COVER REVEAL: The Pawn by Thomas J. Devens

If you have somehow not yet heard of the app Unearthed Stories, then let me enlighten you about one of coolest ways to consume stories. Together with her husband (developer of Prowess Games), author Livia J. Elliot has developed a digital growing library where adult readers can experience text-based interactive speculative fiction for free; that’s right, you forge your own path through her imaginative worlds!

But now, something new and exciting is happening. Yesterday they announced that they have started acquiring interactive short-stories by other indie authors, so even more exciting new voices can be added to the digital bookshelves. For all the ins and outs, please check out their informative blogpost here.

And today, Team Before We Go Blog is absolutely delighted to reveal not only the first author who they have invited on, but also share the absolutely gorgeous cover for this interactive short story! So, are you ready for the excitement to explode? Let’s go!

War has ravaged Volgsland. Blood soaks the soil upon which the lords have fallen. Those that have survived the Battle of Torglen seek purpose. Lost souls wandering a desolate land. A former conscript awakes amid the chaos in a foreign land. Will they find their peace? Or will the cycle of violence continue? 

Well, doesn’t that sound epic?! Let me tell you a little bit about the lucky man who got the honour of being the inaugural author to join Unearthed Stories:

Thomas J Devens is a foundry worker and an author of gritty epic fantasy. His works usually contain sprawling casts and multiple POVs. He and his partner live in a quiet town in New York’s Hudson Valley along with their two dogs. He enjoys dark beers and dark fantasy books. Within Vermin of the Old Empire, there are two more books: The Scroungers (novella), and The Dregs (coming late 2024). Thomas also published the series Fall of Emros, which includes Stone & Shield, Split Paths, and The Crooked Lord (coming late 2024). Follow him for updates on X/Twitter.

Set in Devens’ existing universe, Vermin of the Old Empire, The Pawn is a standalone short story (5K words) featuring TWO endings. And if that deliciously dark blurb didn’t give it away, this is a grimdark, gritty fantasy perfect for fans of Joe Abercrombie.

Now, time for the moment we have all been waiting for… the cover reveal for The Pawn! Are you ready?

Now that is what I call a HOT cover, I love it! And what if I tell you that Livia herself is not only the editor but also the cover artist for The Pawn? What a talent, we love to see it!

If you haven’t already done so, then please do yourself a favour and download Unearthed Stories for FREE so you can read The Pawn when it releases in just a few days on August 19th! And in the meantime, you can lose yourself in the numerous existing stories that Livia has already shared there. Happy reading!

About Livia, the creator of Unearthed Stories:
Livia J. Elliot is an author of psychological, dark fantasy fiction with heavy theme-work. She hosts the podcast Books Undone, specialised in deep-dives into speculative fiction, and is the lead writer of books with choices for Unearthed Stories–an indie game available (for free) in both Android and iPhone/iPad. Subscribe to Livia’s Newsletter (and get a free novella).