesome Keylin Rivers (who had done the first cover design), we have a new look for our first book.
The rest of the book's new dust jacket has been illustrated by Diana but as we are also switching how the books are being printed (no longer Print On Demand, but an off-set printing that will require selecting a printer), and I don't yet have the technical specifications of what the "safe space" is for text so Keylin can make sure none of it gets cut off). As such, I will not be sharing that part yet—you'll just have to preorder the hardcover to see it in person when the book comes out!
The preorder incentives will be the same as before: you'll get 3 character art portraits as postcards no matter where you buy from/what format, but if you preorder from the author's local bookstore (River Bend Bookshop), you'll get a special 4th postcard. The bookstore will track your information, but otherwise, you'll need to fill out this form in order to get your goodies. The form is also embedded on the book page (where you can find the buy links for the new version of the book—ignore the paperback on Barnes and Noble, it's a defunct listing the site has yet to remove).
It's been a little tumultuous getting here, but we're so pleased with how things turned out and can't wait for what's to come!
Discover the epic military fantasy where magic determines your place in life. "This grim, passionate tale will scorch readers." - Kirkus recommended review
Saiden, a Blood-Cursed legionnaire—blessed by both the God of Life and Goddess of Death—is a paradox. Called both “death-bringer” and “world-ender,” she is surprisingly careful about taking lives and proving herself to be a monster. Torn between her loyalty to her queen and the need to protect her people, Saiden struggles to decide who she is going to be in a world that has already cast her aside.
Queen Loralei is hiding the fact that she’s been blessed by the God of Life while navigating the manipulative and dangerous landscape of ruling a kingdom. When she discovers a mysterious prisoner in her dungeons, she begins to unravel a complicated plot that shadows her reign and would change the course of history.
Mozare, gifted by the Goddess of Death with the powers to control shadows, is hiding lots of secrets in the dark. As Saiden’s legionnaire partner, he would do everything to protect her—even if that means killing the queen she swore to protect to save her from a fate worse than death.
With friends and enemies becoming indistinguishable from each other, can these three individuals survive long enough to fulfill their destinies without losing those closest to them, or will their missions irreparably ruin them—and possibly the entire kingdom?