Malefic

by Luis Royo

An artist of the spectacular. Each collection sparkles with pieces seen on book covers from around the world. Fantasy, science fiction, eroticism, etc... Royo has devised a special personal mix of media that makes his work so uncannily real, so beguilingly engaging as to make him a best-selling star.

Genres: Art, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Erotica, Graphic Novels

80 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1995

About the author

Luis Royo (born 1954) is a Spanish artist, best known for his fantasy illustrations published in numerous art books, magazines, and various other media including book and music CD covers, video games and Tarot cards.

Beginning his career as a furniture designer, he was attracted to the comics industry in the late 1970s, and nine years later turned to art as a full time career. Within a few years, he was publishing art in many magazines as well as providing cover illustrations for a number of publishers.

Reviews

[Parka · Rating 5 out of 5]

(More pictures at parkablogs.com)

In this book are some gorgeously dark fantasy art. There are not only detailed paintings, but plenty of beautiful sketches as well. The art's more towards the gothic side.

There are lots of sexy women with flawless skin wielding swords standing in the darkness, really exquisite, and they all know you're looking at them. My favourite piece is one with a female warrior with strange hairdo bathed in light as black smoke monsters threatens to engulf her. The other piece I like is a dark silhouetted female warrior with an icy stare while she's holding a bleeding monster head, as if it's no big deal — which probably isn't.

All the armour and swords are very cool and beautiful although I have to question how functional some of the armour are.

Recommended to mature fantasy art lovers and artists.

[Ninja · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great art by Royo: the cover, 9 tongues, is one of my favourites of his, and Wings of Reflection is a classic Cinemagraph. Includes a number of covers.

[Antonio Meridda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Uno dei più bei libri illustrati di Luis Royo, davvero eccezionale.

[Leila Anani · Rating 3 out of 5]

Luis Royo fantasy art collection dedicated to fantasy women in gothic landscapes, playing about with the concept of beauty and the beast.

This is not my favourite Royo collection by a long shot. Still there are some nice pieces. Includes commercial art for book jackets and Shadowrun RPG.

Each picture has an accompanying piece of abstract text, almost a verse of poetry to help you look the art in a different way.

[Brian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a graphic novel. It is fantasy T and A book, not that it wasn't nice, but shouldn't be shelved as a graphic novel.

[Wendy · Rating 5 out of 5]

(found read date in diary)