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Description: Playing a scantily clad vampire victim in an off-Broadway play, struggling actress Esther Diamond now may be the target of someone who claims to be a genuine bloodsucker...
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| Julia’s Thoughts | Abigail’s Thoughts |
| Absolutely love this cover! | There is no mistaking a Dan Dos Santos cover. He’s genius. This is genius…his covers really tells story. |
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Description: When Chess Putnam is ordered by an infamous crime boss—who also happens to be her drug dealer—to use her powers as a witch to solve a grisly murder involving dark magic, she knows she must rise to the challenge. Adding to the intensity: Chess’s boyfriend, Terrible, doesn’t trust her, and Lex, the son of a rival crime lord, is trying to reignite the sparks between him and Chess. Plus there’s the little matter of Chess’s real job as a ghost hunter for the Church of Real Truth, investigating reports of a haunting at a school in the heart of Downside. Someone seems to be taking a crash course in summoning the dead—and if Chess doesn’t watch her back, she may soon be joining their ranks. As Chess is drawn into a shadowy world of twisted secrets and dark violence, it soon becomes clear that she’s not going to emerge from its depths without making the ultimate sacrifice.
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| Julia’s Thoughts | Abigail’s Thoughts |
| In this case of “Who Wore it Best”, I have to say SACRIFICIAL MAGIC wins hands down. The color, the almost photo-negative lighting effect, the angle that this model is tilted into the cover, all of these elements work very well for me. Additionally, I feel like this stock image was “re-booted” very well in this cover. Though the picture is the same, the use in these covers is individual and well done. | I always feel wretched for the authors when things like this happen (although this is even worse than normal because both books are releasing in Marc 2012). But I agree that SACRIFICAL MAGIC ‘wore it best’ and this cover really fits well with the previous ones. |
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Description: Don't close your eyes. Except when the truth is too dark to bear. Clarity "Clare" Fern sees things. Things no one else can see. Things like stolen kisses and long-buried secrets. All she has to do is touch a certain object, and the visions come to her. It's a gift. And a curse. When a teenage girl is found murdered, Clare's ex-boyfriend wants her to help solve the case -- but Clare is still furious at the cheating jerk. Then Clare's brother -- who has supernatural gifts of his own -- becomes the prime suspect, and Clare can no longer look away. Teaming up with Gabriel, the smoldering son of the new detective, Clare must venture into the depths of fear, revenge, and lust in order to track the killer. But will her sight fail her just when she needs it most?
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| Julia’s Thoughts | Abigail’s Thoughts |
| Thumbs down only in relation to the hardback cover, the other-worldly eyes worked better with the other cover model. In general, I like the planned continuity going forward, but the expression on the new model’s face for CLARITY doesn’t work for me. | While I prefer the original, I’m giving this a thumbs up because of the continuity it has with PERCEPTION. Obviously they want Clary to look older and she definitely does. |
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| Cover Option 1
Cover Option 2
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Description: N/A Posted by Leah Hulten at Sourcebooks, you can vote here (http://twtpoll.com/loafmt) on which cover you’d prefer.
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| Julia’s Thoughts | Abigail’s Thoughts |
| Cover 1 gets my thumbs up. As far as bare-chesty covers go, I like the gunmetal grey title and the darkness of his shirt fading into the dreams. | No way! Cover 2 gets my pick. Cover 1 has been airbrushed to within an inch of his life…plus his chest now looks much too much like he’s got boobs. |
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Description: N/A
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| Julia’s Thoughts | Abigail’s Thoughts |
| Holy cow, I just realized that I haven’t seen a Psy-Changling cover in a long time. The cover for TANGLE OF NEED seemed completely over the top, campy old-school romance meets Goldfinger. Even if the “vibe” for the series is air-brushed romance, that’s no excuse for the clip art mess on the right hand side of the cover. | Where’s Tony Mauro when you need him? His art on Singh’s Guild-Hunter series is fantastic…this is really unfortunate…as are all the Psy-Changeling covers. |
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Description: Possessed by the demon of Promiscuity, immortal warrior Paris is irresistibly seductive-but his potent allure comes at a terrible price. Every night he must bed someone new, or weaken and die. And the woman he craves above all others is the one woman he’d thought was forever beyond his reach…until now. Newly possessed by the demon of Wrath, Sienna Blackstone is racked by a ruthless need to punish those around her. Yet in Paris’s arms, the vulnerable beauty finds soul-searing passion and incredible peace. Until a blood feud between ancient enemies heats up. Will the battle against gods, angels and creatures of the night bind them eternally-or tear them apart?(
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| Julia’s Thoughts | Abigail’s Thoughts |
| At a certain point, I’m going to have to stop commenting on how young the female cover models look (this is not that point). I like the composition of this cover, and his hand on her hip is smoking hot, but her slack-jawed, 14-year-old face doesn’t work for me. | I knew you were going to call foul on the young girl :) It’s weird to see a couple for the first time on this series…but this is my least favorite of the covers so far. |
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Description: He's persuasive, charming, and way too mysterious. And for Samara Marshall, her co-worker is everything she wants most--and everything she most fears. . . Samara Marshall is determined to make the summer before her senior year the best ever. Her plan: enjoy downtime with friends and work to save up cash for her dream car. Summer romance is not on her to-do list, but uncovering the truth about her flirtatious co-worker, Caleb Baker, is. From the peculiar glow to his eyes to the unfortunate events that befall the girls who pine after him, Samara is the only one to sense danger behind his smile. But Caleb's secrets are drawing Samara into a world where the laws of attraction are a means of survival. And as a sinister power closes in on those she loves, Samara must take a risk that will change her life forever. . .or consume it.
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| Julia’s Thoughts | Abigail’s Thoughts |
| Forgettable, YA cover. I’m also not sold on the bright purple eye (though I suppose his eyes are described as having a “peculiar glow”). | Attack of the generic stock photos. I’ll forget about this cover the second I scroll down. |
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| Julia’s Thoughts | Abigail’s Thoughts |
| I’m not sure about the blend of Red Riding Hood with Rapunzel references, but my thumbs down was mainly due to the title font. | Don’t let this (and the debut) cover keep you from reading. I don’t understand any of the references on this cover in relation to the book, but TORN was excellent and I have high hopes for this one too. |
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Description: Haven Terra is a brainy, shy high school outcast. But everything begins to change when she turns sixteen. Along with her best friend Dante and their quiet and brilliant classmate Lance, she is awarded a prestigious internship in the big city— Chicago—and is sent to live and work at a swanky and stylish hotel under the watchful eyes of a group of gorgeous and shockingly young-looking strangers: powerful and alluring hotel owner Aurelia Brown; her second-in-command, the dashing Lucian Grove; and their stunning but aloof staff of glamazons called The Outfit. (More…)
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| Julia’s Thoughts | Abigail’s Thoughts |
| I love the shadow of wings on the wall behind her, and the filigree/fireflies behind the title is a lovely touch. | I love the shadow wings too…and the title detail…and the colors…and the dress…and the expression on her face… |
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Description: Jessica Walsh is starting her freshman year at Nightshade High and trying to forget about the tragic events surrounding her brother’s graduation. She wants to have a normal high school experience. But that’s easier said than done in Nightshade. When a new boy shows up at school, the girls are infected with a case of seriously creepy crushes. But when their obsession turns to violence, Jessica and her friends start to wonder if there’s more going on than just a little friendly rivalry. Are the smitten girls turning into love zombies? (More…)
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| Julia’s Thoughts | Abigail’s Thoughts |
| I wouldn’t have expected to like a cover in this shade of green, but the graphic touches on this cover are wonderful. The author font, the highlighted letters in the title, and the heart in the microphone wire are all great. I don’t really like the drop of blood on the microphone stand, but it seems like the kind of element that would look better in person. | This doesn’t doo anything for me at all. Nothing about this cover would inspire me to want to read the description. |
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Description: After parting ways with her troubled mermaid tribe, Luce just wants to live peacefully on her own. But her tranquility doesn't last long: she receives news that the tribe is on the verge of collapse and desperately needs her leadership. Anais, their cruel queen, wants Luce dead. Dorian, the boy Luce broke mermaid law to save, is determined to make her pay for her part in the murder of his family. And while the mermaids cling to the idea that humans never suspect their existence, there are suddenly ominous signs to the contrary. But when Luce and Dorian meet, they start to wonder if love can overpower the hatred they know they should feel for each other. Luce's new friendship with an ancient renegade mermaid gives her hope that her kind might someday change their murderous ways. But how can Luce fulfill her rightful role as queen of the mermaids without sacrificing her forbidden romance with Dorian? (More…)
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| Julia’s Thoughts | Abigail’s Thoughts |
| Gorgeous mermaid picture, I love the river stones. | Beautiful and yet sad with the same ethereal quality of the debut. |
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| Julia’s Thoughts | Abigail’s Thoughts |
| I think this cover needs a little more mist to soften the models. Steam-punk, without soft focus or dramatic staging, looks rather silly. | Still love the title and text details, but I prefer the debut cover over this. |
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Description: N/A
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| Julia’s Thoughts | Abigail’s Thoughts |
| Love it! Merit must be doing field work if she’s out in jeans. This cover looks like a reprise of HARD BITTEN, and it completely works for me. This looks like Merit as I imagine her, street clothes and attitude. | Yay! Merit gets to wear jeans again! It does look very similar to HARD BITTEN, but as that was my favorite cover so far, I’m not complaining. |
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And our picks for Best & Worst…
| Best | Worst |
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Which are your Best and Worst?
Thanks for the fantastic post! I think your best & worst choices are perfect.
ReplyDeleteIlluminate has an amazing cover. I was just briefly scrolling through this blog post and that cover really stands out to me. So pretty *_* The synopsis sounds interesting as well - definitely gonna be on my to-read list.
ReplyDeleteVamparazzi is another book that makes me want to read it right away. :3
The worst choice is a perfect pick though - not as stunning as the author thought! :p
Another great post!
ReplyDeletei pretty much agree with your thoughts on the covers, there are some great ones here! =)
@BooksforCompany - Glad you agree, thanks for posting.
ReplyDelete