Welcome to The Friday Face-Off, a new weekly meme here at Books by Proxy. Join me every Friday as I pit cover against cover, and publisher against publisher, to find the best artwork in our literary universe.
Elantris by Brandon Sanderson
Welcome to this week’s Friday Face-Off! This Face-Off is comparing books with predominantly green covers and, for me, there’s only one book which came instantly to mind!
Published by Gollancz in the UK and by Tor in the US, Elantris by Brandon Sanderson is not only a brilliant read but has some stunning artwork gracing its covers. Scroll down to see which one takes this week’s crown.
Gollancz – UK Cover
Artwork by Sam Green
Tor – US Cover
Artwork by Stephan Martiniere
| The Friday Face-Off: Winner |
Stephan Martiniere’s US cover is undeniably beautiful and incredibly detailed. It has a brilliant traditional and almost sci-fi quality to it which still manages to resonate beautifully with the narrative. However, the Sam Green covers for Brandon Sanderson’s extensive repertoire have been a long time favourite and so this week’s winner was an easy choice. Monochrome with a flash of colour, these beautiful illustrations never fail to impress. Capturing the beautiful eerie quality of a city under a magical plague, this wonderfully stylised artwork along with its eye-catching typeface couldn’t fail to come out on top in this week’s Face-Off.
Which cover wins your vote this week? Have a cover of your own? – Post the link below!
Amazon | The Book Depository | Goodreads
Next Friday’s theme is: Water, Water Everywhere
Remember to check The Friday Face-Off Feature Page for upcoming themes
Books by Proxy 
I actually really like the US cover for this one. The covers on the UK one are great but I somehow prefer the US one.
My link: http://lynns-books.com/2016/03/25/double-double-toil-and-trouble-fire-burn-and-cauldron-bubble/
Lynn 😀
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Well it is beautiful so not surprising!!
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I love the black and green motif of the UK cover, and it reminds me, somehow, of the scenes in Minas Morgul in Peter Jackson’s LOTR.
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You’re right!! Spot on 😀
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They are both gorgeous covers but I am most drawn to the stark, simple UK cover. These covers put me in mind of a dark, Emerald city 😀
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Ooooh a dark Emerald City!!! Perfect description! 😀
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I agree with your choice. I love the UK covers. They make me think of watercolor paintings. I haven’t read Sanderson’s books yet but I bought the UK issues of the Mistborn trilogy because of the covers.
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Oh they do! I really hope you enjoy them – Sanderson is definitely one of my favourite authors!
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I’m with you – the UK cover wins hands down. And the clever twist is that Sanderson’s books now all have this particular branding, which I think is great.
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I love them all sitting together on my shelf! Beautiful! 😀
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It’s probably just me, but I find the black and white + 1 color motif for all the UK covers for Brandon Sanderson kind of boring – US edition all the way for this one!
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Personally I love all the UK covers and they all look fantastic together. But sometimes it is nice to get a little bit of variation! The US artwork is undeniable beautiful – it’s often the typeface which distracts and tips the balance to the other side!
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I just love the UK covers for all Sanderson’s stuff. They’re so minimalist, and yet so evocative and arresting. And make his books immediately recognisable whenever I shop for them.
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They really are gorgeous! And it’s great branding really as I’m automatically drawn to them. I always look forward to seeing any new additions to the collection!
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Pretty sure I prefer almost all of the covers Sam Green has done for Sanderson 😛
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Haha me too!
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