This meme was started by Books by Proxy, whose fabulous idea was to compare UK and US book covers and decide which is we prefer. This week we are looking at covers featuring angels. I have gone for the first book in Kate Griffin’s fabulous Matthew Swift – A Madness of Angels. Though these blue, electric angels aren’t anything like the ones we are used to…
This offering was published by Orbit in 2009. I love it. I’ve always thought the covers produced for this fantastic series were beautiful and effectively capture the dark splendour of Griffin’s extraordinary prose. There is so much going on in the etched detail running through the lightning effect behind Matthew’s head, it is subtle as well as very eye-catching.
This is the paperback version produced by Orbit, also in 2009. It is an effective cover, using the same themes, but without the central figure and coruscating light surrounding him.
This edition was published in 2011 by Editions Eclipse – and as you can see the French have gone for a really hardcore version of Matthew. As it happens, I think it nicely captures his mood when he’s resurrected and he isn’t ever known for his soft fluffy nature…
My favourite is the first offering – partly because it adorns the book I acquired at the first Fantasycon I attended – and partly because it is an awesomely good cover. Do you agree?
Brainfluff 