The Temple of the Exploding Head

Whenever Carol Phillips finishes a new cover it’s like Christmas for me, eagerly huddled up next to my email waiting for that little electronic package to come skittering down the proverbial chimney.

And, here it is…

Book VI, “The Sands of the Solar Empire” marks the beginning of the LoE Second Series. You have the same universe, same setting, just a slew of whole new characters and fresh adventures. You’ll meet Lord Stenstrom, a Fleet Paymaster as he takes command of Captain Davage’s old ship, the Seeker. You’ll get to know Private Taara de la Anderson, a thief from Bazz and Lord A-Ram, a fellow from the Admiral’s office as they take on the unknown.

The cover for Book VI is the usual wrap-around format. The Second Series takes on a bit more of a Steampunky feel as we move away from Colonial Vithland and examine Victorian Esther and the Calvertlands and dives into the seldom-seen depths of the Bones Club where they openly mock the Sisterhood of Light.

It’s a much darker cover than the previous five, even more so than the Temple of the Exploding Head, which is pretty darn dark. It features a steam-driven geared spider with guns, a balloon/air ship and the constellation Camalopardus and the Sanctum Sanctorum of the Bones Club. The Sanctum comes from my recollections of a Masonic temple that I once wandered into, and here it is in full paint, fully steampunked and super-charged a little.

I can’t wait to finish collecting the interior artwork and get it out to the world.

Look for LoE Book VI: The Sands of the Solar Empire coming this August from Loconeal Publications

copyright 2012, Ren Garcia and Carol Phillips