Cover Unveiled for The Habitation of the Blessed by Catherynne M. Valente

Catherynne M. Valente just released the cover for the first book in the Dirge for Prestor John series The Habitation of the Blessed. I mentioned this book in my Confessions post as one of my must buy 10 for the rest of the year. That still hasn't changed. As for the cover the art is nice as is the color palette, but I'm not fond of the title treatment. Sometimes going with a font that is too on the nose can turn off people and in this case it is achieving on that front. Moving the series name and volume to the bottom of the cover would seem like a better idea. Also, I do feel that the volume number of a series book should be somewhere on the cover, but it could be done on the spine or back as Orbit has been doing for so many of their series books. Lastly, the hands look too big. I know people with big hands but they are never so big that one would wrap around their own face so much. Well, outside of Andre the Giant. I hope they further tweak the cover before publication as publisher often are wont to do. The first Prestor John book will be released in November by Night Shade Books.

Brother Hiob of Luzern, on missionary work in The East on the eve of the 16th century, stumbles across a miraculous tree who's fruits are books... books which chronicle the Kingdom of Prester John. The Habitation of the Blessed recounts the fragmented narratives found within these miraculous volumes, revealing John's rise to power... from John's own viewpoint... from the viewpoint of his wife Hagia, and from the viewpoint of Hajji, a prayer-cantor who vowed to end John's illegitimate reign. World Fantasy Award nominee Catherynne M.Valente reimagines the legends of Prester John in this stunning tour de Force.

UPDATE: Valente has announced that Night Shade will be updating the cover with more of her input because of the outcry over the cover as it stands.


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