Welcome to Cover Awe, where we get to look at pretty covers!
Cover illustration by Christin Engelberth
Amanda: I love the light and dark comparisons of their mounts! Thought I’d definitely be keeping an eye on that dagger/sword. I hope she’s throwing it up rather than it falling down.
Maya: I LOVE the blue horse. And the composition does a lot of good work setting up the characters – one of the land, the other of the air, united by their love of throwing knives at each other. The best kind of bestie is the one that throws you a knife when you need it!
Sneezy: This cover is so beautiful and descriptive!!! I absolutely adore the colours and movement, and the chemistry between the two characters!!!
Sarah: If they are the outlaws, I’m in. Let’s go.
Cover design by Emily Osborne
Elyse: All other illustrated covers can go home now. I love the pattern of her scarf and how it gives it depth. And her earrings. Gah
Carrie: The flow from the scarf to the earrings to the collar to the colored-in letters is beautifully composed.
Amanda: All of Jane Igharo’s covers remind me of Alyssa Cole’s Reluctant Royals with their amazing clothing patterns and details.
Maya: The cover illustrator does a great job of balancing that mustard with the green, which saves us all from a ‘70s color palette that doesn’t really need a revival.
Sneezy: I’m a sucker for when couples wear matching clothes, especially when it’s done with colours and details. Naturally I’m goo goo gaa gaa over this!!! I especially love how the artist showed they’re partners while also expressing their individuality.
Sarah: The illustrator’s talent with the expression in her eyes and especially her mouth is…wow.
Cover design by Katie Anderson
Elyse: The tattoos. The glasses and lipstick combo The boots. I love everything about both their looks so much
Maya: So cute!!!!!!
Susan: Both of those looks are goals, wow.
Sneezy: AAHH! I CAN’T!!
Sarah: I feel like I know all the possible tropes from one illustration and I am in awe.
Cover design by Daniela Medina
Cover illustration by Judy York
Amanda: I like it. Sue me.
Carrie: It has a nice flow to it, graceful composition. Also I like that they are sharing a tender glance, so loving and sweet.
Maya: Loving the use of yellow on this cover!
I really enjoyed West End Earl and am a total sucker for covers with bright yellow dresses! My only criticism is that the book’s redheaded heroine is dressed as a man for 99% of it, so it doesn’t quite set up the hero-heroine romantic dynamic. But the book itself is great fun.
The size of the lower ‘dark’ woman on the “Vssel of Starfire” cover, she has real thighs!
I love the cover but I am also concerned that the West End Earl is about to tip both of them over backward into the Thames behind him.
I love that the Earl and his lady coordinated their off the shoulder outfits!
Quite impressed by both those first and last covers. Vessel of Starfire looks pretty awesome, and I do love that yellow on West End Earl. Really cheerful and bright, and that appeals to me a lot right now!
Anyone else get this song stuck in their head? Just me? “West End Girls” by the Pet Shop Boys
Love the covers.
The first cover was so gorgeous that I went to Amazon and said “under $3, buy!”