[Imperial Historian]

Best that can be said is that it's better than the early US covers, but I still don't like it, seems very bland and generic... and far too dark! What on earth is supposed to going on there? Definite room for improvement... I'm not opposed to a change in cover art in principle, but if your going to do it make it look good!

[cauthon]

I loved the old cover art, I dislike the US covers, and I don't dig this one either. Why can't we stay with DG-like covers?

[Dolorous Menhir]

It's pretty weak. And why change the design midway through the series? Just to annoy all the fans who've bought the prior set already?

I hope the publishers do read your comments section, Patrick. Perhaps they are calculating that the fan-base they've already won will buy no matter what, but it's not clever to harm your appeal to more general readership.

[Bl1nder]

I agree, there's simply no point in changing it mid way, but if they will chage it anyway, alteast they can make it proper, instead of this..... theres no word that comes to mind

[Murrin]

Ceuningske;157647 said:

So who is he? Rhulad?

That was my guess. Look closely, you can see the top half of his face, and he looks a lot like the guys on the cover of Midnight Tides--'cept his skin is mottled red. I wouldn't mind seeing this art full size, because I think the picture is pretty good. It's the style surrounding it that doesn't work.

[Kurt Montandon]

Doesn't look too bad to me.

I'm just disappointed that the events in the book have been down-graded from "Gale" force to merely a draft ...

[Paran]

Is there a link to a bigger picture? Might be better if we could see more detail...

[pat5150]

No links to anything bigger, as I was only sent a small image. I'll let you guys know if Transworld sends me something a little larger.

Patrick
www.fantasyhotlist.blogspot.com

[Folken]

we all know my thoughts:p
I complained when they removed the line and changed the font on the Bonehunters cover...just imagine my reaction right now.

[vahlar]

don't complain about the cover to Bantam, otherwise it will just push the book back farther

[polishgenius]

Argh!

To be fair the art itself isn't bad. It's just the layout and general design. Not nice!
And wtf have the celtic-style swirls got to do with Malaz?

If they want something simple and iconic, *points to the UK aSoIaF covers* that's how it's done. Albeit changing in the middle of a series irks me.

[Mithfanion]

It is a poor cover and they could have done so much better. What's next, outside of the by now usual last minute delay? A year long wait extension a when the book has been handed in ages ago, to draw some maps?

Oh wait, we already had that with The Bonehunters.

I don't like this trend I'm seeing of changing covers midway through series. Didn't like it with Martin ( step down from typical but cool Fantasy art to ultra bland covers), don't like it now.

And it's not as if this cover is going to "appeal to a wider audience" because it is still very much an in your face Fantasy cover. Seriously, who comes up with this stuff and gets paid good wages for it? I have a 40 hour job for which I actually have to perform. Who in Bantam's art department says "we need to radically change the cover style as of book seven of this ongoing series, to appeal to a wider and more mainstream audience" and then has the artist draw Conan-in-the-dark?

[Bl1nder]

Agree with the post above, but you know, they are publishers because they act like publishers, their sole purpose is to delay releases, I mean without delayes there wouldnt be publishers!

But in a more serious note, if you aint gonna do the job properly, dont start doing it on the first place

[Dolorous Menhir]

I thought the point of publishers was to print and sell books. Surely it is in their best interests to do that as soon as possible, as I don't see how delays increase sales.

[Karsa Orlong]

Spot on, Mithfanion! Therefore, it needs to be quoted for accuracy and truth...

P.S.: I also hated the new Martin covers...ultra bland...yep *nods*

Mithfanion;158088 said:

It is a poor cover and they could have done so much better. What's next, outside of the by now usual last minute delay? A year long wait extension a when the book has been handed in ages ago, to draw some maps?

Oh wait, we already had that with The Bonehunters.

I don't like this trend I'm seeing of changing covers midway through series. Didn't like it with Martin ( step down from typical but cool Fantasy art to ultra bland covers), don't like it now.

And it's not as if this cover is going to "appeal to a wider audience" because it is still very much an in your face Fantasy cover. Seriously, who comes up with this stuff and gets paid good wages for it? I have a 40 hour job for which I actually have to perform. Who in Bantam's art department says "we need to radically change the cover style as of book seven of this ongoing series, to appeal to a wider and more mainstream audience" and then has the artist draw Conan-in-the-dark?

[Bl1nder]

Dolorous Menhir;158122 said:

I thought the point of publishers was to print and sell books. Surely it is in their best interests to do that as soon as possible, as I don't see how delays increase sales.

You dont go too well with sarcasm and humor, do ya mate ? I was simply trying to point out that same fact, which makes even less sense for the publishers to delay

[Tabris]

I second the 'don't complain about the cover art' people, it's just going to delay the book if anything.

[Abyss]

You're assuming - mistakenly, imnsho - that the publisher cares what this forum thinks.

They will release it when they think best, with whatever cover they think best. What the thousand or so internutters here say/think is of minimal impact. We don't know best. We don't know better. The second you decided you liked this series and would buy it right through, you stopped being a factor. We're a guaranteed sale when they are trying to suck in the quarter-million or so who are wandering into a bookstore post LoTR/Narnia/Terabitha/whatever film and looking for a similar book, or the parents looking for a gift for their 14-yr-old boy with a dragon fixation or the Everquest addicts whose fingers can't type anymore...

In terms of timing, they consider a whole mess of factors, including holiday seasons, other releases, including other releases from other publishers (ie: stay the hell away from Harry Potter).

The forum MIGHT have had some sway on the DG US cover, because there was the UK cover already in existance and one could see how superiour it was to the proposed chick-in-chainmail-bikini version. But in this instance, fegeddaboutit. They know very well that we will buy this book, asap, even it the cover consists of a black-and-white illustration of Tiste's left toe superimposed on a black background. And we will wait for it. And we will rave about it, whenever and in whatever form we get it in. And we can dump on the cover all we want on that basis.


- Abyss, does not, however, discount the value of threaten to eat people's brainzzzzzzz.....

[Tiste Simeon]

One would think it would be in the Publishers interests to listen to rabid fans...