What can be better than just dinosaurs? Knights on dinosaurs! We have a long, proud history of dinsoaur-love on Tor.com. Remember that time we collected nearly a hundered dinosaur paintings into one post? So imagine our delight when Tor Books editor Claire Eddy said she was editing the start of a new book series that basically puts 15th century knights on the backs of dinosaurs.
I have to admit, artist Richard Anderson was the first name that popped into my head when it came time to illustrate the cover.
Creating a book cover with knights riding dinosaurs (or in this case knight riding dinosaur) is not as easy as it sounds. There was a real possibility that the art could fall staight into kitsch, but Anderson’s eneregtic brushwork and the force of movement in his pieces gave the cover all the “badass” we needed.
Check it out:
What kind of world necessitates knights riding dinosaurs? This kind:
A world made by the Eight Creators on which to play out their games of passion and power, Paradise is a sprawling, diverse, often brutal place. Men and women live on Paradise as do dogs, cats, ferrets, goats, and horses. But dinosaurs predominate: wildlife, monsters, beasts of burden – and of war. Colossal planteaters like Brachiosaurus; terrifying meateaters like Allosaurus and the most feared of all, Tyrannosaurus rex. Giant lizards swim warm seas. Birds (some with teeth) share the sky with flying reptiles that range in size from batsized insectivores to majestic and deadly Dragons.
Thus we are plunged into Victor Milán’s splendidly weird world of The Dinosaur Lords, a place that for all purposes mirrors 14th century Europe with its dynastic rivalries, religious wars, and byzantine politics…and the weapons of choice are dinosaurs. Where we have vast armies of dinosaur-mounted knights engaged in battle. And during the course of one of these epic battles, the enigmatic mercenary Dinosaur Lord Karyl Bogomirsky is defeated through betrayal and left for dead. He wakes, naked, wounded, partially amnesiac – and hunted. And embarks upon a journey that will shake his world.
How can we even. The Dinosaur Lords arrives July 2015.
Man, I loved Dino-Riders.
Well this looks interesting…….
Hm. I think I’ll ride a triceratops, thanks. Carnivorous mounts make me nervous, but hey, I guess you’d have to be pretty scared of any knight who could tool around on a velociraptor!
Oh my God.
This is amazing and I want to read it right now. … July 2015?! How can you tease us like this? :(
Hell yes.
That is a cool cover. The book sounds cooler yet.
I’ve read the book, and it is seriously cool.
You had me at Knights on Dinosaurs.. I don’t care what kind they are riding! This book looks awesome I will be checking it out next year.
@3 You’d crush the poor Velociraptor!
Weaponized Dinotopia! In a parallel universe where this book is already out I have already bought it and read it and loved it.
I’m trying to stick to only buying new e-books (600 novels taking up space will do that to a guy), but that is art that may have to be appreciated in hardcover.
“It’s like a cross between Jurassic Park and Game of Thrones” – GRRM
What a description. And what a pitch. Awaiting eagerly for both the book and the movie/TV adaptation that will inevitably happen.
Take my money…..
And thus yet another childhood fantasy of mine comes to life. With this and the Deadpool movie coming my life is becoming more and more complete lol. Will have to pre-order the hardcover when available.
@3 As Tarcanus said, yeah, a knight who would intentionally ride an animal the size of a small turkey would have enough issues that it’s best to stay away.
@9, how about Utahraptor?? :D
Dude. Serf-Punk. That is all.
Great artwork. Now the book itself must be at the same level of quality. Holdin’ my breath.
So into this.
Really looking forward to this. Will there be an ebook edition?
@19
There will be an ebook edition.
It’s Grimdark Dinotopia
But do I HAVE to wait for July?