New concept art: Eddie

Hello readers! Just a short post from me today. I’m adding a new doodle to the art collection, and I’m also dropping the quotation marks from “collection” now that it contains five artworks (three characters and two maps – that’s a collection, right?).

This is Eddie, one of the protagonists in my Highmoor series. If you haven’t read the books, it isn’t much of a spoiler for me to reveal that Eddie is a wizard (I think he does magic within the first few paragraphs of meeting him). I’ve drawn him with a glowing magic staff, crouching down to get better contact with the ground, so that he can use his magic to shift the earth. If you’ve read the book, I hope this matches your expectations!

A brief introduction to the Highmoor series…

The Highmoor series is high fantasy, set in a world inhabited by wizards, dragons, elves and trolls. The land was created by seven gods, who once dwelt there alongside their creations. However, a rift developed between them, and the gods turned on one another. The conflict that followed led to Eldingar, the god who had created trolls, being locked away beneath the world. Then, in the centuries that followed, the other six gods lost their physical forms. Two thousand years later, they are little more than spirits, worshipped by a declining number of followers. Nobody knows whether they still have powers, or if they could ever return.

The first book, Highmoor, has a relatively self-contained plot. It follows the travels of four young adults who are uprooted from their quiet forest home, only to get caught in a conflict between the neighbouring nations of Highmoor and Nettlewick. Highmoor is a sparsely populated nation governed by seven families of wizards, who are struggling to stop marauding witch clans from stealing their territory. Nettlewick is a nation that has grown rich by controlling trade to the region, and they are keen to exploit Highmoor’s weakness and steal some territory of their own. This conflict forces our protagonists to learn about their powers, their pasts, and their place in the world – and sets up the larger plot that carries the rest of the series.

The second book, Sylvre, sees our characters travelling to the other side of the world, where plans are grander, politics are more intricate, and decisions carry greater weight. They meet elves and dwarves and goblins, who have largely retreated to their own nations in the past few centuries, relations having deteriorated since their guiding deities faded from existence. The third book, Synwyr, sees tensions rising – and the fourth book will handle the repercussions (once I finish it).

The books aren’t just about politics and world-building. They have a really strong focus on character development, motivations and interactions. You can also expect an intricate magic system, vivid landscapes, and big battles.

If that piques your interest at all, you can find more information on the dedicated page: https://cwclaytonauthor.co.uk/highmoor/

You can find the books on Amazon here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0BGCRWBTH

In summary…

Another doodle has made its way into the collection! Hopefully I’ll manage to put together some more character concept art soon. Nia and Norbert are next on the list, but I’m not setting myself any deadlines (here’s the recent progress update if you didn’t see it).

Also, keep an eye out for the free book weekend happening on the 26th-27th October! I’ll send a reminder nearer the time. This will be the first weekend that Synwyr, the fourth book in the Highmoor series, will be available for free.

Happy reading, and have a lovely week!