Some months back, we showed you the cover of Megan O’Keefe’s debut novel, Steal the Sky, book one of the Scorched Continent, which offered just about everything we could ask of a rollicking fantasy caper, from a cast of lovable ne’er-do-wells, to a breathless heist, to exploding airships. It’s a ton of fun, which is all the more reason to be excited about the fact that there’s more on the way. Today, Angry Robot has given us a chance to show you the cover art for the sequel, Break the Chains, again featuring art by Kim Sokol. Keep reading beyond the reveal for a guest post from the author, who talks about some iconic friendships in fantasy.

But first, a little back-cover blurbage…

A year has passed since Detan set the skies above Aransa on fire, and the armies of Aransa’s new dictator Thratia are preparing to knock on the door of his aunt’s city, Hond Steading… As the city that produces the most selium—that precious gas that elevates airships and powers strange magic—Hond Steading is a jewel worth stealing. To shore up the city’s defenses, Detan promises his aunt that he’ll recover Nouli, the infamous engineer who built the century gates that protect the imperial capital of Valathea. But Nouli is imprisoned on the Remnant Isles, an impervious island prison run by the empire, and it’s Detan’s fault. Detan doesn’t dare approach Nouli himself, so his companions volunteer to get themselves locked up to make contact with Nouli and convince him to help. Now Detan has to break them all out of prison, and he’s going to need the help of a half-mad doppel to do it.

And here’s Megan to talk friendships in fantasy…

Nothing hooks me into a story faster than coming across two friends who just get each other. I adore being drawn along by easy camaraderie, the comfortable give-and-take taunts of old friends. Best buds who can harass and support one another in equal measure? Sign me up. And fantasy stories are particularly adept at delivering this flavor of relationship.

Of course, fantasy stories have always been fertile ground for all varieties of interpersonal drama. Descendants right generational wrongs, kings and queens secure legacies through offspring, and an ill-timed romance is often waiting in the wings to trip up Our Hero on their quest.

But from its very beginnings, it’s been the friendships woven throughout fantasy stories that I’ve found most compelling. Whether we reach all the way back to the legend of Gilgamesh and Enkidu, or dig around in the roots of modern fantasy with Samwise and Frodo, friendships drive many of the narrative engines that stay with us long into the future.

Friendships are the icing on the cake, the cherry on the sundae. They’re relationships of choice, not familial ties. It’s their inessential nature that makes them so compelling, their voluntary intimacy that makes for incredible highs and lows. When Samwise, speaking of the one ring, tells Frodo, “I cannot carry it for you, but I can carry you.” I still get chills. That’s love, right there. Freely given, without the bond of blood.

Friendships may not be necessary for a character to grow, or to change, but they certainly help—and sometimes push characters in interesting directions.

In speculative worlds, just as in our own, who a character chooses to confide in and bond with can tell us a great deal about that character. Some of the greatest friendships (Holmes and Watson, Arthur Dent and Ford Prefect) are built on a harmony of differences. In combining complementary talents and personalities, fictional friendships push and pull on each other, forcing each character to see the world with fresh eyes. And, sometimes, forcing a character to see themselves through the eyes of someone they care about. Together, characters become stronger.

And hey, let’s face it, there’s no one better to call you out on bad behavior than your best friend.

Preorder Break the Chains, available October 4, 2016.