Friday Face-Off: Witch Bird Blade

The Friday Face-Off is a bookish meme hosted by Books by Proxy that compares book covers to decide which is best.

My blogging has been spotty lately due to travelling and me being busy in general. There was simply no time to sit, think, and write. But I’m back and trying to catch up, starting with this Friday post on a Sunday. So scroll on down and let me know which of the book covers most appeal to you.

May 13 theme:

Which Witch is Which?

A cover which features a witch and/or witchcraft

For this, I’ve decided to use a book I’m currently reading The Witches of East End by Melissa de la Cruz, which is about a family of witches who have been ostracized from their world. I didn’t know what to expect when I started and now that I’m reading it, I’m not sure if I want to continue. It’s a romance novel. In a way, it almost reminds me of Harlequin romances and I think I prefer to watch those than read them. It was the TV show version of the book that made me want to read it. I liked the show at first but didn’t enjoy the later episodes. As for the novel, I love the setting. But anyways, let’s get to the

FACE-OFF!

Two very different covers. I believe the one on the right is the original. The one on the left, which is the version I own, is the TV show tie-in cover. The original doesn’t say much, but the TV show tie-in has the central characters in the foreground with destruction in the background, which is sure to spark a viewer’s curiosity. I’m not crazy about either cover, but here’s the

WINNER!

There’s lots more going on in this cover and it gives a visual of what the characters might look like. And if not curiosity, then the va-va-voom outfits will definitely catch someone’s eye. I love Freya’s dress (second from the left). I’m not a fan of the original. The simple eye peek conveys nothing and doesn’t interest me at all though on a second, closer look, I see a reflection in the eye that hints at destruction, but it’s hard to say the reflection is exactly.

May 20 theme:

Just Then Flew Down a Monstrous Crow

A cover which features a bird

It took some searching but luckily I was able to find a suitable cover on my shelves for this theme. I present to you John Crow’s Devil by Marlon James. I haven’t yet read this book, but it seems to be about religious contention in a village in Jamaica.

FACE-OFF!

The three covers are in the order I discovered them. Now, I guess I should discuss the title some. I haven’t yet read the book so I’m not sure how well the title suits the story, but in Jamaica “John Crow” is the name commonly used to refer to a vulture. So going by the title alone, the third cover fits best. The first features lots of vegetation. I can’t puzzle out why but I like the typography on that cover. The second cover is subtle with the colors and is appealing in a quiet way. I find the first and the third more outstanding and eye-catching. Well then, here’s the

WINNER!

I prefer this cover not only because it fits the title by featuring the wing of a bird, but because of its overall design. I love the colors and how tattered the cover is designed to look. While the wing calls out to the bird in the title, the overall design and the colors add mystery and a sinister feel that goes with the Devil in the title.

May 27 theme:

Renewed Shall be Blade That Was Broken

A cover which features the word ‘blade’ in its title

First of all: There are some really cool books out there with the word ‘blade’ in their title. I own none, but here are three I’d love to read:

I’m gonna do things differently here and focus on just these three, somewhat unrelated, book covers. I’d like to read them all. I’ve heard Abercrombie is a good fantasy writer and I’ve had Half a King on my TBR for some time now. The cover of his The Blade Itself is pretty cool. It’s designed to look like a piece of parchment with hidden writing on it (you can barely see its faint glow) and there’s blood splattered all over it. Doesn’t that make you want to find out what happened? Is the writing a secret message on how to find the blade or make the blade? (I haven’t read the synopsis.)

I’ve heard good things about the Greatcoats series, for which the Traitor’s Blade is the first book. I love its cover. The illustration is okay, but the army in the cloak makes it pretty cool, and the stark white background really makes the figure and title stand out. I love the scarlet color too. It’s a clean look and I’d feature it on my bookshelf (if I owned it).

From what I’ve heard of Staveley’s The Emperor’s Blades, it’s sounds pretty cool. Whenever I see the book’s cover, I often pause and wonder what’s up with the characters (why are they staring at me??!!) and am tempted to purchase a copy. I love the illustrations and that though they are related in the story (I heard that somewhere), you don’t notice any immediate connection on the cover other than they all standing together. By the way, what is that weird giant thing in the background?

So, guess who’s the winner!

WINNER!

It was almost a tie between this and Traitor’s Blade but magic writing won. I seriously need to read an Abercrombie book.

Which ones were your picks?

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