Well THAT was unexpected! Waiting in the entry this afternoon was my print copy of Cities of Mystery. I didn't expect to see that for another month or so. Very cool! It'll make bedside reading a bit easier.
On the cover: this looks MUCH better in print than on PDF. Oddly, the depth of the image doesn't translate as well on the screen. It's also helped solidify what I don't like about it.
(Bear with me as I put on my graphic designers cap here)
I think the shading put on the title and cover image feel off. The image seems to be sitting on top of the leather background while the title and logo appear to lie under it (or cut out of the background. This is due to the shading used. I think the whole thing might look better without the drop shadows and instead add a slight pillow emboss, giving it the appearance of being "stamped" into the leather. Not sure how this will work with the texture in the newer castle font, though.
Either way, I see the appeal of the design now.
Tom