Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by The Broke and the Bookish that other bloggers are welcome to join in, to create Top Ten lists on varying topics. This week it’s a FREEBIE WEEK and we’ve chosen our Top Ten favourite covers.
Paein
1 Stars Above
by Marissa Meyer
A glass crown on a red pillow. Before the book was out, everyone had their own ideas. This is perhaps the only one from the series that doesn’t represent a fairytale but despite that and despite being a book of novellas, it fits into the set perfectly.
While this was not the end of The Lunar Chronicles (Thank goodness! Graphic Novels are promised!) it contained a story set after Winter then just left us all wanting more.
The Lunar Chronicles are an imaginative and vastly clever set of Fairytale retellings that all link together. There’s Cinderella, Red Riding Hood, Rupunzel and Snow White. Perfect for those who love a little sci-fi action with their retelling.
2 Fire and Thorns
by Rae Carson
Pretty sure it was the cover that first drew me in. She looks like she’s going to take none of your crap, I love characters like that. And while she’s perhaps a pawn in everyone elses’ games to start with, she takes the game and makes it her own.
A great Fantasy world set in deserts and strange lands. A fantastic story with a great strong female lead.
3 The Wrath and the Dawn
by Renee Ahdieh
On first glance it seems pretty simple, but in actual fact there’s a woman peeping through there and when you remove the dust cover there she is! I didn’t see her at first, until the book was in my hands. It actually put me off, until I held it that is. I do think, though, he should have been hiding too…
A retelling of A Thousand and One Nights, this is a retelling done so very right.
4 The Sleeper and the Spindle
by Neil Gaiman
This is some kind of book/graphic novel cross breed. The whole thing is fantastically drawn and well presented. It’s elegant and gothic at the same time and it gives you some pretty decent surprises.
A different kind of retelling, this is sleeping beauty re-imagined.
5 Winners Trilogy
by Marie Rutkoski
Do these need to be explained?? Fancy dresses and swords! Tells you everything you need to know.
In this world both boys and girls learn to fight, but the nobility must still be impeccably dressed – not always at the same time, dresses and swordplay don’t really mix. But take a closer look and you’ll find far more going on than a continuously expanding empire. It’s amazing what two seemingly insignificant people can do…
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Ms4Tune
6 A Darker Shade of Magic & A Gathering of Shadows
by V E Schwab
I went completely out of my way to get the American Hardback editions of this series, this isn’t to say the UK edition is bad, it’s just not as delicately done as the American editions. I just love them! I love the fact that the series (so far) matches, I love that they are so detailed and yet simple at the same time. The use of a simple, limited colour scheme and the use of so much negative/white space is perfection. It really draws your eye to the typography and the illustration! The illustration reflects the story and I think that’s what’s most important. It’s especially clever because its such a difficult concept to convey, but the idea of different coloured worlds and being able to jump between them is very easy to pick out on the cover of A Darker Shade of Magic.
If you haven’t read this series yet, I really do recommend it, especially if you love fantasy novels.
7 Uprooted
by Naomi Novik
I loved both the American and UK editions of Uprooted but my favourite is definitely this version, the UK version. It also uses minimal colours which capture the coldness of the surroundings. It clearly depicts the set up to this story and has a wonderful foreboding atmosphere to it. I also love the simple block print feel it has, because it feels reminiscent of old fairytale illustrations.
This was a great fairytale retelling that you should definitely track down and read, if you managed to miss it so far,.
8 Vengeance Road
by Erin Bow
Unlike Uprooted and A Darker Shade of Magic, Vengeance Road seems really busy. There’s so much going on and there is literally no empty spaces! But each detail is important and coupled with another limited colour palette, it successfully portrays the desert, cowboy story-line held within these pages.
This is a must for anyone looking for a YA Western, I’ve read a few now and this is by far my favourite.
9 Discworld
by Sir Terry Pratchett
Similarly to Vengeance Road there is literally no wasted space on the covers of the Discworld novels but what I love about these designs is that they capture lots of different bits of the story. I love reading through and suddenly discovering what the cover is about and it usually makes me laugh because its always a humorous part of the story. I definitely prefer these designs to the newer designs. They just have so much more character.
If you’ve not read any Terry Pratchett yet, then where have you been? Go now! find one and read it! You won’t regret it.
10 Vessel
by Sarah Beth Durst
This cover is just stunning. Like Vengeance Road it uses a colour scheme that makes you think of the desert and I don’t think anyone can say that woman isn’t beautiful. I’m convinced this is depicting the dance that she has to perform in order to invoke the Goddess into her Vessel. I think the title being cut out of the dust is a wonderful addition.
This is perfect for anyone looking for a standalone fantasy novel with tonnes of beautiful imagery.
Yay, Dyscworld!
My point exactly
I loved the entire Winner’ Trilogy covers too. I always like it when covers in a series match, but each stand out int heir own way too. These ones were gorgeous!
I also loved Star’s Above, as I did for the entire Lunar Chronicles series actually.
I’ve never read any V E Schwab but have to agree with you. Those covers are amazing! I’d buy them just to sit on my bookshelf!
I strongly recommend V E Schwab, I’ve loved every one of her books (that I’ve read) so far plus all her covers are pretty awesome lol.
me too! I sometimes re-buy books so that they match. A horrid waste of money, but then if you give the first to charity it’s a good deed! That’s my excuse anyway…
Wow, those are some beautiful book covers!! I love the look of them.
http://captivatedreader.blogspot.com/2016/06/top-ten-tuesday-freebie-week-things-i.html
fabulous covers! My faves are The Wrath & The Dawn and Uprooted! My TTT
I’ve never heard of Vengenance Road, but that cover has just sold me! Another one added to the TBR. I love your cover of Uprooted, way better than mine, but I think I’m one of the few who didn’t like the story.
And you’re right, we had totally similar TTT-Cover Judgers Unite!My TTT
Glad I could help grow your TBR pile! I liked both covers for Uprooted so I really struggled to choose. I’d read it on my kindle first so knew I loved it. I’m sorry you didn’t enjoy it as much. I think the hype got too much for it and ruined it for quite a few people.
Ha I love it, yes Cover-Judgers Unite! I feel we should start a panel. lol.
Thanks for stopping by!
Wow, very pretty covers!
My TTT: https://jjbookblog.wordpress.com/2016/06/28/top-ten-tuesday-63/
The Sleeper and the Spindle is gorgeous inside and out hehe. Happy reading! http://www.curious-daisy.com/top-ten-tuesday/ten-booktubers-you-should-follow/
Such a beautiful TTT!
I love the look of the spines of the ‘A Darker Shade of Magic’ when they are together, I still need to read this series but I have heard some amazing things about it.
Hi Deborah, I hope you get to read A Darker Shade of Magic soon. It was one of my favourite books of 2015 and the second book is looking to make this years Top Ten too! Great series.
So much love for this author in the online book community, and I am totally going to have to check out her new book This Savage Song too!
I have too! I’m also yet to read it but I know that Ms4Tune loved it!
Thanks for stopping by today. I love a pretty cover, A Darker Shade of Magic is a pretty one and love me The Six of Crows
Ahhh yes! The Six of Crows cover is gorgeous! And I’m so happy to see they’ve continued the design concept for Crooked Kingdoms. Now to make sure its the same size…
I absolutely adore The Winner’s trilogy’s covers – I know a lot of people think that because of the pretty dresses, they do not represent the story well, but, as you said, that is not true. I’m so sad about the cover change for that reason… now those do NOT represent the story well, as Kestrel is more of a strategist than a fighter, and those portray her otherwise.
D
I have the UK edition of Uprooted and totally agree with you – it’s prettier than the US one, even though both are gorgeous. I also adore Vengeance Road’s cover, it’s so detailed and – from what I’ve heard about the book – it’s a perfect fit.
Great picks!
My TTT
Cover change? There’s new covers? So glad I have a complete set before they did that! Oh. I see what you mean. I agree with you, though you have to give them some credit, it seems like they’ve tried to choose moments from the book…sort of.
Schwab has gotten some awesome covers! Great picks!
Check out my TTT.