Friday Faceoff – The way to heaven is on horseback… #Brainfluffbookblog #Fridayfaceoff

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 meme is currently being nurtured by Lynn’s Book Blog and the theme this week features riders. I’ve selected Green Rider – Book 1 of the Green Rider series by Kristen Britain. I read this one longer ago than I care to recall, but thoroughly enjoyed it.

 

This edition was produced by DAW Books in April 2000. I love this cover – the wealth of detail with all the movement and drama of the galloping horse is beautiful. But I do dislike all that chat at the top which draws the eye away from the author name.

 

Published in April 2011 by Gollancz, this one is my favourite. Yes… I don’t think the horse has wings in the book, but to be honest – I don’t care. The illustration is absolutely stunning and just works. My one niggle is that the title and author fonts could be just a bit more decorative as they are unutterably dull.

 

This German edition, published by Heyne in December 2008, is attractive and eye-catching. And if you are wondering why there isn’t a scrap of green anywhere, the German title translates as The Magic Rider so it makes sense to have a striking red cover featuring a beautiful black stallion galloping through the middle of the cover. At last the font also is suitably dramatic.

 

This Turkish edition, produced by Kalipso Yayinlari is more about the young rider than the horse. When I saw the teeny-tiny version of this one, I confess that I sighed a little, but now it is larger, I like it more than I thought I would – though I’d prefer her to be wearing gauntlets and less eye makeup. But that sword hilt is gorgeous and I love the wonderful title font.

 

This Czech cover, published in 2012 is another strong contender. In fact, if it wasn’t for that amazing Gollancz offering, this would be my favourite. I love the fact that we are seeing the back of the rider and the horse, while that rich border gives it a suitably otherworld flavour. I love the golden light that effectively throws the rider and horse into relief, though I would personally have used a different colour other than yellow in the title font. What about you – which is your favourite?

#Friday Faceoff – Just put one foot in front of the other – and keep going… #Brainfluffbookblog

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. It is currently being nurtured by Lynn at Lynn’s Book Blog. This week the theme is a cover featuring footsteps, so I’ve selected Feet of Clay – Book 19 of the Discworld series by Terry Pratchett.

 

This edition was produced by Corgi in May 1997. I love it. I love the brightness, the detail and the quirky oddness that encapsulates what Pratchett’s writing is all about. I’m also conscious that in the world where books are often sold in ebook form these days, it isn’t a cover that does well as a thumbnail. The main reason why this isn’t my favourite is that ugly blue box containing the title and author plonked right in the middle of that glorious artwork.

 

Published in February 2004 by Hartorch, this cover lacks the charm and bustling humour of the previous offering. However, I do like the footprints running up the side and the quirky title font – I just wish that blue wasn’t so drab or the head with glowing eyes didn’t look as if this is horror – Pratchett’s work can be thought provoking but isn’t remotely creepy.

 

This edition, published by Gollancz in June 2014 is another one that looks as if this book is in the horror genre. The dark figure with glowing red eyes and white swirls looks really threatening. I do like how they have handled the title and Pratchett’s name, however.

 

Produced by Turtleback Books in February 2004, this edition certainly gives a sense that this is a humorous novel. I love the bubbles, along with the footprints featured in the centre of the cover. The font is also quirky and offbeat, giving a clue about the genre. This is a better effort than the previous, gloomy offering, I feel.

 

This French cover – which hasn’t any other details on Goodreads – is my favourite. The characters draw on those marvellous Josh Kirby and Paul Kidby covers with some lovely detailed artwork that still looks effective when shrunk down to thumbnail size. The title and author fonts are also well handled. Which is your favourite?

Friday Faceoff – I’m freeeee… #Brainfluffbookblog

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 meme is currently being nurtured by Lynn’s Book Blog. This week the theme is a Freebie, where we choose our favourite cover, so I’ve selected Traitor to the Throne – Book 2 of the Rebel of the Sands series bys by Alwyn Hamilton. I loved the story – but I loved the covers even more…

 

This edition was produced by Viking in March 2017. It’s not my favourite, but it’s still a cracking cover. The female archer featured on the cover clearly means business – I like the fact she is shooting straight at us. But what lifts this is that stunning sky and the background with the flock of birds and the city in the distance.

 

Published in February 2017 by Faber and Faber, this is my favourite. I love the eye-catching pink, with that lovely Eastern fretwork acting as a window into this exotic, dangerous world. The distant cityscape is picked out beautifully and I love the night sky with the sickle moon which perfectly complements that wonderful title font. This cover actually made me tingle when I first saw it…

 

This Polish edition, published by Czwarta Strona in July 2017, is another gem. Those lovely swirling patterns and that wonderfully detailed desertscape featuring the silhouette of our plucky heroine and her horse is simply beautiful. For me, what slightly lets it down is the title font, which is rather ordinary by comparison.

 

This Spanish edition, produced by Destino in October 2017 is certainly a lot different to the other covers. Initially I disliked it – but apart from the figures which I still don’t like all that much, the rest of the lovely detail has really grown on me. There is a wealth of lovely detail in the artwork all over the book that has me repeatedly looking at it as every time I do, I see something more.

 

This Serbian cover, published in June 2017, is another attractive, eye-catching offering. The colours are lovely and though it lacks the detailed gorgeousness of the other efforts, the stylised, more simplistic approach has been very well done. It also works effectively as a thumbnail, which is an important consideration these days. So… which of these covers do you like best?

Friday Faceoff – The hand that writes and having writ moves on…

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 the theme is a cover featuring hands, so I’ve selected The Moving Finger – Book 4 of the Miss Marple Mysteries by Agatha Christie.

 

This edition was produced by HarperCollins in 1995. I rather like it – the gloved hand moving over the ancient typewriter evokes a strong period feel, which is well sustained by the author and title font. I would personally have preferred not to have that unappealing black block in the lower third of the cover, which rather spoils it for me.

 

Published in March 2007 by Black Dog and Leventhal Publishers, I also like this cover. The country postbox set in a dry stone wall gives a strong rural feel, with the bright green cloud below gives a strong indication that something is very wrong… Again, the fonts are right for the period. I would have preferred the postbox to have been picked out in bright red, which would have added another splash of colour, thus giving it extra eye appeal.

 

This edition, published by Harper Collins in 2012, is probably my favourite. The black background with the classic Christie signature in red really pops, while the lettering for the title font is simple – but that doesn’t prevent it from being effective.

 

This Bengali edition, produced by সেবা প্রকাশনী in December 2016, certainly catches the eye. There is something very disturbing about that outstretched arm – it looks so horribly vulnerable… And the rose nearby also tells a story. I don’t feel qualified to comment on the font, but this is a cover that stood out in the looong list of options I could have chosen.

 

This Turkish cover, published in June 2014, is the weakest one this week. The idea is okay – but the execution is very clumsy. Why would there be a spatter of blood across a poison pen letter? What compounds this mistake is the fact it looks so false, as no attempt has been to blend it so that it looks as though it belongs on the paper in the typewriter. So which is your favourite?

Friday Faceoff – When a knight won his spurs…

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 the theme is a cover featuring medieval times, so I’ve selected Tigana by Guy Gavriel Kay, who sounds as if he should be joining in the jousting with a name like that…

 

To be honest, this cover produced by Roc in December 1999 is rather underwhelming. It is very brown with an embossed emblem of something that looks as though it belongs on a shield. I’m not overly struck with the rather spindly font, either. Given this is a book about a particularly colourful time, the cover seems to be expending a great deal of energy just to blend into the general background of the shelf this book will be sitting on.

 

This edition was produced by Roc Fantasy in October 1991 and is far more attractive and lively. The gold font upon the red is much more in keeping. However, my main worry is on behalf of the long-suffering queen or princess… no wonder she is looking so grumpy. I’d be looking a tad fed up if I had an halberd handle sticking out of my left ear, too.

 

Published in April 2005 by Penguin Canada (APB), I like this one. The gold colour sings out and the distant city in the distance looks invitingly different – an impression reinforced with the two moons in the sky. I like the attractive pattern bordering the vista, which gives a suggestion that this might be an embroidered depiction after the style of the Bayeux tapestry.

 

This Italian edition, published by Sperling & Kupfer in 1992, has very much gone for the fantasy feel. The moonlit scene – featuring two moons – is beautifully conveyed and unlike the queen in the Roc Fantasy offering, this monarch is unhampered by any weaponry protruding from her ears. She is beautiful and focused – and I want to pick up this book and find out why. This is my favourite cover.

 

This edition, produced by Penguin Canada in June 2016, is another dun effort. This time we get the edge of the shield, as if we are peeping over it to snatch a view of the city in the distance – also brown. I’m not quite sure why, because it isn’t remotely appealing. However, that’s just my opinion – which cover do you like best?

Friday Faceoff – Where there’s fire there’s…

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 the theme is a cover featuring smoke, so I’ve selected Smoke – see my review here – by Dan Vyleta.

 

This edition was produced by Doubleday in May 2016. The impressionistic view of the Houses of Parliament with the Thames in the foreground is beautiful, though feels more like fog than the sooty, unpleasant excretion caused by wicked, impure thoughts of the novel. While it is attractive, with plenty of eye appeal, I’m not sure it adequately portrays the novel.

 

Published in July 2016 by W & N, this cover is extremely effective. The black cover contrasts nicely with the wisping threads of smoke rising off the stylised S and its very simplicity sets it apart. I really like this one.

 

This edition, published by Anchor Books in June 2017, is really disturbing. The person seems to be consumed by the thick, black smoke pouring off him, leaving only his feet uncovered. This one is my favourite – another elegant and simple design, I think the image is both compelling and eerie.

 

This paperback edition, produced by W & N Books in April 2017, is a variation on the second cover, and the extra touch of colour makes it even more attractive. I like the grey cover and the deep blue curls of smoke, which look both beautiful and menacing. This cover is a very close second, to the extent that I nearly rolled a dice to see which would be my favourite this week.

 

This Swedish cover, published in September 2016 by Albert Bonniers Förlag, has taken the story as the cover’s reference. A Victorian street scene is enveloped in thick, choking smoke and the sepia tones complete the period feel, which gives the cover an extra sense of authenticity. Once more, this is a well designed, attractive cover. Quite often, I’m reasonably certain that I’ll know which cover will turn out to be the favourite – however, today I haven’t a clue. Which is your favourite? I’m very much looking forward to finding out!

Friday Faceoff – The more I see, the less I know for sure…

As luck would have it – I was running behind and hadn’t completely written up my Friday Faceoff yesterday before the internet went down – for the rest of the day. Thank you Sky for picking and choosing WHICH of your customers got the advance notification that you would be messing around with the phone lines (my sister did get the warning text – I didn’t!). So this article didn’t get posted and please accept my apologies for the lack of interaction on the blog in general…

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 the theme is a cover featuring a panorama, so I’ve selected Cryoburn – Book 14 of the Vorkosigan Saga by Lois McMaster Bujold.

 

This Hardcover edition was produced by Baen in October 2010. It’s a panorama of the edifice where thousands upon thousands of people are stored in cryogenic stasis, which is the setting for this particular murder mystery. It’s a classic Baen cover, with large, blocky lettering featuring the author and title font. In this case, it’s shame they are quite so large as they blot out a lot of the excellent cover art – but it’s Baen’s trademark and I can’t fault them for their astute marketing model.

 

This Kindle edition was published in May 20111 and is, quite frankly, horrible. The clunky, charmless effort gives no hint about the genre or the fact this book is part of a highly successful series and an awesome read.

 

This Croatian edition, published by Algoritam in 2010, has attempted to recreate the vast scale of the cryostasis repository with Miles walking down one of the aisles. I’m interested to see that there is some attempt to depict his physical deformities, which is something the US covers often don’t do – although he is still without his cane. However, it is rather crude, even though it’s miles better than that dreadful, blobby egg-timer shown on the previous cover.

 

This edition, produced by Blackstone Audiobooks in October 2010 has taken the original cover and tweaked it, so that the title and author fonts don’t cosh you between the eyes. The result is a far classier version of the original cover which also shows the wonderful artwork. This is my favourite cover.

 

This French cover was published in November 2011 by J’ai Lu. I really like this cover. The dark tones reflect the fact we are dealing with a futuristic cemetery and the birds-eye view creates an eye-catching effect. They have even managed to give an echo of the Baen treatment of the title font without blotting out too much of the action – this is a very close contender for the top spot for me this week – which is your favourite?

Friday Faceoff – It’s a family affair…

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 the theme is a cover featuring a family, so I’ve selected The Rolling Stones by Robert Heinlein.

 

This audio edition was produced by Full Cast Audio in February 2005. It’s a spacescape so I really like it – the character in the forefront being upside down is nicely dramatic. However, she looks rather bored by the whole business and as they are clearly performing some sort of maintenance task on the outside of the ship, I doubt if she would ever get to a stage where it would be quite so tedious to be floating at the end of a tether outside the ship. And I loathe the nasty strip along the bottom of the cover which is completely unnecessary, given this is a relatively modern design.

 

Published in February 1978 by Del Rey Books, I much prefer this version. There is plenty of drama as the twins are rushing around the spaceship, trying to gather up all these tribble-like creatures. I also think the font is rather funky and attractive, contrasting well with the bright interior of their ship. This one is my favourite, though I don’t like all the chatter cluttering up the author and title.

 

This edition, published by Baen in March 2009, has by contrast a rather generic feel. It is clearly part of the house style, with the classic Baen fonts for the title and author, along with the obligatory spacescape. The trouble is that this scene could be any old ship with a couple of suited figures, who don’t particularly look as though they are part of a family unit.

 

This edition, produced by Ace in November 1970 definitely has a retro feel – that rocket and those suits are more reminiscent of the 1950s, when this book first hit the shelves. However, there is no sense that the crew are a family. While the orange font certainly pops, it is rather flat, again underlining the period feel of this cover. There is rather too much chat, again, spoiling the effect.

 

This Czech cover was published in 2003. I have a really soft spot for this one. The angle of the ship with the two suited figures working on it draws the eye onto the attractive and eye-catching title font. I also love the touch of having the title on the ship. This is a close contender for the top spot for me – but what about you? Which is your favourite?

Friday Faceoff – You can’t sow an apple seed and expect to get an avocado tree.

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 the theme is a cover featuring a seeds or spores, so I’ve selected The Seeds of Time by John Wyndham.

 

This edition was produced by Penguin in 1959 and I do like it as a piece of history more than because I think it’s a great cover. It has the generic Penguin orange and white cover with an additional dandelion clock moulting seeds which is reasonably effective though not particularly imaginative or exciting. An average effort.

 

Published in 1964 by Penguin, at least this cover displays a modicum of imagination. The lime-green cover is eye-catching and attractive, though the artwork would have looked better if it had been in black, which would have contrasted well with the cover. As it is, it’s a struggle to make out what is going on.

 

This edition, published by Penguin in September in 2014, is evidently going for the retro look, judging by the looping font and eggshell blue background. The snag is, the face is far too poorly executed to be the work of the average cover artist of the time. I cannot even work out if it is supposed to be a man or woman…

 

This Spanish edition, produced by E.D.H.A.S.A. in 1958, is certainly a huge improvement on any of the previous efforts. The quirky abstract design fits the tone and style of a science fiction short story collection, while the colours are attractive and eye-catching.

 

This cover, published in 1988 by Penguin, is at long last a worthy effort. The spacescape featuring a nicely exotic space ship and a planet – presumably Earth either emerging into daylight or being plunged into darkness immediately alerts a prospective reader as to the genre. And Wyndham’s name is also attractively highlighted, which certainly makes marketing sense, given his fame as the author of The Day of the Triffids. This one gets my vote, with the Spanish edition a very, very close second. Which is your favourite?

Friday Faceoff – Be as a tower firmly set…

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 the theme is a cover featuring a tower, so I’ve selected The Black Tower – Book 5 of the Adam Dalgliesh Mysteries by P.D. James.

 

This edition was produced by Touchstone in April 2012 and I want to like it more than I do. It seems a rather cool idea to envelope a rather haunting image of a tower in a very dark tint. In reality, I think the result is rather dreary and unappealing – though I’m unsure whether that’s really the case, or the fact that I am very much drawn to bright, sunshine colours.

 

Published in April 2010 by Faber and Faber, I much prefer this version – though it might also be because this is cover of the book that I’ve read. It is rather brooding with a stark beauty about it and I also like the way the author and title fonts have been handled. This one is my favourite.

 

This edition, published by Scribner Book Company in January 1975, must have had poor P.D. James sighing in disgust. What were they thinking? This is a sophisticated murder mystery featuring a nuanced, clever protagonist during a personal crisis. Yet, this looks like something out of a Boys’ Own Annual…

 

This Spanish edition, produced by B de Books in August 2012 is certainly a lot better than the previous effort. The tower perched on the edge of the cliffs with the sea in the foreground and the deep blue colour is certainly attractive, but I think this cover still lacks sufficient finesse for such a cleverly constructed book.

 

This German cover, published in December 1998, is a dreadful effort. Someone let the children loose in the graphics department and then accidentally forgot to erase the effort – surely? So we have the photo of a ruined tower grafted over the image of flames which aren’t even to scale, making the whole thing look completely false. And then they further ruined the dodgy effort by plonking a lot of writing on the cover – although, come to think of it, maybe they added it in a vain attempt to draw attention away from the shockingly bad job they’d made. Which is your favourite?