ROYAL ASSASSIN

Cover illustration for Robin Hobb

Aug 14, 2024

Standing on a broken, partially uprooted tree trunk, a man throws his arms wide and his head back with eyes closed. He holds a straight sword so the tip pierces the fat crescent of moon looming overhead in the lavender sky. His tunic is open to expose his chest. The fabric billows as the breeze catches it, and the tails of a red sash flutter. One sleeve is in tatters as are the lower legs of his pants. A gray wolf sits on the gnarled roots below him, extending its neck in a howl. The moon looms large overhead in crescent. In silhouette, a castle burns in the background sweeping trails of smoke across the forested hills. — ROYAL ASSASSIN (1997), Acrylic on Watercolor Board - 30" x 23"

Over the years, fans have asked why I depicted Fitz wielding a sword on the cover. As you can see, his weapon was accurate to the text in the original concepts.

The change was prompted by the marketing department with the reasoning that "swords sell better than axes."

Here you can see the original concept with rough type layout on an overlay that includes art direction spelling out the correction to be made.

Preliminary concept with cover layout and art direction

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Additional images from ROYAL ASSASSIN

LEFT: Detail from ROYAL ASSASSIN featuring a man in tattered tunic throwing arms wide. His eyes are closed and head tilted back as light and wind wash over him. He holds a straight sword with tassels trailing from the hilt. The blade intersects a huge crescent of moon looming overhead. He stands on the broken trunk of a tree with a gray wolf companion seated on the gnarled roots below. RIGHT: Alternate preliminary concept for ROYAL ASSASSIN featuring a young man with axe in hand caught mid-stride as a castle burns behind him. His eyes depicted as pools of white. His cape billows behind him conveying a sense of motion. A wolf mirrors his stride as they flee. — Detail from ROYAL ASSASSIN and alternate preliminary concept

Book cover for ROYAL ASSASSIN by Robin Hobb (Bantam) — *Royal Assassin*, book 2 of the Farseer trilogy by Robin Hobb (Bantam)

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ROYAL ASSASSIN

Cover illustration for Robin Hobb

Additional images from ROYAL ASSASSIN

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