Today we are super excited to present the new cover for K. S. Villoso’s The Wolf Of Oren-Yaro. It was presented on the Orbit books blog and we were are over the moon to have Kay join us on FBC. Today she’s talking about the cover journey of The Wolf Of Oren-Yaro from its self-published roots to its current traditional publication form via Orbit books. Kudos to Simon Goinard, Lauren Panepinto & the Orbit books cover design team for giving us such a smashing cover to match the terrific story inside. So over to Kay and look out for The Wolf Of Oren-Yaro as it releases in physical form next year.

The original cover for The Wolf Of Oren-Yaro was illustrated and designed by my dear friend, Ash Navarre. She had done all of my indie-published covers up to that point, going out of her way to help out a fledgling author who didn't have much in the way of resources and budget to publish. The original plan for my self-pub releases was to "brand" me and my books with a certain look, as we knew from the get-go that if I was to gain any traction in this industry, I needed reader loyalty and word-of-mouth. My covers couldn’t look quite like everyone else’s, because my writing was… kind of doing its own thing. It worked amazingly well.

In the self-published edition of The Wolf Of Oren-Yaro, we tried to go for a bolder look, showcasing the main character, Talyien, fighting. She's bloody, and she has a sword, and her cape is made of wolves. The cover was able to maintain the look of my previous books while edging it closer to the tone of this series. The composition remains a favourite among readers, along with the subsequent cover for the self-published edition of the sequel, The Ikessar Falcon (which I now use on my website and on some of my bookmarks).

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Orbit told me earlier in the year that the plan for their edition was to go in a more character-focused direction, to complement the intensely character-driven nature of the narrative. I was more than happy to learn that the cover art was to be done by Simon Goinard, who has done some amazing work in the past and whose portfolio made my jaw drop to the floor. The Orbit team took my suggestions for Queen Talyien: a woman who can hold her own in a fight, with an aura of nobility, strength, and power. It also contains many of the same elements from the previous cover: lots of blood, and the inclusion of Talyien’s father’s kampilan. As the entire trilogy begins and ends with Queen Talyien, it was crucial to nail not just the appearance of the character, but her entire essence, fortitude, and determination.

The result is well… I’ll let you decide, but I think it’s spectacular.

Official Author Website

AUTHOR INFORMATION: K.S. Villoso grew up in the slums of Manila before moving to Canada in her teens. She now writes fantasy with themes shaped by her childhood--stories of struggle, hope, and resilience amidst grim and grit. Her debut, THE WOLF OF OREN-YARO, will be released by Orbit in early 2020. Click here to find out more.

Buy the e-book over HERE

OFFICIAL BOOK BLURB: A queen of a divided land must unite her people, even if they hate her, even if it means stopping a ruin that she helped create. A debut epic fantasy from an exciting new voice.

“I murdered a man and made my husband leave the night before they crowned me.”

Born under the crumbling towers of Oren-yaro, Queen Talyien was the shining jewel and legacy of the bloody War of the Wolves that nearly tore her nation apart. Her upcoming marriage to the son of her father’s rival heralds peaceful days to come.

But his sudden departure before their reign begins fractures the kingdom beyond repair.

Years later, Talyien receives a message, urging her to attend a meeting across the sea. It’s meant to be an effort at reconciliation, but an assassination attempt leaves the queen stranded and desperate to survive in a dangerous land. With no idea who she can trust, she’s on her own as she struggles to fight her way home.