Ken Kelly's Horseclans artwork still hasn't been topped. Every time I pull one of those books off the shelf I'm reminded how much character and raw power those covers had. The armor looked battle-worn, the cats looked terrifying, and Milo Morai actually looked like someone you'd follow into combat.
A lot of fantasy art today is technically impressive, but so much of it feels polished to the point of being sterile. Kelly's paintings had grit, movement, and personality. You could recognize one of his covers from across the room.
For me, those Horseclans covers are still the gold standard of fantasy book art. They didn't just sell the books—they made you want to step into that world.
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Darth Yoda
"Debugging the galaxy, one bite at a time."
Darth Yoda
"Debugging the galaxy, one bite at a time."