I usually spend weeks agonizing over cover ideas. Weeks toying with design concepts I end up hating, experimenting with color palettes, and telling myself “maybe this version will not make me want to yeet my computer into the sun.”
This time something different happened.
I had one idea, I went for it, and the entire cover for Koltja’s Shadow, Book Two of The Aeldstorm Saga, came together in roughly three days of work. Not three consecutive days, since I am not a machine, but still the fastest cover I have ever created.
And honestly, I am kind of obsessed with the result.
Designing Koltja’s Shadow
Book Two goes deeper into the mythos, the manipulation, and the growing sense of dread. I wanted the cover to match that shift. Darker, moodier, more ominous, and still faithful to the graphic style I established with Fractured Rune.
Here are a few of the choices that made this design click:
The Broken Stained Glass
This not only represents a literally broken stained glass window across books one and two, it also symbolizes the themes of the series. The world is cracking open, secrets are breaking through, and the characters are learning that the world they grew up in is not what they believed.
Koltja’s Presence
I wanted her to loom in a way that feels unsettling. Not a cartoon villain. More like an ancient cosmic force that sees too much and never blinks.
Silfra
Stronger, more confident, and absolutely finished with everyone’s nonsense. The blue flame curling along her arm and weapon shows her growth without making her look like she rage-clicked a skill tree.
If You Have Not Ordered the Series Yet
Now would be a great time.
Book One, Fractured Rune, is available for preorder and releases on January 20, 2026. You can order it below.
It is a trans-led epic fantasy full of magic, monsters, trauma, rage, found family, queer joy, and one extremely chaotic fox cryptid. Book Two pushes everything even further.
Thank you for following along on this journey. I cannot wait to share more from Koltja’s Shadow.
