Welcome to Shelf Candy Saturday!!
This is my weekly feature
showcasing beautiful book covers!
It also provides information,
if available, on their very talented creators!
For more information
about Shelf Candy Saturday,
just click HERE.
This week, I'm contrasting
two covers for the same book!
Angelfire
Ebook, 318 pages
February 18, 2013
(First published November 22, 2012)
Paranormal Romance, Urban Fantasy,
Young Adult Fiction
Why do I love this cover?
I'm very sad about this cover for two reasons. First, it's the cover of an ebook, and I simply don't read those, as readers of this blog know. Second, although this cover is nothing short of a masterpiece, it was not the final one picked for the book. Instead, the following cover was picked, and is the one you will see at the two bookselling websites linked above.
I think most of you reading this post will agree that the first cover is far superior to the second one! This second cover is not that unique; I've seen variations of this on other books. Although the first cover is a little dark, that aspect of it becomes less important as I compare it with the second cover. I don't like the look in the girl's eyes; it's positively evil! In fact, I can't tolerate looking at the second cover for more than a second, because it makes me very uncomfortable.....
If I were to publish a novel, I would want the most beautiful, stunning artwork on the cover. Why the author of this one settled for the second image is beyond me! If the first cover is "a little dark", the second one, of inferior artistic quality, is even darker!
The first cover is simply one of the most beautiful ones I've ever seen, in my honest opinion. It's fascinating, stunning, absolutely mind-blowing! It was obviously created digitally. (I'm not sure, but I believe I read somewhere on the Internet that the author herself created it.) Yet, it looks as if it had been painted.
The amount of detail is incredible! The front entrance of a mysterious cathedral (perhaps Chartres?) is featured, with meticulously detailed scenes depicting the crucifixion of Jesus, right above the double doors. The arches that frame the entrance, as well as the eerily glowing mist surrounding it, give it the appearance of a magical portal into another dimension.
The angel standing before the entrance is trying to cover herself, since she appears to be nude. Her beautiful wings spread majestically behind her. I get the feeling that she's suffering. She has been thrown out of heaven, and is yearning for it. This could explain why she's nude, if she indeed is. She's had to leave everything behind..... Heaven is on the other side of those doors, and they are now forever barred to her. The glowing orange mist could refer to the influence of Hell reaching out for her.....this is a little creepy.
The combination of colors is exquisite! There's the glowing, electric blue on the left, which seems to be receding before the glowing, bright orange on the right. Again, this could symbolize the encroachment of the powers of evil.
There's such a richness of symbolism in this cover that is totally absent from the second one! The ways of the publishing world are a complete mystery to me.....
To complete the uncanny beauty of the first cover, there's that utterly gorgeous title! It's done in an appropriately medieval, Gothic font, which looks like it came right out of an illuminated manuscript!
As a bibliophile, I felt I had to pick that gorgeous first cover for this week's SCS post, in spite of the fact that it's for an ebook. Beautiful book covers always pull me in, whether online, or at my beloved Barnes & Noble. In this case, I will never buy and read this book, for the reasons mentioned above. So I'm simply presenting these covers for comparison. The first one is for your visual enjoyment, as well as mine. The second one is for those who agree with my opinion to shake their heads and mutter, "What the.....?"
What do you think of my choice?
Please leave me a comment
and let me know!
Thanks!!
Great idea to contract these two covers.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree, as I would need to think that everyone would, that the first cover is infinitely better then the second one. I would just add to something that you mentioned, the Angel does look like whee may be suffering, but at least for me she looks to be determined and she seems to know what she will do next.
The first cover is of course a little dark. I would go a little further and even say "uncanny". Perhaps that is why the publisher was hesitant to use it.
Hey, Brian!
DeleteI'm glad you agree about the first cover! Of course, it is indeed a little dark, so I believe you're right -- perhaps that was why the publisher decided not to use it. However, I've seen books with covers that were much creepier than this one. Besides, I don't like the look in the girl's eyes, on the second cover. It's positively evil! In fact, I can't look at that second cover for very long, because it makes me VERY uncomfortable. So I think I'll edit the post to include a statement about that girl on the second cover.
As for the angel knowing what she will do next, as I look at her face more closely, I do see a look of determination on it. But I think she's also longing for what she's lost.
I do wish the first cover had been the one used, and on a printed edition. I would definitely have bought the book.
Thanks for the terrific comment!! : )