The Cover of Ascendant

Without further ado:

And, in the interest of being honest here… guys, it’s a little spoilery. Fortunately, it’s one of those covers where you won’t actually realize what’s spoilery about it until you read the book. So, win-win. I also think it looks totally awesome alongside the cover of Rampant. Check out the pretty pretty set (collect all two!)

So that’s nice.

You may note that the Ascendant cover is much brighter than the Rampant cover. That was done on purpose because the Rampant cover, as it will appear in paperback this fall, is actually going to be brighter as well (same images, just brighter), so they wanted them to match.

And can I just say that I totally covet this Astrid-model’s hair? And I do like that the hair is so RIGHT here. You wouldn’t believe the flack an author gets if her character’s cover hair is not exactly the way she describes it in the book. (Yes, I know Amy’s hair is shorter than the cover models’. Did that really destroy your reading experience?)

Speaking of, the stats: the “Astrid” on this cover is from a Harper photo shoot, the sword is stock photo. Personally, I have nothing against stock photos. My favorite covers (Rites of Spring Break and Rampant) are both entirely stock photorific. And I think that they do an excellent job capturing the “feel” of the book. The Astrid on the cover of Rampant looks determined and ready to fight. The Astrid on the cover of Ascendant looks conflicted and contemplative.

And here are some tidbits from the back:

“Ascendant is fast-paced, fresh, and engrossing –plus it has killer unicorns; what could be better? I love this book!” — Carrie Ryan, New York Times bestselling author of The Forest of Hands and Teeth and The Dead Tossed Waves.

“I was riveted by Ascendant. It’s not only about killer unicorns, it’s also about finding the courage to make tough decisions — and to be true to yourself. I think Astrid rocks!” — Malinda Lo, author of Ash.

So there you have it folks. Mark your calendars and let the countdown begin.

Oh, who am I kidding? Why wait? Read Ascendant NOW by taking part in this ARC giveaway I just announced RIGHT NOW. And in order to enter this giveaway (as decreed by Sailor Boy, who apparently likes his giveaway entry challenges more challenging than I do), all you have to do is leave a work of 6-word fiction here in the comments section of this post.

What is six word fiction? Here are some examples. Fun, huh? Okay, have at it Contest open internationally and through the weekend.