Nigerian-Canadian YA author Deborah Falaye took to Twitter on October 19 to share the cover of her second novel War Widow. The book is the sequel to Blood Scion and will be released in 2023. The cover is absolutely gorgeous and we are so excited to share this cover reveal of Falaye’s new novel.

The book cover stunningly depicts the main character Sloane in a brilliant red outfit with a headpiece made of cowrie shells and her face turned upward to gaze at the reader. The cover artist and designer did a brilliant job capturing the determination and tenacity of Falaye’s portrayal of Sloane and we cannot wait to read the novel!

In a Twitter DM, Falaye shared her thoughts about the cover with Brittle Paper:

First off, I’ve been very lucky to have two beautiful covers for both Blood Scion and War Widow, and it’s all thanks to the incredible artist, Taj Francis, and the amazing cover designer, Corina Lupp. Together, they’ve managed to capture the essence of what this book series is all about. With the cover for Blood Scion, we wanted to focus on the vulnerability of my main character. And with War Widow’s cover, it was all about her empowerment, and depicting her as a force to be reckoned with. I think that is what I love the most about this cover, in that there is so much meaning behind the art itself. The use of color, the cultural elements illustrated on the cover—such as Shango’s double-headed axe, the cowrie shells, the red gown, and of course, my main character herself—it’s all done with so much intentionality that really makes the cover far more impactful for me.

The cover artist is Taj Francis, a Jamaican-born artist and designer who graduated from Edna Manley College School of Arts. The cover designer is Corina Lupp, an Argentinian-born designer who graduated from The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art and focuses mainly on publications and print.

In War Widow, the main character Sloane escapes Avalon with Baba and the surviving members of the Blades, but she is distraught when she reaches Ilé-Orisha – the Shadow Rebels’ hidden fortress. She was hoping to “rally the rebels in a war against her father, Theodus Sol, the new Seer King,” but “Sloane stumbles into a massacre, ordered by Theodus himself.”

To find out what happens to Sloane, make sure you preorder War Widow here!