BitBoR: Guest Blog - A Word from the Artist



Waves...


Hello! I am Charlotte Mallory, cover designer for Bathed in the Blood of Ravens (I can’t believe I can say that). I was also a beta reader and am extremely excited to read book 2!

I met R.L. Parker through a writing Discord group hosted by T.L. Bodine, when he reached out for cover art. He asked me to do a pen and ink drawing, and I admit this was the first full pen and ink drawing I had ever done. My mediums are usually graphite, oil paints, and digital art… but holy cow did I fall in love with ink art.

Not only did I get to expand my skills as an artist, but I am so thrilled that he loves the cover so much! I am a writer myself, so I know how personal a cover can be.

Okay, so enough about me…

As a reader stumbling upon new authors, I am usually very hesitant because you never know how things will go. The book can always start out great, but how does it end? Does it derail at all? Does a political message get shoved in that is so on-the-nose it’s annoying? Does the author even have it planned out, or are they purely pantsing it? Not that pantsing as a writing strategy is wrong, but sometimes you can just tell, you know? (Pantsing is the opposite of being a plotter – you just make it up as you go and publish books before planning out the rest of the series)

Fortunately, I didn’t have any of those worries with Blood of Ravens. Now, of course, this seems very promotional—and in a way it is—but I honestly do recommend the book.

Let’s just say that it was such a relief to realize the book I made cover art for was actually a super fun read. It delivered everything well, got me excited for the second book, followed through with character development, was clear that everything had been set up for a reason, and also has some really fun world building!

I’m usually not overly excited for dwarves, but oh my gosh do I want to know more about the dwarves in this universe—and that’s not even what book 1 was about. It’s the best feeling when even the small details get you excited. It also has realistic relationships, and they all feel very essential to the plot of the story.

He also writes strong female characters without that being in your face; there are female warriors, wives, and deadly assassins. Each one of them felt like a fully fleshed out character integral to the story, while also exploring many different perspectives in the world of Ayrelon.

I really enjoyed the way everything seemed to have a rhyme or reason, and that is probably the primary caveat to my recommendation. It does not derail or have random tangents, and is a really easy read. His approach makes it effortless to enjoy a fantasy world without feeling like I need to get out multiple journals to keep information together.

Whenever I ask him questions about the book, he always either has an answer, or reminds me that everything is foreshadowed to some point or another (Despite me still trying to figure out the plot, dangit!! The mystery is well hidden). For me, that’s the best-selling feature, as it means you get to enjoy the story for what it is.

Laurence is also a great protagonist and has a huge up-hill battle to climb. Blood of Ravens has the familiar story of a protagonist having to face an enemy, but it’s immersive enough that the experience feels new. Laurence also has sweet armor, and I love details like that. Overall, it’s worth picking up and giving a try.

As the cover designer, nothing is better than enjoying the book you’re making art for!

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