Roz Maclaren

Teen Fiction with a Dark Twist

Character Art

Character art reveal: Hunter and Vesper

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If you’re in the Street Team, you’ll have seen this already (and if you’re not, why aren’t you?!)

I’m thrilled to unveil Kat’s beautiful piece, created to go along with my upcoming YA dark romantasy series, The Ruined Skye Trilogy.

Here you go:

In my head, the art is meant to evoke how my main characters wanted their first meeting to be. In reality, they argue, threaten each other and one of them nearly dies. But both know that, if they didn’t live in a world where talking to the wrong person could kill them, perhaps they might be friends…

So while this scene isn’t actually from the book, think of it as as a kind of bonus scene. I love how Vesper holds her knife, not quite trusting Hunter (or herself) and never fully relaxing.

Blurb

Here’s a reminder of the blurb:

She wants to destroy his world. He’s sent to destroy her.

Centuries after a radiation leak on the Isle of Skye wiped out thousands, the mutated survivors developed god-like powers. Led by power-hungry Queen Creyta, they’re determined to drive the few remaining humans to extinction.

Seventeen-year-old Vesper, one of the unmutated, is determined to go down fighting. Prince Hunter, the queen’s ridiculously handsome son, might just be the key to his mother’s undoing. But the closer Vesper gets to Hunter, the more she realises he’s just as trapped as she is. Now she’s torn between taking down Creyta and protecting the boy she’s grown dangerously close to.

One wrong move and she won’t just lose Hunter. She’ll lose everything.

Forgotten Skye is out this summer with Evernight Teen. I can’t wait to share my fiesty, damaged, dangerous, flawed, fearless characters with you.

Character art: Venom and Blaze

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This breathtaking work of art is Venom and Blaze, brought to life by Abeer Malik.

I’ve wanted to commission character art for these two for a while – and I’m so pleased with the way Abeer brought my vision to life.

Venom is a princess, who discovers when she’s seventeen that she can communicate with spiders. As she develops through the story, she goes on to wear a ‘dress’ of live spiders. It was Abeer’s idea to incorporate gossamer and cobwebs into the dress, which actually wasn’t something I’d considered – and it worked beautifully. I actually think it makes Venom look a little scarier, as if her dress is melting slightly.

Blaze is a prisoner, who has been raised in a dungeon for his first seventeen years. I love how Abeer captured that dark and brooding background.

Abeer also went to great pains to capture Venom’s crown, as depicted on the cover image.

CHECK OUT ABEER’S WORK

Here’s a lovely review I received yesterday about Venom and Blaze.

The book hooked me from the start with the world-building legends, and the good vs bad theme. I felt for those five kids growing up in a dungeon for seventeen years, and honestly, I couldn’t stop turning the pages to see what happened next. The royal intrigue was deliciously dramatic, and now I’m left with so many questions heading into the next book.

Reading Thoughts
📙 The legend at the start of the book explaining the world were brilliant to begin the story
📙 The concept of good and bad really has you thinking
📙 Seventeen years is as long time to grow up in a dungeon, really felt for those 5 kids
📙I couldn’t stop reading to know what happens next and next.
📙The royal intrigue and games were soo interesting
📙Ohh there is still a lot I need to know going into the next book.

Words that linger
🍷There exists a prophecy of a Good girl and a Mirror boy who pair. They destroy everything they touch, until, ultimately, they destroy themselves.
🍷Vaguely, Blaze is aware that his heart should be racing, there should be some kind of emotion in him. But there’s nothing. Not even excitement.
🍷“It doesn’t mean I’m not still furious with you. But yes. I love you.”
🍷“Let’s run away. Like you wanted. Let’s make our own destiny, Blaze.

Tropes
🕷️Animal companion
🕷️Good vs Evil
🕷️Royal Intrigue
🕷️Found Family
🕷️Princess/Commoner

If you’ve already read Venom and Blaze, does Abeer’s art match how you perceived the characters?

READ VENOM AND BLAZE

Psst. My Street Team were the first to see this character art revealed. Want to unlock exclusive access to the world of Mirrordom? Join us.

ENTER THE STREET TEAM

Character art: Fable and Legend

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Fable and Cobalt – two of the main characters in my novel, Fable and Legend – finally had their character art commissioned.

Created by the very talented Anna, I wanted a very simple drawing of Fable and Cobalt. They’re both two of my favourite characters from the series and it’s lovely to see them brought to life.

Read the book

“The beast is out of the cage. And she thirsts for vengeance.”

In the world of Mirrordom, secrets lurk like shadows. For every child that’s born is entirely Good, unable to kill, steal or lie. But immediately after it appears a Mirror twin, capable of only bad things.

Fable, a Mirror girl with a twisted past, dares the impossible—to find her Good twin. Along the way, she meets Cobalt, a mind-reader with secrets of his own. As alliances shift and betrayal beckons, can Fable protect Cobalt from someone who wants to kill him? Or will the darkness consume them both?

READ FABLE AND LEGEND

Character art: City and Shadow

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I am so excited to share some truly gorgeous character art, commissioned especially for City and Shadow!

Created by the incredibly talented Katarina (check out her Ko-Fi page!), City and Shadow are brought to life like never before. I love the way Katarina captured their different personalities through their posture – the way Shadow is more confident and defiant and the way City is quiet and less sure of herself.

Katarina captured every detail, from Shadow’s navy eyes to City’s bright blue eyes. This is very first character art I’ve commissioned for this book and it’s so amazing to see how Katarina interpreted the twins so well.

See it in person

I’ll be at YALC in November and this gorgeous art is sure to make an appearance somewhere. I haven’t decided where (definitely not bookmarks because I already have loads of those to giveaway!) – but do come and see me at the Inspiring Indies stall and appreciate Katarina’s gorgeous work for yourself.

How do you envisage City and Shadow? Does Katarina and my vision match with yours? Read the book for yourself and let me know!

READ CITY AND SHADOW