When I first read Prince of Thorns, I knew it would become a critical new piece to the fantasy puzzle.
I was not wrong. The next two books followed in rapid succession and both were as equally intriguing as they were well-written. Readers flocked to the trilogy. Mark Lawrence is a fine craftsman of grimdark—that dark and gritty sub-genre of fantasy that so many readers have gravitated to over the last few years—and he only gets better with every book he writes.
Early on, I knew I wanted to work with him. When I put together Unfettered in 2012, Mark was one of the first writers I asked. I've not been disappointed since. And, when I was looking for a new project for Grim Oak Press to sink its proverbial teeth into, I listened to what many readers had been saying.
What were they asking for? A beautiful signed and numbered edition of The Broken Empire trilogy.
I reached out to Mark. He helped gain the legal rights for the project. And for the last ten months, we've been putting the book together, along with talented artist Jason Chan (who painted the original covers on the three books) and graphic artist Nate Taylor (whose work with Patrick Rothfuss has been nothing but amazing).
There was a 52-copy leather-bound Lettered Edition that sold out in nine minutes. Then I decided to produce 1000 cloth copies, also signed and numbered. Here are the details on the Limited Edition:
- Limited to 1000 numbered copies
- Cloth-bound hardcover book with no slipcase
- Signed by Mark Lawrence, Jason Chan, and Nate Taylor
- Three black and white interior plates by Jason Chan featuring his previous cover art
- Nine new black and white interior images by Jason Chan
- Exterior and interior thorn graphics created by Nate Taylor
- Sewn black ribbon
- Additional 9,000 word short story included
Shawn Speakman is the author of The Dark Thorn, an urban/epic fantasy hybrid novel bestselling author Terry Brooks calls, "a fine tale by a talented writer." He also edited the bestselling anthology Unfettered.
When Shawn isn’t lying for a living, he runs The Signed Page and Grim Oak Press. Follow him on Facebook and @shawnspeakman!