We have a final UK cover for The Heroes, and it looks something like this:
Or, in even more spectacular stunning wraparound-o-vision, this:
Isn’t she lovely? Click on it to see the detail. CLICK ON IT. The main addition is that units have been added – the Northmen wore red, the Union blue – transforming this workaday map of an unimportant valley in the middle of nowhere into a rendering of the positions on the morning of the second day at the Battle of Osrung. Can you smell the excitement? Or indeed the horse excrement, bloating corpses and metal filings? For those not entirely unfamiliar with maps of unit dispositions it immediately gives the thing a different flavour. But from a strictly cover art standpoint I really like the way that it has huge impact from a distance, but the closer you look at it the more you see, and the more questions come up, enticing one to pick it up and seek within for the answers. And who’s that cheeky young man on the left with the magnificent head of hair? Look inside, his enigmatic twisting of the lip seems to say, and for £14.99 sterling I will spin you a tale of knights, wizards, princesses, chivalree and derring-do. And axes.
Artwork is by the award-winning team that brought you such classics as the cover to Best Served Cold – Dave Senior on map duty, Didier Graffet provided the axe, and Laura Brett married the two together, did the design work, and provided that vital spatter, all briefed and co-ordinated by my editor Gillian Redfearn. Stay tuned, because over the next couple of weeks I’m going to be taking a closer look at how the various elements came to be and were united into this magnificent whole…
Like it? Want one of your own? In just 77 days we’ll be giving them away FREE with every UK hardcover of The Heroes. You can pre-order yours now from those lovely people at amazon or waterstones, for 50% off. Half price. £7.50. You’re killing me here!
31 comments so far
I agree about the detail, I look at that cover (in wrap-o-vision) and look for understanding, try to figure out if the Ironhead lot could march over and attack those in blue to the east, but no there is a river in the way etc etc.
A question: “Joe Abercrombie is the number 11 Sunday Times bestselling author of…”, number 11?
Beautiful, just beautiful.
Lovely. And refreshingly clear from men in hoods as usual.
One of the best covers around, and I feel almost embarrassed to take it from you for only £7.50, still if you’re going to make me…
£7.50? Why that’s very nearly a paperback full! Now what was Amazon’s web address again?
As Chris says above, refreshingly free of hooded men in dark shadows with evil intent in their eyes. Just as well since The Heroes is bound to be a merry tale of friendship found and eternal love blossoming …. which is nicely portrayed by the spill of red wine on the cover. It IS red wine … right?
I especially like the pic of Black Dow…
The cover is impressive Joe. Very impressive.
Fabuloso – you’ve been well served by the creative team behind that. The books currently on my shelf will be fighting for position to form a shield wall with that beauty.
Pre-ordered mine back in June!
Love the cover it’ll sit well on the shelf with the other four.
I’d buy this book alone for its cover.
That handsome, charismatic, sensitive, thoughtful cheeky young man on the left belongs on the front cover. Wielding that axe.
You’d sell millions of copies!
Even without any hood.
This and Chris Woodings two “Ketty Jay” Covers are the best – Orion seems to be a great publisher with a staff and authors who know what they are doing.
Sigh. So pretty. So sad I live stateside. Not that our cover isn’t its own technicolor bloodbath, but I like the simple elegance of this better.
The covers are getting better and better but they seem to be catering more and more to the marketability of your name and image/your ego
You could have it now for 75 quid!! Is this you selling it Joe?
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/HEROES-Joe-Abercrombie-2011-UNC-PROOF-/250717743534?pt=Fiction&hash=item3a5ff129ae
Good cover, now we just need someone to do the blurb on the back.
Good to see you at Bristolcon; I have videos of the martial arts panel. Am I allowed to uTube them or do I need permission?
I can’t believe someone is making reference to your ego!!
@Elena what’s happened to the green fairy??
I agree with Elena. I’m in the States, but I want this UK edition. That cover is full-on bad ass.
Love the UK cover. Just another reason why I’m am going to get that version instead of the one in my native USA>
Hey Joe,
John Scalzi’s got a post on his site about all the ARCs he received this past week and The Heroes is in the stack and it is easily the one most mentioned in the comments that people want to hear about/are looking forward to/etc.
Just FYI
I want a huge version of that full cover art wraparound as a gigantic wall decal for my bedroom.
I’ve already cleared the space on my bookshelf for its parchmenty awesomenessityousness!
Eagerly,
Mark C
Glorious!
Although, I tend to be quite the perfectionist and the front side seems rather darker than the spine and the back, with a well visible straight line where the colour changes.
Anyways, I did pre-order it months ago.
For the US residents – bookdepository has it on pre-order for about 18$ with free shipping and they are runningh 10% off vouchers as well right now.
Fortune Cookie: You will solve all your problems with a battle axe.
I’m moist. And that is because I am excited and not because of unfortunate leakages….
I’m a bit disappointed it’s not a blood-encrusted bannister 😛
The bannister is reserved for the cover of the autobiography.
Joe –
For those American readers, how can I obtain a copy of the UK edition. It reminds me a lot more like the First Law print, and I personally enjoy reading that more-so then the US print such as in Best Served Cold. Any chance on getting that available? Otherwise I’ll stop whining and get it anyway!
(sorry to co-opt your message board here, Joe)
@ swainson: still there, i just don’t update it as much because writing for 3 other websites takes all my time. sad fugee face. it’ll come back to life eventually, it’s like a vampire. so keep checking.
Remember that scene in Robocop where the bad guy blows up a car with the bazooka and exclaims “I LIKE IT!”
…I LIKE IT!!!!
It wasn’t a bazooka, it was a Cobra Assault Cannon, the latest state of the art bang-bang… not to nerd out on you or anything… or is it too late?
@ Jeremy
I’m also an American reader. I just ordered it through Amazon.uk, it costs a bit extra for shipping and handling but because the price has been reduced by half it doesn’t come out to too large an amount.
Can we have another axe rant, best post of the year..
@ Nick
Thanks a lot, I will check that out! Since it’s a pre-order I am assuming they will ship when it’s released…which could take a while…oh well SO WORTH IT!
And what is this Bayaz Experiment there on the cover? Occupying several buildings. Intriguing!