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. Check out Lynn’s-Books for upcoming themes!
Wyrd Sisters by Terry Pratchett
Welcome to the Friday Face-Off where this week we’re comparing covers featuring potions!
And if we’re talking potions, there is only ever one set of books I would want to include: The Witches of Lancre sub-series from the Discworld universe. Fortunately, this series features covers with cauldrons, broomsticks, pumpkins and witches aplenty!
This week’s offerings are the Corgi 2012 cover with classic artwork by Josh Kirby and the Gollancz Collector’s Library edition with artwork by Joe McLaren. Take a look and see which one is your favourite!
Corgi 2012 | Cover #1
Gollancz 2014 | Cover #2
| The Friday Face-Off: Winner |
Josh Kirby’s artwork is stunning and his cover for Wyrd Sisters is no exception. As ever, this cover displays a cacophony of interconnecting people, places, objects, animals and elements in a riot of colours. I love the swirling fog, the typeface and the bats in the aquamarine, and I will never stop enjoying the feeling of getting lost in one of these covers.
But the Gollancz Collector’s Library editions are something else. There is nothing I would love more than every single edition of this collection sitting happily on my bookshelves; fabric hardback covers in bright colours with beautiful illustrations staring down at me. I love the spindly trees, the bright moon and the gaggle of witches around the cauldron. I love the elongated shadows, the crackling flames and the looping handwriting. As much as I admire Josh Kirby’s artwork, I just adore these covers!
The Witches of Lancre Gollancz Collector’s Library Editions
Which cover wins your vote this week? Have a cover of your own? – Post the link below!
Amazon | Book Depository | Goodreads
Next week’s theme is:
The Road Goes Ever On and On
A cover featuring a dark road
Remember to check Lynn’s Books for upcoming themes
| Links |
Steve @ Books and Beyond Reviews
Kristi @ Confessions of a YA Reader
Books by Proxy 
Kirby‘s art perfectly reflects Pratchett‘s narration in style and content. The other cover would look nice on a different book but just doesn’t come close.
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Kirby certainly does scream Pratchett from the bookshelf! 😀
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OMG – those covers are absolutely gorgeous – you should definitely treat yourself to them. I love that style, there’s something about it that really appeals to me.
Great choice.
Lynn 😀
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If only there weren’t 34 of them to collect! 😂 I will definitely treat myself to at least a small collection of them though. 😀
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Hi there! Jippie Yea! Kindred spirits here…! I still haven’t read Wyrd sisters, but it’s been on my TBR list for such a long time. But my mind went the same way as yours. I’ve picked Macbeth for this week’s Friday Face-off.
Your chosen cover is definitely the nicest one. Great choice!
Here’s my Week Book Friends
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Well you have to love a gaggle of witches casting spells and brewing potions around a cauldron! 😀
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Oh, good choice! And I agree, that one’s my favorite too – love the art style.
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Those covers are a thing of beauty! 😍
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Lol… I HATE the Gollancz covers:)). Always have. It’s Josh Kirby all the way for me – but then most of the books I own have those covers and Pratchett’s books are surrounded by such strong, happy memories for me, including my courtship with Himself – so my opinion cannot count as one that is remotely rational:).
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Hehe, well I don’t think anyone could blame you for that! AndJosh Kirby’s covers are just Pratchett and Discworld all over!
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That’s what I feel. I’m still so very sad at his loss…
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But what a mark he left on the world and on so many people! 😊 The world was lucky to have him.
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Oh yes – you’re right there! I met him fleetingly at a book signing longer ago than I care to recall and he was such a genuinely nice chap…
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What a lovely memory! 😊 You’re very lucky to have met him!
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We waited in the pouring rain in Worthing and people kept coming up to ask those of us in the queue who we were waiting for. And I was flabberghasted how many didn’t have a clue who he was!
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I frequently feel flabbergasted when no one knows the authors I’m talking about 😂 … but not knowing Terry Pratchett? Unforgivable!!
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Inexplicable! WHERE had these people been hiding???
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I love seeing those Gollancz covers all together, I agree with your choice!
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I am so very tempted buy a few IMMEDIATELY! But maybe I should buy the bookshelves for the house first… 😂
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So glad you chose these. I love the Gollancz covers too and have started to collect them, but since I started out getting the Witches books in the Corgi covers, I’ve stuck with those for this subseries but it’s Gollancz for the others. Still, I love Kirby’s illustrations for the Corgi covers so it’s been a headache deciding what to get. I’d love to collect both types. Kirby’s illustrations fit the vibe of the stories, I think, but McLaren’s covers are really pleasing. I love the colors used and how the spines i have so far look on my shelves.
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That’s just it, I really love Kirby’s artwork – it just lives and breaths Discworld and Pratchett – but there is something quite special about fabric hardcovers with beautiful illustrations that gets me every time! 😍
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That’s my favorite too, I love those hardcover editions for Discworld. I’ve been collecting them although now I think I might be a couple behind.
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They must look so wonderful on a bookshelf… or ten! 😍 I am definitely going to start collecting them!
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I love Terry Pratchett, I love Discworld, I love the Witches, and I LOVE Josh Kirby’s artwork, and for me, that is all that should be on a Discworld cover! One of my major hobbies is rooting through charity and second-hand bookshops looking for the Kirby covers to get a full set. 😅
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Hehe! Well they are wonderful covers and Josh Kirby artwork is just the epitome of Discworld. I wouldn’t be sorry to have any of them on my shelves!! 😀
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Cover 2 for me 🙂 just looks more elegant and less … kiddy.
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And pretty pretty fabric hardback… ooh!
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I now have a mental image of a pale, read-headed woman with horns wringing her hands together and saying ‘ooooh’. Love it 😂
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And you would be quite right! Well maybe not the horns… 😂😂😂
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I’m sorry, that’s the only pic I have ever seen. So, to me, you totally have horns haha
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And I am completely okay with that image! 😈
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If you have an instagram/bookstagram you need to get some horns, palest make-up going and get a picture taken. It would be epic!
Easy costume for Halloween as well
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Halloween is most definitely sorted 😂 all I need is the horns!
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I look forward to this 😂
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Pratchett is taking over in this house! 😂 My OH LOVES all his stuff! I’ve read The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents and Mort. Both brilliant, and both with fabulous cover art. Great blogpost, I really enjoyed it! ☺️
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Thank you! 😄 He really was a wonderful author. I have so many more I still want to read!! And those hardbacks are just gorgeous! 😍
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I love these! Great pick!
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Thank you! 😄
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You’re welcome!
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