originally posted by Paige Madison
Thank you, Mr. Paravian Gryphon for all you do!
originally posted by Hunter
I'm wondering the setting of the backdrop with the river… could this be Daon Ramon being "un-barrened"? with the river Severnir now having water flowing again?
originally posted by Annette
quote:I'm wondering the setting of the backdrop with the river… could this be Daon Ramon being "un-barrened"? with the river Severnir now having water flowing again?
If it is Daon Ramon, the landscape is being washed away! The river in the front might be too small to appear on the map, which could mean the larger body of water (at least looks like water) could be a bigger river like the Severnir. But then the ground looks either wet and washed away or like slag, I went with slag which is why I was thinking of Penstair. Daon Ramon I think of as hilly with bracken, grass and scrub.
hmmm…
I now know exactly where it is.
While checking what Daon Ramon looks like, just to be sure, I notice Janny has already shown us a sketch she did back in 2004, the back ground painting is based on that sketch. Does not seem to have improved much over the years, maybe it is because the painting is a different season, or the storm or the dragon are working at rearranging the landscape, the trees seem to be vanishing. Also even though I have an over active imagination, the clouds in the painting look suspiciously suggestive. Be interesting to see a bigger unmarked version. Hopefully the hardback does not have the writing over those interesting looking clouds.
Now I know the perspective would be wrong for us to see a Sorcerer crossing that river, unless that was only a really tiny dragon. But someone does seem to be crossing it, and I was wondering if it could be Traithe? If it does turn out to be a person, they seem to be wearing a black hat.
originally posted by Dorothy
Wish my eyesight was better : ) I thought it was the sea in the background! Love the lightning and the new moon and I'm looking forward to the dragon's part in the story. The shield is wonderful as is the tree.
originally posted by Annette
I do not think better eyesight would have made a difference, although the pictures are very small. The background is blue, reflects the gold of the clouds and we can see streaks of earth in it, I also though it was the a large body of water like the sea. Either it is a flood or maybe it is just the ice reflecting the colours of the sky. If I had not seen the sketch I think I would have arrived at guessing it was Scarpdale only by Janny telling us which of our guesses were wrong. I would have gone through just about every slagged scarred piece of Paravia on the coast first.
originally posted by Sundancer
Happy dance, happy dance - haven't even been lurking for ages and I drop in to find recent wonderful art and Janny has started on Destiny's Conflict. Love the pictures, so glad you did the research Annette! Though I can't see anyone crossing the river.
Thanks Janny for keeping us all interested and up to date.
I agree Annette, this reaction is much too quiet - let's drop a few random ideas in - this artwork starts so much speculation - for example, all the Havish themes.
Perhaps the tree is in the Havish King's Grove, or some other sacred tree like Thembrel's oak in Rathain (is that in the Rathain King's Grove?). Also, Asandir wakened the trees in Selkwood - perhaps this is a 'king' tree. Or perhaps it is the last of those tree which were alive when the Sorcerers sent the call to Kharadmon in Marak - and when it goes then the link to Marak will die - hence the seasons to indicate passing time - but I think that's too simple.
And why the scythe? Death? or peaceful Havish harvest symbol?
Speculation from sneak previews
Could Daliana's job be to deal with Lysaer's plans to invade Havish? For example, maybe now Arithon has finished dealing with the wraiths from Marak, so he is released into the world and the curse resurges in Lysaer. Or the religion wants to wipe Havish out and Lysaer can't stop it any more.
Though neither of these deal with a drake above scarpdale.
Any clues from Dakar's prophecies? which are left? There's the one of Arithon playing for years and years, which seems to have come to fruition in the sneak preview.
Spoiler for Stormed fortress follows
Despite the fact that what Dakar sees is not necessarily true, I'd put a lot of trust in the ones Janny captures. I'm re-reading Traitor's knot, and one of Dakar's prophecies/prescient visions there (of the death of Feylind) comes true in SF - almost word for word, just a year later.
originally posted by Sundancer
Sorry, I meant Caithwood, not Selkwood
originally posted by Annette
I would say the scythe definitely meant death was coming to Havish, we have the sunwheel helm and lance, which would seem to represent Lysaers army of fanatics. I doubt they will be showing Havish how to cut grass, it will be something else they will be trying to mow down. I have yet to work out what Janny means with all the trailing ribbons, but at least these ones are Lysaer's colours.
Now the tree was a surprise, was not expecting something like that at the start of the new arc, no it is not a real physical tree found somewhere in Paravia. Real trees do not show that many seasons at the same time. We can see summer, autumn and winter presumably spring is on the other side. We have green grass on the left, fallen leaves in front and snow on the right. It is day on one side of the tree, and night on the other with a full moon. For those thinking of moon symbols the full moon would represent the mother aspect, the new moon in the background image represents the maid, I doubt Janny chose them randomly she already threw a hint out to make us suspicious enough to look for those things. The Raven in the tree is bound to be female, and would be the one we have already seen, who I take it is something to do with mother dark. Janny never said, but I still say the bird waiting at the bottom of the tree is a black falcon (but I could be wrong, could be a different type of bird) but why he is there remains to be seen, perhaps he is after knowledge, wisdom, how everything connects, dropped off for a rest, bite to eat or maybe he just wants to ask if Raven would like to share her tree. I was hoping a few others might come up with some suspicions about that tree and what it means. Knowing Janny it could be just about anything. It seems to be an oak tree, if that is any help.
The figure in the water in the background image is behind the icon in the final cover, so we will not see what it is anyway. But that is the part of the river to look at for those who want to take a guess.
originally posted by Annette
That "dragon" is only tiny! I have been thinking for a while there was something wrong with the dragons neck, it should be a lot thinner. It would seem there are two human figures in the background painting, and one is on the dragon. I think Janny should just give us a bigger picture to look at so we can see the details. Khadrim are black so even if Arithon could tame one with his shadows I do not see how it could be a Khadrim. And Wyvern do not breath fire, so what is this mini dragon?
Fun seeing all the crazed speculation – of course, it's an authorial duct tape moment.
In case you are wondering: I am writing Destiny's Conflict.
Status on Initiate's Trial: the publisher has sent the copy edited manuscript for my review; and I am all expectation for the design department's finished execution of the cover typography…so the gears of production are in play, at this stage, getting things up to speed before press time.
originally posted by Annette
Thanks for the update Janny, nice to hear things are moving along still. I noticed some of the sites seem to have resorted to using the Stormed Fortress cover, be nice to see the real one of there soon. A nice BIG one so we can inspect the dragon.
As to wild speculated perhaps Davien might have evolved enough to turn into a little dragon, then he could give a lift to some friends perhaps. We know from the hints in the books the army invades Havish through Lanshire so it seems possible we are looking at something the Sorcerers have cooked up to try and turn them.
As to the tree it does not look like a wheel, although it seems involved with cycles of change, so probably no one has died. I went with Sundancer's idea. Janny showed us Thembrel's Oak in Traitor's Knot even though it was just barely mentioned in the book, the tree must be important to the story. Perhaps this is an etheric Oak tree it is on the other side of the veil, but also on this side as a physical tree.
I have SEEN that irritating juxtoposition of Stormed Fortress's cover on the sites, and I've sent the message that it's confusing…!
Makes me just crazy mad when the internet proliferates erroneous information.
ARGH!
I hope design gets the type finished and the proper cover done, pronto.
originally posted by Trys
I submitted a comment to Amazon.com by way of the 'give feedback on images' link on the Initiate's Trial page and received this message this morning:
Greetings from Amazon.com,
Thank you for giving us feedback on images through our Image Feedback Form. We have reviewed your submission for the following product:
Initiate's Trial: Sword of the Canon: Volume One (The Wars of Light and Shadow series)
ASIN: 000721782X
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
We've reviewed the following submissions and have made the decision to remove the inaccurate image for the following product. This change will appear within the next business day.
Image: https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51hLCVLlvVL.jpg
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Correct product images are important to Amazon.com. We appreciate the time you have taken to provide us with this information.
Sincerely,
Product Imaging Department
www.amazon.com
So I submitted to amazon.co.uk this morning.
originally posted by Sleo
That's fantastic, Trys! I looked for some way to contact them about it, but didn't find it. Clearly I didn't look hard enough! My mother always used to say to me in exasperation, "If it was a snake, it'd bite you!" when I looked for something and couldn't find it.
Wowza, THANK YOU GRYPHON!!!
I can only hope, now, that the design dept gets on the STICK and provides the cover image for real…
You already know how much enamel I ground off my teeth trying to turn this artwork in - tripping over Easter and the royal wedding - it was finished early, but, nobody at their desk to receive the files…
I SO appreciate having the mess taken down!!!
originally posted by Sundancer
I don't think it is a little dragon. Perspective is hard - itching to see a high quality image! It's important enough for Janny to have shifted her Seardluin statue. Or is it on the spine? That works with the proportions.
But would the Fellowship try to stop Lysaer? I don't think they can… remember they call on Sulfin Evend as Caithdein and sworn to the land to stand down at Alestron. Lysaer wouldn't have listened.
I wonder if the tree is in the sacred grove of Ath's adepts?
I like to know you're laughing up your sleeve at us Janny while we poor blind mites stumble around out here.
Any hints?
I've added my whinge to Amazon too, - next business day seems a long time in coming
originally posted by Trys
The paperback no longer shows the bad image. However, I didn't think to do the same for the hardcover page and Amazon evidently doesn't think to check versions of a product. So I submitted a request to fix the hardcover page this morning. No word from amazon.co.uk but they've also corrected the page for which I reported the problem but not the hardcover so I also reported that.
originally posted by Sleo
That's funny. I checked it yesterday and submitted another request, as it was still there. Now it's gone, but not the hardcover, as you say.
originally posted by Sleo
All of which begs the question - where did the image come from? If Amazon didn't do it and the publisher didn't do it? Because it's clearly the image from Stormed Fortress with the words 'Initiate's Trial' replacing 'Stormed Fortress'.
originally posted by Annette
I thought it was Amazon, wanting a nice pretty picture for the book. Personally I just prefer them to wait, but I can understand them wanting to have something there. Game sites will often do a mockup for game covers, since the real cover is not released till quite late, but they use a bit more imagination. If Amazon included a note that it is just a place holder for the real cover it would not be so annoying, but still it would be confusing since we all recognise the books by the cover before we read anything. I doubt anyone actually thought Janny was not going to do a new cover.