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| Ki'shto'ba reacts to learning the truth about its misdeeds. (Click for larger view) |
I'm presenting the new cover art that I concocted for The Valley of Thorns. I honestly like it better than the other drawing, which I'm inserting at the bottom so you can compare. The new drawing shows a scene from late in the book, but I can't tell you more about what's happening than I put in the caption. It's enough to say that Ki'shto'ba isn't really murdering Di'fa'kro'mi and Za'dut no matter how it looks, but it is quite dramatic! They are in the desert here, not in the Valley of Thorns. The main thing I don't like about it is the depiction of the extinct volcano -- it lacks depth. I may tinker with that a little.
I can give you this much of a quotation, without revealing too much of the plot:
“You used the Great Spear on Pai’it’zei,” I said,
dreading what was coming. “You killed no
one else with A’zhu’lo’s blade.”
“But … I killed … more than the General,” said
Ki’shto’ba.
“You killed other Warriors in the battle,” said
Za’dut, quailing.
“That is not it!” Ki’shto’ba jumped at us so suddenly that we both cried out, and it caught our necks in the grip of its forelegs, its mandibles thrust into the sand between us. “Tell me the truth! What did I do? What words did you say to me there at Min’seip’u, Di’fa’kro’mi, standing close like this?”
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| Back cover, color adjusted to match the new front cover. (Click for larger view) |
I'd really appreciate some feedback! Which cover should I use? Be sure to click on the images and look at the larger versions.
