The Relics of War: Some Final Details
Tuesday is a big day.
That’s right, War of the Nameless, the third and final book in The Relics of War trilogy will be released. I wanted to do a little something different for this week’s blog in preparation for it.
I’ve talked off an on about this series now for a couple years. It was a story spawned from my teenaged brain, all the way back in the ’90s. But I’m sure some of you already know the history there… (If not, you can read more about it in this post: The Relics of War and how the series came to be.)
But here are a few things that maybe I haven’t mentioned so far, things that you might be interested to learn.
The Cover Artwork
The cover artwork for all three books was designed by Jamie Noble, of thenobleartist.com. I first came across his artwork on Reedsy, a site dedicated to all things book-publishing. He was one of four artists I was considering to commission, but his art seemed to fit what I was looking for best.
But I almost went with someone else.
It wasn’t because of pricing, or a difference of opinions. It was simply because I heard from the other three several weeks before I heard back from him. (I later learned he had a very good reason for not responding at the time.) Anyway, I’d been holding out, hoping he’d respond, and that his art would be within my budget. When I finally received his response I was ecstatic.
I’m glad I waited and commissioned him for the series artwork, because I honestly don’t believe anyone else could have captured my vision quite as well as he did. He’s also great to work with.
Each cover for The Relics of War captures a scene from within each book. And while the third book’s cover is my favorite of the set, I’ve had people comment on all of them. I think I made the right decision when I agreed to work with Jamie for this project.
I wound up contacting him again earlier this year for artwork on my next series, The Caein Legacy (book one will release sometime in 2023, but I don’t have a date set at this time. If you’d like to learn more about that series or see the incredible cover artwork, you can do so here: The Caein Legacy.)
The Companion Novella
Sal’zar and Jal’den are fixtures in the trilogy from the beginning, though they’re both side characters in Aran’daj’s story arc for the majority. In War of the Nameless, Sal’zar gets his own story arc, due to certain events that I can’t share here (you know, spoilers are bad.)
Anyway, part of that story arc includes a book/journal Sal’zar and Jal’den have written together. For those interested in learning the contents of that journal, have no fear: It’s contained within the companion novella, The Ballad of Alchemy and Steel. (It’s available on all the usual retailers, but you can get it for free by signing up to my newsletter: Newsletter signup page. The link to download it is in the welcome email.)
The “Secret” Work in Progress
I’ve mentioned a couple times on Twitter that I have a “secret” work in progress. I’ll share a little about it here, as it does relate to The Relics of War.
It’s a standalone novel that runs parallel to the events in the trilogy. There’s a single main character, who is introduced near the end of War of the Nameless.
The title of this project will be revealed after book three’s release. I haven’t set a date yet for the title reveal, but it’ll be in December some time. And those who read War of the Nameless will probably understand what this book will be about from the title alone, which is why I’m not sharing it quite yet.
Preorders Anyone?
And of course, War of the Nameless is currently on preorder. If you’re interested in a copy, links to all retailers are on this page: War of the Nameless preorders.