Rise of Iron Cover Reveal!

Above: The cover of Rise of Iron. See below for a more in depth description of what the cover includes.

October 16, 2026

We’re less than three weeks away from the release date of Rise of Iron, and I have something very exciting to share… The COVER! It’s simple (at least, when compared to the covers for The Way of the Wielder series), but equally as powerful and stunning. Let’s get into it.

Stick around until the end, where I offer updates on Fall of Gold and other projects.

Cover Reveal

When I hired Kim to do the covers for my next series of books, I knew I was going to get the highest quality product. Out of the four concepts she came up with, I was drawn immediately to one: a woman with her back to the viewer, backlit, and looking strong AF. If any concept captured the essence of this story, it was that one.

And that’s what I chose.

Hello, Emery

The cover features Emery, the leading female character in this book and throughout the series. Her story is a complex one, filled with past heartache, deep feeling emotions, a strong will, and a desire to make the world a better place. She’s the quietest main character I’ve written to date, but don’t let her introverted nature fool you. Quiet she may be, but she’s stronger, and far more resilient, than you can ever imagine.

Here, she stands in a powerful pose, one hand holding a pickaxe, the other pressed against stone. Her braided hair is coming undone in a breeze, and her gaze is down. I imagine her expression to be focused, and resolute beyond measure.

She appears to be carved from stone, and that’s intentional. The veins racing across her body are, in fact, iron—a nod to the metal she uses as much as foreshadowing what’s to come.

The Title Text

This may sound silly, but I really love the text used for the title. It’s meant to look like veins of metal, which is so incredibly appropriate for the magic system. The swirling veins also continue onto the back cover of the paperback, in case you needed a reason to buy it in print.

Updated Blurb

It was recently brought to my attention that the blurb wasn’t as enticing as I’d thought, so I reworked it. I started from scratch, removing over 50 words from the first version, and bringing a sense of urgency that’s aligned with the cataclysmic feel of the book’s plot.

Despite my initial grumblings, I’m not ashamed to admit this version is better.

——

A cataclysm is coming.

Emery has only ever wanted to keep the cave city of Oraden safe. So, when a tremor that feels like a warning shakes her to the core, she leaves to get help from the Gold Wrights in the capital.

In the shadow of the volcano the Gold Wrights revere, the High Chancellor hears Emery’s plea, but refuses to believe her. Held captive in an unfamiliar city, Emery must come to terms with the fact that she’s failed her people. Again. But when she befriends the handsome Lead Wright assigned to watch her, she discovers truths about society—truths about herself—that change everything.

Beneath the volcano, a new class is rising. If Emery can move beyond the memories of her tragic past, she’ll discover her true power and guide society into the future. Unless an eruption propels them first.

——

For future reference, you can find this description on Rise of Iron’s page.

Pre-order is Coming!

Now that the cover is released, I’ve submitted the book for pre-order on Amazon. Once that’s live, I’ll announce it across my socials far and wide. I’ll also update my website with links on the homepage and the book’s page. Note that Amazon only does pre-orders for ebooks. If paperback is more your jam, come back on November 3, 2026 for a link on release day!

PS—If you follow me on Amazon, you’ll get an email on release day. Follow me today and don’t miss another update on book releases!

Updates

Fall of Gold: Yesterday, I hit 68,000 words written for this book. I’m at the point where we’re building up to the main conflict, which is my favorite part to write. Things will really pick up from here on out, and if I can manage five days of writing a week, I should be finished with this draft by late-November.

Cozy Standalone: Once I’m done with the first draft of Fall of Gold, I’ll spend some time working on this project. As I’ve mentioned before, I’ve already written three chapters (about 10,000 words), and I’d like to double that before the end of the year. We’ll see how it goes.

Another MG story: My niece will be pleased to know that I also have plans to outline my next middle grade story. I have a rough idea in my head, but outlining it will help pull it together. She just turned nine, and I told her she’d have it for her 10th birthday. Plenty of time.

——

That’s all for now. Thanks for reading, and thanks for supporting me in all of the ways that you do. Until next time, be well, and stay creative!

~Sarah