This week the Cover Art comment change-ups continue, as Kristina subs in for Abigail. We’re eager to make it to Wordpress so all three of us can post together! In the meantime, our constellation of commenters continues to change from week to week. Though only THE SHATTERED DARK made it as my favorite this week, the cover reveal for Patricia C. Wrede’s THE FAR WEST reminded me that this was a beloved series that I was way too far behind on (and sparked an order and pre-order). I hope these titles bring as many happy reminders to your own To Be Read list, enjoy!
Make Believe
by J. A. Belfield, Jennifer M. Eaton, J. Keller Ford, Terri Rochenski, Kelly Said, & Lynda R. Young
Expected publication: December 3, 2012 by J. Taylor Publishing
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Source: Publisher E-mail Art by: N/A | Previous Covers: N/A Buy/Add links: Not Yet Available for Pre-Order.  Description: Sacrificial Oath by Terri Rochenski The Amulet of Ormisez by J. Keller Ford |
| Author Comments | Kristina’s Thoughts  | Julia’s Thoughts |
| N/A | I love the red touches on the white background. The color combo. fits with the description (blood sacrifices and white as a symbol for virginal. | I love the use of red and how the figure in the foreground mimics the shape of the castle in the background. |
The Mephisto Kiss (The Mephisto Covenant #2)
Expected publication: September 25, 2012 by EgmontUSA
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Source: Author’s Blog Art by: N/A | Previous Covers:  Buy/Add links:   Description: The eyes never lie. No one’s eyes are darker than Eryx. Not even the Devil’s. When Jax and Sasha first see Jordan Ellis, they know she is no ordinary teenager. She’s the daughter of the President after all, but she’s also Anabo – a descendant of Eve. What they don’t know is that Eryx plans to kidnap Jordan and force President Ellis to pledge his soul. If Eryx’s plot succeeds, the consequences would be catastrophic. More… |
| Author Comments | Kristina’s Thoughts | Julia’s Thoughts |
| “I think Egmont did a wonderful job, carrying over a similar theme for this one from the first book in the series. I like the switch – blonde to dark and black to white.” | I like the style of the script here and the lighting effect on the flowers in the foreground is really cool looking. | A gorgeous, light accompaniment to book one. I’m in love with with how this dress crisscrosses across the model’s back, and how the skirt and hair flow in the wind. |
Shadow Rising (Otherworld/Sisters of the Moon #12)
by Yasmine Galenorn
Expected publication: October 30, 2012 by Berkley
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| Previous Covers:            Buy/Add links: Description: We're the D'Artigo sisters: sexy, savvy ex-operatives from the Otherworld Intelligence Agency. Being half human, half-Fae means our powers go haywire at all the wrong times. My sister Camille is a wicked-good witch, with three gorgeous husbands. My sister Delilah is a two-faced werecat and a Death Maiden. And me? I'm Menolly, a jian-tu turned vampire, and I'm dating a sexy werepuma and the godfather of vampires. Unfortunately, life is about to get very, very nasty... More… |
| Author Comments | Kristina’s Thoughts | Julia’s Thoughts |
| N/A | I like the puma on the cover and the braids on the model are a unique look. I also enjoy when women are wearing practical clothes for what they do on urban fantasy covers. | There’s a lot of vivid character details on this cover, from the jewelry to the skyline. I’m not in love with this cover, but I like the care given. |
The Asylum Interviews: Bronx (The Asylum Tales #0.5)
Expected publication: July 3, 2012 by Harper Voyager
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Source: Author’s Blog Art by: N/A | Previous Covers: N/A Buy/Add links: Description: In Low Town, where humans walk and work side-by-side with elves, vampires, ogres, and all manner of creature, it's understandable that people occasionally need a little help in their lives. Whether is love, work, or ... other, tattoo artists are there to try to help turn the odds into your favor. When Gage's friend Parker needs help with his love life, tattoo artists Gage and Bronx are only too happy to help. But the incubus ends up getting more than he bargained for with his new tattoo, and his friends are forced to scramble to fix the mess they've created before someone gets hurt. |
| Author Comments | Kristina’s Thoughts | Julia’s Thoughts  |
| “Can I just say 'yum'? I mean, seriously. Yum. I don't get sexy guy covers too often, and I certainly wasn't expecting them with my new series, but damn. This is awesome. And it perfectly fits since the Bronx story is about a sexy incubus who gets a tattoo with results in chaos.” | The graffiti like text is nice and while I tend to not like how tattoos look on covers the wings on the back are actually pretty cool looking. | I’m not a fan of obviously Photoshopped tattoos. Next to the gorgeous cover for ANGEL’S INK, this novella cover doesn’t do justice to the series. |
Reaper (Lightbringer #2)
Expected publication: August 24, 2012 by Pyr
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Source: Goodreads Art by: Sam Weber | Previous Covers:  Buy/Add links: Description: After the death of her mother, Wendy learns that she is part of a powerful and ancient family of Reapers. She has only a matter of days to unravel the mysteries her mother left behind and to convince her wary family to accept her as one of their own. |
| Author Comments | Kristina’s Thoughts | Julia’s Thoughts |
| N/A | This cover doesn't really tell me much about what the story is about. I don't really get what he is doing there on the cover. | Similar staging and feel to book one. He looks a little lonely on the cover, but he looks enough like a young Ewan McGregor for me not to mind. |
The Shattered Dark (McKenzie Lewis #2)
Expected publication: October 30, 2012 by Ace
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Source: Author’s Blog Art by: Gene Mollica | Previous Covers:  Buy/Add links: Description: McKenzie was a normal college student, save for one little twist: she’s a shadow reader, someone who can both see the fae and track their movements between our world and the Realm. It’s a gift for which she has been called insane, one for which she has risked family and friends—and one that has now plunged her into a brutal civil war among the fae. With the reign of the king and his vicious general at an end, McKenzie hoped to live a more normal life while exploring her new relationship with Aren, the rebel fae who has captured her heart. But when her best friend, Paige, disappears McKenzie knows her wish is, for now, just a dream. More… |
| Author Comments | Kristina’s Thoughts | Julia’s Thoughts |
| “I’d love to hear what you guys think of it. (I love McKenzie’s pants!)” | I like the pink hue and the reflection/portal of a forest(?) behind the model here. It sets the tone for the story and the glowing sword is cool looking. Does it glow in the book? I hope so! | I knew in a heartbeat that this was a McKenzie Lewis book, a gorgeous use of her hair and sword again. |
Chosen (Dark Breed #3)
by Sable Grace
Expected publication: August 28, 2012 by Avon Books
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| Previous Covers:   Buy/Add links: Description: She was a Dark Breed -- half Vampyre, half Lychen. Kyana is the new Goddess of the Hunt, chosen for her determination to survive as much as for her passion to protect those she loves. Now, just when she's finally ready to shed her past and let the one man who really matters into her heart, an evil has resurrected, and only Kyana stands in its way. But Ryker, as the new Zeus, will not let her fight alone. It has taken him too long to convince Kyana they belong together for him to lose her. More… |
| Author Comments | Kristina’s Thoughts | Julia’s Thoughts |
| N/A | Its kind of boring and I really don't like the placement of that tattoo. Though the graveyard scene in the back is kind of nice. | Not going to lie, my gut response was, “Oh, ick.” His hips and hair really don’t work for me at all, and his tattoo looks like a canceled postmark. |
The Darkest Day
by Britt Bury
Expected publication: July 1, 2012 by Grand Central Publishing
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| Previous Covers: N/A Buy/Add links: Description: Izel Campbell was raised to believe she is an immortal Fionn with the magical skills of persuasion. But when she travels to Scotland to visit her ancestral home, Izel discovers that she is actually the world’s last living human. Forced to run for her life, Izel crosses paths with Kelvin Kerr, the Campbells’ greatest foe—and the most magnificent warrior she has ever seen. A thousand-year-old battle chief of the Kerr clan, Kelvin lives only to avenge his father, who died at the hands of the bloody Campbells. Honor demands he kill the Campbell heir, but when he learns that the lovely Izel is both Campbell and human, Kelvin is torn between duty and desire . . . |
| Author Comments | Kristina’s Thoughts | Julia’s Thoughts |
| N/A | Up-I voted up for this one solely for the interesting placement of the sword. It is dividing him in half and it might be me but it looks like there is more shadow on the left side of the cover than the right. | I like the symmetry and lighting of this cover, down to his face in shadow to the left of the sword. |
The Trouble with Fate (Mystwalker #1)
by Leigh Evans
Expected publication: December 26, 2012 by St. Martin’s Paperbacks
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Stepback:
Source: Author’s Blog Art by: N/A | Previous Covers: N/A Buy/Add links: Description: I Have Two Words For Werewolves: My name is Hedi Peacock, and I have a secret. I’m not human, and I have the pointy Fae ears and Were inner-bitch to prove it. As fairy tales go, my childhood was damn near perfect, all fur and magic until a werewolf killed my father and the Fae executed my mother. I’ve never forgiven either side. Especially Robson Trowbridge. He was a part-time werewolf, a full-time bastard, and the first and only boy I ever loved. That is, until he became the prime suspect in my father’s death… Bite Me. Today I’m a half-breed barista working at a fancy coffee house, living with my loopy Aunt Lou and a temperamental amulet named Merry, and wondering where in the world I’m going in life. A pretty normal existence, considering. But when a pack of Weres decides to kidnap my aunt and force me to steal another amulet, the only one who can help me is the last person I ever thought I’d turn to: Robson Trowbridge. And he’s as annoyingly beautiful as I remember. That’s the trouble with fate: Sometimes it barks. Other times it bites. And the rest of the time it just breaks your heart. Again… |
| Author Comments | Kristina’s Thoughts | Julia’s Thoughts |
| N/A | The necklace looks like it belongs on another cover. Its very distracting. Plus I am not a fan of the all lower case titles. | I like the treatment of the necklace and wolves between front cover and stepback. |
Stormdancer (The Lotus War #1)
by Jay Kristoff
Expected publication: September 18, 2012 by St. Martin’s Press
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| Previous Covers: N/A Buy/Add links: Description: A DYING LAND AN IMPOSSIBLE QUEST |
| Author Comments | Kristina’s Thoughts | Julia’s Thoughts |
| N/A | I love the graphic look to this cover! And the cover gives over a lot of elements of the book which is good. I like the Japanese vibe as the story does take place and I like that I could pick that up before reading the description. | The publisher link has an awesome walkthrough of the design process, made all the better given the gorgeous result. I love the bold colors, her awesome tattoos, and the hint of skin at her hip. |
Every Day
Expected publication: August 28, 2012 by Knopf Books for Young Readers
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Source: The Book Smugglers Art by: N/A | Previous Covers: N/A Buy/Add links: Description: Every day a different body. Every day a different life. Every day in love with the same girl. Every morning, A wakes in a different person’s body, a different person’s life. There’s never any warning about where it will be or who it will be. A has made peace with that, even established guidelines by which to live: Never get too attached. Avoid being noticed. Do not interfere. It’s all fine until the morning that A wakes up in the body of Justin and meets Justin’s girlfriend, Rhiannon. From that moment, the rules by which A has been living no longer apply. Because finally A has found someone he wants to be with—day in, day out, day after day. More… |
| Author Comments | Kristina’s Thoughts | Julia’s Thoughts |
| N/A | I'm liking the falling or floating bodies from the clouds. It catches my eye enough to want to pick it up and take a look if I came across it. | The balance of this cover is gorgeous, with the figures in different quadrants of the window and the light of the sun near the middle. The colors are a little bland, but it works overall. |
The Far West (Frontier Magic #3)
Expected publication: August 1, 2012 by Scholastic Inc.
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Source: The Book Smugglers Art by: N/A | Previous Covers:   Buy/Add links: Description: From #1 New York Times bestselling author Patricia C. Wrede, the fantastic conclusion to her tale of magic on the western frontier. Eff is an unlucky thirteenth child...but also the seventh daughter in her family. Her twin brother, Lan, is a powerful double seventh son. Her life at the edge of the Great Barrier Spell is different from anyone else's that she knows. When the government forms an expedition to map the Far West, Eff has the opportunity to travel farther than anyone in the world. More… |
| Author Comments | Kristina’s Thoughts | Julia’s Thoughts |
| N/A | This one is really pretty. I love the script and the swirling white smoke on blue background gives of a magical feeling to the cover. I am also kind of wanting that model's jacket. | I *loved* THIRTEENTH CHILD, and I can’t believe I let this series get to book three without keeping up. These covers do a great job showing Eff’s growing maturity, and gives the series the urban/historical fantasy feel it deserves. |
Amber House
by Kelly Moore, Tucker Reed, & Larkin Reed
Expected publication: September 1, 2012 by Scholastic Inc.
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Source: Artist’s Tumblr Art by: Shane Rebenschied Compared with:
| Previous Covers: N/A Buy/Add links: Description: "I was sixteen the first time my grandmother died . . ." Sarah Parsons has never seen Amber House, the grand Maryland estate that's been in her family for three centuries. She's never walked its hedge maze nor found its secret chambers; she's never glimpsed the shades that haunt it, nor hunted for lost diamonds in its walls. But all of that is about to change. After her grandmother passes away, Sarah and her friend Jackson decide to search for the diamonds--and the house comes alive. She discovers that she can see visions of the house's past, like the eighteenth-century sea captain who hid the jewels, or the glamorous great-grandmother driven mad by grief. She grows closer to both Jackson and a young man named Richard Hathaway, whose family histories are each deeply entwined with her own. But when the visions start to threaten the person she holds most dear, Sarah must do everything she can to get to the bottom of the house's secrets, and stop the course of history before it is cemented forever. |
| Author Comments | Kristina’s Thoughts | Julia’s Thoughts |
| N/A | Of, these two covers I like the new on best. It gives off a more mysterious feeling of not knowing what is coming. And I like that you can see more of the hedge maze. | The new art is a gorgeous re-imagining of the original. The colors are rich and the maze is stark and ominous. |
Something Witchy This Way Comes (Jolie Wilkins #5)
Expected publication: September 25, 2012 by Random House Publishing Group
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Source: Book Chick City Art by: N/A | Previous Covers:     Buy/Add links: Description: A witch’s work is never done, and in bestselling author H. P. Mallory’s mesmerizing new novel, Jolie Wilkins finds that the real magic is only just beginning. At least Jolie has her soul mate (and finally official boyfriend), warlock Rand Balfour, by her side. More… |
| Author Comments | Kristina’s Thoughts | Julia’s Thoughts |
| N/A | This cover looks fun! I like the font and as it reminds me of the font on the tv show "Bewitched". I also like the cute witch outfit. Its quirky. | These playful covers fit the punny titles, though I don’t know from experience if the stories themselves are as light and fun as their titles. |
Carnival of Souls
by Melissa Marr
Expected publication: September 4, 2012 by HarperCollins
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Source: Xpresso Reads Facebook Art by: N/A | Previous Covers: N/A Buy/Add links: Description: In a city of daimons, the Carnival of Souls hosts a deadly competition. Once in a generation, every citizen can fight to join the ruling elite. Without the competition, Aya and Kaleb would both face bleak futures—if for different reasons. For each of them, fighting to the death is the only way to try to live. In our own world, Mallory knows that her father—and every other witch—fled the daimons’ city long ago. She trains to be lethal because it’s only a matter of time until the daimons catch up with them. While Mallory possesses little knowledge of The City, every inhabitant of The City knows of her. More… |
| Author Comments | Kristina’s Thoughts | Julia’s Thoughts |
| N/A | Two thumbs up! I love the flames behind the Carnival mask. It fits with the whole deadly Carnival competition in the description. | The white on black font is a little stark for a Marr cover, but the fire offers gorgeous color on the dark background. |
And our picks for Best & Worst…
| Best | Worst |
  |   |
Which are your Best and Worst?
Have a cover we should include in an upcoming post? Or want us to reveal a cover? Fill out our Cover Submit form
My favorite is STORMDANCER, I love the colors plus I like the red flowers in the background as well as the font for the title.
ReplyDeleteI am not a fan of the cover of CHOSEN. I agree with Julia. His hips and hair totally creep me out.
He looks a little like Buffalo Bill from SILENCE OF THE LAMBS, doesn't he?
DeleteI really like Shadow Rising. So much so that I went on over to Goodreads & checked out the series. I added the first one to my TBR list. I agree that Chosen's cover is just not good.
ReplyDeleteI can't wait for The Shattered Dark, I loved the first book Shadow reader. :3
ReplyDeleteI hate that I missed out on commenting this week (but I got soooo much done for the new site). Hands down Gene Mollica knocked it out of the park again for THE SHATTERED DARK. I'm dying to read that one.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite is THE DARKEST DAY. Good Lord, is he hot. Great cover and the premise sounds cool.
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