# New Cover Art: The Vaults of Winter by Darius Hinks



## Lord of the Night (Nov 18, 2009)

Time for some fantasy as we have the cover for _The Vaults of Winter_, the first novel in the coming trilogy about Orion the King of Winter and the Wood Elves, which will be penned by Darius Hinks, the author of _Sigvald_ and winner of the Morningstar award.



















Orion looks very well-done, the art really shows his connection to the wild. And I love the snowy haunted feel of Athel Loren. As one of Black Library's most in-human characters it will be a real task for Darius to make this a good series. I think he's up to it.


Lord of the Night


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## kwak76 (Nov 29, 2010)

Is Orion a Satyr ? It looks like it judging from the pictures. What's his relationship with the wood elves?


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## Azkaellon (Jun 23, 2009)

kwak76 said:


> Is Orion a Satyr ? It looks like it judging from the pictures. What's his relationship with the wood elves?


He is king of the $#(!ing woods and makes the wood elve's his bitch when ever he feels like it mostly.


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## Vaz (Mar 19, 2008)

Artwork doesn't make sense considering he rests in winter and returns in Summer. Neither do I find it a particularly good picture of Orion. He doesn't really capture the image of Kurnous/the Hunter like his actual models do.

And Darius Hinks? One of the best fantasy authors I have ever had the pleasure of reading. As I imagined Sigvald, his character was captured perfectly.


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## Lord of the Night (Nov 18, 2009)

Vaz said:


> Artwork doesn't make sense considering he rests in winter and returns in Summer.


Might be the novel will explain that. Likely a dire enough situation could cause Orion to wake up early and marshal the forest against whatever enemy threatens it.


Lord of the Night


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## Vaz (Mar 19, 2008)

I'll have to double check, but I beleive it was either Cyanathair/Morghur or Heinrich Kemmler who attacked in winter and attempted to destroy Orion and wifey during their winter sleep.

Like you say, though will be a book I'm keeping my eyes on. Was quite disappointed with Guardians of the Forest on the Wood Elves simply being High Elves in trees.


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## Lord of the Night (Nov 18, 2009)

Vaz said:


> I'll have to double check, but I beleive it was either Cyanathair/Morghur or Heinrich Kemmler who attacked in winter and attempted to destroy Orion and wifey during their winter sleep.


If this trilogy is about Heinrich Kemmler's invasion then it is *definitely* worth keeping your eyes on. Kemmler was cool enough that another author used him as an arch-villain in his series past, a free soul for whomever guesses which series, so I do hope its him.

Dunno about the other one, i've never heard the name Cyanathair or Morghur before.


Lord of the Night


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## Vaz (Mar 19, 2008)

He's the Master of Skulls, basically walking corruption and living chaos. Unfortunately, you have to read in Wood Elves exactly how nasty he is, he's always ignored in Beastmen, as he doesn't seem to fit any existing Character Trope - i.e he's not a Minotaur, Beastlord, Centigor or Bray Shaman, and his rules are often forgotten.

But basically, he's a bad ass, and one of the largest continual threats in the Old World, who cannot be killed. He's like an evil Green Knight.


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## bobss (May 18, 2008)

What Vaz said regarding the artwork.

I enjoyed Graham McNeill's _Guardians of the Forest_. I hope this can compare.


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## MontytheMighty (Jul 21, 2009)

Orion was at one point an elf, right?
he became king/god of the woodland after becoming one with the forest or something like that?


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## Child-of-the-Emperor (Feb 22, 2009)

Lord of the Night said:


> Dunno about the other one, i've never heard the name Cyanathair or Morghur before.


You've never heard of Cyanathair? :shok:

As _Vaz_ said, he's pretty much the arch-enemy of the Wood Elves/Athel Loren and was the one who initiated the Secret War. Naieth's vision is implicit in suggesting that the death of Athel Loren will come at the hands of Cyanathair. 



MontytheMighty said:


> Orion was at one point an elf, right?
> he became king/god of the woodland after becoming one with the forest or something like that?


Yeah, basically.


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## Lord of the Night (Nov 18, 2009)

Child-of-the-Emperor said:


> You've never heard of Cyanathair? :shok:
> 
> As _Vaz_ said, he's pretty much the arch-enemy of the Wood Elves/Athel Loren and was the one who initiated the Secret War. Naieth's vision is implicit in suggesting that the death of Athel Loren will come at the hands of Cyanathair.
> 
> ...


Have since read about Cyanathair in the Beastmen Codex.

He is everything you say and more. He's _literally_ corruption incarnate. This book could have one of two villains if its based on the past. Heinrich Kemmler or Cyanathair. Darius Hinks can't go wrong either way no matter which of the two he picks. :victory:

Also this novel may actually be the 8th entry in the Warhammer Heroes series. I could be wrong but I read that _The Vaults of Winter_ is the next WHF Heroes novel after _Valkia the Bloody_. Which puts one question to me...

*When the hell is Deathmaster being released?!*


LotN


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