Well, I have to say I am THRILLED about this. I was very happy with the cover we launched with last year, but this new cover is just gorgeous. The publishers have obviously done a bit of focus-grouping/opinion polling and decided The Seventh Season would benefit from being slightly rebranded, and I just love everything they’ve done with the 2014 edition.
On the one hand, I know that Kit would love it because the image they have used is from a painting by Lawrence Alma-Tadema. I was talking to my cousin Amy about the new design, and she said Kit loved Tadema’s work, even though he knew he wasn’t meant to (apparently it is a bit too romantic for historical accuracy purists). On the other hand, I think he would feel fraudulent that Emmanuel of Samaria’s name no longer appears on the cover. But I feel sure that, if he was persuaded that the change would encourage more people to read Emmanuel/Johanan’s story, he would come round to the idea. Eventually.
Of course, for me, it means overhauling the website. I shall be busy over the next few weeks creating new images and trying to make it look as lovely as the new cover.
