Cover Reveal: The City of Grief and Pain, by Alex Robins
8 Sept 2026Welcome to a new cover reveal!
Today we have the pleasure of helping reveal the cover of The City of Grief and Pain, third book in the grimdark series Mothers of Sorrow, written by Alex Robins.
Let's take a look at the blurb:
There is no victory without sacrifice.
The Mother’s plan has failed. Her army of greylings has been destroyed. But the liberation of Keselgraad has come at a terrible price: Brachyura and Matellas Thane have been swallowed by a swirling portal, transported into the never-ending expanse of emptiness that exists between worlds.
Aldin Pine, however, refuses to give up hope. With the help of the horribly mutated Sister Nayelle, ten gifted orphans, and his own burgeoning powers, Pine vows to find his lost brother and return him home.
Their search will take them far beyond the city of Keselgraad to a land where zealous Lords, ambitious corsairs, and aged Kings fight petty, bitter wars that bring nothing but grief and pain.
While far below the blood-soaked battlegrounds lies an even greater threat. Watching. Waiting. Preparing.
Deep within the earth, something is stirring.
The City of Grief and Pain will be released the October 22nd, 2026. You can already pre-order it on this link.
ARCs are available on this one.
The cover features art by Andrew Maleski
In this post:
Alex Robins
Alex Robins was born in Norwich, England back when it was still trendy to wear lycra tracksuits and bright pink headbands. Norwich School Library was where he first discovered his love of reading, an old converted undercroft packed to the rafters with books. The first fantasy series he read was The Dragonlance Chronicles by Margaret Weis & Tracey Hickman, quickly followed by The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and David Eddings' The Belgariad.
At the age of twelve Alex moved across the channel to Nantes in France. Speaking very little French, the first few years were difficult and sometimes lonely as he scrambled to get a grip on the intricate grammar and vocabulary of the French language. His taste in books branched out from epic fantasy to science-fiction, mysteries, thrillers, and historical fiction, but he always came back to his favourite fantasy authors when looking to escape the outside world.
After degrees in agronomy, project management, and computer sciences, Alex founded his own company dedicated to online voting. He met his wife during a game of badminton and they spent several years getting trounced in various regional tournaments before getting married. Alex now lives in the sunny Loire Valley in western France, surrounded by imposing castles, sprawling vineyards, and two children. After reading fantasy books for the last thirty years he decided to write one. The Broken Heart of Arelium is his first novel, and the first in the War of the Twelve series.