Chuck Wendig

The Friday Face-Off: Water, Water Everywhere

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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.

Water, Water Everywhere

Lagoon by Nnedi Okorafor

Welcome to this week’s Friday Face-Off! Whether it’s a romp on the high seas, a protagonist drowning their sorrows in a bottle of the soft stuff, or a reflective pool in a glade – if it’s water, anything goes! Distant (liquid) bodies, faint splatters and the odd drop or two are all welcome. Post your links in the comments!

For this Friday’s post I’ve settled on an author I cannot wait to sample – Nnedi Okorafor. Lagoon, published by Hodder & Stoughton in the UK and by Saga Press in the US, not only has an intriguing premise, but also has some wonderfully eye-catching cover art. Take a look and see which one is your favourite.

Hodder & Stoughton – UK Cover

Artwork by Joey Hi-Fi

Saga Press – US Cover

Artwork by Franklin Kappa

| The Friday Face-Off: Winner |

Well… is there any comparison? Joey Hi-Fi, whose illustrations you might recognise from some of Chunk Wendig’s wondrous book covers, contributes such a stunning piece of artwork for Lagoon that it seems almost unfair to compare the two. But compare we must!

The UK edition, with its wonderfully watery and muted colour palette; its touch of urban splash; its writhing, chaotic sea creatures (which come together to compose a pretty damn awesome title); and its solitary figure floating in the void, is both beautiful and eye-catching. By comparison, the Saga Press offering is a little too simple, a little too bland and not nearly as evocative. A thoroughly deserved winner, this week’s title goes hands down to Joey Hi-Fi with the Hodder & Stoughton edition of Lagoon. Now I just need to hunt out all his other book covers…

Which cover wins your vote this week? Have a cover of your own? – Post the link below!

Amazon | The Book Depository | Goodreads

Post LinksNext Friday’s theme is: Peace is Poor Reading

A cover which features war

Remember to check The Friday Face-Off Feature Page for upcoming themes

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Teaser Tuesdays: March 22

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Welcome to Teaser Tuesdays – a weekly feature hosted by Books and a Beat. Expect a new teaser every week!

| Teaser Tuesdays: March 21 |

Under the Empyrean Sky

Book One of The Heartland Trilogy

by Chuck Wendig

Science Fiction | Dystopian | 370 Pages | Published by Skyscape in 2013

“The pollen drift picks up and the winds start to howl, and all around are those allergic to the storm – blowing their noses into paisley handkerchiefs or rubbing their swollen red eyes. But they gather just the same because, above all else, they want to win.“

~ p. 97, Under the Empyrean Sky by Chuck Wendig

| Synopsis |

Corn is king in the Heartland, and Cael McAvoy has had enough of it. It’s the only crop the Empyrean government allows the people of the Heartland to grow. And the genetically modified strain is so aggressive that it takes everything the Heartlanders have just to control it. As captain of the Big Sky Scavengers, Cael and his crew sail their rickety ship over the corn day after day, scavenging for valuables, trying to earn much-needed ace notes for their families. But Cael’s tired of surviving life on the ground while the Empyrean elite drift by above in their extravagant sky flotillas. He’s sick of the mayor’s son besting Cael’s crew in the scavenging game. And he’s worried about losing Gwennie, his first mate and the love of his life, forever when their government-chosen spouses are revealed. But most of all, Cael is angry, angry that their lot in life will never get better and that his father doesn’t seem upset about any of it. Cael’s ready to make his own luck . . . even if it means bringing down the wrath of the Empyrean elite and changing life in the Heartland forever.

Amazon | The Book Depository | Goodreads

| Join In |

  • Grab your current read
  • Open to a random page
  • Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
  • BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
  • Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Please leave a comment with either the link to your own Teaser Tuesdays post, or share your ‘teasers’ in a comment here!

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