Epic book cover needed for YA Fantasy!

Personal, Jeff Kish

The book is a young adult fantasy adventure novel.

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Overview
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The design is for a book cover for a young adult fantasy adventure novel. It should be a full cover for a real book - front, back, and spine - and the cover will be used for an eBook cover.
Title: Diamond Bonds; Author: Jeff Kish
Other text to appear on the front: The Runics Series
Please include text on the spine with title and author: Book #1

Desired output formats are .psd and .png

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Cover Ideas
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I see two main options for the cover, but artist has freedom to think of other ideas. Regardless of the option chosen, there is a recurring symbol in the book that should be included somewhere - the back cover is an option. Artist may take liberties with the symbol as long as the integrity of the image stays intact. (The symbol is attached)

Option 1
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The two main characters together:
Era: Caucasian, 17-year-old male, brown hair, brown eyes, attractive enough that all the girls like him but he is described as looking weak, more loved for being likable and endearing. He is an elemental earth-shaper and makes weapons, mostly swords, from dirt by touching and moving the element with his mind. ***EDIT: Era is left-handed. Also the sword he shapes from dirt is made of dirt/looks like dirt.*** Think medieval times for clothing inspiration; he is a petty thief and a traveler.

Di: Caucasian, young, innocent female, age 14, long blonde hair, striking yellow/golden eyes (not glowing), she is a student at an elemental academy/wears a school uniform. From the book: "Her button-down blouse and knee-length skirt remind him of a school outfit, and her long blond hair is the purest color he’s ever seen." Era rescues her at the beginning of the book and the basic plotline is him trying to get her home.

Option 2
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Di undergoes a dramatic change in the book, transforming into a battle-hardened warrior. ***EDIT: I said battle-hardened but it is more accurate to say "reluctant warrior" or "very capable but against her will"*** Showcasing her alone on the cover might be a good option. **To avoid spoilers, please don't show her yellow eyes in this form**

Diamond: Caucasian girl, still age 14, she is wielding a sword on each wrist that she has shaped from the air around her - they are barely visible (think glass). She is fierce but vulnerable. Diamond's weapons are described in the book here: "The small girl swings her arm to the side, extending a shimmering blade of air off her arm. The blade cuts through her uniform at her wrist, extending about eighteen inches beyond her fingers. It takes the form of a long and thin triangle, and there’s no handle for her to hold. Instead, the air forms a seal around her wrists and hand, giving her control over the blade without the need to grip it." Diamond has a symbol on the back of her hand that glows - the same symbol referenced above and attached as an image.

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World Information (for the Artists' Information)
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Most of the book is an adventure through forest terrain, limited hill country and cliffs with the book ending in a sea port town. There are military, assassins, bounty hunters, pirates, and mercenaries. They ride in trains, in carriages, in sky boats, and on horses. They fight with swords and elemental manipulation. The main adversary in the book fights them with fire.

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Back Cover Text
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Era cares only of surpassing his father's infamy as a master thief - until he stumbles onto a kidnapped girl and promises to return her home. However, Era soon finds himself fighting off assassins and elemental mercenaries with his untrained earth shaping skills, and the temptation to simply collect the bounty on the girl sparks an inner conflict between his growing loyalty and the future he has always wanted.

Just who is this girl, and why are so many desperate to claim her? The only way to find out is to get her home safely, a prospect that seems to shrink with each step they take.

Dimensions for the book (assuming 6x9 printing format):
Total dimensions: 3943 pixels X 2775 pixels
Spine width: 268 pixels
Spine begins 1838 pixels from the left