28 Oct 2012

Worldwide Covers #1


I have been wanting to participate in a meme such as this one, because as great as the content inside of a book is, sometimes I just like to sit and stare at their gorgeous covers! It's time the covers get some attention (and let's face it, some of us do judge a book by its cover. So let's do that for a little bit here, shall we?).

Honestly, I don't think there is really anything particulary horrible about judging a book by its cover. A book's cover is its first impression upon us, as well as the title and possibly the author. But it's the cover that catches our attention most of the time, be it the face of the spine. It's all a part of marketing. The cover is supposed to capture your attention. Like a lure captures the attention of a fish. Then we read the blurb (follow the pretty shiny thing moving quickly through the water towards the boat or dock), and if that captivates us, we bite the hook. Fishing metaphor? Yay/nay?

Anyway.

This week, for my first WWC, I'll be looking at Legacy by Cayla Kluver.
I have chosen four covers. One from Australia, one from Germany, and two covers from Spain.
But first let's look at the American cover:

Not too shabby. I love the vine effect. A lot of people complain about girls in dresses being featured on YA book covers, but it works for Legacy, considering Alera (the main character) is a princess in a high fantasy. What else would she be wearing, exactly?

And now for the international covers I have chosen:

Here is the cover published by HarlequinAustralia. I love the text on the cover "An ancient blood fued. A love to destroy nations." Not sure how much I like the cover. It is pretty and I love looking at it, but I'm not sure if it really captures the story for me. If I were to look at this, my first impression would be 'fairy fantasy' or something along those lines. But I like it.


The German cover by Piper Publishing. This one's title is "Alera, Geliebter Feind", which of course focuses on Alera specifically. Geliebter Feind means 'beloved enemy', according to Google translate. Interesting title. Interesting cover. I love the font used for Aleria's name and the effect on it. The cover is a simple one, but I do get the fantasy feel in the text there.

Planeta Publishing based in Barcelona, Spain gives us Alera, A Princesa Herdeira, which I'm guessing means something like heiress princess? Maybe? Let's see what google translate says (sorry, I barely passed grade 12 Spanish and it's been a few years). Crown princess. I was close. This cover is so great to look at. Everything about her dress and the text says fantasy to me, and it so elegant. And then you look to the background and it's all dark and spooky. If I saw this in the book store, I would definitely pick it up just based on the cover.

And our second book cover from Spain:
This one is not my favourite of the four. The text for 'Legacy' is cool, but I think if I were to look at this, I would peg it as a contemporary. I can't see enough of (I'm guessing Narian?) the guy in the back's outfit to stick it to an era or 'other world' that would make me think it was fantasy. However it is intriguing enough. Her dress does not look all that 'royal' though, which doesn't really help. Either way, still a nice cover.

I wonder why there are two Spanish editions but with different titles? I suppose I could look into it more, but I'm not that curious. Both companies are based in Spain (Legacy having been published by Roca Editorial, based also in Barcelona). Interesting though.



What are your thoughts on the covers? Do you have a favourite/least favourite?
And are there any covers in the future you'd like me to look at?
Let me know in the comments :) I'd love to discuss with you.

Also, see my review of Allegiance, the sequel to Legacy and the second in the trilogy by clicking here.

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