Today I am exceptionally excited to be revealing the cover for Sweet Briar by Rowena Andrews, an upcoming sapphic regency fantasy featuring witches, plant magic, and plenty of courtly gossip! You see, there are many reasons why I’m excited for this book. Firstly, this is Rowena’s debut novel, but it’s not the first story I’ve read by Rowena – for a sample of her writing, do check out Elior, a short story about a sentient sword you can download from her website for free. That story really blew me away with Rowena’s writing talent. I’ve also been following Rowena’s progress on this book and the amount of dedicated research about plants that she’ll be putting into the plant magic. I just KNOW that this novel is going to be something special.
Secondly, Rowena is a true force for good within the indie community. She reviews and supports many indie authors on her book blog, and recieving a review from Rowena is a special event indeed. Their reviews are always full of thoughtful analysis and pure joy for the pleasure of reading.
But you want to know more about this wonderful book! Here’s the blurb:
In Eosros, a Lady Witch must honour the Goddess, preserve the balance, and marry well. And not necessarily in that order.
Roseanne is the last member of the Yarrow family. She is also a Sweet Briar, a Lady Witch cursed by a love lost and her parents’ illicit attempts to cure her. Now flowers bloom on her skin, her magic is corrupted, and her heart is locked away. Yet all society cares about is seeing her wed or stealing her position in the High Coven.
Meriel is a Thorn. An illegitimate daughter to one of the great houses. She is also one of the most talented witches that Eosros has seen in a generation, a dangerous position for someone of her standing, and she has her mother to protect.
In the gardens of the Yarrow estate their paths collide, as one seeks sanctuary and the other tries to escape the demands of her position. Caught between the schemes of a court that wants to keep them apart and interfering allies, they must find a common path if they are to find salvation together or risk losing more than their freedom to the demands of society.
But briars have thorns of their own, and love is far more complicated than nurturing a garden.
Sounds intriguing, doesn’t it? Now, are you ready for this incredible cover?
Because I sure wasn’t!
Here it is:
Isn’t this cover just absolutely gorgeous!! I cannot get over just how beautifully detailed it is, from the characters to the plants in the background. It really is one of the prettiest covers that I’ve ever seen.
The illustration was created by the talented Ashe Arends (Spookgeist), who you can find on Twitter, Instagram, their website, Artstation, and Inprnt.
The cover design and typography was designed by the multi-talented author Allegra Prescatore, who you can find on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, or their website. They also have a dedicated Instagram for their art.
Here is the full cover spread:
Sweet Briar by Rowena Andrews is coming October 31!
About the Author
Rowena Andrews spent her childhood searching for Dragons and talking to animals and started turning that into words when she was bored in class. She wrote her first book at fourteen and while it lives forever in the bottom of the sock drawer, the encouragement from her English Teacher meant the writing bug took hold and never went away.
Rowena has a BSc in Geography and a PG Diploma in Coastal and Maritime Societies and Cultures. She moved to Scotland for University, fell in love with the place and never left, and now lives and works on the east Fife coast.
When she’s not writing or reading, she’s hoarding dice and playing Dungeons & Dragons, and submitting to the whims of a demanding cat and a pair of mini dachshunds.
- Website: RowenaAndrews.co.uk
- Twitter: @R_M__Andrews
