Cover Review 20th April to 24th April

All Hallows' Moon (Seasons of the Moon #2) by SM Reine

...oh. Why?

She’s a disembodied torso. A sexualised torso as well, the pose, the focus - it’s all both unnecessarily sexual in terms of basic appropriation AND it seems like a completely unrelated to the book itself. Romance, sex, these are not the focuses of this book. Even with the wolf, this feels like the cover to a completely different book

Cover Review: 6th April - 10th April

The Immortal Hunter (Argeneau #11) by Lynsay Sands

Hot man on the cover staring all sexy. This probably is the epitome of a meh cover for me. I can’t say anything wrong with it and it’s definitely sexy without being the almost hilarious mantitteh we see so much - but that is the whole of it. It could be about anything or anyone, it could be paranormal, contemporary, historical - even the romance part is only implied. I can see it blending on the shelf, camouflaged among so many other books

Omega (War of Alphas #1) by SM Reine

Well, the protagonist is clearly a Black woman while, at the same time, being a lot paler than I predicted her. I also think that the gun toting, leather-trousered woman depicted here (crouching, of course always crouching) is just trying far too much to be the Urban Fantasy Protagonist (™) and not enough like Deidre.

I think something similar applies to the bats. Bats = spooky, gothic and vaguely vampirey. That isn’t this book.

Still it’s very very very pretty and contains a few more genre cues than the other

Cover Review: 16th March to 20th March

Ash by Malinda Lo

I really like this cover. It’s so powerfully haunting – could there be a better depiction of utter loneliness, of someone being so completely lost as we see here? I think, especially with the stark, minimalist title, it’s a very powerful cover.

But possibly darker than the actual book turned out

  

Vampire, Interrupted (Argeneau #9) by Lynsay Sands

I am not a fan of the covers in this series. They seem to be very generic romance covers that depict their supernatural elements via tattoos. This makes me think far less about vampires, it makes me think Batwoman is getting married.

Yes I do keep thinking bat-family on these covers

Cover Review: 9th March - 13th March

Fury's Kiss (Dorina Basarab #3) by Karen Chance

Let it be known that no matter what threats lurk out there, no matter how mysterious the fae, how cunning the vampire or powerful the mage, Dorina is ready to stand up and face it. Well face away from it, anyway.

Yes, arses ahoy - there’s nothing like a lethal action heroine deciding her best side is her rump - accentuated, of course, with sexy leather. No no it’s armour, honest (ignore the gap).

The Baskerville Tales (Short Stories): The Adventure of the Wollaston Ritual, The Strange and Alarming Courtship of Miss Imogen Roth, The Steamspinner Mutiny: Emma Jane Holloway

I like this. It’s understated, suggestive, pretty without being overtly sexual with clothes that excellently show off the era without the need to drown us in lashings of victoriana at every turn. I also quite like her withdrawn, hidden facial expression, is that a hidden smile? A demure look down? A secret being held? I like it

The only issue is that it’s very very vague as to what the book is about beyond “historical”

Cover Review: 2nd March to 6th March

Dark Debt (Chicagoland Vampires #11) by Chloe Neill

Ah Chicagoland Vampires; whenever I think the era of all the silly covers is over, this is the series that keeps on giving. Look at this one! We’ve got the crouching into battle, the tight sexy leather, the grossly inappropriate for the weather clothes, and high heel boots. Oh dear gods, Merit is wearing high heel boots while crouching in tight leather in the rain while her long hair blows in the wind and she looks sexily at the camera.

Let’s repeat that: Merit is wearing high heel boots while crouching in tight leather in the rain while her long hair blows in the wind and she looks sexily at the camera. Merit would actually have to stab herself.

Poisoned by Deceit (The One Rises #4) by Anna Wolfe

This cover is right in so many ways. It focuses on the protagonist, Edie and it’s a really good representation of her and she definitely isn’t whitewashed. It shows the setting as well… but it is lacking in any supernatural elements which I think Urban Fantasy books really do need that.

It’s good in many ways so I feel grumpy by saying I just don’t like the art style of this series

Cover Review: 23rd February to 27th February

Dead Heat (Alpha & Omega #4) by Patricia Briggs

One thing I’ve always liked about Anna, and, in some ways, why I prefer this series to the Mercy Thompson Series, is that she’s a character whose woo-woo is almost the anti-woo-woo. She’s the least werewolf-y werewolf there is; and that defines her. She’s not constantly worried about control or anger, she’s not always stalking around dominance games or hierarchy or hatred of witches or any such supernatural issues. She’s often effective simply because she comes in and dumps very-human normality over everything and forces her fellows wolves to do the same

Which is why I can’t even begin to agree with a cover which makes her look all feral and ominous. Charles, yes - walking slab of angsty sexy wolfy muscle, certainly. But I feel this cover kind of misses the entire point of who and what Anna is.

Also, a leather bustier? Really? Really really?

Change Anna’s clothes and her facial expression and I think it would work - the wolf, the lack of white-washing Charles, it would have been a lot better

Armageddon Rules (Grimm Agency #2) by J.C. Nelson

Ok… what… is happening here? Is it just me, or is that her butt and BACK below the breasts and then her chest above? Because that exposed “stomach” looks like a back. Her hips definite have her arse facing us. But she’s definitely facing us from the chest upwards. Is this the most extreme spine twist we’ve ever seen? Was the artist drunk? Is it an attempt to snark at spine twisty covers? Am I just hallucinating? Perhaps I am drunk? Perhaps I should be?

Cover Review

Vision in Silver (The Others #3) by Anne Bishop

Sadly, I don’t like this on any level. If I didn’t know the book, it’s too uninformative - it’s just Meg’s face, it tells me nothing about the book, it’s topics, themes, or even genre.

And as someone who has read the books, this is probably how someone would paint Meg if they heard her physically described, but not if they read the book. Meg died her hair red in a clumsy botched attempt at a disguise - she didn’t got to a salon. I can’t imagine her wearing that much make up - and her expression, direct, confident and almost sexual seems very un-Megy. What is that expression anyway? It’s Meg physically but nothing like the character we’ve grown to know and love

Free Agent (Grimm Agency #1) by J.C. Nelson

Hip thrust! Wind blown hair! Casually held weapon! Jeans tight enough to be uncomfortable! Leather! Random swirly stuff in the background. It’s like a paint-by-the-numbers-Urban Fantasy cover!

Cover Review 9th February - 13th February

The Diabolical Miss Hyde (Electric Empire #1) by Viola Carr

Did I mention I love Steampunk? Because I love steampunk and I love the covers and the aesthetic and I kind of just want to stare at this cover and murmur “pretty”. The night time colours, the cogs in the corners, the clothes - oh it’s pretty, so very very pretty.

It’s also a very accurate representation of the book - that is a perfect rendition of Miss Hyde. Of course, you could have also had a representation of her - or Eliza Jekel - that didn’t involve fishnets, raised skirts and cleaved. It’s not an inaccurate representation of the book - but it is the most sexualised scene within transported to the cover.

Dying by the Hour (Jesse Sullivan #2) by Kory M Shrum

I love this cover. It’s dramatic, it’s unique and we have a seriously kick-arse heroine on the cover who isn’t being sexualised. It looks awesome, I love the colours, the movement and the sheer power of it. It screams of magic and woo-woo which I also love…

Cover Review: 2nd February - 6th February

Lady of Integrity (Magnificent Devices #7) by Shelley Adina

Ahh Steampunk. I love steampunk covers. The colours, the London skyline, the dirigible. It’s all so pretty and thematic and this in particular has the perfect sense of time and place with the colour palette. I do so like it. Ok, maybe not quite as much as some others, but it’s still lovely

Voyager (Outlander #3) by Diana Gabaldon

Aha, blandly generic cover of blandness strikes again. This book could be anything, it may as well just have a blank cover. It’s not even mysterious or intriguing or really hinting. At least a big mantitteh displaying Scotsman would give us something to look at and distract us from the awfulness within.

Cover Review 26th January - 30th January

I’m going to be seriously contrary this week - for we have a string of book covers I love; but I am dissatisfied with in some way. Largely because all of them scream “that’s not in the book” to me. Even when I really like them

Unbound (Magic Ex Libris #3) by Jim C Hines

Take this cover. I love it, it’s beautiful (and more than a little sexy). I love the background, the colours, the cover mode. What’s not to love? Well, I just don’t see Isaac here. I see someone who is very cool and badass. Not that Isaac isn’t cool and badass - but he’s also geeky. Where’s the geeky? Needs more nerd!

The Way of All Flesh by Tim Waggoner

And this cover - an excellent depiction of a zombie. It’s gruesome and gross and scary and nasty. Zombie book ahoy, can there be any doubt?

Cover Review: 19th January to the 23rd January

Our weekly look at the fabulous art work, evocative images and twisted spines that have adorned the books we reviewed last week.

The Fourth Bear (Jack Spratt Investigates #2) by Jasper Fforde

I’m interested - it works for me. It’s a little vague and doesn’t really show the fairy tale elements - but it is both cartoony and faintly ominous which is a surprisingly good representation of the book itself. I don’t think I love it, but I think if I were scrolling past covers I would stop on this one and read a little more out of sheer curiosity. The only thing is, I suspect it would be filed under the children’s section

Sundark (Elle Black Penny Dread #1) by Elizabeth Watasin

Ooooooooooooh yes, I like this. I like the darkness, I like the gothic spookiness. i like the nice scroll work and moulding and night sky behind her. I like the action pose of the protagonist - which is kind of awesome - and I like the Victorian theme. What I particularly have to praise is the strong Victorian theme - carried by the clothing - without being so very over the top about it. I love victoriana covers - but to have all that Victoriana without the steam engines is an interesting achievement.

Cover review 12th January - 16th January

Dark Currents (Agent of Hel #1) by Jacqueline Carey

Behold the patented Crouch into Battle. The classic female action pose involves kneeling. I have no idea why, there is no way this can be useful; but the crouch comes up again and again

Other than that I like it - in a generic “let’s use woo-woo lines instead of background” sense. It’s pretty, it’s pretty clear about what it is - and I like it even if it’s not especially distinctive.

Strange Magic (Yancy Lazarus #1) by James A Hunter

I’m going to have a completely shallow moment and just pause and say “yummy” and maybe “unf…”

Having put my shallowness aside and I have to say the clothing and smoking gives just the nicest sense of bad-boy without TRYING too hard. It isn’t over the top, it’s just nicely conveyed and hinted at.

Cover review 5th January - 9th January

Burn for Me (Hidden Legacy #1) by Ilona Andrews

Aaaargh… what? Why? Who did this? Why take this story and put such a romance cover on it? Not only is this book not a romance, but it’s highlighting the most irritating part of the book!? And what is she wearing? An off the shoulder dress? Nevada, WHYYYYY? This is how we depict the awesome skill, dedicated family and general excellence? And posing like that with Mad?

Whyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy?

Talon (Talon #1) by Julie Kagawa

Hmmmm… I kind of like this. It’s very very low on detail, but because of that it’s intriguing. “The Talon” label and then that scaly background - it draws my eye, it’s intriguing, it’s different and it really emphasises the dragon aspect of the book

Shame the book doesn’t match this

This Week in Book Covers 29th December - 2nd January

Diabolical Taste (Kenssie #2) by Ros Jackson

Ok this cover doesn’t really work for me. The cover conveys what is inside in that it is an excellent depiction of what the two main characters look like - and the facial expression on Kenessie’s face even gives a sense of how they feel. The teddy bear adds a little oddness to be intriguing

But, I don’t know, there’s not a lot of sense of what the book is actually about - and I just don’t like this cartoonish style. The book is for younger readers, but this feels far younger than that

This Week in Book Covers 8th December - 12th December

Death's Mistress (Midnight Daughter #2) by Karen Chance

Why why why Dorina Basarab why have you been afflicted by unnecessarily sexy leather? And why would you go through all the drama of this book - the hectic chases, the constant fights, the investigation - wearing so little clothing? Why is the navel and cleavage on display? Has Dorina ever been that concerned with looking so sexy?

This is such a classic Urban Fantasy cover - a kick arse lethal woman must be allergic to clothing

Deceiver's Bond (A Clairvoyant's Complicated Life #2) by Katherine Bayless

I like this one. It’s a really good representation of the character, even if we can’t see her head. It’s a nice touch to include her gloves - and I love that nearly all of her skin is covered which is especially important given her powers. She isn’t sexualised and looks awfully tough and has nice little touches like the teddy bear to ensure we know this cover was expressly made for this book and truly represents this particular book. I love it

This Week in Book Covers 1st December - 5th December

The Big Over Easy (Jack Spratt Investigates #1) by Jasper Fforde

While I’m not a big fan of this style of cover, I think this does it well. It’s cartoony and fun - which, after all, is the very essence of this book. We have Humpty Dumpty just to drive it home - and a gun in classic retro-crime novel style as well; all the elements are there. I can’t say I like the cover but it does the job admirably

The Fairyland Murders (Deadly Ever After #1) by J.A. Kazimer

I find this cover interesting because here we have a male protagonist presented in a pose that is very similar to poses we see of a lot of female characters on book covers - but there are noted differences. Like his back is to us - but while that would be a classic arse-showing pose, his jeans are loose and he isn’t wearing tight leather. He’s wearing a vest, but it’s not midrift and the limited flesh it shows - his arms - are covered by writing or off the cover; more the black of the top coupled with the background makes it hard to track the shape of his upper body at all. It’s a classic cover angle with none of the sexualisation we are used to seeing

This Week in Book Covers 24th November - 28th November

A short week this week - and to make it even harder to review I have no bad covers to snark! Really publishers, can you churn out the half naked, broken spined heroines squatting their way into battle? I need material here!

Loki's Wolves (The Blackwell Pages #1) by K.L. Armstrong & M.A. Marr

See? Look at this! Excellent background that sets off the characters without overwhelming or distracting things, slavering wolves that really do look menacing, accurate representation of 2 of the major characters all in a style that is dynamic and evocative of YA. Publishers, how do I snark this?! Won’t someone think of the snark?

The Accidental Alchemist by Gigi Pandian

And this - we have a gargoyle on the front which is just perfect; he’s a major part of the plot so he’s not a distraction or deviation - the style is intriguing enough and weird enough to draw a casual browser in for a closer examination and then we see the whisk. At which point anyone who doesn’t read the blurb probably has no soul.

This Week in Book Covers 10th November - 14th November

Under Suspicion (Underworld Detection Agency #3) by Hannah Jayne

Shenanigans! I call shenanigans on this book cover! This is a flagrant case of false advertising! This book presents something resembling a dangerous, competent protagonist - it builds on an entire genre of weapon-wielding, sexy leather be-decked, scantily-clad, arse presenting heroines (and well done getting ALL of those problems in there) who storm through their respective books kicking arse and not even bothering to take names

Sophie is not one of them. I can’t imagine Sophie owning leather trousers, let alone being able to pull on any item of clothing that tight without either help or someone thinking she’s recreating the three stooges. And as to weapons? Not only does she not wield weapons, but she should not wield weapons! This woman is so lacking in basic competence that allowing her near a butter knife gives me a bad case of the dreads - an actual short sword? She would kill herself, no doubt about it

Of course, maybe the artist realises this and that is why she is depicted stabbing herself in the buttock.

I am annoyed by this cover - and not just because of the usual silliness. I am annoyed because what is depicted is so very far from what Sophie is that it feels like a cynical lie to trick readers

Archangel's Consort (Guildhunter #3) by Nalini Singh