WOW IT’S DONE I CAN’T BELIEVE IT!! The fourth and final installment of the Call of the Crow Quartet will be hitting stores on July 22, 2022, and I couldn’t be more relieved. It’s been a long haul, and the final stages of bringing this book into the world have been downright painful—I finished my final tweaks while recovering from Covid, which weirdly feels appropriate.

Today, though, I’m excited to reveal the amazing cover! Before I get to that, though, here’s a peek at the notes I provided to my cover designer, the supremely talented Jacob Covey. When we mapped out the focal image of each cover a while ago, we decided on a mushroom for Book 4, What We Bury. As I explained in my notes, I wanted the cover to incorporate:

…threads of mycelium taking center stage along with the above-ground mushroom fruits, going along with your alchemical leanings: as above, so below… and in this book, what’s below is given a lot of weight and importance. Mycelium is also important in terms of its symbolic representation of connection and communication. But also, mycelium live in the underworld, which is where a lot of this book dwells, both metaphorically and literally.

From my cover notes

Although the book contains nods to psychedelics, I didn’t want to go overboard on the trippy energy or fluorescent colors. They really wouldn’t fit the dark vibe. I wanted something earthier, yet magical. And, as always, he delivered!

The Cover… Revealed!

It’s always the details that get me with these covers. They form such a beautifully unified whole that you get drawn into the gestalt of it, but many more delights can be found by looking closely.

As Jacob noted in the email accompanying the cover comps,

The border pattern is me playing with the above/below idea of mushrooms where the mushroom is created both upward and downward in the negative space of the border. It all may be a bit heavy on the mushrooms but it’s such a perfect metaphor for the story (a true link to interconnection) that I couldn’t let it go. 

Jacob Covey

I agreed wholeheartedly with that, and love how such a small thing holds so much meaning. As Jacob had also mentioned previously, “all of the covers are an evolution towards the ‘as above, so below’ concept of getting smaller (from whale to mushroom; bird to fruit) and yet more universal.”

Yes! One of my guiding principles while creating these books has been that “the universal is in the specific,” so having that mirrored in the covers gives me all the warm feels.

A few more details I especially love about this cover are:

• The moon-like orbs on the cap, which are so fitting and lovely it gives me goosebumps! (You’ll have to read the book to find out why)
• The texture of the top background, which resembles a cloudy emanation of spores
• The texture of the bottom background, which incorporates a photo of actual mycelium
• The blebs coming out the side of the main mushroom (four of them!). They give a mother/child vibe that goes so well with this story. Plus, they add an alien/otherworldly/slightly unsettling quality that I dig very much.

It took some back and forth to decide on the final color scheme, but I really love the purple mushroom. After all, purple is the color of magic, intuition, creativity and mystery.

All in all, I can’t imagine a more fitting “outfit” for this book!

Preorders Are Now Open!

You can grab the digital or print version of What We Bury from your favorite bookstore or online retailer. Or, you can buy the paperback direct from the Rootcity Press store (U.S. orders only. Now accepting Apple Pay, Google Pay, PayPal and Venmo in addition to credit/debit cards!). 

PLUS, if you preorder a copy before July 21, you can win a Call of the Crow Quartet T-shirt! All Rootcity Press store orders will automatically be entered into the drawing. If you buy through another retailer, just email a copy of your receipt to brett@rootcitypress.com to be entered into the drawing. International orders are also eligible. 

Thank you all for your support. I can’t wait to share the exciting COTCQ conclusion with you!