Book cover trends change so fast. Check out the cover of Sonya Bateman‘s MASTER OF NONE, which came out last year:
We get a nice, scruffy jawline and a torso on down. Oh! and a hand. The guy could be any white guy, which I think was the point.
Here’s the next book in the series, MASTER AND APPRENTICE, which I just received in the mail from Pocket Books:
Now we have a distinctly Italian-looking white guy with his scruffy jaw, a jacket that is a little more clearly leather, and a pose that is full of tude. We also have a mysterious woman in the background who looks plucked from a medieval fantasy. There’s a reason for that, because in many ways, she is.
Remember the tattoo covers? It really wasn’t all that long ago when they were so prevalent that SciFiGuy gently mocked them in this cover parade:
Covers have come a long way since then. Most of the time, I wouldn’t be embarrassed to be seen with today’s paranormal and urban fantasy novels. I kind of liked the faces to be a mystery, but I don’t mind full faces, either. But the model would have to be casted well. In this case, the Gavyn I imagined looked a bit friendlier than this brooding guy, but otherwise, not bad.
oh my heck, i love it! covers are so important, since they’re oftentimes (despite the whole “don’t judge a book by its cover admonition) what we judge a book by, at least if we’re trolling a bookstore randomly! of course, if i am already a fan of an author, the cover doesn’t matter, the story doesn’t matter. i’ll read any book by that author … until i don’t like one, and then it’s tough to trust them again.
anywhoo, good post, as always! : )
Thank you! If a cover catches my eye as the kind of story I would want to read, I will definitely take a closer look.
Covers evolve just like books do. Stories grow and change in topic and genre and covers grow to shine just as much as a story does. I love getting a new cover for my books. It is like a gift.
That cover video was hilarious! The cover for `Master and Apprentice’ is beautiful, but I keep thinking of the guy on the cover as Ian (despite the wolf also being shown) because he looks so different from what I picture Gavin- but that brooding expression works perfectly (to me) for the genii.
Thanks for mentioning the next book in this series is out. Now I’ll know to look for it.
I’m one of those who doesn’t pay a whole lot of attention to covers when I’m book-shopping. Titles, though… Observing my own shopping habits has led me to realize how important a good title is if you want to attract browsers in the bookstore (unless I’m already familiar with the author, in which case the title doesn’t matter).
I kinda miss announcing books. I just wish I had the time. I can always make special exceptions, like in this case, though.
If MASTER AND APPRENTICE is like the first book, I won’t be able to put it down.
Chicory, ditto about Ian. And titles are so important.
I’m so glad you made an exception. I’ve been looking forward to this book for awhile now but between school and… school I forgot to watch for the release-date.