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: