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Fantasy book covers and synopsis

  • Thread starter Thread starter MJH6
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Re: Fantasy book covers and synopsis

Sounds interesting. I'll have to pick it up sometime.

And no, he's not the only author here :-P I am too. My book just needs a little bit of touching up before I send it off to publishers >_<"
 
Re: Fantasy book covers and synopsis

Orpheus Lupus;118684 said:
Sounds interesting. I'll have to pick it up sometime.

And no, he's not the only author here :-P I am too. My book just needs a little bit of touching up before I send it off to publishers >_<"
Click to expand...


Good luck with your writing and I hope you get a chance to read The Magic Lands :) If you do, let me know what you think.
 
Re: Fantasy book covers and synopsis

For anyone who may be interested here is a character breakdown from The Magic Lands. As always feedback would be much appreciated.

Tom Lewis.
Jack Barton.
Two boys about to embark on a journey that will take them toward adulthood, a change embracing both enlightenment and loss. Two boys who will discover a place apart from the world we know, a realm where dreams and reality seem to interweave and deception is at the heart of everything.
Mo.
To the boys he is a badger, an animal. But one capable of speech, capable of far more than they suspect. To Tom and Jack he is a mentor, a guide, but as their journey unfolds, they will discover that he holds the key to many mysteries and keeps hidden from them many secrets.
The White Wolf.
A beast, a cruel adversary. But one with a purpose. One who delights in the darkness. One who enjoys the deadliest of games where life and death are but the smallest of wagers.
Dredger.
A warrior from the past, held in limbo for so long his mind may well have become unhinged. A man who holds duty above all things, but who carries a darkness within his soul that may be not only his own undoing, but also bring down those who he has sworn to protect.
Lisa.
The girl of Tom’s dreams. Or his nightmares. Enigmatic, innocent and yet sensual. A mystery.
Ira.
An old man who has travelled further than can be possibly imagined. A man who must send his only son on a quest that may very well lead to death, or perhaps things far worse than death.
Geheimnis.
A man who wears a mask. An enemy or an ally? A dangerous man, if indeed a man he is.

A disparate band brought together to find a solution to a question asked at the dawn of time. To find a reason for both the darkness and the light. To find hope. But also to pay the price.
 
Re: Fantasy book covers and synopsis

For anyone interested there are a number of mini reviews of The Magic Lands on Amazon.co.uk It would be great to hear from some readers and I'm always happy to answers questions if anyone has one!
 
Re: Fantasy book covers and synopsis

If I weren't busy pretending to work, I'd take a look. And knowing me, I would probably read whatever you've written. Regrettably, I'm poor so it's the library for me, but I hope you get lots of sales.

Ha, the site is blocked here, anyway, as a personal page.

However, to asnwer your question, the synopsis/jacket/back of the book are very important. Reading that stuff is how I decide if I want to read the book, unless it's a continuation of a series I'm already in.

For instance, if I read this:

MJH6;122143 said:
For anyone who may be interested here is a character breakdown from The Magic Lands. As always feedback would be much appreciated.

Tom Lewis.
Jack Barton.
Two boys about to embark on a journey that will take them toward adulthood, a change embracing both enlightenment and loss. Two boys who will discover a place apart from the world we know, a realm where dreams and reality seem to interweave and deception is at the heart of everything.
Mo.
To the boys he is a badger, an animal. But one capable of speech, capable of far more than they suspect. To Tom and Jack he is a mentor, a guide, but as their journey unfolds, they will discover that he holds the key to many mysteries and keeps hidden from them many secrets.
The White Wolf.
A beast, a cruel adversary. But one with a purpose. One who delights in the darkness. One who enjoys the deadliest of games where life and death are but the smallest of wagers.
Dredger.
A warrior from the past, held in limbo for so long his mind may well have become unhinged. A man who holds duty above all things, but who carries a darkness within his soul that may be not only his own undoing, but also bring down those who he has sworn to protect.
Lisa.
The girl of Tom’s dreams. Or his nightmares. Enigmatic, innocent and yet sensual. A mystery.
Ira.
An old man who has travelled further than can be possibly imagined. A man who must send his only son on a quest that may very well lead to death, or perhaps things far worse than death.
Geheimnis.
A man who wears a mask. An enemy or an ally? A dangerous man, if indeed a man he is.

A disparate band brought together to find a solution to a question asked at the dawn of time. To find a reason for both the darkness and the light. To find hope. But also to pay the price.
Click to expand...

I probably wouldn't read it, because that sounds so unutterably, overwhelmingly corny/pretentious. No offense. The way I phrased that is a bit obnoxious... but YOU'RE the one who used the word sensual. Few words are more calculated to make me want to hit someone. It's just so... corny. It rasps on my nerves, always has, and for no apparent reason.

Eh, what the hell, I looked it up on Amazon... it sounds a bit interesting, though fairly generic J or YA fantasy. Not that that's a bad thing. A large percentage of what I read is juvenile or young adult fantasy of a fairly generic blend.

And I can't really judge from a paragraph. Some of the ones that sound like that turn out to suck, some are shockingly good, some are just readable. The basic frame of that type of fantasy might be a bit tighter than some, but it can still get pretty good.
 
Re: Fantasy book covers and synopsis

As a small thank you for all of the support I've had here, I thought I would post an excerpt from a work in progress, which hopefully will end up being my next book. This is only a rough version, so jump all over me, but constructive criticism is always a good thing. It's called THE SHADOW OF THE ROSE and it's another fantasy novel in a similar vein to THE MAGIC LANDS. Of course for some this may be a punishment rather than a treat! :)


"It's all right," he replied with an awkward smile, "but why did you come, I mean, I'm glad you did, but what's happened? Has something gone wrong?"
Jo's grave look told him that something was indeed wrong and he moved closer to her, concerned at the distress he saw in her frightened eyes.
"There was nothing in The Headmaster's files, just blank pages," she blurted out quickly. "And Peter's hurt his leg, falling down the stairs when we were chased, or at least we think we were chased. Someone found us in the office anyway, The Headmaster I suppose and we ran, that's when Peter fell. Then we saw the note in Mr. Welles...I mean Mr. Pinchbeck's room and it said you were in danger, so I came to get you." She finished and looked at him with an odd expression that said ‘I hope that made sense’ and Martin nodded instinctively, understanding without having to be told. Jo gave him a grateful smile. "Anyway, I think we had better get out of here," she added, Mr. Welles' warning foremost in her mind.
"All right," Martin agreed, "but hold on a minute, just let me get something." Saying this, he quickly walked a few feet to his left and plucked one of the yellow flowers he had been admiring earlier and then nervously turned back to face Jo. "I thought you might like this," he said very softly, barely able to maintain eye contact.
Jo blushed but smiled with quiet pleasure. "Thank you," she murmured, wishing she could think of more to say, but she suddenly found herself tongue-tied.
As the boy stepped forward to hand her the rose, there was a clattering noise from their right and Martin stopped in his tracks, eyeing Jo with alarm. Whoever it might be, he realised immediately that they mustn't discover her here with him, as that would certainly be seen as a serious violation of the all important rules of this wretched institution. "You have to hide," he hissed urgently and glancing about in desperation his eye fell upon a large crate. "Quickly, get inside," he whispered to her, pointing at the wooden box and without really thinking Jo followed his instructions, clambering clumsily in and squatting down.
Grabbing hold of another crate, Martin stacked it on top leaving Jo in darkness with only the smallest of slits to let in what little light there was and she pushed her eye up against this gap so that she might be able to see what was going on outside.
As she watched from her uncomfortable, cramped position, a terrible scene began to play itself out before her, like some grotesque peepshow.
"So here you are, Martin, my little friend," said a voice, but Jo could only see the boy's reaction and not the speaker, but this was enough to tell her that whoever was there with him, Martin was very much afraid. "Well, aren't you going to say hello?" another voice asked good humouredly, but Jo recognised the note of sarcasm in it and she squirmed to see who was out there. Two hulking figures ambled into view to stand before the boy and Jo had to bite her lip not to let out a cry.
"I think he's nervous," Joshua Snipe said with a slow shake of his head, the grin he wore making him look very much like a Halloween pumpkin.
"Maybe he's got reason to be," returned Joseph, rubbing his hands together unpleasantly.
Martin had remained silent until now, his mind racing, trying to come up with some plausible lie about why he was there that would enable him to escape unscathed, but before he could say anything Joseph pointed at him, a wide, malicious smile commandeering his features.
"What's the flower for, nature boy?" he chuckled, "is it a peace offering!?" The two men chortled with amused laughter for a few moments and Martin decided that the only thing he could do was stick to the story Mr. Pinchbeck had originally intended for The Headmaster.
"There's something wrong with the temperature in here," he mumbled, doing his level best to sound self-assured, "Mr. Pinchbeck told me to wait here while he went to get The Headmaster."
Joseph chuckled, the sound without humour and Martin felt a chill creep up his spine. "The Headmaster!? Is that a fact?"
Martin knew he had to choose his words very carefully and hesitated before speaking again. "Everything in here will die if it isn't fixed," he said with as much confidence as he could muster. "You must have noticed how cold it is?"
Joshua was nodding at him solemnly. "Not everything," he stated, his small eyes like black marbles, and when Martin gazed into them all he could see was an utter void, as if the man had no emotions whatsoever, just an unquenchable compulsion to inflict pain and sorrow.
Martin swallowed hard and shuffled his feet uneasily. "What do you mean?"
Joseph just laughed at this, the sound echoing eerily through the greenhouse and Martin knew that his only chance of survival was to run. But before he could act upon this realisation, the Snipes moved closer to him, effectively fencing him in with no way out, as if sensing what he had in mind.
"Only you," Joshua told him with a wink, "you're the only one who's going to die."
Now Martin did try to run, regardless of the fact that he knew it was useless, his instinct for survival overriding all logical thought, but Joseph caught him roughly by his jumper and hauled him to the floor, Martin's head striking the hard ground with a horrible dull sound, the rose crushed and cast aside to lay beside his cheek.
"Chances are you're going to have a nasty headache," Joshua told him off-handedly.
"Right then, master Martin," Joseph began in a businesslike tone, "let's get down to brass tacks. We need some information and you are going to give it to us. I must warn you that we are already rather upset with you, as you have been uncommonly difficult to locate, and we do have a schedule to keep to. But now that we have you, we expect you to do the right thing and tell us what we need to know." He stared down at the boy who lay curled up at his feet, too afraid to move, Martin only distantly aware of the sensation of something thick and viscous trickling through his hair and onto his neck .
"So," continued Joshua, taking up where his brother had left off, "this is how it is. We need to know where those three newcomers are, I'm sure you know who I mean. A boy and two girls. If you help us, maybe we won't have to hurt you quite so much. If not, well, I know you understand quite well what will happen then."
Martin looked up into the faces of his persecutors, but found that instead of men, all he could see were alien creatures, their eyes wide with desire and he understood that everything was lost.
Although he tried very hard not to, he could not help but glance toward the wooden crate where Jo was hiding, wanting so much just to catch a glimpse of her one last time, but she was too well concealed and a part of him that was able to set aside the desperation and despair that gripped him with such hideous strength, took comfort from that.
"Well, boy," prompted Joseph, giving him a kick in the ribs that sent all thoughts of anything but pain fleeing from his mind. "Where are they?"
Gritting his teeth so hard that it would have hurt if it were not for the all-consuming pain in his side, Martin hissed at them. "I don't know. I haven't seen them."
Joshua stepped forward and placed a heavy boot onto the boy's outstretched hand as he reached for the battered rose, hoping to take courage from this symbol of his affection for Jo, and Martin screamed from the agony that shot up his arm as his fingers were crushed with deliberate, slow care.
The man bent down until his face was very close to the boy's and gave a merciless grin. "We know you were with those two girls. You were seen! So come on now, do yourself a favour and tell us where they are. What are they to you anyway?"
Martin's mind was beset by flashing lights, reds and yellows blinking in and out and he did his best to think of any way he might be able to escape, but however hard he tried, his brain steadfastly refused to function properly, as if it too were injured, his hand now almost numb.
"You don't have many more chances," Joseph told him with an air of impatience.
"Just tell us where they're hiding and you can go," Joshua added, affecting a congenial tone of voice. "After all, it's not you that we want, it's them. It really doesn't have to be like this, you know."
Martin closed his eyes, the anguish that he felt almost unbearable and for a moment, fleeting but nonetheless real, he asked himself why he should stay silent, but then somehow finding its way even through the weight of fear and pain, Jo's face appeared in his mind and he saw her smiling at him as he offered her the rose.
Oh Jo, why did this have to happen? Why?
"Go to hell," he whispered, tasting his own tears upon his lips.
With brutal force, Joseph brought his boot down onto Martin's arm, snapping it like a twig, the shriek it provoked reverberating from the canopy of glass above them. "You had your chance," the man grunted and knelt down, putting his full weight onto the boy's chest, several ribs collapsing almost immediately, one puncturing a lung.
Sobbing and struggling for breath, Martin attempted to wriggle free but it was useless, the man's bulk crushing him like an over-ripe piece of fruit, and as consciousness began to drift away from him all he could think of was how this must appear to Jo, who he knew was so close and yet seemed so distant from him, as if she were no more than a dream he had once believed was real.
 
Re: Fantasy book covers and synopsis

[shrugs] Not my taste, but decent enough.
 
Re: Fantasy book covers and synopsis

The first thing I notice is the cover. So I believe it's very important.
Congrats, on your book being published. That's so cool.:)
Thanks for the read, sounds very interesting. Could be my next book.
 
Re: Fantasy book covers and synopsis

I thought this review that was just posted on Amazon UK might be of interest. I'm really pleased with it because the reader absolutely 'got' what the novel is meant to be about.



'If ever you've strayed in a dodgy part of town you'll have felt what this novel at times conveys; a sense of anxious dread and paranoid suspicion. Evil doesn't play by the rules or rather it does but the rules are hidden. You're left constantly wondering what lurks beyond the next page and 'The Magic Lands' doesn't disappoint with twsts and turns aplenty.

Surreal, beguiling, entrancing, deflating, uplifting and even at times demanding the book reminds you of life itself and I guess that's the point. I'd recommend this for the older teenager and above or a bright younger teenager as the concepts, whilst wrapped in a context akin to a child's story, are altogether adult and belong to a world we know in real life to be decidely grey and occasionally bleak.

However there is hope - but again, as in real life, at a cost - and the reader is ultimately rewarded for the journey they take with the two boys and their companions. I'll leave you to discover what that is for yourself but if you like your novels to reach out, grab your brain and go 10 rounds instead of lying passive like the pulp they often are then I highly recommend this book to you.

'The road is cruel and dark, my friend.' '
 
Writer asking for some help

Just thought that I would post this in the spirit of balance, but I’ve just had my first really negative review on Amazon USA! After three five star reviews I got a one (count them!!) star review from someone who thought the book was not good at all. Oh well, you can’t win ‘em all :)
 
Re: Fantasy book covers and synopsis

ha atleast the person didnt give you 0 stars or no review :P that means he atleast caired a little about your book to tell you what he thought of it :P and a 2:1 ratio of 2 5 stars and 1 one star is still pretty good for a first book

i bet your making BANK :P you sould save up buy Lionhead and then give everyone a copy early :O maybe PM will read your book :O and put something from it into fable 3 ;) you sould try sending a copy to lionhead or something just a thought :)


and to answer your question i have read the back of a couple of books and ben like alright its eather this book or this book and then i look at the cover and choose from that so yes the cover is fairly important plus if i see a very nice cover i will wont to pick it up and just read the backs even if i dont buy it i still would get a taste of it and maybe come back and get it later
 
Re: Fantasy book covers and synopsis

I thought I would let everyone know that my old AOL page with excerpts from The Magic Lands is closing. I have now created a new site that has the first two chapters from my book available to read. You can find it here: http://www.freewebs.com/markhockley/
Please do check it out if you get a chance. Comments are always welcome!
 
Re: Fantasy book covers and synopsis

I've updated my webpage and it now includes the first two chapters from what will hopefully be my next book. It's another fantasy adventure called The Shadow of the Rose. Let me know what you think!

http://www.freewebs.com/markhockley/
 
Re: Fantasy book covers and synopsis

Pretty good. Ummm... It`s hard to tell. If I knew what`s going to happen next (or what the overall plot is), I could give a better review.
The first part gave a clear picture of what the book is about, but then, in the second part, that picture was turned upside down. So for me, it seems quite unpredictable.

What little disturbed me was the shopkeeper - he seemed a little too suspicious.

Oh, and I believe you had a little mistake towards the end, "an" instead of "a".

Mr. Welles looked over at the girl and grinned. "Straight to the heart of the matter," he chuckled. "You have an sharp mind.
 
Re: Fantasy book covers and synopsis

Thanks for reading it! And well spotted about the mistake. Luckily it's only a work in progress so I can change it. Maybe you should be my editor!! :) You're right about the story. It is unpredictable. Did you get a chance to read the chapters from The Magic Lands? That's the one that's actually available and that story also has a lot of twists and turns!
 
Re: Fantasy book covers and synopsis

Haven`t read The Magic Lands yet, but I will.

Twists and turns are always good. Shadow of The Rose seemed a little clichè in the beginning, but it soon changed... would like to read it more. As you said about The Magic Lands that it`s not for children, because it`s quite dark. Nice.

How didi you start writing? With short stories? I`d like to write myself but I don`rt know where to start.
 
Re: Fantasy book covers and synopsis

Yes, short stories are a good way to go. That's what I did. Just write stuff that interests you. The more you write the better you'll get. Hope you do get a chance to read The Magic Lands. Let me know if you do :)
 
Re: Fantasy book covers and synopsis

Hope you don't mind me sharing this new review from Amazon :)

'This book is the story of two fourteen year old boys who find themselves transported into a realm of magic and nightmare.
Reminiscent of the Chronicles of Narnia, the story quickly turns into a dark tale of nightmare, lust and cruelty as the two boys find themselves locked in a contest against the ultimate evil, with the stakes being not only their lives, but their souls as well.
Joining Tom Lewis and Jack Barton as they journey through the contantly changing dreamscape of The Magic Lands is like sitting down with Alice In Wonderland and Rob Zombie to drop some acid.
Loaded with iconic imagery, The Magic Lands is a tour de force into a surreal realm dominated by evil and insidious temptation.'
 
Re: Fantasy book covers and synopsis

There are quite a number of new reviews on Amazon USA and UK now. I'm happy to say that they are generally very positive, although I did recently hear from someone in Denmark who didn't like the book at all! Actually I feel really bad when that happens as I obviously want anyone who takes the time to read the book to enjoy it. But I have come to realise that The Magic Lands is a novel that has a certain kind of appeal. Because it's surreal, quite dark at times and has a strong spiritual dimension (it's been called eveything from Christian to Pagan so far!!) this could put some people off, particularly as it starts out seemingly as a children's fantasy adventure story. Hope to hear what a few of the people on this forum think of the book soon!
 
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