After a long and perilous quest, I’d love to announce that I’ve found an artist to carry the torch for the wonderful and talented Papaya Style, who did so many lovely and evocative illustrations for the world of Arvia.
But the truth of the matter is that I’ve found two.
So… let’s start with the cover illustration for the next book in Tales of Arvia, Arvia: Fangs of the Frost. The artist is Betty Elgyn.
I was super happy with both the composition (how do you get a dragon-sized harpy, a human, and a big ol’ sailing ship into the picture), as well as the ethereal, fantastical feeling of the landscape. The scene just feels magical. And cold!
The latest novel in Tales of Arvia features an epic sea voyage to the mythic (and rather frigid) elven port of Drach-Fyerngeldia. Yes, I know, those elves and their cumbersome naming conventions. Darin, Rinloh, and a rag-tag crew must overcome creepy creatures, mysterious magical phenomena, and the whims of the Empress of the Ice.
Too easy, you say?
Ahh, but they do it aboard a haunted sailing ship.
Arvia: Fangs of the Frost, 570 pages in print, will set sail on October 14, 2025. Prepare for adventures on air, sea, and land. And a charmingly cozy romance (mostly on land).
Stay tuned for free chapters right here on my website in the weeks prior to publication.
You can find more fantasy artwork on Betty Elgyn’s Instagram page.
But didn’t I say something about two artists?
How perceptive of you to have remembered that. Like Tales of Arvia 3 and 4, paper copies of this book also have interior illustrations. And I’m thrilled to have found the very talented Si’yann to have drawn them. But more on that in the next post.
