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.
Truthwitch by Susan Dennard
Welcome to this week’s Friday Face-Off – apologies for being on the late side! This week we’re looking at covers which feature either witches or witchcraft… and I must say that for a while I was stumped!
Published by Tor in both the UK and the US, Truthwitch is the first book in The Witchlands series by Susan Dennard. This Face-Off features two bold and watery covers which are similar enough to be recognised as counterparts, but are executed in their own unique styles. Take a look and see which one is your favourite this week!
Tor – UK Cover
Artwork by Justine Anwieler
Tor – US Cover
Artwork by Scott Grimando
| The Friday Face-Off: Winner |
This week, the US cover takes the Face-Off crown after something of a close call. Although I absolutely love the typeface used for the title on the UK cover – and which I’m certain is stunning in real life – the artwork itself does not capture my attention as well as it might. The central figure is bold in both colour and stance whilst the crashing wave succeeds in framing the composition, drawing your eye towards the centre of the artwork. However, first impressions are everything and this one certainly failed to grab me from the start, though it improves considerably upon closer inspection.
The US cover, whilst not in a style which usually appeals to me, succeeds in bringing a bit more drama and atmosphere to the artwork and just manages to tip the balance in the US’ favour. The typeface is bold and eye-catching – though not nearly as sumptuous as the UK cover – and the blend of smoky blues and turquoises, along with the close-up composition, draw the eye almost immediately. This immediate attraction (for good or ill) makes this cover, in my humblest of opinions, the more successful of the two options this week.
Which cover wins your vote this week? Have a cover of your own? – Post the link below!
Amazon | The Book Depository | Goodreads
Next week’s theme is: Just Then Flew Down a Monstrous Crow
A cover which features a bird
Remember to check The Friday Face-Off Feature Page for upcoming themes
| Links |
Drew @ TheTattooedBookGeek – The Time of Contempt by Andrzej Sapkowski
Lynn @ Lynn’s Books – The Tiffany Aching Series by Terry Pratchett
S J Higbee @ Brainfluff – Witch Week by Diana Wynne Jones
Nick V Reys @ The Paper Dragon – Industrial Magic by Kelley Armstrong
Cate + Karen @ MidnightBiblioBlog – The Witches by Roald Dahl
Books by Proxy 
I like different aspects of both of these covers but on balance prefer the UK – simply because of the colours and the font.
Lynn 😀
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The blue and gold are very rich on the UK cover – which definitely appeals! That typeface I just love. I want to find it in a bookshop so I can have a good look at it!
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I’m with you – I prefer the US cover, though it is a close-run thing. They are both beautiful and eye-catching, but I do prefer the sense of mystery evoked by the half-covered face in the US version. And a great read, too:).
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I must give it a try! 😀
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My Friday Face-off offering… https://sjhigbee.wordpress.com/2016/05/13/friday-faceoff-which-witch-is-which/
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It’s interesting how two different covers can feature pretty much the same motif (down to the sword in hand and the rock they’re standing on) but still look so different. I prefer the US cover too, because of the girl’s expression. She has more spirit!
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Definitely! It’s amazing how much difference and expression can make!
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I agree with all your points. And add that though the US cover’s typeface is stark, having the sword interact with it add interest that I like.
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I love that interaction between typeface and image – so rarely used but it works so well!
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I was instantly drawn to the US cover 🙂
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Yes it’s definitely the more eye-catching cover! Though I think the UK cover is a grower 😀
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The US cover just has that extra something to put it over the top for me.
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It’s definitely the one that caught my eye first!
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What I love about the US cover is how the sword actually goes through the book title. Such a cool touch, where most cover designers will keep the art and font separate.
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Yea that’s really cool! Often the titles seem as though they’re almost floating over the top of the main image so it’s a really nice touch 😀
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Both covers have their merits, indeed, but the wave in the background of the UK cover is what makes it a winner for me. Delightful post title, by the way… 🙂
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Thank you! 😀 The UK cover has definitely grown on me and I just love that typeface!
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I agree. I much prefer the U.S. Cover. I’m not a big fan of fantasy books but I think the U.S. cover looks so much more interesting. If they were two different books, I’d be more likely to pick up the U.S. one and check it out than the UK. Great choice though 🙂
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Thank you! The US cover definitely grabbed my attention the first time round! 😀
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Definitely US. The stance of the girl is much more powerful and there is something off about the girl on the UK one. Also, I like the more elegant sweep of the water rather than the crashing wave.
I’m contemplating buying this book, but I kind of prefer the UK paperback dimensions over the US – I don’t like those big paperbacks – so I don’t know what I’ll do, yet 😛
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Oh the complexities of book size!!! I usually go for the cover over anything though 😛
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