Saturday, April 16, 2016

Shelf Candy Saturday No. 174: Promise of Shadows, by Justina Ireland



Welcome to Shelf Candy Saturday!


This is my weekly feature
showcasing beautiful covers!
It also provides information, 
if available, on their 
very talented creators!


Here's my choice for this week!



Promise of Shadows
 Justina Ireland
Hardcover, 371 pages
 Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
March 11, 2014
Fantasy, Mythology, Paranormal Romance,
Young Adult Fiction


https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17869212-promise-of-shadows?from_new_nav=true&ac=1&from_search=true



My Thoughts About This Cover


This cover just blew my mind when I first saw it! It packs a HUGE visual punch, for sure. First of all, the color blue did it again.... and the tone used in this image happens to match the blue tones of my blog so well! Ah, bliss.....

Secondly, the letters are so THERE. They're bold, simple, even graceful, as they sinuously overlap each other, hiding in the background, then coming forward again... I love how well and seamlessly they fit together, how they draw the eye in, around, up, down, and all over the coverThe font used is very similar to one of my favorites  -- Georgia, which is another reason I LOVE it!!

When I took a good look, the black background seemed to be made up of hairs from someone's head. But no, that wasn't it. An even closer look revealed lots of black feathers, which peek out over some of the letters. 

This is another example of a cover that uses typography in a very artistic, creative way, to make up the entire cover image. No other image is needed. (Well, except for the feathers, of course, but they are not that noticeable, at first. The typography pretty much dominates the cover.)

The mood is, of course, rather eerie and sinister, but yet, amazingly beautiful, and totally unforgettable.

In the midst of all this luscious darkness, the author's name, done in small letters, appears under the letter "E", in the middle of the cover, on the right-hand side. While I do think her name could have been a bit bigger, I'm glad it doesn't interrupt the hypnotic, intense, flow of the letters in the title.

The cover art was created by the obviously highly talented Luke Lucas, while the entire cover was designed by the equally talented Lucy Ruth Cummins. 

A visit to Lucas's website will confirm that he specializes in typographic design. And ALL of his designs are absolutely nothing short of GORGEOUS. Mr. Lucas  is a freelance art director, illustrator, designer, and typographer who lives in Australia. He totally loves typography, saying that there are a myriad of ways to design type, and each one will convey a different feelings. He's represented by agencies in several countries, and has done work for publishers like Simon & Schuster, for example.

Lucy Ruth Cummins is an Art Director with Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, and Paula Wiseman Books. Some of the books she's worked on include the Hush, Hush series by Becca Fitzpatrick, The Mara Dyer Trilogy, by Michelle Hodson, and The Summer Series, by Jenny Han. She lives in Brooklyn, New York, and is also an illustrator.       
  


Online Links

Luke Lucas

Lucy Ruth Cummins





What do you think of this 
week's cover?
Please leave a comment
and let me know!










8 comments:

  1. Another great choice for a cover Maria.


    Your analyses is also spot on and interesting as usual.

    Your post is making me think of the kind of cover where the words and the title re the prominent features. I am thinking that this is not the kind of cover art that we often notice and talk about. At least for a few days, I am going to casually look through my own books for examples.

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  2. Hey, Brian!

    I'm so glad you like this cover, as well as my analysis of it! Thanks for your kind words!!

    In my search for great covers to feature every Saturday, I've come across many that concentrate on typography, either dominating the cover space -- placed in front of background images -- or being the entire design.

    Not every cover which has typography as the sole, or main design element, looks beautiful to me, though. I have come across some that, in my opinion, are absolutely HIDEOUS. But the one I chose for this week, as well as the one for last week, are really beautiful, and very well designed!

    I think I might feature one of these UGLY typographic covers next week, and contrast it with a GORGEOUS one.

    When you look through your books, if you find any such covers -- whether beautiful or ugly -- that you think I might want to feature in a future SCS post, just drop me a line with the links, and I'll be sure to include them. Thanks in advance!

    Thanks for the GREAT comment!! Hope you're having a WONDERFUL Saturday!! :)

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  3. OMG! It's totally gorgeous. I agree the blue makes it pop and I seem to be drawn with books with feathers anyway. This is definitely going on the wishlist. It's the perfect book to feature and your thoughts are totally on the mark!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi, Barb!

      Indeed it is! I LOVE that blue!! (Of course, it's my favorite color, as you can see from my blog design. Lol.)

      Those feathers are very unusual. I didn't notice them right away, but when I looked closer, I did. They give the cover a rather eerie feeling, but they go with the letters very well.

      I'm really glad you like this cover! Thanks for your nice comment!! :)

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  4. It's a handsome cover although had difficulty at first in reading the word 'shadows.' I like the way the author's name is small but very visible due to the colour change and 'a novel' sits within the capital S. The black bird feathers create a very powerful image with their suggestions of death and mourning. I wonder how relevant they are to the story?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi, there!

      You're right about the title's legibility; I had trouble with that myself. And you know, I really didn't notice the words "a novel" within the capital "S"! I was so captivated by the overall flow of the letters in the title, I somehow didn't see that.

      The feathers definitely create a feeling of death and mourning. I would imagine they have a lot to do with the story. If you check out Luke Lucas's website, you'll just how very talented he is!

      Thanks for dropping by and commenting!! :)

      Delete
  5. You know what it is a striking cover, but it's feels difficult for me to read -- though that's probably a comment on the state of my eyes than anything!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi, Veruska!

      It sure is!! And don't feel bad about having a hard time reading the title; I had trouble at first, too! And so did "Share My Garden", who commented above.

      Aside from that, this really is an amazing cover, and I hope to find more books with covers designed by this brilliant cover artist!

      Thanks for visiting and commenting!! :)

      Delete

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