Welcome to a new cover reveal!

Today we have the pleasure of help reveal the cover of Thorns of War, the second book in the grimdark series The Smokesmiths, written by João F. Silva, whose first instalment, Seeds of War, was one of my favourite reads of 2023.

Let's take a look at the blurb:

One breath. One jump. One death.

The Known World is in peril once again. Old grudges are made anew and settled only on the battlefield, with threads of smoke flowing in the air.

Gimlore saved her town and her family, and she has even learned that trusting people may not always be a bad thing. But with ancient powers stirring, her whole world is shaken again, and the pains of the past come back stronger than ever.

Rednow's retirement plan was successful but didn't last long. He is both in the eye of the storm, and the storm itself. Blessed or cursed by powers he wants to reject, he questions whether the faith everyone seems to deposit in him is even warranted. After all, he's still just an old man with bad lungs.

Orberesis blossoms under the tutelage of a new master and awakens ancient, forgotten arts. He rose from thief to the impersonator of a god, and now true divinity might just be well within his grasp.

After that blurb, that I'm sure has caught your attention, let's talk about the release date: it will be released on Amazon (link) on the 5th May 2024. 

But in the case you want to get a deluxe edition, a Kickstarter will be run (link) from the 1st of March to the 21st. 

The cover has been designed by Miblart. And time for that sweet reveal!

In this post:

João F. Silva

João F. Silva was born in a small town in Portugal but now lives in London, with his three feline co-workers/bosses. He writes Epic Fantasy, Science Fiction and Horror and has been on the jury for the 2020 and 2022 editions of the Best Newcomer Award at the British Fantasy Awards. His short fiction was published in Grimdark Magazine and Haven Speculative.

His novel Seeds of War is the first installment in the upcoming Smokesmiths series.