Ranting Dragon’s Favorite… Book Cover!

		Written by Stephan on Oct 30, 2011 \| 16 comments \| Forum Discussion
		Filed under: Fantasy News, Lists, Ranting Dragon's Favorite

They say not to judge a book by its cover. But really, covers can make us pick up a book we wouldn’t have given a chance otherwise. Some covers, though, just blow our minds. Many of us have favorite covers, or sometimes even favorite cover artists. It comes as no surprise that the staff of The Ranting Dragon has favorites as well.

Here, in no particular order, are our favorite book covers:


			The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson	By Julia
			The first time I saw Michael Whelan’s illustration for the cover of The Way of Kings, I was absolutely blown away. The vivid colors and sheer scale of the depicted scene perfectly reflect the hostile, arid world that Sanderson created for this novel. I definitely had the cover as my desktop background for a few months! Check out the full version of this cover here.


			Pilgrim by Sara Douglass	By Michelle
			I just love the way the light falls through the canopy and how small the figure seems in contrast to the forest. The colors are beautiful and it’s just a lovely picture, very atmospheric and not too busy. (I hate the covers that seem to be trying to shove as many fantasy tropes as possible into a single picture.) The lizard creature in the foreground is also gorgeous and very lifelike. I have a soft spot for strange reptiles.Check out the full version of this cover here.


			Towers of Midnight by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson	By Ashik
			The e-book cover of The Towers of Midnight by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson. I mean, really. The mood, the flames, the symbolism of the burning wolf. As well as the simple change from the old art. There’s something primal, almost Genghis Khan-esque about it. It also happens to be one of the biggest turning points in the novel and was written stunningly. Check out the full version of this cover here.


			Warbreaker by Brandon Sanderson	By Caitrin
			As soon as I saw the cover I knew I had to have this book regardless of the story inside. The black background really makes the colors pop and I’m definitely a colors kind of gal. It is also the first cover that made me want to make the dress the character is wearing to cosplay at a convention. I wonder how many people would recognize it. The art is so good I want a huge print of it on my wall! I’m a huge fan of Dan Dos Santos; he’s my favorite cover artist out there. Another favorite? Green by Jay Lake. Check out the full version of this cover here.


			God’s War by Kameron Hurley	By Stephan
			When Hurley signed her two-book deal with Night Shade Books, one of her first comments was: “The best part being, of course: THE COVER WILL NOT SUCK”. And boy, was she right. The cover of God’s War has everything a cover needs: great colors, intriguing characters, guns and swords, and bugs. No wonder David Palumbo’s painting won the 2011 Spectrum 18 award for best book cover. Check out the full version of this cover here.

Brandon Sanderson covers seem to be quite popular here. What’s your favorite cover, though? Let us know in the comments below, or on the forums!

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http://twitter.com/HearttLight Stephan van Velzen

While God’s War is my absolute favorite, other favorites include The Windup Girl and the eBook cover of Robert Jordan’s Lord of Chaos.

http://twitter.com/HearttLight Stephan van Velzen

Also, the Image attachment function of this is pretty awesome! <3

http://twitter.com/HearttLight Stephan van Velzen

While God’s War is my absolute favorite, other favorites include The Windup Girl and the eBook cover of Robert Jordan’s Lord of Chaos.

http://twitter.com/HearttLight Stephan van Velzen

Also, the Image attachment function of this is pretty awesome! <3

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=739835520 Jared Shurin

Oooh. Good topic (we’re totally stealing that…). Mine is The King in Yellow (any version, really, but I love the one that Chambers drew himself & the Jack Gaughan homage!)

http://twitter.com/HearttLight Stephan van Velzen

Haha, that totally matches what I thought your taste would be. I love the drawing I’ve attached.

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=739835520 Jared Shurin

Oooh. Good topic (we’re totally stealing that…). Mine is The King in Yellow (any version, really, but I love the one that Chambers drew himself & the Jack Gaughan homage!)

http://twitter.com/HearttLight Stephan van Velzen

Haha, that totally matches what I thought your taste would be. I love the drawing I’ve attached.

http://waffleandwrite.wordpress.com/ Dan the Funky Scarecrow

Mine has to be the paperback cover for Christopher Fowler’s Spanky. Considering I first checked this out of a public library aged maybe thirteen, I LOVED the librarian’s facial expression.

http://twitter.com/HearttLight Stephan van Velzen

Hahaha, they must’ve been shocked!

http://waffleandwrite.wordpress.com/ Dan the Funky Scarecrow

Mine has to be the paperback cover for Christopher Fowler’s Spanky. Considering I first checked this out of a public library aged maybe thirteen, I LOVED the librarian’s facial expression.

http://twitter.com/HearttLight Stephan van Velzen

Hahaha, they must’ve been shocked!

Aldric

That e-book ToM was pretty damned awesome. It’s shocking for me to ever see a great WoT cover, since that Sweet guy has basically destroyed all the US print book covers from the very start until now. He’s so bad.
Aldric

That e-book ToM was pretty damned awesome. It’s shocking for me to ever see a great WoT cover, since that Sweet guy has basically destroyed all the US print book covers from the very start until now. He’s so bad.
http://www.manoneileen.com Manon Eileen

Yes! The Way of Kings!
http://www.manoneileen.com Manon Eileen

Yes! The Way of Kings!