Fantasy ebook is in search of a new cover!

Entertainment & The Arts

I'm an Indie Author and rumored Shadowrunner.

I need a new cover for my ebook. Its German title is "Eine Welt in Scherben", which roughly translates into "A shattered world". The book is also the first one in a series. The series' title is "Gefangen im Reich der Träume". (Rough translation: Ensnared in the realm of dreams) The book has already "survived" some years in the Kindle Store, but now I think it's time to give it a more refined appearance. As for the story, here's a summary (warning though, this might sound a bit crazy): In ages past the gods watched over the continent Cardrim. But their rule was broken when the mortal races rebelled and dethroned them. As a result of the long war the very foundations of the world have been shaken and the souls of Cardrim's inhabitans are slowly ''degenerating''. Over the years a second reality has grown into existence beside the continent, a great ocean where feelings and other aspects of a person are capable of taking the shape of real ''individuals''. The plot is centered around the dwarf Darnak who tries to lead two lifes in those two worlds. On Cardrim he has chosen to undergo the dangerous process of becoming one of the famed demonslayers, while in the other realm he has the kingship over the ''people'' of his feelings. His advisor, the ever-vigilant ''intellect'', carefully guides all of his decisions. At the beginning of the story the kingdom of the dwarf presents itself as a barren island to the reader, with a heavily fortified border and a never ending winter, that maintains a firm grip on the land. For quite some time Darnak can assume the different roles in the two realities fairly well. That changes after he meets the elf woman Yarella. Despite his reluctance he slowly establishes a close relationship to the woman. This development does not stay without consequence. The ice in the land of his feelings begins to melt as the old fire of love ignites once again. But not everything is as it seemed at first glance, and soon Darnak's island threatens to be consumed by war when his feelings splinter into rival factions. The intellect, on the other hand, is determined to secure the ''unity'' of the kingdom at all costs. In this conflict, however, even his tactical skills are challenged, since Darnak's island is by far not alone in the great ocean. Thousands of other worlds can be found in the restless sea. And in the waters around the dwarf's realm an alliance of barbarian warlords is assembling a fleet to embark on ruthless conquest. At the same time the long forgotten past of Darnak's kingdom is laid bare by the melting of the ice. In the depths beneath the surface old shadows awaken from their slumber, disturbed by the battles above. The powers of lust and wrath, which had once exerted great influence over Darnaks island before beeing exiled by the intellect, ready themselves for a return. And they plan to take what is rightfully theirs... Elements of the story: The main ''topic'' of the novel is love, though (spoiler) it is not a love story with a happy ending. At the beginning of the book the joyous elements of love are dominant, but towards the end darker aspects like ''jealousy'', anger and ''wounded pride'' take the lead. Darnak's goal to become a demonslayer serves as a secondary topic, which receives more focus in later novels. Its central features are blind ambition and the cost of earning the title of a ''champion''. Overall, it is a fantasy tale that aims to ''explore'' the abysses of human psychology as well as the various reasons for power hunger. Defining questions for the story could be: ''Do we rule our feelings or do they rule us?'' or ''Are there any true demons or does society create its own monsters?'' Perhaps additional descriptions of some key characters may also serve as an inspiration: -Darnak He's a dwarf with black hair and as such he of course sports a beard. Even at the best of times he can hardly be described as an outgoing person, instead he's more the close-lipped, lone wolf type of warrior with a heavily developed persecution mania. Too paranoid to walk around unarmed for a longer duration, he prefers wearing his dark armor as often as possible. -The people of Darnak's feelings Within the context of the book's universe Darnak's island poses a bit of an exception because it houses three different races. Beneath the mountains dwarves and trolls have sought shelter from the eternal winter, while out in the cold wasteland the villages of the orcs struggle for survival. The dwarves are the ''workforce'' of the kingdom, since it is them who continuously forge new weapons and reinforce the wall around the island. The orcs are more of a hunter-like people. Usually they craft their tools out of the bones of animals. -The intellect From his looks ''he'' could almost be mistaken for a normal orc of Darnak's world, yet his speed and skill in battle are unmatched in the kingdom. Apart from that he also possesses magical powers to a certain degree. Once the dwarf's advisor has unsheathed his barbed scimitars only few things will remain in one piece on the battlefield. His armor is designed for high maneuverability, whereas the horned helmet just serves as ''decoration''. Years ago it had been the intellect who forced the fragmented people of Darnak's feelings under one banner. Additionaly, he forged the feelings into an efficient army and thus in times of war he not only acts as advisor to the king but also as commander of the troops. -The elf woman Yarella Her origins lie in Cardrim's south, though Darnak is unaware at first that she's the daughter of a high-ranking elvish general. Contrary to the dwarf himself, she would never have pledged herself to the legions of the demonslayers as she rather prefers to remain ''free'' and far away from the atrocities of war. My own ideas for the cover: The old cover depicted an ocean that suited the theme of the story quite well, but it was also rather dull. You'll find it attached below, just so you get an impression of what the book "looked" like so far. Personally, I think a "winter setting" would be very appropriate, since (for a large part) the story takes place on a snowy island. Perhaps some kind of icy landscape with a lone figure emerging out of a blizzard? Or a fortress wall in the shadow of looming mountains? I'm also open to other ideas of you guys, so feel free to let your imagination fly...

What I need: -The cover should have a resolution of 1563x2500 pixel. -It also should look good in thumbnail size. (For the Kindle Store) -The following text has to be on the cover: 1. Series title: Gefangen im Reich der Träume 2. Book title: Eine Welt in Scherben 3. Author: Marc Cuny 4. A Roman one, in order to indicate that it is the "first" book in the series. What I don't want: -Please refrain from using stock photography. -I'd prefer not seeing a shield or sword as the prominent feature of the cover, for (in my opinion) there are already too many covers of that type out there. -I'd also prefer the cover not showing any character faces or at least obscuring them in some manner, since I believe that part should be up to the reader's imagination. However, depicting a character from behind or with a closed helmet etc. is perfectly possible.

Every design category has flexible pricing for all budgets. Book cover starts at $299.