# Are fantasy book covers important?



## MarkJH

*Writer looking for some feedback*

Hi everyone,

I’m very happy to say that I’ve just had my debut novel published and would love to swap thoughts and opinions on what makes a compelling read. With this in mind, what do you think attracts a potential reader? Would it be the front cover like mine below or is it more likely to be on the strength of the synopsis? Just how important is the cover art and what really determines our decision to invest the time to actually sit down and read a book? As a new author, I feel these questions are very important, so any insights you can give will be greatly appreciated.


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## chrysophalax

Personally, I always read the back cover and the first few paragraphs. If it has a dominant male character and it's in first person, I'll many times give it a go if the over-all concept intrigues me. 

I've found that cover art is more often than not decpetive, rarely having much to do with the book's contents.

Congratulations! I have to say I'm envious.


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## MarkJH

Thanks for replying. I agree the synopsis is the most important thing. If you get a chance to check mine out (you can find it on Amazon) I would welcome your opinion on it.


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## YayGollum

Your cover art would actually scare me away, but then, I am not a large fan of canines and their popularity.  The title makes me wish to read the synopsis, though. I wouldn't know what would attract the average reader. What would get me to read some random book ---> The promise of something unique. I hardly ever pay attention to cover art, at first, since it usually only gains significance after I've read the story. My favorite type of cover art is the sort that actually depicts a scene from the story, not just pictures of characters or places. An eye-catching title would be helpful but is hardly ever reliable. I'd depend on the interest generated by the synopsis and any tables of contents and prologues or things like that, maybe flip through the book to look for any cool little treats like maps or something.


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## Grond

Cover art grabs the eye and the synopsis grabs the reader. I am not a fan of your coverart but am intrigued by your story's summary. Stories of spiritual and intellictual growth and coming of age always attract my interest. 

I will buy it and give you a my unbiased opinion.

Cheers,

grond


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## Starbrow

I usually judge a book by its title and synopsis. If there is a reference to Tolkien along the lines of "in the tradition of Tolkien," I assume its a bad fantasy knock-off and avoid it. No one can do Tolkien like Tolkien.


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## MarkJH

Grond said:


> Cover art grabs the eye and the synopsis grabs the reader. I am not a fan of your coverart but am intrigued by your story's summary. Stories of spiritual and intellictual growth and coming of age always attract my interest.
> 
> I will buy it and give you a my unbiased opinion.
> 
> Cheers,
> 
> grond


 
Thanks Grond. I definitely need unbiased opinions. Feedback is the most important thing at this early stage when the book has only just become available. Look forward (I hope!!) to hearing your thoughts.



Starbrow said:


> I usually judge a book by its title and synopsis. If there is a reference to Tolkien along the lines of "in the tradition of Tolkien," I assume its a bad fantasy knock-off and avoid it. No one can do Tolkien like Tolkien.


 
I totally agree. Fortunately my book makes no such claims.


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## HLGStrider

I think cover art is important simply because if you are staring at shelf upon shelf of paperback fantasies in a book store the only reason I'd pick a book up from an unknown author would be A. Intriguing title B. Intriguing cover art. There are usually too many options to systematically read every single synopsis starting at the top left hand side of the shelf and working to the bottom right. It would take too long and I probably would only get as far as the A or B section before I got tired of it. If you are looking on line or checking out a book from recommendation different rules apply of course, but title and cover are the first hints of "Maybe interesting."


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## YayGollum

Well, when I go to a book store with the intention of buying something new that I have never even heard of, I'll give myself plenty of time and will usually end up buying lots of books in a particular series and a few just random new ones. Titles are sometimes helpful. Cover art could be entertaining but should be ignored until you read the book and can decipher it.


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## MarkJH

I hope this is ok, but I've created a page with an extract from my book. I wondered if anyone would give me some feedback on it. You can find it here: 
http://hometown.aol.co.uk/markjohnhockley/myhomepage/mywork.html 

Thanks for all of your help so far


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## MarkJH

Just to let anyone know who may be interested that I've added another excerpt from my book The Magic Lands at this link: http://hometown.aol.co.uk/markjohnhockley/myhomepage/mywork.html
As always, feedback would be very much appreciated


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## Mike

Cover art can be very important in some cases. For example, at one time if Frank Frazetta did the cover, the book would be a bestseller. There were no exceptions to that rule.

I can't say I like the cover art on your book, but the synopsis is interesting. Congratulations on publishing your novel.


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## MarkJH

Thanks Mike for your honest opinion. Pity you didn't like the cover, but I'm pleased you felt the synopsis was interesting. I think maybe the cover leans slightly towards a younger audience than the book actually deserves (but then I am the author, not the illustrator!). If you ever get around to reading the book please do let me know what you think of it.


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## Neumy

When I go to the book store to peruse the fantasy section, the first thing that will cause me to pick up a book is the art cover. So yes, it is very important. I've probably passed up a lot of good reads due to poor quality graphic designs. I've also picked up a few bad reads because the cover lured me to purchase the book.

Here is my three steps that I usually follow when buying a book (not counting author preference and recommendations).
1) Art Cover
2) Synopsis
3) First few paragraphs


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## Violanthe

I put much more stock in recommendations from people whose opinions I trust than in cover art or synopsis.


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## MarkJH

Just a quick update on my book for those whom have shown an interest. I've pasted in a review from Amazon US that I think gives a gives a good impression of what the book is really like.


'One might look at The Magic Lands and find the title a little generic, and the summary may be a little cliche, but if you were to pick it up you'll see that it is full of suprises. The story is quite a roller coaster and the plot can become utterly unpredictable. I should also mention, that this isn't little red riding hood. The story is dark, bringing up memories of another dark fantasy, Pan's Labrynth. Like Pan's Labrynth,and any good fable, there is an underlying message behind it all and it is a message definitely worth hearing'.


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## Starflower

I think the cover of a book is very important indeed - I have even on occasion not bought (gasp) a book I may have liked because of the cover art... also as I read a lot of series, the entire series needs to have the same cover art, I cannot bear to have one book out of 5 loking different than the other 4.


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## Halasían

I think cover art is important to get the attention of casual browsers of store bookshelves. I have at times bought a book based on cover, but only after reading the synopsis, and maybe even opening th ebook somewhere and read a bit to get the feel of the writing style. So I don't buy based _solely_ on cover at, but it has drawn me to a book to check it out.


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## MarkJH

Hi everyone,
I hope you will forgive me for getting all excited and letting you know about my first official review for The Magic Lands. You can find it here: http://www.enchantedentertainment.co.uk/book-news-reviews/review-of-the-magic-lands-by-mark-hockley/
Of course, I hope it will help to encourage you to rush out and get a copy of the book!


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## MarkJH

For anyone interested there are a number of mini reviews of The Magic Lands on Amazon.co.uk It would be great to hear from some readers and I'm always happy to answers questions if anyone has one!


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## MarkJH

As a small thank you for all of the support I've had here, I thought I would post an excerpt from a work in progress, which hopefully will end up being my next book. This is only a rough version, so jump all over me, but constructive criticism is always a good thing. It's called THE SHADOW OF THE ROSE and it's another fantasy novel in a similar vein to THE MAGIC LANDS. Of course for some this may be a punishment rather than a treat! 


As the boy stepped forward to hand her the rose, there was a clattering noise from their right and Martin stopped in his tracks, eyeing Jo with alarm. Whoever it might be, he realised immediately that they mustn't discover her here with him, as that would certainly be seen as a serious violation of the all important rules of this wretched institution. "You have to hide," he hissed urgently and glancing about in desperation his eye fell upon a large crate. "Quickly, get inside," he whispered to her, pointing at the wooden box and without really thinking Jo followed his instructions, clambering clumsily in and squatting down.
Grabbing hold of another crate, Martin stacked it on top leaving Jo in darkness with only the smallest of slits to let in what little light there was and she pushed her eye up against this gap so that she might be able to see what was going on outside.
As she watched from her uncomfortable, cramped position, a terrible scene began to play itself out before her, like some grotesque peepshow.
"So here you are, Martin, my little friend," said a voice, but Jo could only see the boy's reaction and not the speaker, but this was enough to tell her that whoever was there with him, Martin was very much afraid. "Well, aren't you going to say hello?" another voice asked good humouredly, but Jo recognised the note of sarcasm in it and she squirmed to see who was out there. Two hulking figures ambled into view to stand before the boy and Jo had to bite her lip not to let out a cry.
"I think he's nervous," Joshua Snipe said with a slow shake of his head, the grin he wore making him look very much like a Halloween pumpkin.
"Maybe he's got reason to be," returned Joseph, rubbing his hands together unpleasantly.
Martin had remained silent until now, his mind racing, trying to come up with some plausible lie about why he was there that would enable him to escape unscathed, but before he could say anything Joseph pointed at him, a wide, malicious smile commandeering his features.
"What's the flower for, nature boy?" he chuckled, "is it a peace offering!?" The two men chortled with amused laughter for a few moments and Martin decided that the only thing he could do was stick to the story Mr. Pinchbeck had originally intended for The Headmaster.
"There's something wrong with the temperature in here," he mumbled, doing his level best to sound self-assured, "Mr. Pinchbeck told me to wait here while he went to get The Headmaster."
Joseph chuckled, the sound without humour and Martin felt a chill creep up his spine. "The Headmaster!? Is that a fact?"
Martin knew he had to choose his words very carefully and hesitated before speaking again. "Everything in here will die if it isn't fixed," he said with as much confidence as he could muster. "You must have noticed how cold it is?"
Joshua was nodding at him solemnly. "Not everything," he stated, his small eyes like black marbles, and when Martin gazed into them all he could see was an utter void, as if the man had no emotions whatsoever, just an unquenchable compulsion to inflict pain and sorrow.
Martin swallowed hard and shuffled his feet uneasily. "What do you mean?"
Joseph just laughed at this, the sound echoing eerily through the greenhouse and Martin knew that his only chance of survival was to run. But before he could act upon this realisation, the Snipes moved closer to him, effectively fencing him in with no way out, as if sensing what he had in mind.
"Only you," Joshua told him with a wink, "you're the only one who's going to die."
Now Martin did try to run, regardless of the fact that he knew it was useless, his instinct for survival overriding all logical thought, but Joseph caught him roughly by his jumper and hauled him to the floor, Martin's head striking the hard ground with a horrible dull sound, the rose crushed and cast aside to lay beside his cheek.
"Chances are you're going to have a nasty headache," Joshua told him off-handedly.
"Right then, master Martin," Joseph began in a businesslike tone, "let's get down to brass tacks. We need some information and you are going to give it to us. I must warn you that we are already rather upset with you, as you have been uncommonly difficult to locate, and we do have a schedule to keep to. But now that we have you, we expect you to do the right thing and tell us what we need to know." He stared down at the boy who lay curled up at his feet, too afraid to move, Martin only distantly aware of the sensation of something thick and viscous trickling through his hair and onto his neck .
"So," continued Joshua, taking up where his brother had left off, "this is how it is. We need to know where those three newcomers are, I'm sure you know who I mean. A boy and two girls. If you help us, maybe we won't have to hurt you quite so much. If not, well, I know you understand quite well what will happen then."
Martin looked up into the faces of his persecutors, but found that instead of men, all he could see were alien creatures, their eyes wide with desire and he understood that everything was lost.
Although he tried very hard not to, he could not help but glance toward the wooden crate where Jo was hiding, wanting so much just to catch a glimpse of her one last time, but she was too well concealed and a part of him that was able to set aside the desperation and despair that gripped him with such hideous strength, took comfort from that.
"Well, boy," prompted Joseph, giving him a kick in the ribs that sent all thoughts of anything but pain fleeing from his mind. "Where are they?"
Gritting his teeth so hard that it would have hurt if it were not for the all-consuming pain in his side, Martin hissed at them. "I don't know. I haven't seen them."
Joshua stepped forward and placed a heavy boot onto the boy's outstretched hand as he reached for the battered rose, hoping to take courage from this symbol of his affection for Jo, and Martin screamed from the agony that shot up his arm as his fingers were crushed with deliberate, slow care.
The man bent down until his face was very close to the boy's and gave a merciless grin. "We know you were with those two girls. You were seen! So come on now, do yourself a favour and tell us where they are. What are they to you anyway?"
Martin's mind was beset by flashing lights, reds and yellows blinking in and out and he did his best to think of any way he might be able to escape, but however hard he tried, his brain steadfastly refused to function properly, as if it too were injured, his hand now almost numb.
"You don't have many more chances," Joseph told him with an air of impatience.
"Just tell us where they're hiding and you can go," Joshua added, affecting a congenial tone of voice. "After all, it's not you that we want, it's them. It really doesn't have to be like this, you know."
Martin closed his eyes, the anguish that he felt almost unbearable and for a moment, fleeting but nonetheless real, he asked himself why he should stay silent, but then somehow finding its way even through the weight of fear and pain, Jo's face appeared in his mind and he saw her smiling at him as he offered her the rose.
Oh Jo, why did this have to happen? Why?
"Go to hell," he whispered, tasting his own tears upon his lips.
With brutal force, Joseph brought his boot down onto Martin's arm, snapping it like a twig, the shriek it provoked reverberating from the canopy of glass above them. "You had your chance," the man grunted and knelt down, putting his full weight onto the boy's chest, several ribs collapsing almost immediately, one puncturing a lung.
Sobbing and struggling for breath, Martin attempted to wriggle free but it was useless, the man's bulk crushing him like an over-ripe piece of fruit, and as consciousness began to drift away from him, all he could think of was how this must appear to Jo, who he knew was so close and yet seemed so distant from him, as if she were no more than a dream he had once believed was real.


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## Confusticated

Read my first fantasy series at age 21. Piers Anthony's Xanth. Did so because I noticed and was entertained by the cover art of a book my friend was reading, and when I told her this she recommended the series. I decided to read it because she told me I'd like that the books were full of puns. 

Being interested in the magical world by the cover and knowing I might find the book funny were the 2 reasons for it.

I think cover art is important for fantasy books, more than any other kind of book. If the art is good enough to make a potential reader interested in what he sees it can be a sole reason for picking up the book to find out more. For all fiction I like to read the first couple pages, this tells me if the writer is interesting or dull to read.

The kind of cover art that has caused me to find out more about a fantasy book is a picture of a scene of the fantasy world and some characters. Just as you would see if looking out a window. I dislike art that tries to show too much, like having wolves heads in the sky. The former, more real depiction of the world pulls me in more, like I am looking into the world as opposed to seeing a patchwork of items from it.

Not counting horror that borders on fantasy, Xanth and Middle-earth are the only fantasy I have read. Most fantasy comes off phony to me. *The only thing that could get me to read one would probably be hearing a passage which surprisingly impressed and interests me.* Either that or being stuck alone with nothing else to do!

Xanth was good because it didn't try to take itself too seriously. Middle-earth is in a class of its own.


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## Prince of Cats

Hey Mark,

Thanks for sharing your new work!


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## MarkJH

My pleasure, Prince. What did you think of it?


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## Prince of Cats

Well, it isn't the sort of thing I would read (too dark) but you managed to give a lot of information about the characters and get my attention about what the plot/context could be in a relatively few amount of words,for sure


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## Starbrow

I agree with the Prince. It's a good description and I feel like I know the characters pretty well after that short passage. However, it's too dark for me; I'm in the mood for light-hearted reading right now.


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## MarkJH

I thought this review that was just posted on Amazon UK might be of interest. I'm really pleased with it because the reader absolutely 'got' what the novel is meant to be about.



'If ever you've strayed in a dodgy part of town you'll have felt what this novel at times conveys; a sense of anxious dread and paranoid suspicion. Evil doesn't play by the rules or rather it does but the rules are hidden. You're left constantly wondering what lurks beyond the next page and 'The Magic Lands' doesn't disappoint with twsts and turns aplenty. 

Surreal, beguiling, entrancing, deflating, uplifting and even at times demanding the book reminds you of life itself and I guess that's the point. I'd recommend this for the older teenager and above or a bright younger teenager as the concepts, whilst wrapped in a context akin to a child's story, are altogether adult and belong to a world we know in real life to be decidely grey and occasionally bleak. 

However there is hope - but again, as in real life, at a cost - and the reader is ultimately rewarded for the journey they take with the two boys and their companions. I'll leave you to discover what that is for yourself but if you like your novels to reach out, grab your brain and go 10 rounds instead of lying passive like the pulp they often are then I highly recommend this book to you. 

'The road is cruel and dark, my friend.' '


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## MarkJH

Just thought that I would post this in the spirit of balance, but I’ve just had my first really negative review on Amazon USA! After three five star reviews I got a one (count them!!) star review from someone who thought the book was not good at all. Oh well, you can’t win ‘em all


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## Prince of Cats

The Sour just help you enjoy the Sweet 

Congratulations on your other reviews. If the other critic went out of his way so far as to write a bad review, at least you inspired him


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## Aisteru

I feel that the cover art is important in the sense that it should not be too...frantic, I suppose. I like my cover art to be intriguing yet not too mysterious so that I have no idea what the book is. Your cover art is a little too frenzied for my tastes but you seem like a nice guy and a good writer from what I've read so I'll give it a shot. I can't wait to read it and I'll give you my thoughts on it soon. Good luck!


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## Aisteru

hmmm, too bad I didn't realize this thread is quite old. Haha sorry Mark, but I still can't wait to read it.


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## MarkJH

I thought I would let everyone know that my old AOL page with excerpts from The Magic Lands is closing. I have now created a new site that has the first two chapters from my book available to read. You can find it here: http://www.freewebs.com/markhockley/
Please do check it out if you get a chance. Comments are always welcome!


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## Mike

Thought I'd quote the one-star review in case anyone's too lazy to go to the amazon page:



> I hate to be the first person here who says they didn't like the book, but overall I would rate this book very poor. The action was slow, the plot sometimes confusing, Dredger's name was the only unique kind of name there for a land in magic--the rest were original, and the very climax to the book was coming but fell short.
> 
> Now the positive review-the author used similarities between the wolf and the devil. Now I don't know if the author believes in God or not, but from what I read, it seems that he gets it that the devil is the bad guy and one must always take that journey towards the Heavens instead.
> 
> So that's the bad/good news from here.


 
Yeah, I wouldn't take this review too personally, Mark. I myself wouldn't trust this sort of comment if I'm deciding to make a purchase. 

I've been trying to find it but there just don't seem to be any copies for sale in either Whitehorse or Edsmonton, Canada, and without a credit card Amazon is out of the question. Perhaps it'll appear someday.


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## MarkJH

Thanks Mike. You could always ask one of the stores to order it in for you. They probably would be able to do that I think.


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## annadelc

I usually pick a book because of the cover picture and then I look to the back cover. I too dislike the books which covers has nothing to do with the tale in the book. But, I understand that many publicist look for that which attract the buyer and don't care for what the author has to say. Congratulations on your book... the cover and name does sound very interesting to me. 
Anna del C.
Author of "The Elf and the Princess"
and "Trouble in the Elf City"


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## MarkJH

Thanks Anna. I hope you get a chance to check out the first two chapters at http://www.freewebs.com/markhockley/
If you do, let me know what you think


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## Eledhwen

People do judge books by the cover. I found this short quote in the internet, but I actually read the research at the time. Gory pictures of murdered bodies were replaced by a simple image of, say, a pair of glasses with a broken lens alongside a cut rose. Sales rose dramatically when focus group findings were acted on, and sales rose dramatically even before the research was complete.


> Agatha Christie, “the queen of crime,” wrote more than seventy detective novels and that her name is “synonymous with the genre.” Even so, her books periodically require repositioning. “In the 1980s, her publisher, Collins, faced with a decline in sales, commissioned research into her readers and their views of the [paperback] covers.” Focus groups told Collins that the covers were repelling Christie’s natural market and were “unrepresentative of the qualities of the author.” Gory artwork had moved the books in the direction of the horror genre, rather than presenting them as mysteries. Phillips writes, “Sales of her novels increased by 40 per cent in the first year of the new covers.” (http://internetreviewofbooks.com/feb08/judging_a_book_by_its_cover.html)



For fantasy, I don't think the imagery should give too much away; but I know it's different in the USA than it is here. The American market seems to prefer a full illustration. The adult editions of Harry Potter in the UK illustrated a single item on the cover. For book 7 it was Slytherin's locket. I read fantasy author Elizabeth Haydon's Rhapsody series with UK sourced books bearing a single symbol from the story on the cover. When I had to buy The Assassin King from a USA bookseller, it arrived bearing a hideously bright painting of the main characters in action, who were not only not as I pictured them, but also not as described in the book. If I'd seen something like this book at the beginning, I would never have bought book one.


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## MarkJH

For anyone who might be interested I've posted the first two chapters of what will hopefully be my next book at http://www.freewebs.com/markhockley/
It's a work in progress, but it would be great if you got a chance to take a look and let me know what you think. It's called The Shadow of the Rose.


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## Persephone

Interesting. 

It does remind me a bit of Narnia though, the beginning with the Train and all that and the living with someone else for a time. 

I hope this gets released in Manila.


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## MarkJH

Hope you don't mind me sharing this new review from Amazon 
'This book is the story of two fourteen year old boys who find themselves transported into a realm of magic and nightmare. 
Reminiscent of the Chronicles of Narnia, the story quickly turns into a dark tale of nightmare, lust and cruelty as the two boys find themselves locked in a contest against the ultimate evil, with the stakes being not only their lives, but their souls as well.
Joining Tom Lewis and Jack Barton as they journey through the contantly changing dreamscape of The Magic Lands is like sitting down with Alice In Wonderland and Rob Zombie to drop some acid.
Loaded with iconic imagery, The Magic Lands is a tour de force into a surreal realm dominated by evil and insidious temptation.'


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## MarkJH

Just to let anyone who may be interested in checking out my work that I’ve changed my website address. The new address is now http://markhockley.webs.com/

Hope you get a chance to take a look!


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