Welcome to another helping of Covet the Covers. This week I’m featuring Jo Walton’s covers, which are a mix of fantasy, alternate history (The Small Change series) and magic realism, standalones and series… I shall be sharing my thoughts about her book Lifelode tomorrow – but all her books are a major reading event as her writing talent is off the charts and she always produces something thought-provoking and original. She is one of the most gifted, inspired authors writing SFF today. See my reviews of Tooth and Claw, Among Others, Farthing, Ha’penny, Half a Crown, My Real Children, The Just City, The Philosopher Kings, Necessity, The King’s Peace, The King’s Name, and Lent.
Dec10
books and blogs they have written.
delighting in being able to take my tea and lunch breaks out in the garden during the last few days. The lilacs and weigelia are in full bloom right now, as is that lovely bronze flower (gazania, I think!), while my purple smoke tree is putting out vibrant purple leaves that sing in the sunshine. 
One Sunday morning, the outspoken Speaker of the House of Commons steps out of his front door only to be crushed under a mountain of citrus fruit. Bizarre accident or something more sinister? The government needs to know because here’s a man whose knowledge of parliament’s biggest secret could put the future of the government at stake?
Once Jenny Casey was somebody’s daughter. Once she was somebody’s enemy. Now the former Canadian special forces warrior lives on the hellish streets of Hartford, Connecticut, in the year 2062. Racked with pain, hiding from the government she served, running with a crime lord so she can save a life or two, Jenny is a month shy of fifty, and her artificially reconstructed body has started to unravel. But she is far from forgotten. A government scientist needs the perfect subject for a high-stakes project and has Jenny in his sights. Suddenly Jenny Casey is a pawn in a furious battle, waged in the corridors of the Internet, on the streets of battered cities, and in the complex wirings of her half-man-made nervous system. And she needs to gain control of the game before a brave new future spins completely out of control.
This edition was produced by Simon Schuster in October 2017 and as soon as I read the subject for this week, it was a no-brainer. This is a beautiful cover that has me yearning to jump into this book. The sparkles… the face behind it… and for once I won’t be grumbling about the plain black font – it works brilliantly against the brightness of that cover. This is my favourite.
Published in November 2017 by Simon Schuster – what a difference a hardback makes! I confess to being rather puzzled as to why this edition is so completely different to the previous offering. Nevertheless, I do think it charming. My grizzle is with the font – why pink? And if you have to have pink – why Barbie pink?
This edition, published by Scribner in August 2018, is also beautiful. The amber colour of the cover is just lovely and I particularly like that you cannot see the girl’s face, while the detail of her hair, neck and shoulder is lovely. As for the font… rather ordinary and underwhelming, which is why this isn’t my favourite – but it is a close-run thing!
Produced by Uitgeverij Orlando in February 2019, this Dutch edition is also an eye-catching cover. I just love the freckle-faced girl glaring out at me in amongst the sunflowers. I particularly like the fact that she isn’t plastered in make-up. But I find the flat font very disappointing.
This Russian edition, published by Эксмо in October 2017 is the second cover with an abstract floral design – and in my opinion this is by far the more successful. I love the symmetry and striking colours – the dark purple background, with the teal leaves and orange/golden flowers is eye-catching and beautiful. While the title and author fonts are plain and on the dinky side of small, at least they look as if they are nested within the design, rather than slapped across the top of it. So… which is your favourite?
This edition was produced by Nan A. Talese in June 2007 and is my favourite and the reason why I selected this book. It is striking and clever, as well as being beautiful with plenty of intriguing detail. Though if I were to be picky, I would add that in thumbnail the title and author font are all but invisible.
Published in May 2008 by Bloomsbury, this cover has grown on me. Initially I was rather underwhelmed, but that young woman’s gaze is mesmerizing. I like the bold title font which works well in thumbnail and the warm colour is enticing and adds to the charm of this accomplished effort. My chief grizzle is that there is far too much chatter scattered across this cover which compromises the artwork.
This edition, published by Bloomsbury in July 2007, is quite different from the previous offering. While I like the idea of the title looking like lighting, it doesn’t work well in thumbnail and that strong teal background somehow swallows the white. I think the pink flowers look striking, but for the life of me – I have no idea what is going on at the bottom of the cover. Is it an arm? An arched back? Please give me your suggestions – the fact I cannot make it out is indicative that whatever effect Bloomsbury were going for, it hasn’t worked all that well.
Produced by Bloomsbury Berlin in September 2007, this monochrome offering offers yet another contrast to all the previous designs. Rarely have I come across a book with such a wide disparity in design approach… The blurred nightie floating out of the window gives this a strong horror vibe, though I don’t get that impression from any of the other covers. I think the title font is far too thin and tentative – it gets swamped by the backdrop and is impossible to read in thumbnail. I am conscious that I have given you quite a disparate selection – so which is your favourite?
And that is as much as the rather chatty blurb as I’m willing to share, given it goes on to happily give away plotpoints that occur more than a quarter of the way through this hefty read. But the other main protagonist is Angelica Neal, a courtesan trying to find another protector to maintain her lifestyle, now that the duke who looked after her has died.
Brainfluff 