Here it is! If you’ve been browsing online bookstores for the forthcoming sequel to Sworn Sword, you might already have caught a glimpse of it, but for those of you who haven’t, this is the jacket design for The Splintered Kingdom in all its glory.

Once again the cover illustrator Tim Byrne and everyone on the team at my publisher, Preface, have done a great job. In lots of ways it represents a continuation of a theme from the cover to Sworn Sword, and I think it really captures a sense of the energy and drama, as well as some of the darkness, of the new novel, which will see Tancred tested as he never has been before. Some familiar characters will return – friends and foes – but he will also find himself facing fresh challenges as rebellion stirs up once more and the threat of imminent invasion looms. That’s all I’ll say for now!

The Splintered Kingdom is currently scheduled for release on 13 September 2012, but if you really can’t wait until then, the first chapter is contained within the paperback of Sworn Sword as a sneak preview. I’ll be releasing more details about the book and giving a taste of what’s in store over the next few months, so keep checking back here on the website or follow my updates on Twitter or Facebook.