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Steven J. Mepham

The Tarot Sequence by K.D Edwards is one of those rare gems that i stumbled upon purely by chance and then quickly became one of my favouirte series. Having read through Rune and Brand’s journey and development in The Last Sun and The Hanged Man I can quite readily say i was excited and impatient for The Hourglass Throne. While the novel is still many months off, it is exciting to speculate on what’s to come and what burden Rune and Brand must overcome. In many ways, one of the main themes throughout The Tarot sequence  is that of burden. The burden of the past, the expectation of the present and the burdens willing and not so willingly taken on. Rune and Brand ellict this theme in myriad ways that grows like an uncontrollable jenga tower throughout the first two books. Looking on, I wonder how this will continue throughout The Hourglass Throne. Though the books themselves won’t be released until May 17th 2022, we can at least have a look at the cover….

The Hourglass Throne Cover Reveal

The Hourglass Throne Synopsis

As Rune Saint John grapples with the challenges of assuming the Sun Throne, a powerful barrier appears around New Atlantis’s famed rejuvenation center. But who could have created such formidable magic…what do they want from the immortality clinic…and what remains of the dozens trapped inside?
Though Rune and his lifelong bodyguard Brand are tasked with investigating the mysterious barrier,
Rune is also busy settling into his new life at court. Claiming his father’s throne has irrevocably thrown him into the precarious world of political deception, and he must secure relationships with newfound allies in time to keep his growing found family safe. His relationship with his lover, Addam Saint Nicholas, raises additional political complications they must navigate. But he and Brand soon discover that the power behind the barrier holds a much more insidious, far-reaching threat to his family, to his people, and to the world.
Now, the rulers of New Atlantis must confront an enemy both new and ancient as the flow of time itself is drawn into the conflict. And as Rune finds himself inexorably drawn back to the fall of his father’s court and his own torture at the hands of masked conspirators, the secrets that he has long guarded will be dragged into the light—changing the Sun Throne, and New Atlantis, forever.
The climax of the first trilogy in the nine-book The Tarot Sequence, The Hourglass Throne delivers epic urban fantasy that blends humor, fast-paced action, and political intrigue.

Cover Artist: Micah Epstein |

Speculation and Analysis

Warning: From here on there will be minor spoilers for The Last Sun and The Hanged Man.  For those of you who have yet to read the Last Sun or The Hanged Man please ensure you choose the “spoiler-free toggle”

Spoiler-free Speculation and analysis

The first thing that strikes me about the Hourglass Throne cover is that it is beautiful yet haunting. I find my eyes are drawn to Rune, sitting down at the top of some dark steps. It elicits an almost foreboding visage against the elegant and bright statues that surround him. It goes without saying that the juxtaposition of light and shadow are breath-taking. Rune’s focus on his hands and the golden whisps – that I later realised was sand- which pours through his fingers is symbolic, but I will return to that later.

Oddly enough, despite its grandeur, the hourglass itself was the last thing I noticed.  Its golden sand, I originally saw as golden light and the imagery of Angels never struck me as being part of an hourglass, once it did,  I realised that it was hiding in plain sight perhaps that could represent how the Hourglass Throne is operating within the narrative.

Rune’s visage certainly forms a nice contrast to the hourglass behind him. First in a sense of status, he is dressed casually, and shrouded in shadow. While the hourglass is a bastion of golden light. One could easily surmise that this is a commentary on Rune’s status.

Looking to the golden sand that trickles through his fingers, I surmised it is representative of two things. First that his time is short, Second that it represents a terrible choice he has to make.

Rune’s expression is one of resignation, concern – his brow furrowed as he watches the sand slip away, it could also be referencing the little time he has to prepare for whatever he must face. As the synopsis states:

“…he must secure relationships with newfound
allies in time to keep his growing found family safe”

The final reading that can be drawn from the cover is the sense that the hourglass represents the turning back of time. Unlike a mechanical clock that forever marches forward. An hourglass is symbolic of infinity and cycles. As such it can be said to be representative of turning back time. For Rune, this could mean looking deeply at his past, exposing long buried, forgotten and perhaps concealed truth.

Spoiler Speculation and analysis

The first thing that strikes me about the Hourglass Throne cover is that it is beautiful yet haunting. I find my eyes are drawn to Rune, sitting down at the top of some dark steps. It elicits an almost foreboding visage against the elegant and bright statues that surround him. It goes without saying that the juxtaposition of light and shadow are breath-taking. Rune’s focus on his hands and the golden whisps – that I later realised was sand- which pours through his fingers is symbolic, but I will return to that later.

Oddly enough, despite its grandeur, the hourglass itself was the last thing I noticed.  Its golden sand, I originally saw as golden light and the imagery of Angels never struck me as being part of an hourglass, but rather signifying the nature of Runes kin, the Atlanteans. We learn throughout The Last Sun and The Hanged Man that the Atlantean people are capable of being beautiful, but often this is tainted either by manipulation, enslavement and being taken advantage of. Where they are not innocent, the godlike status some of them occupy hides a capriciousness that belies the heart of their people and an arrogance that will ultimately be their undoing. The Hanged Man unilaterally pushes this point. The indolence of the upper echelons has given rise to risk that could see them destroyed. I suspect this is one meaning to the angels impaling each other. Especially given it is the upper angels that is doing so while the lower ones seem to reach for other in. In a sense it is a bit like the Montague and Capulet feud. The elders’ squabble amongst themselves while the youngsters want reconciliation. Once I saw that it was an hourglass, I realised that it was hiding in plain sight something that could represent how the Hourglass Throne is operating within the narrative. We did Afterall, learn that the Hourglass court had fallen a long time ago and that time magic itself was taboo.

Rune’s visage certainly forms a nice contrast to the hourglass behind him. First in a sense of status, he is dressed casually, and shrouded in shadow. While the hourglass is a bastion of golden light. One could easily surmise that this is a commentary on Rune’s status, and his recent claim on his devastated and ruined father’s court. He is young and inexperienced, a fish out of water against the other courts. I suspect this is one of the many hurdles he must grapple with in the Hourglass Throne. How to adjust to his new position.

Looking to the golden sand that trickles through his fingers, I am reminded that at first it seemed as though it was golden whisps of light, a trait of his Aspect but when I realised it was sand, I surmised it is representative of two things. First that his time is short, he has to solidify his power so he can stand on his own as an equal. Second that it represents a terrible choice he has to make. We learned at the end of The Hanged Man the true cost of using his Arcana Majeure – one that he and Brand both have to face.

Rune’s expression is one of resignation, concern – his brow furrowed as he watches the sand slip away, again this could be a reference to the lifeforce he must sacrifice for him and brand every time he uses Arcana Majeure, but it could also be referencing the little time he has to prepare for whatever he must face. As the synopsis states:

“…he must secure relationships with newfound
allies in time to keep his growing found family safe”

This could also explain why is he in sitting on the steps: he is an equal in status to his peers, but not completely. Without allies his fledgling court and his family will likely fall.

The final reading that can be drawn from the cover is the sense that the hourglass represents the turning back of time. Unlike a mechanical clock that forever marches forward. An hourglass is symbolic of infinity and cycles. As such it can be said to be representative of turning back time. For Rune, this could mean looking deeply at his past, the fall of his Fathers court, the tragedy he endured following this – exposing long buried, forgotten and perhaps concealed truth.

About the Author

K.D. lives and writes in North Carolina but has spent time in Massachusetts, Maine, Colorado, New Hampshire, Montana, and Washington. (Common theme until NC: Snow. So, so much snow)
Mercifully short careers in food service, interactive television, corporate banking, retail management, and bariatric furniture has led to a much less short career in Higher Education.
The first book in his urban fantasy series The Tarot Sequence, called The Last Sun was published by Pyr in June 2018. The third installment, The Hourglass Throne, is expected May 17 2022.

WEBSITE: http://kd-edwards.com/

TWITTER:  

GOODREADS: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/10329824-k-d

Where to puchase The Last Sun, The Hanged Man or The Hourglass Throne

The Hourglass Throne

Release Date: 17th May, 2022

The Hourglass Throne can be purchased from the following retailers

 

Amazon

Waterstones

The Hanged Man

Available Now!

The Hanged man can be purchased from the following retailers

 

Amazon

The Last Sun

Available now!

The Last Sun can be purchased from the following retailers

 

Amazon

Waterstones

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