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Rabia Gale

alchemical fantasy

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book cover monday

book cover monday

I confess: I am quite fond of book covers with plain white backgrounds, depicting a black-costumed assassin or mage in all his cloak-swirling and weapon-flourishing glory.

Like the cover of Brent Weeks’ The Way of Shadows

I like the swirly purple smoke/magic/gauze, too

Or Trudi Canavan’s The Magician’s Apprentice

David Dalglish’s Shadowdance trilogy

The contrast of white background and dark figure, and the swirl of a vibrant color, makes these covers visually striking. The Way of Shadows, for instance, really stood out from the rest of the books when I first saw it on the bookstore shelf.

This cover is different from the rest, but I couldn’t help but share it. Again, there’s the black and white contrast, coupled with a clever and imaginative concept. And great execution.

What styles of cover do you particularly like? Or dislike?

Check out my cover artist posts:

  • cover artist: Larry Rostant
  • cover artist: Chris McGrath

Filed Under: cover art

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Prue says

    January 30, 2012 at 5:26 pm

    I like the one for Blackbirds – that’s very effective.
    Generally I don’t pay much attention to covers (or titles). I used to like the old Penguin plain covers which didn’t attract or detract. There was something gloriously simple about them. Strangely, I disliked the Gollacz yellow covers – simple, and I like yellow yet detested these covers.

    Reply
    • Rabia says

      January 30, 2012 at 8:22 pm

      I enjoy the art of book covers, but they very rarely persuade me to buy or not buy a book. That’s the blurb’s job. (Unless, of course, the cover clearly shows that it’s in a genre I don’t read, like urban fantasy, most romances, horror, vampire books, etc).

      Reply
  2. Linda Adams says

    January 30, 2012 at 7:47 pm

    I find myself disliking the urban fantasy covers. Most of the books have women in action roles, and the covers trivialize them for eye candy for the guys.

    Reply
    • Rabia says

      January 30, 2012 at 8:18 pm

      Yes, I don’t like most urban fantasy covers. There’s a same-ness about most of them, as if the only way to be strong and sexy is to wear skimpy clothing and look smoldering-ly over your shoulder.

      Have you seen the Jim Hines fantasy cover shoot?

      Reply

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