Seven Seas has revealed the official English cover for Volume 2 of Ballad of Sword and Wine: Qiang Jin Jiu, by Tang Jiu Qing.
The cover art for the English edition is by Suto (@aoicel), who is returning as the series’ main artist after Volume 1. Suto has also provided art for other Seven Seas-released danmei series, such as The Husky and His White Cat Shizun and Remnants of Filth.
The back cover features the book’s blurb:
After a passionate night together, Shen Zechuan and Xiao Chiye part the next morning as enemies. A new emperor has ascended the throne, and the court is in flux. Power and position are in reach for anyone who dares to grasp them—and Shen Zechuan will stop at nothing to pursue his ambitions. But while Shen Zechuan and Xiao Chiye counter each other’s moves on the board, grander schemes are afoot in the capital of Qudu.
As court conspiracies swirl around them, Shen Zechuan and Xiao Chiye find themselves unlikely allies against a mysterious adversary pulling the strings behind a series of calamities targeting the emperor. Yet, in order to work together, there must be trust, and with trust comes risk: in setting their masks aside, they may inadvertently find their whole selves laid bare.
Originally titled 将进酒, Ballad of Sword and Wine: Qiang Jin Jiu was originally serialized by Tang Jiu Qing on jjwxc in 2018. It ran for 282 chapters, with additional extras that weren’t published on the jjwxc platform. The English localization was announced on September 14, 2023, and the novel itself will be translated by XiA, Jia, and amixy. As noted on the Seven Seas Danmei website, “The Seven Seas English-language edition will feature a mix of exclusive color and b/w interior illustrations, as well as special appendixes (glossary, character guide, etc.).”
Ballad of Sword and Wine: Qiang Jin Jiu Vol. 2 is slated for a September 24th, 2024 release, in both print and digital.
