Saturday, August 24, 2013

Shelf Candy Saaturday #82: Lady of Devices, by Shelley Adina




Welcome to Shelf Candy Saturday!!



This weekly feature
showcases beautiful book covers,
and provides information,
if available, on their very talented creators!

For more information
about Shelf Candy Saturday,
just click HERE.


This is my choice for this week!



Lady of Devices
(Magnificent Devices #1)
Shelley Adina
Trade Paperback, 210 pages
CreateSpace
May 31, 2011
Historical Fiction, Steampunk,
Young Adult Fiction



  
Why do I love this cover?

This cover has a very vibrant, realistic, and yet, fantastical look.  It also gives me  an exciting feeling that something very mysterious is going on.  The young woman seems to be in some sort of laboratory.   A strange, blue glow permeates the entire background, and appears to be coming from a beaker to the woman's right.   It's echoed in the glowing bubbles of weird vapor coming out of the golden cup she's holding.

I love the tall, very unusual hat this lady is wearing.  It looks a bit like a pirate hat.  I only wish it weren't partially hidden by the title...Still, I think it makes quite a fashion statement! 

Her makeup, while garish, also lights up her face, as she concentrates on whatever concoction she's working on, with an elongated instrument that resembles a combination of scissors and tweezers. 

The dainty golden cup she's holding in her left hand is so beautiful! 

Other details I love are her well-manicured nails, the crochet arm coverings, and the fur-trimmed coat.

The composition and overall lighting of this image are expertly handled, as well.  The viewer's gaze is first riveted by the bubbles rising out of the golden cup, then moves to the woman's face, and is led effortlessly to the glowing beaker, her hat, her hands again, and back again.  No matter where the eye first starts, though, the composition and lighting are sure to lead it all over the cover.

The font used for the title and author's name has a definite Art Nouveau influence, and is just perfect for this cover!

The overall impression I get from this image is of a brilliant, very feminine,  and very determined young woman, one who is definitely not to be trifled with!  I'm itching to pick up this book so I can become immersed in what will surely be a great adventure!

Thanks to Brian Joseph @ Babbling Books, I know who the artist is: PhatPuppyArt!  It's unfortunate that this highly talented digital artist has chosen to be known through a nickname, and gives no personal information whatsoever.   He or she does have some impressive clients, though.

Here's another cover done by PhatPuppy Art, for another highly talented person -- YA author Amanda Hocking!  I was disappointed to discover that this book was never published....however, Hocking incorporated some of the characters and elements into the Watersong series, which I do own (except for Forgotten Lyrics, which is an ebook)!









This is the link for the artist:




 What do you think of my choice?
Leave me a comment and
let me know!






7 comments:

  1. Though I think that the colors are a little over the top, that actually adds to the appeal of this one.In fact I really like it.


    I found the artist! I "looked inside the book" at Amazon. It is Phat Puppy Art. and her website is here:

    http://phatpuppyart.com/

    Some of her work looks fantastic.



    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hey, Brian!

      I agree -- the colors ARE a bit over the top, but they do make the cover as beautiful as it is!

      You found the artist? COOL!! I'll go check out her website! Thanks for letting me know!

      Thanks for the great comment!! : )

      Delete
  2. Thanks for letting us know about the cover artist, Maria! I'm always curious about the cover art, plus while the first cover in this series might look a bit garish, the rest are superbly done!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hey, Kara!

      You're very welcome!! Yes, I agree that this cover is a bit garish, but still, I think it's very effective. And you're right -- the other covers done by this artist are indeed superb!



      Thanks for visiting and commenting!! : )

      Delete
  3. Fabulous post! I love the cover -- it just screams Steampunk!! Thank you for including the Amanda Hocking cover -- I had no idea! I have the first book of the Watersong series, Wake, on my shelf but haven't yet read it. I'll be keeping this tidbit of information in mind when I do. I love her Hollowland series as well as the Trylle Trilogy. Thanks so much for sharing this artist's lovely work!

    ~Michele

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi, Belle!

      Oh, thank you!! Yes, this cover does indeed scream Steampunk! That's one of the reasons it caught my eye!

      As for the Hocking cover, it's really too bad it was never used... I do have all of the books in the Watersong series, though, so I'm glad the author included some of the elements from this book that was never published, into the Watersong series.

      You're very welcome for the share! Thanks for dropping by and leaving such a nice comment!! : )

      Delete
    2. Looks very cool! I think it would make a great Halloween costume!

      Delete

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