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| Julia’s Thoughts | Abigail’s Thoughts |
| I’m not a fan of the “R” and “V”, and this image is hard to tell apart from the Betsy Taylor original covers. As much as I like cartoony covers, this one doesn’t have anything special for me. | I'm not a big fan of the chick-lit style covers, but this one is cuter than most. I do always have a disconnect with this series covers because isn't Glory in the books supposed to be 'full figured'? The cartoon model is a far cry from that IMO. |
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Not Yet Available for Pre-Order. | Description: Ancient Secrets, Dark Passions . . . As one of the Grigori, a noble vampire dynasty shrouded in mystery, Ariane has spent her life hidden away in the desert. Like all of her kind, she is a watcher, fated to observe, forbidden to act. Yet when her best friend Sammael vanishes, she defies all rules and flees her safe haven to bring him home. A shape-shifting assassin for the House of Shadows, Damien Tremaine is hired to locate Sammael. His hunt for the wayward Grigori leads him to Ariane, the rogue vamp who stands between him and his bounty. Damien never lets emotion interfere with his work, but a single touch from the sexy, beguiling vampire shatters his self-control. Drawn together by their common goal, what begins as an alliance of necessity soon becomes one of desire. But when the secret at the dark heart of the Grigori comes to light, Damien and Ariane must make a choice that could bind them eternally . . . or tear them—and everything they care about—apart.
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| Julia’s Thoughts | Abigail’s Thoughts |
| Simple, nice lighting. I’m not a fan of the tag line placement, but overall, a nice looking cover. | I can't help but think his tattoo looks like The Neverending Story crest...anyway, I like this. It still shouts PNR, but the back shot makes it more appealing to me than the standard shirtless man covers that dominate the genre. |
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| Description: A young woman discovers she is a daughter of Saturn, gifted with the power to dispense justice...for good or evil.
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| Julia’s Thoughts | Abigail’s Thoughts |
| The curve of her back echoed in the tire-iron and her kick butt boots… this cover is stylized in the best possible way. Forget about the boyfriend, watch out for this lady! | I'm so close to completely loving this. If her pose was a little less aggressively sexy, and just aggressive, I'd be all over this. I'm still a fan of everything besides her pose (and maybe the crazy high heeled boots), just dial down the hoochie factor for book 2 please. |
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| Description: You will kill. The only question is when. In the dark days since the insidious Red Lung virus decimated the human population, vampires have risen to rule the crumbling cities and suburbs. Uncontested Princes hold sway over diminished ranks of humans: their "pets." In exchange for their labor, loyalty and of course, their blood, these pets are registered, given food and shelter, permitted to survive. Unregistered humans cling to fringes, scavenging for survival. Allison Sekemoto and her fellow Unregistereds are hunted, not only by vampires, but by rabids, the unholy result of Red Lung-infected vampires feeding on unwary humans. One night, Allie is attacked by a pack of rabids, saved by an unlikely hero...and turned vampire. More…
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| Julia’s Thoughts | Abigail’s Thoughts |
| I’m usually not a fan of accent color in the eyes, but this one totally works for me. It looks more like a movie poster than a book cover, but the drama does a great job drawing me in. | I'm right on the fence with this one. I really like the color combinations, title details, and her expression is suitably afflicted, but I'm not a fan of the scratchy detailing or faux worn look...I was hoping for more. |
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| Description: I slowly opened my eyes. The sun speared its first bright rays of golden orange into the sky and I leapt from the cliff, with the sorrowful knowledge that no matter what the outcome, at least part of me would die that day...
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| Julia’s Thoughts | Abigail’s Thoughts |
| I share Jessica’s enthusiasm for this cover. I love the brush strokes, and the lighting alongside her face. | Love the smoke wings against the really vivid purple background, and that they echoes the effect in the title. |
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Compared with the Hardback Cover:
| Description: After being sent back from the light, Alona Dare - former homecoming queen, current Queen of the Dead - finds herself doing something she never expected: working. Instead of spending days perfecting her tan by the pool (her typical summer routine when she was, you know, alive), Alona must now cater to the needs of other lost spirits. By her side for all of this, ugh, “helping of others” is Will Killian: social outcast, seer of the dead, and someone Alona cares about more than she’d like. Before Alona can make a final ruling on Will’s “friend” or “more than friend” status, though, she discovers trouble at home. Her mom is tossing out Alona’s most valuable possessions, and her dad is expecting a new daughter with his wicked wife. Is it possible her family is already moving on? She’s only been dead for two months! Thankfully, Alona knows just the guy who can put a stop to this mess. Unfortunately for Alona, Will has other stuff on his mind, and Mina, a young (and beautiful) seer, is at the top of the list. She’s the first ghost-talker Will’s ever met—aside from his father—and she may hold answers to Will’s troubled past. But can she be trusted? Alona immediately puts a check in the “clearly not” column. But Will is, ahem, willing to find out, even if it means leaving a hurt and angry Alona to her own devices, which is never a good idea. Packed with romance, lovable characters, and a killer cliffhanger, Queen of the Dead is the out-of-this-world sequel to The Ghost and the Goth.
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| Julia’s Thoughts | Abigail’s Thoughts |
| The paperback cover is a lot darker, and I think I like the look on Will’s face a little bit more. A little more exasperated, a little less bored. | Cute and fun just like this series. I still love the HC cover, but it's fun seeing a new--yet complimentary--look for the PB release |
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| Description: From the “always fabulous Lauren Dane”* comes her new novel of a treacherous family legacy, a temptation just as dangerous, and an evil so depraved it can only be spoken of in whispers… The life of Lark Jaansen, hunter in Clan Gennessee, has been shaped by violence and unrest—and it defines her future. Well-trained and resilient, she’s met her militaristic match in Simon Leviathan, a warrior not of this world. Locked in mutual admiration, and a desire so hot it burns, Lark and Simon have something else in common: they love the dark, and as a shadow is cast over their world, they’re each coming into their own. A mysterious war has been waged among the Others. As witches and humans turn against each other, as faes retreat in fear, and as vampires rise, Lark and Simon discover that an unseen force is behind it. A single, hungry entity older than recorded history has returned to gorge on the magick of his victims. It is the Magister, nothing less than the end of time. Finding it is Lark and Simon’s first hope. Surviving it is their last.
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| Julia’s Thoughts | Abigail’s Thoughts |
| I’d like this cover even more if his tattoos weren’t competing with that lovely chest. I agree with the author, too, the grey t-shirt and muted teal look fantastic. | So glad this guy is wearing a shirt...so much more appealing IMO & I agree they did a great job on the tattoos |
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| Description: Council Liaison Victoria "Tori" Joseph is a werewolf with a secret: she's withholding information about a recent slate of were-attacks that result in human victims turning into werewolves. She struggles with her decision to tell what she knows about the case because doing so will harm someone very close to her. Yet, working with her sexy human colleague, Detective Dante Fabrizio, has her wanting to do the right thing. Dante has been in the Special Case Division for almost a year, and is still shocked at how violent the Extra Dimensionals (EDs) can be. Experience tells him Victoria knows more than she's telling, and while he can't ignore the danger inherent in a relationship with a werewolf, he can't deny his attraction to her.
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| Julia’s Thoughts | Abigail’s Thoughts |
| We can’t see this guy’s face, but I’m guessing any one tough enough to kiss this woman’s neck is one hell of a badass. She is just this side of scary, and it’s a touch that makes this PNR cover stand out amongst the rest. | Love how intent her expression is. She looks strong and totally in control of the situation. Plus golden eyes=cool |
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| Description: “It began in the graveyard. Ever since her boyfriend Nathan died in a tragic accident Emma had been coming to the graveyard at night. During the day she went through the motions at her prep school, in class, with her friends, but that’s all it was. But tonight was different. Tonight Emma and her dog were not alone in the cemetery. There were two others there—Eric, who had just started at her school, and an ancient woman who looked as though she were made of rags. And when they saw Emma there, the old woman reached out to her with a grip as chilling as death….”
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| Julia’s Thoughts | Abigail’s Thoughts |
| I’d be interested in anything from Michelle Sagara, and that tips the balance on this cover. I like the ornate cover echoing the details on her skirt, but I’m not a fan of the pink in the cover and light. | Everywhere I look there is something interesting. The Gothic title graphic, the detailing on her dress, the glowing light in the distance, the hound...it's a lot, but it doesn't feel like overkill. I'll be watching for the full description. |
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| Description: Marlaena’s pack puts more pressure on the Rusakova family with the kidnapping of Jessie and the surprise that comes from triggering the wolf side of Pietr once again. Alexi realizes the impact of Pietr’s change sooner than either Jessie or Pietr and rushes to find a permanent cure for the life sentence lycanthropy brings in hopes it will squelch an unexpected side-effect. But Gabriel is still not satisfied with his role in the pack and is determined that getting rid of Pietr permanently in his new and weakened state is the best way he can grab power in the pack. Meanwhile at Junction High, the company’s meddling with the school food may have stopped but it doesn’t mean all of the kids the food triggered are suddenly without powers. With the enrollment of the rest of the pack’s pups, Counselor Harnek, Sophie and Jessie decide to try training the pups alongside the other powerful misfits. But Dmitri’s influence is far-reaching and even pacifist Gareth must make a dark decision or risk the destruction of everything he holds dear.
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| Julia’s Thoughts | Abigail’s Thoughts |
| I like the consistency of the covers in this series, though I’d like this one in particular better with only the howling wolf, not the stalking wolf in the foreground. | The covers for this series just keep getting better for me. The icy blue colors are perfect for the winter setting. |
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Not Yet Available for Pre-Order. | Description: N/A
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| Julia’s Thoughts | Abigail’s Thoughts |
| I’m not sure why they chose to things up the third book in the series, but visually, having part of a person in the background isn’t working for me. I like the red, though, and this flower is lovely. | Gah! What am I looking at? Is that a shoulder? A hip? I can't tell and the hair is squicking me out...seriously *shudder* |
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| Description: Seventeen-year-old Violet McKenna is back for her senior year at Winterhaven, and her visions have returned as well. With her friends in danger, a mysterious (and hot!) new teacher as her psychic coach, and her Sabbat tendencies threatening her relationship with Aidan, Violet may just be in over her head.
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| Julia’s Thoughts | Abigail’s Thoughts |
| I like the basic components of this cover, but having everything so symmetrical and square makes this look homemade. I had a similar problem with HAVEN. | I'm not entirely objective here since I enjoyed HAVEN so much that I wanted to read this sequel no matter what it looked like, but the symbolism of the rather simple imagery is working for me. The cover is fine, but the story is great. |
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And our picks for Best & Worst…
| Best | Worst |
  |   |
Which are your Best and Worst?
The 2011 Paranormal Cover Art Awards 
Don’t forget to cast your vote!
- You may only vote once but you may return to edit your choices as many times as you want
- Voting ends on December 29, 2011.
- Winners will be announced on All Things Urban Fantasy on January 1, 2011
The bad covers chosen are definitely the worst. The Diety one is possibly worst because I can't tell what's happening. It looks like a self-pubbed mock cover, not anything from a legit publishing house. Which is too bad, because what if it's a good book?
ReplyDeleteAfter all of the hype that has been quickly building for The Immortal Rules, I was honestly expecting a lot more from the cover. It's okay but nothing special...nothing that makes me stop in my tracks and say, "Whoa! I want this sitting on my bookshelf NOW!"
ReplyDeleteAnd what the hell is up with the Deity cover? Seriously, it looks like the girl has a hump. And the overall design just looks really busy & cluttered. Bleh!
@Stephsco - I can see where they were coming from conceptually, tying in the tattoos and markings, but yeah, this is a weird execution.
ReplyDelete@Marg - THE IMMORTAL RULES looks much more like a TV or Movie promo than a book cover, and I'd agree with you, it's not beautiful in it's own right.
Just to say your test thing didn't work.
ReplyDeleteI actually turned my laptop screen upside down to figure out what was going on with the Deity cover. It didn't help. I too was expecting more with The Immortal Rules cover, but it's alright.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the post! I love these :) Especially b/c you always seem to have the new releases out before everyone else and I immediately go over to amazon and add to my NR wishlist.
ReplyDeleteHappy Holidays!
Yeah, when I saw the cover for Deity couple of days ago, it made me cringe. All that hair... *shuddering* is revolting.
ReplyDeleteBoyfriend from Hell is my fave so far. Is that Tony Mauro? His women always have such sexy curves :) Secret of the wolf is my second favorite. I say, get rid of the guy completely and leave that gorgeous golden eyed girl on her own.
The Diety cover is apparently the back of a neck with a tattoo/mark on it. I kind of see it...but the neck still looks funny
ReplyDelete@Marta - Not sure what the test thing is... but thanks for trying to let me know :-)
ReplyDelete@Alyssa - Love the lengths you went to...
@Erin - It's all Abigail, I love clicking through all her finds!
@Kara-Karina - Couldn't find the cover artist for BOYFRIEND FROM HELL, but someone did a great job. I agree with you on SECRET OF THE WOLF, too, that cover model is fierce.
@Kristina - I totally would have guessed front of neck/shoulder... what a mess.