[tpbremer]

I'm actually on Deadhouse Gates, and just picked up Memories from the library. Who are the characters depicted on the covers of each of the books? I'm just trying to put names to pictures and vice versa as I read. I'm in the US, I did a forum search for cover art and saw that there are different covers in different parts of the world--are there any links to all of them and who they depict?

[Dolorous Menhir]

I have the UK covers, which I think you might also have.

GotM - a figure on a plain, sword over his head with lightning coming from it, city in the distance which is almost certainly Pale, since

a) it is heavily fortified, Darujhistan did not seem to be so well defended.
there is no body of water visible and Darujhistan has a harbour. Pale did not.

This matches no scene in the book, but the ingredients suggest either Rake (because of the sword and lightning, dark clothing) or Paran (also has notable sword, approaches Darujhistan on foot from the plain). There are inconsistencies with both though (neither character waves his sword over his head, Rake wasn't seen in relation to a city like that, Paran journeyed to Pale by Quorl, to Darujhistan in the company of Coll and had no occasion to use his sword at that time).

So, it's not really anyone, it's just a cool scene.

Deadhouse Gates - riders in the desert. Could be any number of things, members of the Chain of Dogs, Seven Cities natives, Fiddler and his party. Don't think it has to be anyone, again it's just a good-looking cover.

Memories of Ice - Barghast or T'lan Imass attacking Coral/Capustan. I can never remember which it's supposed to be. Don't think any particular characters are shown.

House of Chains - Trull and Onrack before the Hound Statues.

Midnight Tides - Tiste Edur coming out of the water, most likely the central one is Trull. I think the artist made the Edur way too ugly - they are described as savage, but certainly not as unattractive.

The Bonehunters - Kalam fighting Claw on the streets of Malaz City. It's obviously Kalam, since it's a big black man with two knives fighting several hooded figures who are obviously Claw.

Reapers Gale - Emperor Rhulad. Note the coins, drawn sword.

HoC and BH get credit for actually depicting recognisable scenes from the books. DG, RG and MT are kind of stock images of the characters concerned, not specific to one scene. And GotM & MoI are hard to relate to the story, but a lot of correct elements are in each one. They just don't build up to an accurate whole.

[Lisheo]

GotM: Im fairly sure its Paran. Rakes sword is two handed.
DG: Could be the Chain of Dogs, considering the dogs in the dust, but Its probably just some random riders, as DM says.
MoI: Definatly the Tlan Imass.
And Dolorous Menhir is exactly right about everything else.

[Dag]

Lisheo;206220 said:

DG: Could be the Chain of Dogs, considering the dogs in the dust, but Its probably just some random riders, as DM says.

I always kind of assumed those were D'ivers wolves in the Whirlwind. While Fiddler & Co were travelling through the desert, they heard sounds of D'ivers and Soletaken fighting all around them, hidden by the wall of sandstorm. So that's what I thought the wolves on the cover should represent.

And about the riders... I agree with you there, they seem to be just random unindentified soldiers riding through the desert.

[Lisheo]

Ah, thats a good point. I always considered them to be just a means of associating the cover withe the Chain Of Dogs.

[Tomau]

I have US covers for the first four books:
1) GotM - don't have a clue who is that on the front cover, maybe Whiskeyjack, but the scene looks like the burning of the Mouse Quarter in Malaz City - the worst cover of all editions
2) DG - (the same as the UK cover), think it's one of the desert barbaric tribes from the Seven Cities, always thought that the hounds on the cover were Hounds of Shadow, but maybe not
3) MoI - Gruntle and Stonny Menackis in Capustan (obviously)
4) HoC - Karsa praying to Seven Gods of Teblor (although scene on the stone wasn't described like that in the book)

[Obdigore]

Really Tomau, I always thought the US cover of GoTM was just imaginary... like Paran in front of Daru if they had blown it sky high.

I do not remember a time in GoTM where there is an entire city on fire....

[Dolorous Menhir]

I thought it was confirmed that the US GotM cover was supposed to be Whiskeyjack (mounted) and Sorry.

[tpbremer]

ah, so it is not as clear to anyone! I'm only on the second book, so I have even read about some of the later characters yet.
I was thinking either Paran or Whiskeyjack on the front cover of GotM with Sorry, myself.

I don't have the cover with the lightning...

[Imperial Historian]

I believe the artist confirmed that the image on the US GotM, of a man and a woman, was supposed to be whiskeyjack and sorry, but that post seems to have disappeared now, didn't Jen get an email about it?

[Folken]

We got confirmation on Yuoll's Deadhouse Cover, which was Shaikh and Leoman...I don't believe we got confirmation on Gardens. If we did, I wouldn't know...Gardens US release was before my time lol.

[Tomau]

Obdigore;206264 said:

Really Tomau, I always thought the US cover of GoTM was just imaginary... like Paran in front of Daru if they had blown it sky high.

I do not remember a time in GoTM where there is an entire city on fire....

Yeah, really! In prologue of GotM is described a scene how the Mouse Quarter in the Malaz City is on fire, and Paran is twelve there (so that Christian Bale look like person on the cover wouldn't be him).
But Whiskeyjack is always described with a beard. I have MMP cover and there is no woman beside the horseman, that just complicate things, cause Sorry wasn't in Malaz City then and was too young.
Maybe I'm wrong and that are just some random malazan soldiers or maybe occupation of one of the free cities in the Northern Genabackis.

[lokiman]

With Deadhouse Gates I thought it was the wickens in th desert with the dogs meaning the chain of dogs.

[Dolorous Menhir]

Tomau;206427 said:

Yeah, really! In prologue of GotM is described a scene how the Mouse Quarter in the Malaz City is on fire, and Paran is twelve there (so that Christian Bale look like person on the cover wouldn't be him).
But Whiskeyjack is always described with a beard. I have MMP cover and there is no woman beside the horseman, that just complicate things, cause Sorry wasn't in Malaz City then and was too young.
Maybe I'm wrong and that are just some random malazan soldiers or maybe occupation of one of the free cities in the Northern Genabackis.

I definitely saw it confirmed on this website - it's Whiskeyjack on the horse, and some editions have Sorry standing beside him. I don't think it's supposed to be the Mouse in the background, so don't let that complicate things.

Really, it's "generic fantasy background with soldier on horse and armoured eye candy". The artist probably never got any descriptions of WJ and Sorry beyond "he's male, she's female".