My YA debut arrives on 18 August 2015. Do not be fooled by my calm and reserved demeanor: I’m wildly excited about this novel and about working with Little, Brown Books for Young Readers.
I know, it’s a long way away. I think so too.
There are a lot of things I love about this cover, including the way the light flares and especially the way the design incorporates elements from the book (which become clear after you have read the book).
Here’s a bonus! I found this short post by the design firm M80 DESIGN about making this cover. I love insights into design and illustration, in part because the visuals make a big impact on me and in part because it’s not a skill-set I have.
Here’s the publisher’s description:
In this imaginative escape into an enthralling new world, World Fantasy Award finalist Kate Elliott begins a new trilogy with her debut young adult novel, weaving an epic story of a girl struggling to do what she loves in a society suffocated by rules of class and privilege.
Jessamy’s life is a balance between acting like an upper class Patron and dreaming of the freedom of the Commoners. But at night she can be whomever she wants when she sneaks out to train for The Fives, an intricate, multi-level athletic competition that offers a chance for glory to the kingdom’s best competitors. Then Jes meets Kalliarkos, and an unlikely friendship between a girl of mixed race and a Patron boy causes heads to turn. When a scheming lord tears Jes’s family apart, she’ll have to test Kal’s loyalty and risk the vengeance of a powerful clan to save her mother and sisters from certain death.
I have myself called it “Little Women meets epic fantasy in a setting inspired by Greco-Roman Egypt.”
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Pre-orders help new books: They highlight reader enthusiasm and also publishers make decisions about how many copies to print in part based on pre-order numbers (as well as many other factors), so if you are so inclined (and if you are not, that is completely fine too, of course!) here is some USA pre-order information.
No pre-order information is up yet for Indiebound or Powells (that I could find).
You can also pre-order from your local bookstore (I’m a big believer in supporting local bookstores when possible).
Currently Court of Fives is only available in the USA market. I’ll keep you posted when/if availability in other markets comes through.