Here’s the cover image to be used on The Age Of Zeus. I think you’ll agree that Mr Marek Okon has knocked it out of the park again.
What isn’t clear on the mock-up as is, is that there’s a Greek temple atop the mountain peak. At the moment it’s hidden beneath the Bookseller quote, but I’ve been assured that the typesetting will be sorted out so that the temple is there, clear for all to see, on the finished article.
Also, the title will be embossed, which is cool.
Great series style been developed for these Pantheon books. Can’t wait to see what Marek comes up with for The Age Of Odin.
Nice cover, indeed. Also – you seem to be getting the hang of this WordPress thing. 🙂
Why, thank you very much. I am climbing that steep learning curve, slo-o-owly. And the site in general is looking luvverly.
This is a great book, when is the third one coming out???
December, I’m told. I’ve really got to finish it first, though.
Loved Age of Zeus, more than I enjoyed Age of Ra – and I loved Age of Ra. I got my wife to get my mother-in-law to purchase it me for my birthday (what a mouthful) and it was the perfect gift.
What made it better, though random as this is, is that I’m a Brit in the US, so having some familiar terms and locations, and a story told from our little island made it much more enjoyable.
I’m trying to get a copy of Lords of Pain – 1, for my son to start reading. Nice.
Thank you kindly, Ryan. Glad you enjoyed it. Your mother-in-law is a credit to mothers-in-law everywhere. Somewhere Bernard Manning is gnashing his teeth…
How much research did you have to do to get the stories for the Pantheon in these books correct, or are you an expert on it? I would imagin that learning about Ra, Zeus and such would be quite hard.
Hello, I nearly bought Age of Ra last summer. The cover art was extemely eye catching and the concept sounded fantastic. For some reason I never got around to it. Anyway after reading the description of Age of Zeus I’m sold. Power armour is almost always a deal-maker for me. My only question is if this is a sequel?
@Nick: Zeus isn’t a sequel to Ra. They’re quite different books, although they have themes in common. I agree about power armour. You can’t really have enough of it.
@Steven: I usually don’t enjoy research, but in this instance it was fun. Basically it involved reading stories. I wasn’t very familiar with the Ancient Egyptian myths, and it was nice getting acquainted. I know a bit about the Greek myths, but again, it was nice getting reacquainted and discovering a few I’d never encountered before. The hard work came in streamlining the myths and rationalising the contradictions between them. But I enjoyed even that.
🙂 Sweet, power armour vs. greek gods and monsters. Has the makings of a box office bombshell, just don’t let Michael Bay direct it haha.
He can direct the first movie. I wouldn’t let him near a sequel, though.
James, i am currently reading Age of Ra and i love it. i would like to thank you for giving me something to read and i look foward to reading the age of zeus and whatever other books you write. i will enjoy adding your work to my collection. the mixture of mythology is amazing ! please keep writing!!
You keep reading ’em, I’ll keep writing ’em! Thanks for dropping me a line, and I’m glad you’re liking Ra so much.
Hey James it’s me again I just finished Ra and picked up Zeus today. I’m only like a couple chapters in but all I have to say is wow love it
Hi James. I picked up Ra a while ago but then got into some Tom Clancy stuff… just picked up Zeus today and am more than halfway done. I absolutely love it. I’ll admit, the armor on the cover was kind of the deal-sealer. Wish there were some pics online, though. Also, any new news on when the next book will be in stores? And what will it be?
Wish there were more pics too, Simon. It’d be nice to see what Marek could come up with to illustrate more of the hardware.
The next book is The Age Of Odin, and according to Amazon (which mostly get these things right) it’s out at the very end of this year. I’m about 300 pages into the manuscript, with perhaps another 100 to go, maybe less, so it’s nearly done. There’s a great cover on the way for this one too. I’ve seen the preliminary sketches, and as soon as the finished article is ready I’ll post a copy here.
I’m almost finished Age of Zeus, I love it so much I just ordered Age of Ra. When I was wondering what the next book would be I figured it would either feature Norse gods or Aztec. Looks like I was right on 😛
Hey James… just about done with Zeus. I was wondering about what time period Age of Odin will be in. Same as Zeus? If so, hope there will be some cool new gear involved;) Also, will it be a all related to Zeus or Ra?
@Simon: Age Of Odin‘s set very much in the here and now, featuring an ex-soldier narrator wounded in Afghanistan who’s looking for a new job and something to fight for again. He doesn’t count on ending up involved in Ragnarok, battling frost giants and mechanical equivalents of the monsters from Norse mythology. This time it’s the bad guys who’ve got all the cool tech.
It’s not directly related to Zeus or Ra, in the same way that neither of those books is directly related to the other. The connection between all three in the trilogy is that they’re about gods and war, but the approach to the subject matter is different each time.
@Nick: Good call! Now that you’ve mentioned it, though, Aztec gods might be fun to do for a fourth book. The Age Of Quetzalcoatl. Hmmmm…
Coolio! And great ending for Zeus. Loved it. Also, chinese or japanese gods might be fun for 4th or 5th book if not age of Quetzalcoatl… how do you pronounce that?!?
Yeah, those Aztec gods have got some really loopy long names. Didn’t think about the Shinto pantheon. Don’t know much about it but it would be an opportunity for some kick-ass martial arts action…!
Plus: Quetzalcoatl — mind-blowing Scrabble score there. And we’re allowed to use proper names these days…
Yeah not to mention china and japan have some wicked tech up their sleeves… power armor mark II?
Ninjas and power armor… VERY fun!
Oh boy, I thought I was done with this series after three books. Now, thanks to you, Simon, I might have to reconsider…
Glad I could help… hope these books keep comin’, cause I’ll keep reading!!!!
I have to say, with the idea you have here there is a lot of expanding you can do. Age of Zeus was an amazing novel and such a fresh concept. I would love to see all the ways you could incorporate other deities. I think Aztec gods would be enjoyable because of the human sacrifice aspect and all.
Maybe a little gruesome but yeah OK!
Haha. After the final confrontation with Cronus and Zeus I doubt Mr. Lovegrove has any problem with gruesome.
Good point! But still, liking the japanese gods idea a little more. C’mon, who doesn’t like the idea of ninjas in power armor? They possibilities are endless! Laser swords, Assassin’s Creed 2-style hidden blades, and on and on… not to mention I’m sure Mr. Lovegrove could make the martial arts action NUTS!
If he goes with Shinto I’d prefer power armoured samurai. Bushido and katanas and all that.
Well, it’s vampires next, and global apocalypse for the book after. But being as I’ve already dipped a toe in the martial arts waters with The 5 Lords Of Pain, I’m not averse to the idea of diving all the way in. Especially in an adult-novel context. How about a three-way free-for-all between the Shinto, Aztec and Hindu pantheons? With Buddha acting as referee.
Hahaha that would be epic beyond words. Aztec Jaguars duking it out with Shaolin monks and some power armoured samurai as icing on the cake.
Definitely like that one! Maybe some ninjas, too, as enemies for the samurai (big rivalry there).
And libertarian space-cowboys for the hell of it!
God-fearing libertarian space-cowboys. Called Maurice.
Not all of us libertarians are God-fearing, nor are we all named Maurice (contrary to popular belief). I’m also thinking maybe some bear cavalry?
Why just bears? How ’bout robot bears! With gatling guns! This is gonna be AWESOME!!!
I think my brain just exploded.
Hahaha and nazi dinosaurs and sexy valkyrie cyborgs! I think Simon and I should help you write up the next book.
You two write it, I’ll stick my name on the cover and take all the glory. Sweatshop rates, of course.
You strike a hard bargain sir! But if you drop the sweatshop rates and throw in a bottle of cream soda I’m in.
Being British, I was wondering if you are a Warhammer 40,000 fan? Also do you like the Arctic Monkeys?
Boy, I don’t know what the plot could be for that book… suggestions, anyone?
The Aztec Gods are mad at the Japanese Gods because the cyborg valkyries and power armoured samurai stole the Aztec’s holy tacos. And so the Aztec Gods unleash the robot bear cavalry to retrieve the holy tacos. But the bear cavalry is thwarted by power armoured ninjas. And as the two pantheons are duking it out Maurice, the space-cowboy libertarian swoops in and steals the tacos all for himself. Tada. New York Times bestseller.
We just have to hope James Patterson or someone like that isn’t reading this. Otherwise we’ve just handed them a million-dollar deal on a plate.
I’ve never played Warhammer. I used to do D&D when I was a kid and played some of the Games Workshop boardgames but that was about as far as it went. I certainly wouldn’t be able to paint the little figures. Far too fiddly.
I’m not really into the Arctic Monkeys. My music tastes range to the artier end of the rock spectrum: Bowie, Gabriel, the Divine Comedy, Prefab Sprout, Goldfrapp, the Waterboys, the Fixx (guilty 80s pleasure), people like that, plus original electro bands like Kraftwerk.
Oh, and cream soda?????? Seriously???????
(Here are the extra question marks I cut out from that last sentence: ??????????)
Hahahaha. All too right about that money grubbing whore Patterson. Now THAT guy defninitely has sweat shops set up to push out books.
I’ve never been able to afford the miniatures, for five space marines it costs like thirty pounds or euros or baby fetuses, whatever you Brits use as currency. But I love the novels, the future gothic theme is highly engrossing.
I saw the Monkeys in concert last December, they’re one of my favorite bands as far as lyrics and riffs go. I was wondering if they over play them on the radio over there like they do to Nickelback here (I know they’re Canadian).
As for cream soda. Yes. Maybe you need to try some American draft before you judge.
Is it one a month Patterson manages? Something like that. That’s not writing, that’s branding.
Foetuses would make a good currency, surely better value than sterling right now. Bit sticky in your wallet, though.
Cream soda on draught? As in a pint of it at the pub? Not sure whether to nom-nom or vom.