Kevin's Watch

"You can't judge a book from it's cover..."

Well, I believe a lot of people are doing JUST that...I first saw the cover and thought, "Oh, look..the new Robert Jordan book is out! His fans will be pleased!", then I read the title...my hands immediatey went and snached it from the shelf and my legs turned to propel me to the cash register. Before I knew what was happening, I'd handed over a large sum of cash for said book and even as I walked toward the tram my hands were stroking it through the plastic bag. On said tram, I again turned to the drab cover...my heart sank, then I read the title and author again and cracked the book open, beginning to read the prologue. On returning home, I took the dust-jacket off (it's worth more if the jacket isn't worn) and secreted it in a drawer. After finishing said book and being on these forums for a whilke I've gone back to look at the jacket, and to place it in context...

Damn, it's boring...

Any ideas what it's portraying?

The best covers were DEFINITELY done by Peter Goodfellow for the seven European editions...strong graphics, with a hint of story.

Hope he's not dead, I WANT this guy back!! [maybe EVEN moreso than Covenant.}

The cover shows three people, I'm guessing Linden, Liand and Stave (forgotten the name of the horse)...but why the HELL would Linden be wearing a DRESS? Doesn't she ALWAYS wear a shirt and jeans??! ...and where's Anele?...as far as I can see this is the only scene this could be describing....David Eddings crap!!


...apologies to David Eddings fans...

I prefer vague covers like the current Runes to the more descriptive ones that actually show the character's faces.
Leaves more to the imagination.
I'm one of those odd-balls that will judge a book by its cover.

I did shake my head at some new cover lunacy though.
The newest batch of 1st Chronicle covers here in the States has...are you ready for this?.......a *gold* ring on all 3 covers!

I guess maybe they were hoping to draw in some Lord of the Ring fans?

...uh Linden is the one in th plaid shirt and jeans. I think it's Linden Anele and liand...and Anele is wearing a robe.

Do the smart thing: buy UK editions.

I bought the US edition from Amazon because the pictures of the UK edition look very dull, all black with pictures of sticks on it. Now "Runes" is in the bookshops over here in the UK and the UK edition is gorgeous. The paper of the dustcovers is textured and the whole book is much better presented than the US one. I am going to see SDR at a signing in Manchester tomorrow night. I'm not taking my US one to get signed I'll be buying the UK one. Don't reckon much to the maps though

Donaldson had stated that the maps were a rush job...They were rushing the novel and didn't have time to re-map the whole land.

I think they should have just left them out....the map of REvelstone doesn't show a thing!---It's kind of like the Maps the The One Tree---nice to look at....no help to desscern where anything is. (I know I didn't need a map the show me that the third trunicate was on top of the second.)

I have both the UK and the US copies (yeah, I'm a geek), and even my roommate, who isn't a fan of the genre whatsoever, took one look at the two books and said: "This version (the UK version) looks like a *real* book. The US version looks like a parodic comedy."

The entire UK version is vastly preferable to the US edition. It even *feels* more like a book.

drew wrote:...uh Linden is the one in th plaid shirt and jeans. I think it's Linden Anele and liand...and Anele is wearing a robe.

ARRRGGGHHH!!

You're absolutely correct!

Sorry, my bad!

(Still a boring cover, though...)

Remember that this is Michael Whelan, and his covers are often not depictions of actual characters or scenes - he goes, rather, for effect.

Unfortunately, a bloody BORING effect!

Bring back Goodfellow!!!

Personally, I loved the entire presentation of the UK book. It was very classy.

This was just a run-of-the-mill fantasy preparation which, frankly, I'm tired of. How will fantasy ever be taken seriously with all of this over the top cover art?

I don't know, I liked this one significantly more than the original ones (by Sweet, I believe) that depicted Hunchback Covenant's gaping-mouthed journey through a Land filled with bizarre looking people.

I think the UK cover looks great, I can't stand Fantasy books that have Mills and Boon esque covers of the characters standing in an impressive landscape looking dashingly over a panoramic vista.... total crap.

UrLord wrote:I don't know, I liked this one significantly more than the original ones (by Sweet, I believe) that depicted Hunchback Covenant's gaping-mouthed journey through a Land filled with bizarre looking people.

Sweet's stuff is horrid. Of course I have no artistic ability, but are there really so few talented artists willing to draw fantasy covers? His destruction of The Wheel of Time covers is despicable.

I wish more fantasy covers were like the UK version. The genre would raise in credibility fairly quickly.

Think of recent LOTR covers. They're artistic, but respectable.

Unfortunately I picked the book off the shelf today only to realise that the nicely textured UK cover is so soft it's actually starting to wear through on the edges. *sigh*

My favorite cover of any of the TC books, is Lord Fouls Bane, the one with the Ranyhin running through the plains of ra. mostly because there is nobody in it. The scenery is great, and it touches on the story ever so much...plus the Pretty Horses are what atttracted my sister to it when she bought it for me for Christmas oh so many years ago.

Look at the UK Edition cover of tRotE.
Stare at it for a few moments and then squint your eyes.
I see WORDS!
The tree limbs make WORDS!

I don't know what words they are though.
"Covenant" maybe?

Hahaha!

Well, I do see something.
I see...dead trees.

Arrghh!, how long until the next book comes out?