We at Fantasy Book Critic are glad to take part in the cover reveal for THE HEART OF STONE by Ben Galley. The cover as seen above is courtesy of Shawn King. He of the fabulous cover art & design that graces all the lovely books from Ragnarok Publications.

Here's what Shawn said about the creation of this cover:
 "When Ben approached me about doing the cover for The Heart of Stone he repeatedly mentioned his love for my covers of Michael McClung's Amra Thetys series (Ragnarok Publications)—that kind of concerned me at first, since what he was wanting was drastically different haha. I don't know if it was the challenge, the income, or my difficulty with saying the word 'no' to bookish projects, but I accepted the job right away."

"I was provided with an excerpt (a scene in which the golem is first revealed), and immediately these great images began to form in my mind…and that's where they stayed, because they stubbornly refused to appear on my screen. So, what you see now is the result of me lifting my head from my desk and attempting something I've never done before, and it was fun as hell. Every time I added new fissures (that word sounds better than 'cracks') I'd sit back and smile at the effect they gave—I was actually pulling this off, and it made me happy."

"As for the type treatment, I initially wanted something strong, something bold, but after playing around with a slew of font choices I ended up going with a classier serif font (ever so slightly altered) that wouldn't fight the golem for control. I know that doesn't tell the rundown of my process, really, but I'm not that great at giving walkthroughs…plus, I have to keep my secret recipe a secret. heh!"

"Hope everyone enjoys this one, inside and out."

I love the look of the cover (see above) and can’t wait to read more the book in its entirety. You can read an excerpt of it here.

Here’s the blurb for THE HEART OF STONE:

Mercenary. Murderer. Monster. He has been called many names in his time.

Built for war and nothing else, he has witnessed every shade of violence humans know, and he has wrought his own masterpieces with their colours. He cared once, perhaps, but far too long ago. He is bound to his task, dead to the chaos he wreaks for his masters.

Now, he has a new master to serve and a new war to endure. In the far reaches of the Realm, Hartlund tears itself in two over coin and crown. This time he will fight for a boy king and a general bent on victory.

Beneath it all he longs for change. For something to surprise him. For an end to this cycle of warfare.

Every fighter faces his final fight. Even one made of stone.

The book will be most likely released next spring (2017) in all e-book formats as well as a paperback edition. You can sign up to be notified of The Heart of Stone’s release (as well as get a few pre-launch freebies like ARCs and sneak peeks) over at Ben's website.