I got a lot of feedback when I launched three days ago. A number of people thought the cover made the title look more YA than the story is. Though the story is seen mostly through a boys point of view, it is more Game of thrones than Harry Potter
Here are the cover and new description…
Bathgate’s richly imagined epic fantasy immerses the reader in a vibrant magical world whose peace has been shattered. The struggles of the people of the Ceniac Island are viewed through several deeply dimensioned characters. Massive battles play out interspersed with complex wizard duels. Victory comes from understanding what magic will allow and what it will punish.While the violence plays out there is a mystery secretly driving the war. There is a place called the Sickening where no creature lives, not even plants or insects, but within it the ancients have a buried something which will grant godlike power. Forces manipulating both sides are in conflict over the secrets of the Sickening. The magic of the Ceniac Island is alive, and is at war with itself. The long standing rules of magic are changing because the magic is making a decision, and it does not bode well for mankind.Icor is the mist that creates all magic throughout the world. Icor has a mind, a desire, and a plan.Although the main protagonist is a boy, this is no Harry Potter. He has not been chosen or marked. He must turn himself into a hero. He must find the strength, courage and wisdom to give mankind a chance. Along the way he will find friends: a warrior, a wizard, and even a princess. He will also gain weapons that use the magic of the ancients, and he will learn to harness icor and move it to his will, but he is late to the game and his enemy has had hundreds of years practicing magic.In places this is an adult dark fantasy, or a sexy swords and sorcery like Game of Thrones, but the innocence of the protagonist is heart warming and enriching. The goodness of some characters contrasts with the believable evil of their opponents. This is a struggle of good vs evil, and evil seems to hold all the cards.