Michael WhelanAug 26, 2024

IN DAI CHIKIZA (1988)
Acrylic on Watercolor Board - 18" x 46"

Creating the cover for the first book in a proposed epic trilogy can be a daunting task for an illustrator. They have to help the author gain an audience for a new fantasy world with a whole new cast of characters. 1/5

#fantasy #fantasyart #sff #illustration #tadwilliams #memorysorrowandthorn #ostenard #seoman #binabik

Show threadMichael WhelanAug 26, 2024
No matter how intriguing, when a manuscript is especially long and complicated it's hard to choose one scene that will be faithful to the story and grab new readers. 2/5
Show threadMichael Whelan
The jacket art for the first volume of Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn features Jingizu (the Sithi word for “Sorrow”), a blade forged by the Storm King. 3/5
Aug 26, 2024 at 4:53pmWeb
Show threadMichael WhelanAug 26, 2024

When Tad returned to Osten Ard for a new story arc a few decades later, DAW Books asked me to provide illustrations of the swords that had decorated the spines of the original hardcovers.

This time the swords would be placed front and center on the reissued covers. 4/5

Show threadMichael WhelanAug 26, 2024

The order of the swords was corrected to reflect the name of the series, the first being Minneyar, which translates to “year of memory.”

Cover illustrations for THE DRAGONBONE CHAIR by TAD WILLIAMS (DAW)

https://www.michaelwhelan.com/galleries/in-dai-chikiza/
5/5

IN DAI CHIKIZA

Doing the cover for the first book of a proposed epic trilogy can be a daunting task for an illustrator; he has to help the author gain an audience for a new fantasy world with a whole new cast of …

The Art of Michael Whelan