Welcome to The Friday Face-Off, a 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
The Infernal Battalion by Django Wexler
Welcome to the Friday Face-Off where this week we’ll be comparing covers which feature a cloaked figure! With ever an abundance of mysterious cloak wearing, cape donning, and shroud covered characters inhabiting fantasyland, this Friday I’ve been spoiled for choice in the cover department.
With two starkly different covers, Django Wexler’s The Infernal Battalion has won out this cloak-off – even if one of the covers has nary a cloak nor a cape to be had. Published by Head of Zeus in the UK (no-cloak) and Ace Books in the US (cloak!), check out this week’s featured covers and decide which one is your favourite.
Head of Zeus | UK – Cover #1
Ace Books | US – Cover #2
| The Friday Face-Off: Winner |
The UK cover, with its cold hues and stark imagery, depicts a battlefield of smoke, dirt and rain, where a besieged city towers in the distance and burns with bright orange flames. The soldiers illustrated in the foreground have a certain dynamism to their character as they struggle through the mud of the battlefield with a cannon. The typography is bold and simplistic, neither dominating nor distracting from the imagery.
The US cover, by comparison, transports us to the city walls themselves. Here the colours are hot and dangerous, and the image of a cloaked figure dominates the foreground as fire and smoke swirls behind. As effective as the tone and setting are, the figure doesn’t appear to be engaging with their surroundings, looking a little nonplussed as the city burns.
Perhaps this was the purpose of the design and refers to a particular moment in the book, but I much prefer the dynamism of the UK cover – making it this week’s winner!
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:
Groovy Baby
A cover that is retro
Remember to check The Friday Face-Off Feature Page for upcoming themes
| Links |
Lynn @ Books and Travelling with Lynn
Steve @Books and Beyond Reviews
Books by Proxy 
Totally agree with your choice. I’m more drawn to the action in the UK cover and I love its color scheme. However, if I’d seen it laying on a table instead of on the fantasy shelf, I would assume it’s historical fiction or even nonfiction about war; not fantasy.
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That’s what I would assume too if I just came across it! 😀
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While I prefer the warmer colours of the US cover, I agree the artwork and design is more dynamic in the UK version, Proxy. Have a great weekend:)
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Thank you! 😀 Even though I prefer the UK cover I would still love to have the US cover on my bookshelf!
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I think I’ve preferred the US covers for all the books in the seires up until now 🙂
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They are pretty cool! I think this UK one has a little more action and drama to it which I like a lot! 😀
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I like the UK cover better too. The other one is nice too, but the UK one definitely is my favorite!
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Yeah they’re both nice covers but the UK has more drama to it 😀
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I really like the US covers for this series. If you put them all together, you can actually watch the character rotate! 😀
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That’s actually really cool! 😀
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Agree with your choice, the UK wins but both are really great covers.
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I’m with your choice here. I liked the other cover but the UK just has the edge for me.
Lynn 😀
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Yeah, the UK cover is a little more dynamic 😀
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I fully agree with your pick-I love the feel and atmosphere in the UK version!
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