Talon the Slayer - New Cover

Talon the Slayer

A. A. Warren

Recipe for a Science fiction and Fantasy author: Mix one part Star Wars with one part Star Trek. Stir in liberal amounts of Conan the Barbarian (books, movies, comics… all varietals.) Toss with Dune, Flash Gordon, Dungeons & Dragons, and Saturday morning cartoons. Add a pinch of video games, and season to taste with comic books, Steven King novels, B-Movies, and whatever speculative entertainment you have on hand. Let simmer in a New Jersey suburb until partially mature, then finish in La La Land, Southern California. Sear with Godzilla’s atomic breath. Serve chilled with a beer and cheese platter.

A human warrior. An alien sorceress. An ancient weapon with the power to destroy the galaxy… Talon is a man without a past. A slave, a gladiator on the desolate world of Akaros. His only memories are a lifetime of bloody combat in the arena. But when a chance encounter with a seductive alien sorceress plunges him into an intergalactic war, he finds himself fighting for the ultimate prize... his freedom. As Talon and a rag-tag crew of allies embark on a vital mission for an exiled prince, they are pursued by an ancient warlord who has unleashed the most destructive force in the galaxy. The key to stopping it? Talon's lost memories... If Talon cannot unlock the secrets of his past, his newfound freedom will be lost, and the fires of annihilation will consume the galaxy. Wielding a plasma axe and an indomitable will, he must triumph over the evil forces that stand in his way. He must be more than just a warrior. He must become... Talon the Slayer. Dive into a galaxy of high adventure! Fans of Conan the Barbarian, Flash Gordon, and Guardians of the Galaxy will love this high-octane mix of science fiction and fantasy action.

Fans of Conan, Star Wars, Thor, Guardians of the Galaxy, He-Man, Thundarr the Barbarian, and other properties that mix science fiction with magic and fantasy. US M-F, ages 40-65

Whatever you think works best with the genre and subject matter. In general, I don;t like covers that get too "muddy" or dark.

I already launched the book with covers I love, but feedback has told me that they are not resonating with the correct audience. The current covers don;t have enough sci-fi elements, and people think they are harem books or sci-fi romance, which they are not. I need ot make it crystal cleat that these are epic space fantasy adventures, like Star Wars. The cover needs to prominently feature both the main character with his plasma axe, and a space ship. I have uploaded my current cover below, so you can see the characters, and see what was tried before. I would like an illustrated style, but I am OK mixing CG and treated photos to get the required effect, so long as it looks good.

ANYTHING that makes the book look like a harem or romance book. The main character needs to be covered up more (battle armor or a vest). If the female character is pictured, she needs to be beautiful, but also not as sexualized, more action-oriented. I can't stress enough, the cover has to say "sci-fi and fantasy adventure" not harem or romance.