Friday Face-Off: Queen
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:
“Mirror, Mirror on the wall”
~ a cover featuring a QUEEN
Mogsy’s Pick:
Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard
I listened to this book in audio a few years ago and sad to say but it did not make a huge impression. Since then though, it has been published in several more editions which means it has also gotten some nice covers which perfectly suit my purposes today! Let’s take a look at them now:
From left to right:
HarperTeen (2015) – HarperTeen Collector’s Edition (2017) – Ukrainian Edition (2017)
Georgian Edition (2018) – Russian Edition (2015) – Macedonian (2016) – Bulgarian Edition (2015)
Finnish Edition (2016) – German Edition (2015) – Hebrew Edition (2015)
Winner:
Save for the Bulgarian edition (whose blood droplet effect I find clever and fascinating), I can’t say I’m a big fan of any of the “crown” covers. In fact, I don’t love any of the choices this week, but probably the one most aesthetically pleasing to me is the German edition. If the colors had been a bit sharper, I think I would like it even more, though the way it is now gives it that cool washed-out watercolor effect.
But what do you think? Which one is your favorite?
The BiblioSanctum 
It’s so funny how everyone has such different tastes! I love the first two — the symbolism of the turned over crowns and the red blood very sleek and modern and doesn’t really force an image of what characters should look like before I even start
LikeLike
I agree, the crown covers are very sleek and modern! The first one was the one that drew me to the book in the first place.
LikeLike
I personally like the collector’s edition the most (prints are my weakness), but yours is definitely a close second! The watercolor effect gives it a very atmospheric vibe, and I like how it’s so hazy, almost like a old film footage. 🙂
LikeLike
Haha, yes, the collector’s edition is very dramatic! Having no text was a good design choice.
LikeLike
I think I like the top left cover the best. The bloody crown against the stark white background just really jumps out
LikeLike
It’s just a tad plain for me, but I agree, it does make the crown really pop.
LikeLike
None of them really speak to me. I kind of like the collector’s edition but with no words, you really have to know the book to know what you are grabbing. The Ukranian version is really bothering me 🙂
LikeLike
The CE cover makes it look more like a poster, and yeah, without the words, you have no idea what book you’re picking up. The image of that upside down crown is really striking though.
LikeLike
I LOVE the Harper Teen collectors edition. I’m actually sad that I don’t have a copy, because I think it has sprayed edges. To hell with the story, I’m more interested in the book itself, lol😁
LikeLike
Haha, I love books with sprayed edges, they look so cool! So I definitely understand wanting to get it purely for that 😀
LikeLike
None are awesome, but I will go with Harper Teen, and ohhh a Finnish one this week!
LikeLike
Haha, I will look for more Finnish editions for you in the future 😉
LikeLike
Totally agree with your pick on this one. Some of them are just pretty meh tbqh.
LikeLike
I felt the same way. A lot of these are lovely, but many of them are just too plain for my tastes!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Still the first one for me 😉
LikeLike
Good choice! 😀
LikeLike
I like the Russian Edition best!!!
LikeLike
That one’s definitely different!
LikeLike
Ooh that Harper Teen Collector’s Edition is nice! I like it with just the red and no words. Otherwise the regular Harper Teen cover and the Bulgarian edition are probably my faves.
LikeLike
Agreed, the collector’s edition is quite nice. I’m trying to imagine it in real life, as an actual hardcover. It must be quite beautiful in the flesh.
LikeLike
The HarperTeen Collector’s edition cover’s minimalist style is definitely alluring for me hahah So many different covers I never heard of though! Thanks for sharing! 😀
LikeLike
That’s why I love doing these Friday Face-offs, I always discover that a book has been published in so many more countries than I realized!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh, this time I agree! I’d go with the German cover as well. That is surprising. Normally I don’t like the German versions, but this one’s really pretty
LikeLike
Glad you agree! 😉 And hehe I’ll keep an eye out for more pretty German covers in the future 😛
LikeLiked by 1 person
I like the colours in the Russian one but not greatly keen on any of the others!
LikeLike
I like the colors in the Russian edition too! The actual image doesn’t do much for me though.
LikeLike
Oh, I’m completely with you on this one – I think it wins hands down! Good choice for the theme this week:))
LikeLike
I typically don’t like “faded” looks on a cover, but the softer edges and hazier colors actually worked quite well for this particular one, I thought! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’ve never read this book, but that HarperTeen (2015) cover will always be my favorite. I love the design so much. Also like the Ukraine cover.
LikeLike
Yes the original HarperTeen is actually very nice! It’s just a bit plain to me, but admittedly, my tastes do tend favor covers with people on them 🙂
LikeLike
Yours and the Bulgarian stood out to me. I liked the blood droplets and the hair – that type of cover just really appeals to me. And the German one that you choose – I think it’s really clever that they’ve gone for a less than sharp effect because it doesn’t look like a photo like some covers.
Lynn 😀
LikeLike
The Bulgarian one is actually really cool! The other crown covers are too plain for me because I don’t particularly enjoy “symbol” covers, but I have to say making a crown shape out of the a droplet of blood is pretty clever.
LikeLike