Top Ten Fantasy Covers #WyrdAndWonder

So back in February, there was much drama surrounding Terry Goodkind’s insulting Facebook post regarding his new book cover.
Remember?

After all the backlash, Goodkind elaborated that the fault was with his publishers, Tor, as you can read in this article from The Guardian.

Bastien Lecouffe-Deharme is a talented author, and it is a shame he was subjected to this level of disrespect. I mean, look at these gorgeous covers he designed for Mark Lawrence;

 

Now this got me to thinking of other covers and their artists I love and admire, and thought a Top Ten was needed. I say Top Ten, they’re in alphabetical order…

Be sure to tell me your favourite covers in the comments!

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Servant Of Rage 
by A.Z. Anthony
cover design by Rachel Lawston

The simple colour scheme, the layering of the water colour, the mist on the mountains, and of course those golden birds; all add up to a cover I absolutely love.

 

 

 

 

 

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Paternus and Wrath of Gods
by Dyrk Ashton
cover design by J A Di Giovanni

There’s beautiful symmetry and continuity in these covers. There’s just enough going on to make you curious without being too busy or overwhelming.

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Age of Assassins
by RJ Barker
cover design by Benjamin Carré (French edition)

Controversially, I haven’t chosen to include the English cover (which, I have on good authority,  features the author himself!). But the French cover is just too gorgeous; look at those spires! That mysterious figure crouching on top! And I had to include the Italian cover, for just how different and dark it is.

 

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Kings of the Wyld and Bloody Rose
by Nicholas Eames
cover by Richard Anderson

Anderson is up for The David Gemmell Ravenheart Award for his work on the Kings of the Wyld cover; and it is just glorious. I love how both covers are bold, I love the rough-shod style.

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The Poppy War  
by R. F. Kuang
cover by Jung Shan Chang

I found this cover art so striking; I absolutely judged this book by its cover and requested a proof to review! I love the smoke-like, ephemeral feel. The proof edition also has beautiful delicate smoke poppies.

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King of Thorns
cover by Jason Chan
Red Sister
cover by Tomasz Jedruszek
by Mark Lawrence

Chan’s covers for Lawrence’s The Broken Empire trilogy are stark, brutal. I chose King of Thorns in particular as I love his nonchalant sprawl on the throne.
I chose to also feature Jedruszek’s cover for Red Sister as I love the story behind it; Jedruszek’s image was in response to Mary Lawrence’s Princess of Thorns (read here), and it became the perfect cover for Red Sister (I’d read somewhere this image inspired him to write it? I’m not sure of that). Her eyes follow you; she is haunting, she embodies the grim and dark subgenre Lawrence is known for, and she is exactly how you would picture Nona.

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The Seven 
by Peter Newman
cover by Jaime Jones.

There is something so haunting and intriguing about this cover. The figures are represented with an innocent simplicity which draws me in and wants to know more!

 

 

 

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Under the Pendulum Sun 
by Jeannette Ng
cover by John Coulthart.

Look at the glorious gothic gorgeousness of this cover. Quite frankly, it’s divine. It’s one of those pictures that the longer you look at it, the more you see, and I just cannot stop looking…

 

 

 

 

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Temeraire and Throne of Jade
by Naomi Novik
cover by Andrew Davidson

This is another instance where I judged the book by its cover; I bought Throne of Jade for its Asian aesthetics and the dragons. Took it home to discover it was part of a series, and wasn’t even the first book. Sigh. So now I have a mission to find the rest of the series with Andrew Davidson’s covers because oh my. They’re so beautiful and intricate. His work is gorgeous and so detailed (check out the link above).

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The Wolf of Oren-Yaro 
by K. S. Villoso
cover by Ash Navarre

 

How striking and distinctive is that? The sparing use of colour, those wolves menacing from the darkness, devoid of any feature other than their eyes and teeth. It is such an intriguing cover.

 

 

 

 

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So that was my Top  Ten
Now for some honourable mentions. When I was comprising my list and asked on Twitter for some recommendations, a couple of you got back to me:

The Blue Blazes and The Hellsblood Bride by Chuck Wendig; illustrated by Dale Halvorsen (Recommended by Kevin@Libreture)

Ben Galley‘s Emaneska series; illustrated by Mikael Westman
(Recommended by Thomas)

Assassin’s Quest by Robin Hobb; illustrated by John Howe
(Recommended by James T Kelly).

The Winter Road by Adrian Selby; illustrated by Jaime Jones
(Recommended by Stephen Warren)

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