Friday Face-Off: Knots
Welcome to The Friday Face-Off, a weekly meme created by Books by Proxy! Each Friday, we will pit cover against cover while also taking the opportunity to showcase gorgeous artwork and feature some of our favorite book covers. If you want to join the fun, simply choose a book each Friday that fits that week’s predetermined theme, post and compare two or more different covers available for that book, then name your favorite. A list of future weeks’ themes are available at Lynn’s Book Blog.
This week’s theme is:
“More than one meaning have I”
~ a cover featuring a KNOT
Mogsy’s Pick:
Before They Are Hanged by Joe Abercrombie
So, yeaaaaaah. After scouring through all the books I’ve read, the only “knot” I could come up with for the theme this week is a noose. Go figure.
Let’s take a look at some of the covers:
From left to right, top to bottom:
Gollancz (2007) – Gollancz/Pyr Books (2008/2009) – Danish Edition (2016)
Bulgarian Edition (2011) – German Edition (2007) – Portuguese Edition (2014)
Russian Edition (2010) – Dutch Edition (2010) – Spanish Edition (2016)
Serbian Edition (2012) – Polish Edition (2016) – Chinese Edition (2013)
Winner:
For such a great book, this one’s sure got a lot of dull covers. I’m going to call this one a tie between the Danish and the Portuguese editions, the only two covers that really appealed to me.
What do you think? Which one is your favorite?
The BiblioSanctum 
Hmm, interesting variety. I like the Portuguese one the most, for sure.
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Yes, there’s tons of variety! Not too many stood out though, the Portuguese edition was one of the few standouts.
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The Portuguese one seems very similar to the “Best Served Cold” from Joe Abercrombie cover from Gollancz. I like that cover though!
The title for the Dutch version is (what a surprise) again completely different from the original title. The literal translation would be: ‘The Road of Fear’…
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I was thinking the same about Best Served Cold! I guess the designers for Abercrombie’s covers really like maps and coins and blood 😀
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Gollancz & Portuguese would be my favourites, but I agree the covers could have been so much better.
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The version I own is the Gollancz one, I think. So even though I’m not crazy about it, it’s still got a special place in my heart 🙂
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I like the Gollancz cover – just because it fits in with the books I have and follows the same theme. The Danish is also good.
Lynn 😀
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Yes, when all the books in the series are placed all together, the Gollancz editions are beautiful!
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Russian one was the one that caught my eye….
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I love how “grimdark” that one is. It definitely fits!
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I’d have a hard time with knots too. However, I totally agree with your picks and they are the only 2 I really like with Portuguese one being my fave!
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Yeah, only a couple stood out this week, despite the huge variety!
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Wow! I had no idea The First Law had been translated this many times! The Portuguese one is my fave too 🙂
Also, did see this post on Reddit yesterday? 😉 https://www.reddit.com/r/Fantasy/comments/7pmnao/possible_proof_of_the_blade_itself_tvfilm/
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I would be beyond excited if a film was in the works!
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Oh dear, not a great selection of covers! I like the map with the bloody knife the best.
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Yeah, I was somewhat disappointed. A lot of variety, but mostly lackluster covers for such a great book.
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A noose is just a very special knot😁 This would have been a tough week for me too.
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Yep, a noose knot, that’s what I was thinking! 🙂
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I will go for the Danish cover: it’s less… obvious than the Portuguese one (with the blood and the knife) and as such it draws more attention – if I’m making any sense here… 😀
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I know what you mean, I’m all for understatement! 🙂
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I liked the Russian one and the 2nd one u picked. That one was simple and the Russian one dark
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Yes, I love the darkness and atmosphere of the Russian edition!
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Oh so many different covers for this one!
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It’s been translated into a ton of languages! 😀
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Portuguese one for me. Very cool.
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I agree!
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I like the first cover the best. Not just because it is the one I own. Though I have to say it does look a lot better in person.
x The Captain
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My ebook edition has that cover too. I can imagine how lovely it looks in real life!
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Love your picks- especially the Portugese one!
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Thanks, I thought that one was lovely 🙂
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You’re welcome 🙂
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