Cover Reveal: Blood of Midgard by Baptiste Pinson Wu

Hello, book friends! Today I'm happy to help reveal the cover of Baptiste Pinson Wu's upcoming Norse epic fantasy novel, Blood of Midgard, the first book in the Army of One trilogy.

I betaread this (I love all things Norse mythology, if you can't tell from the books I wrote 🙊) and it's SO GOOD! Perfect for fans of Thilde Kold Holdt's Hanged God trilogy — but with more focus on the Einherjar and the Midgardians, which I thought was a fantastic choice.

Here's the blurb:

The end is near. The war is just beginning.

Ragnarök’s shadow looms over Asgard. The gods grow fearful, and Odin, in a desperate attempt to fill the benches of Valhöll with more slain heroes, sends his elite warriors to Midgard to spark conflicts. Drake, their leader, would rather fight to prevent the end of the world before it began, for Muninn, Odin’s daughter, is fated to die during the last great battle.

But as Drake and his brothers strive to accomplish Odin’s will on Midgard, a plan born in the darkness of Loki’s cell—and acted upon by someone close to Drake—is set in motion. The snare tightens around Drake, and every step the warrior takes toward the woman he loves in secret brings Ragnarök closer.

You can follow the author on Twitter at @PinsonBaptiste or at www.baptistepinsonwu.com ✨

About the Author

Because life’s nothing without a good challenge, Baptiste decided to ditch regular-paying jobs to become an author, write on tremendously popular topics like Ancient China, or Samurai fighting Zombies, and publish all those nerdy, historical fiction novels from Japan. To preserve what’s left of his sanity, Baptiste spends great chunks of time visiting historical sites, bothering his Chinese wife with questions related to her culture she has no answer to, and wrestling with two untirable creatures called children, who, he believes, have been sent on earth to test the limits of his previously mentioned sanity.

When all of these fail, coffee, whiskey, a fuming bowl of ramen, or an episode of his favorite historical drama (currently Shōgun) do the trick.

His novels are packed with action, grumpy characters, brotherly love, and blades, lots of blades. They are set in ancient, brutal times where martial skills, stubbornness, and an appetite for trouble guarantee bloody adventures that might end up shifting the future of a realm or two.

Other Books by Baptiste Pinson Wu

Undead Samurai

Japan, 1625

A new Drum Master has risen, and soon the nation will fall to the curse of Izanagi. Answering the call of his kotsuzumi, dead warriors abandon their peace to once again roam the land of the living, swinging rusty blades and chattering rotten teeth at his behest.

Japan’s last hope lies in the hands of the nine warriors gathered by the young daimyō of Owari. To reach Onijima, where the source of the curse’s power awaits, the Nine will not only have to face swarms of undead samurai and waves of shinobi mercenaries but even more dangerous to their mission, their inner demons.

Against the undead, the Nine only have two choices, fighting as one or becoming them.

Yellow Sky Revolt (The Three Kingdoms Chronicles Book 1)

China, 184 CE

An empire will shatter.

Dark clouds loom over the Han dynasty. The Yellow Turbans, simple folks turned rebels, threaten the power in place with their sheer numbers and burning anger. Among them, Liao Hua, a young peasant boy, becomes the symbol of the uprising’s vengeful spirit.

But what should have been a short revolt turns into a bloody war for survival. As untrained farmers face the full might of the empire, Liao Hua forges himself a will of iron and vows to do whatever it takes to become the greatest warrior of his time. However, when his path crosses that of the bearded warrior, he understands ambition won’t be enough to come out on top.

An age of chaos is beginning. Men will fall, warlords rise, and warriors clash, but only the strongest will leave their names to be praised for the centuries.

Heroes of Chaos (The Three Kingdoms Chronicles Book 2)

Han Empire - 190 CE

The Yellow Turban uprising has failed. The iron will of the empire has quelled the surviving rebels back to their farms, but from the cracks revealed by the revolt crept every ambitious warlord living under the sky. Many gathered at Hulao to rescue the young emperor from the grasp of the cruel chancellor Dong Zhuo. The coalition, however, is nothing but a snake pit from where the lords plan their next moves.

Among them, the cunning Cao Cao envisions a future where he bows to no one, but talent and ambition might not be enough to survive those tumultuous times. He will need brave men, professional soldiers, and luck if he is to thrive. His students rise to the challenge, and Liao Hua, the Orphan of War, welcomes the fires of war eagerly.

This is his chance to soar. This is his opportunity to claim vengeance on Guan Yu.

Dynasty Killers (The Three Kingdoms Chronicles Book 3)

Han Empire - 196 CE

Warlords rise and fall within the broken Han empire. Old names vanish from the land, while brazen leaders make their fame—none more so than Cao Cao, the once powerless lord who now controls the puppet court of the emperor.

As the final clash between Cao Cao and his old friend Yuan Shao draws near, the Hero of Chaos leads a brutal war to secure his borders and dominate his neighbors. His troops know no rest, his enemies no mercy, and while they learn to fear the glint of Cao Cao’s spears, it’s in the shadows that Liao Chun and his elite warriors sway the fate of the empire.

But as losses amass, even among his closest friends, Chun realizes that maybe his cause is not as just as he thought. Victims are no longer faceless, their screams haunt his nights, and when another path opens up for the young officer, Liao Chun faces the ultimate choice:

Blind obedience or honest betrayal.

Forest of Swords (The Three Kingdoms Chronicles Book 4)

Han Empire — 200 CE

The path of betrayal lies heavy in consequences for Liao Chun. Tricking his former lord and lying to his men was a burden he could have lived with, but the future of a young woman and her child now also rests on his shoulders.

The choice he faces is simple but dire: return the two of them to the Xiahou clan and a certain death, or take them along on his journey, thus making an enemy of all his former allies. No matter his decision, Chun knows it will end with the blood of loved ones. But little does he know he will be the one to spill it.

A journey of a thousand li has begun, and every step will be harder than the previous one.

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Hi! I'm Marie, a Filipino SFFH author and book reviewer currently based in the UK. I’m the co-author of The Prophecies of Ragnarok, a Norse myth new adult urban fantasy trilogy, and I also have several short stories published in anthologies and literary journals.

You can find more info about me and my books, and also subscribe to my newsletter for more content, here. And if you like what I do, please also consider supporting me on Ko-fi! 🩷 https://ko-fi.com/mariesinadjan

If you fancy a short read, I have a cozy reimagining of the Norse myths about Hel, but it's just under 70 pages and can be read in one sitting. ✨ Plus there's a swag kit coming soon! Includes a "membership card," a bookmark, a sticker, an origami dog, and an exclusive 500-word story 🫶🏼

All things end, and all must die.

But death is not always the end.

When Geiravor Lokisdottir was stripped of her name and cast out of Asgard, torn from her family and the life she had known, she thought she’d lost it all. But in the shadows of Niflheim she discovers the path to her destiny, and what it truly means to be queen.

This is a prequel short story to THE PROPHECIES OF RAGNAROK trilogy by Meri Benson and Marie Sinadjan, and a retelling of the myths involving Hel, the Norse goddess of death and the queen of the underworld.