Bound: Fire and Blood by @sleepstxtic
Typeset and bound by: me, @phoenixortheflame.
Featuring art by: @wickedcircle
To prevent the Dance of Dragons from decimating what is left of House Targaryen, Luke offers his hand in marriage to Aemond — who accepts with one caveat: that they perform an ancient Valyrian public-sex rite in the dragonpit, as recompense for Aemond’s lost eye. This is a story of what comes before, and after.
I had the pleasure of alpha/beta-reading this fic. Or, as I said to Kat, this "whole-ass fantasy novel". It's got epic battle scenes, espionage, political turmoil, and sexy times on dragon-back.
I knew even when Kat was still writing it that I'd be binding it.
And not just because the fic is amazing. KAT is amazing. If you've ever had the chance to chat with her, you know she's one of the kindest, smartest, most charming humans on the planet. It's such a joy to call her my friend — and to have the privilege of reading her amazing writing.
For my design concept, I knew I wanted it to emulate George R. R. Martin's high-fantasy covers, which often features some sort of emblem or crest along with some very bold lettering.
I also had the opportunity to use this incredible fan art from @wickedcircle, which is just begging to be on the cover. So, I did what any sane person would do and created an alternate cover, which I used to make a paperback for myself.
The hard cover case is made with black book cloth and Lacquered Yuzen Paper, which has an embossed texture and gorgeous shine. I knew the second I saw it that I needed it for this bind.
As always, I made a cheeky little barcode for the dust jacket. It's a quote from a very, err, HOT scene. Hot! Like, temperature-wise. Sort of.
The typeset was made in Affinity Publisher. In fact, it was my first typeset made in Affinity, and I'm super happy with how it turned out!
It's not my typical aesthetic, and I was worried it might look tacky. But I think it fits the vibe perfectly. It probably helps that I included the other pieces of art @wickedcircle made to go alongside this fic, because, well LOOK AT THEM!!!!
Also, peep the red thread, which I used to sew the signatures together. I'd seen a few people use red thread for their binds, and I've been itching for an excuse to bust it out.