So many pretty covers this week - alas, the old adage “can’t trust a book by its cover” is also this week’s theme. Only one - maybe 2 - are actually represented by their covers. All that prettiness and so much disappointment
Oh and an arse. Of course.
City of Heavenly Fire (Mortal Instruments #6) by Cassandra Clare
If nothing else, you have to praise these book series for their beautiful covers. The light from the marks, the burning city, the angel wings, the wind and drama of it all. So very beautiful, so very intriguing. It’s almost enough to stop me questioning why Clary is dressed like a Bronte heroine in her nightdress.
Aaargh, now whenever I think of Clary I’m going to picture this:
You had a temper like my jealousy
Too hot, too greedy
How could you leave me
When I needed to possess you?
I hated you. I loved you, too
Gun, staff, fire, money, an exploding vault and lots of destruction - behold Harry Dresden epitomised in one cover. It virtually screams mayhem lies within while oozing awesomeness from every part. It’s a cover that made me make desperate grabby hands as soon as I saw it. It helps that the cover model is so close to how I picture Harry
I don’t know if Harry’s completely focused, calm expression is a bit ridiculous given the flaming death all round - or whether
Souls of the Damned (Kat Richardson Series #5) by E.S. Moore
She is Lady Death. She has fought vampires. She has slain werewolves. She has stood against demons and angels and marauding human secret societies. Know that whenever danger raises its ugly head, she will face it. Well, not face it - she will point her backside at it encased in very very tight vinyl. I doubt she can even sit on her bike in those trousers, let alone fight. What is with that pose, why would anyone (least of all Kat, font of all rage) decide to turn round like that? Her back must be killing her!
Once we remove the pose and the trousers she’s been vacuum packed in, it works - the city, the night, the bike, the knife (except for the way it’s being used to frame the backside). But it all fades before the shiny butt cheeks (also the face. because the face looks like 14 - which doesn’t sit well with the rubber clad derriere). Absolutely no-one in the world can look badass while demanding everyone stare at her ass.
The Elements by Zhu Hsia
That is some REALLY fugly jewellery. It’s like the sort of thing someone would by when completely out of their skulls on LSD to the point where they can just gasp “the coloursssss” in a slightly worrying tone of voice. The water and fire effects are slightly nifty - it lets me think that the utterly infuriating protagonist and the bland love interest are going to burn and their ashes washed to see where they will never trouble me again
If they were on the cover. We definitely push for diversity in the genre, but as far as I read the only Asian people in this book have been randomly slapped on the cover. This is Kayleigh of the red hair and pale skin?
Disarming (Reign of Blood #2) by Alexia Purdy
That’s a really powerful cover. It’s beautiful. You can feel her despair, her sadness and not in an over dramatic angst way, but she feels crushed. She’s not wearing huge amounts of clothing but she’s also completely unsexualised and has a distinct edge of badassness that she would normally have, except for being prostrated by whatever had devastated her so powerfully.
Which just goes to show, yet again, that some of the most beautiful covers out there are really really REALLY misleading.
