The Last Dark cover art revealed

[Jussi]

I believe this is Mahrtiir:



Source.

[Frostheart Grueburn]

Perkele. Niinpä näkyy Mahrtiir olevan.

[I'm Murrin]

There's something... odd about the lower half of his body. Like there's not enough of it there.

[Frostheart Grueburn]

There exist some anatomy problems in the previous covers also (although not as horrendous as Sweet's)--this one gives the impression that the fellow is merging with the tree. Unless he has become a new Forestall.
Nor do I recall him ever wielding a staff.

[Orlion]

There exist some anatomy problems in the previous covers also (although not as horrendous as Sweet's)--this one gives the impression that the fellow is merging with the tree. Unless he has become a new Forestall.
Nor do I recall him ever wielding a staff.

Huh, now that you mention it, this cover does bare quite a bit of resemblance to the Fatal Revenant cover.

He even has the garland of flowers! And he's blind as a Hile Troy!

[Frostheart Grueburn]

There exist some anatomy problems in the previous covers also (although not as horrendous as Sweet's)--this one gives the impression that the fellow is merging with the tree. Unless he has become a new Forestall.
Nor do I recall him ever wielding a staff.

Huh, now that you mention it, this cover does bare quite a bit of resemblance to the Fatal Revenant cover.

He even has the garland of flowers! And he's blind as a Hile Troy!

If those stars do not represent the elohim, then they might be wraiths. I recall SRD saying something of their huge importance concerning the fate of the eaeth. Since Rime smashed the last Forestall to splinters with two fist blows, he could be a new one standing in Andelain.

[Hashi Lebwohl]

Eyes covered up, indicating blindness...coming out of a tree, indicating Forestal...

...this is Caer-Caveral, former Forestal of Andelain, who used to be Hile Troy.

I concur--the lights are Wraiths, not stars.

[Frostheart Grueburn]

But: he has the manethrall's garland of yellow flowers. Mahrtiir has a bandage across his eyes. Cannot be Troy?

[Orlion]

I'm actually thinking that only now are we seeing the similarities betwixt Caer-Caveral and Mahrtiir. My vote is that the person is Mahrtiir, and that he is going to become a Forestal.

[SkurjMaster]

The person on the cover looks feminine.

[Frostheart Grueburn]

Robes don't work that way with female hips (I should know...). Neither do we have Adam's apples.

[Vraith]

Yea...I think Mahrtiir...the age, the bandage, the garland are pretty specific...though there are some oddities.

Are there ANY really good character representations on any Chron's book?

I do think it's stars in the background...if it's wraiths it's terrible interpretation of them.
[and the tree is pretty badly done, too...as a tree period, not to mention has no "character" of a Land tree].

[SkurjMaster]

I missed the Adam's apple, but then it is not very prominent. The facial structure and the robe are girly. Sorry. Honestly, when I first looked at it, I would have sworn it was a woman.

Strangely, I somehow managed to envision Mahrtiir as a bit squat (for a Ramen) and with dark hair.

[Hashi Lebwohl]

But: he has the manethrall's garland of yellow flowers. Mahrtiir has a bandage across his eyes. Cannot be Troy?

I'm actually thinking that only now are we seeing the similarities betwixt Caer-Caveral and Mahrtiir. My vote is that the person is Mahrtiir, and that he is going to become a Forestal.

hrm....I do not disagree with that assessment. I did not assign significance to the garland at first. Still...it could be a gifted garland...*shrug*.

There aren't any Forestals to train him, are there? If not, then he'll have to learn it on his own.

[Savor Dam]

There aren't any Forestals to train him, are there? If not, then he'll have to learn it on his own.

Perhaps that is one of the purposes of the runes Caerroil Wildwood placed on the Staff

[I'm Murrin]

There exist some anatomy problems in the previous covers also (although not as horrendous as Sweet's)--this one gives the impression that the fellow is merging with the tree. Unless he has become a new Forestall.
Nor do I recall him ever wielding a staff.

I was thinking that it looked like his body ended at the waist, and the robe just hangs down straight from there with nothing inside it, heh.

I mean, you mention they don't have the hips for a woman, but I don't think they even have the hips of a man under that thing - or at least not a right hip. Not based on the shoulders.

[Hashi Lebwohl]

There aren't any Forestals to train him, are there? If not, then he'll have to learn it on his own.

Perhaps that is one of the purposes of the runes Caerroil Wildwood placed on the Staff

You may or may not be aware that that is one lingering question I have had--the meaning or purpose of the runes Wildwood carved on Linden's Staff. That could be an answer, as long as the new Forestal can deduce their meaning, which may be something that happens on its own.

[dlbpharmd]

I'm having a difficult time believing this will be the actual cover. It certainly looks like Palencar's work, and I can't imagine this being a likeness of anyone other than Mahrtiir, but it's certainly not how I've envisioned him.

[Frostheart Grueburn]

But it cannot be a female; I just talked about the unwritten rule of women in fantasy covers. They can only look like this:



Mrs. Mahrtiir above is OLD and possesses no rack to speak of!!! That would not do!

(Also would be interesting to know how she can wield an axe like that with those stringy arms. Unless the weapon's hollow and plastic. Personally don't see any appeal in a scrawny whose hipbones protrude so much as to form a sharp corner. Ow.)

I was thinking that it looked like his body ended at the waist, and the robe just hangs down straight from there with nothing inside it, heh.

I mean, you mention they don't have the hips for a woman, but I don't think they even have the hips of a man under that thing - or at least not a right hip. Not based on the shoulders.

Well yes it does seem as if he had a piece of cardboard for the lower body. Which is why I suggested he might be merging with the tree. Obviously the body ought to show signs of some leg curves, maybe some bulge depending on the size of his wossnames, and general bunching of fabric round the waist. Saruman on the cover of FR appears to suffer from the same affliction, at least in part, so I'm not sure whether it's an actual anatomy problem from Palencar's behalf.


The staff-runes theory's interesting, though. They really haven't served any purpose yet, have they?

[Romeo]

OK. Where did you get this? *I* didn't even see this yet! No fair!!!!