We’ve just got into the office advance copies of Jane Yolen and Mike Cavallaro’s Curses! Foiled Again, the sequel to Foiled, which was a story about fencing and teen boys being aggravating and sometimes magic, too.

It looks super-pretty!

Why yes, that IS gold foil you see on the title text.  It is both attractive and shiny!  Also on the cover?  Baba Yaga!  My favorite of all fantasy creatures.  Who doesn’t love a witch who transports herself with a magical mortar and pestle, seemingly the most inconvenient mode of flying travel ever, as they are made out of rocks?

Here is the standing-up view of the cover.  Look how dramatic!  They are clearly on the road to some serious evil-fighting!

And here’s the back cover (which I think I somehow managed not to see until this book got into the office).  I love how all the Unseelie Court has gathered around to read the reviews of Foiled.  It’s so charming how they’re supporting us!  (Or planning evil, I suppose — will let you all know if the office gets attacked by evil elves who have made their strategic plans based on :01 back cover copy.)

The spine is full of adorable foil stars (indicating how magically special this book is).

This book has flaps!  They are very attractive, and also red.  Can’t you just not wait to dive into this story?

This is the back flap, with Ali and her cousin Caroline in silouette having adventures in tabletop gaming below the author bios.  Cousins!  They can be so aggravating, can’t they?

I have no idea why Mike puts all the indicia (the copyright and book information) in little boxes, but it is awesome.  I don’t know if I’ve seen anyone else doing this — but clearly, since this book is comics, all the data should go in little boxes, right?

Finally — what you’ve all been waiting for, the inside!  Mike’s art looks amazing, and I love the red spot color — and the dragon!  Who doesn’t love dragons, honestly?

And then when all the fairyland creatures comes out, the book turns into color!  Crazy!

Everything looks great — we’re really excited to show this book off to everyone.

Curses! Foiled Again comes out in January.