Cover Reveals

Cover Reveal for Halfsoul

Cover Reveals6 hours ago3 min readAdd comment

Today we’re excited to host a cover reveal for Halfsoul by Susanne Schmidt, the first book in the new The Heart of the Desert series which is launching a crowdfund campaign on Backerkit this October as part of The Book Bazaar 2026!

This is a new dark epic fantasy featuring vampires, witches, and strong heroines making a place for themselves in a hostile world for fans of Naomi Novik, T. Kingfisher, Lois McMaster Bujold, and other slow-burn dark fantasy stories.

Intrigued? Let’s learn more:

The island of Ulong-Dan lies shrouded in mysterious mist. Here, an ancient witch queen rules the nine clans. But with a famine raging in the north, war may be immanent. Amidst the first rumors of an invasion, another unwelcome visitor arrives: Afya, an infamous thirsting known as the Shadow of Verdanis on her home continent.

An-Yin, a clan leader’s son rides out to chase down a thief who has been scaring their villagers. He finds assassins, murky prophecies, and thirsting with its soul bound to a cursed amulet. An-Yin has been taught to fear the thirsting, to kill them on sight. He never expected Afya would save his life.

Bound together by the cursed amulet and a blood debt, An-Yin and Afya must team up against the assassins, and against the scorn of An-Yin’s people.
Facing war, rival clans, vengeful deities, and a helpful dose of family drama, their path will be fraught with peril. Divided, they will fall. Together, An-Yin and Afya may just stand a chance, both at survival and leading the lives they want.

Are you ready for the cover reveal?

Here…

We…

Go:

This cover was designed by the author and drawn in Clip Studio Paint. Check out her art portfolio.

Halfsoul by Susanne Schmidt is a new vampire dark epic fantasy releasing on 15 December 2026, and is also taking part in The Book Bazaar 2026, a collaborative effort by several indie authors to get their projects funded on Backerkit launching this October. Follow the campaign now to receive a free dystopian science-fantasy eBook, Gray Geese!

About the Author

Susanne Schmidt grew up in Germany, but has also lived in New Zealand, Spain, and the US. She earned a B.A. in Journalism from Saint Louis University. Her short story “Gray Geese” appeared in Toad Shade Zine. Her book Bad Grains was named a finalist in the 2024 BBNYAs and 2023 SFINCS competitions and shortlisted in the 2025 I Am Writing Middle-Grade Competition.