The IX - A Cover Story

With the advent of a new IX adventure and imminent cover reveal, I thought it would be a good idea to skip back over the previous novels, and refresh our memories regarding the hint each cover gives the reader about what’s to come.

Fans of the IX series will remember I’ve done this before, but it’s always good to be reminded of all the thought put into the artwork and design of each cover.

(And all praise to Roy Mauritsen for his wonderful representation of my ideas).

Okay, so let’s begin with the story that started it all off: The IX

 

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Roman legionnaires, far from home, lost in the mists of Caledonia.

A  US cavalry company, engaged on a special mission, vital to the peace treaty proposed by Presidential candidate Abraham Lincoln.

A twenty-first century Special Forces unit, desperate to prevent a nuclear catastrophe.

From vastly different backgrounds, these soldiers are united when they are snatched away from Earth at the moment of their passing. Thinking they may have been granted a reprieve, imagine their horror when they discover they have been transported to a failing planet on the far side of the galaxy, where they are given a simple ultimatum. Fight or die. Against all odds, this group of misfits manages to turn the tide against a relentless foe, only to discover the true cost of victory might exact a price they are unwilling to pay.

How far would you be willing to go to stay alive?

The IX.

Sometimes, death is only the beginning of the adventure.

 

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So, bearing the blurb in mind, now take a look at the cover.

 

The Roman Numerals and the letters SPQR tell you the inspiration behind the story. The legendary lost 9^th Legion of Rome, an entity comprised of more than five thousand men who walked into the mists of Caledonia circa AD 100 A.D. and were never seen again.

But there’s much more to this adventure than the lost ninth legion. As the story evolves, other facets begin to stand out. . .

For example, the quantum gateway that snatches our heroes from Earth also shifts them through time. Do you note the elements relating to the passage of the centuries by the weathering on the stonework of the IX itself? It’s crumbling, and the silvered edging is tarnished to black in places. But how long has passed? Ah, will we ever know?

The quantum gateway I mentioned. Do you see it in operation? The blue-white prisms symbolized in beams of light that split the lens of reality as the mortality cipher locks onto its next victims. The lilac hue as the transporter begins its arcane process, shifting vast armies through light-years of space.

And have you ever wondered on the strange patterns within the thickest shaft of light? Well, that’s a representation of human and Ardenese DNA, the key to the future as the re-genesis template goes to work, creating a metamorphosis of wondrous scope.

But much more is revealed as the story unfolds, for our heroes are the ninth and final intake to be selected, Arden’s last hope in her hour of need. What’s more, some of our protagonists are dream walkers; spirit counselors who help guide our refuges through the trials and tribulations before them. Of note is the fact that our antagonists, the Horde, have their own equivalent of such shamans, Ix walkers.

Yes, connections abound, and are all blended perfectly together in a cover that is as rich in meaning as it is in color.

 

And this is only the first story we come to.

 

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Next time out, we’ll delve into Exordium of Tears and see how our story progresses via its cover.

 

(And once again, ‘thank you’ to Roy Mauritsen for his fantastic artwork).