Cover Lover: King of Thorns

Mark Lawrence recently posted the many covers for his King of Thorns, offering fans a chance to vote for their favourite of the eight. This is my favourite, a variation of the most common cover image for this book. I love the brilliance of the red draped across the throne, a sharp comparison to the otherwise monochromatic theme. The US cover, which I am used to, features an almost white “sky,” while the UK hard cover brings in the clouds. But I really like the way the “clouds” work in this UK paperback version because they also give me an impression of smoke, bringing the image indoors. It strikes me more because it means the bodies he rests on aren’t merely on a battlefield where piles of bodies are expected, but inside some sort of ominous building. And as he sits contemplatively on this throne, the world burns behind him…

To reach greatness you must step on bodies, and many brothers lie trodden in my wake. I’ve walked from pawn to player and I’ll win this game of ours, though the cost of it may drown the world in blood…