Hidden Queen Cover Reveal!
It’s finally here!! The long-awaited cover to The Hidden Queen has arrived, and it is fantastic. Darin Bales is the moody nocturnal heartbreaker you never knew you needed in your life.
It was always the plan for The Desert Prince, book 1 of the Nightfall Saga, to feature Olive Paper as both main character and cover star, and for book 2 to feature Darin Bales in the same way. You may remember the Olive cover was done by the indomitable Tommy Arnold, featuring Olive in fighting fit out on the scorched and sunlit Krasian Desert.
Due to a scheduling conflict, Tommy was not available for book two, but we were immensely fortunate to have the amazing Martina Facová not only take his place at bat, but hit it out of the fucking park.
(Did I get that right? Sportball metaphors are not usually my thing.)
Anyway, I sent Martina a detailed description of Darin, along with a pinterest mood board I made for him, and some commissioned artwork by longtime Demon Cycle illustrator Dominik Broniek:
The results were nothing short of brilliant. I love Darin’s emo vampire farmboy vibe, with his precious pipes and the dreaded demon doorway frame, mirroring the detailed Krasian-style doorway framing Olive in book 1. Darkness is falling, and Darin’s night eyes are coming to life, along with the shadowy powers he inherited from his demon-eating parents.
Darin was already a favorite for many readers in The Desert Prince, but more than a few of you lamented that he was more supporting cast than protagonist. In The Hidden Queen, Darin truly has his chance to shine.
Darin Bales may have inherited some of his parents’ magic, but it has come at a cost neither of them had to pay. Darin’s senses are too powerful, feeding far more information than he can hope to filter and interpret. As with many sensory diverse people in real life, Darin’s gifts can often seem like a curse—an insurmountable barrier to having a normal life (if there even is such a thing).
Darin struggles to connect with people. To understand their jokes and facial expressions, to comprehend their feelings even when he can smell their emotions.
Darin doesn’t like to fight. He can’t stand crowds. Or bright sunlight. He hates loud noises, strong smells, food with too many ingredients. He doesn’t like to be touched. When Darin’s senses get overwhelmed, there isn’t much he can do but hide and curl up, waiting for the offending input to pass.
But the demons have his mam, and Darin Bales will be corespawned before he leaves her to them.
The Hidden Queen will be available March 5, 2024, wherever awesome books are sold. If you love me, feel free to tap this link and pre-order it now: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/592628/the-hidden-queen-by-peter-v-brett/