Friday Face-Off: Hero
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:
“I am Aragorn son of Arathorn; and if by life or death I can save you, I will.”
~ a cover featuring a HERO
Mogsy’s Pick:
Stormdancer by Jay Kristoff
For this week’s topic, I’ve decided to feature the hero – or heroine, if you will – from the first book of Jay Kristoff’s The Lotus Wars, his YA trilogy set in a feudal Japanese-inspired steampunk fantasy world. At the beginning of Stormdancer, our protagonist Yukiko and her father are forced to capture an arashitora – a “storm tiger” or griffin – for their megalomaniacal Shogun. However, their expedition is interrupted by a great storm, causing Yukiko to become stranded and separated from the group. She is set upon by one of the very creatures she was tasked to hunt, and a very angry one at that.
Instead of tearing her to pieces though, the griffin, which Yukiko names Buruu, winds up bonding with the girl, and together, the unlikely pair rises up to challenge the rule of a tyrannical empire.
Here are the four covers being compared this week:
From left to right:
Thomas Dunne Books (2012) – Tor UK (2012)
Polish Edition (2013) – French Edition (2014)
Winner:
I kind of love them all this week! In the end though, I have to say the Polish edition slightly edges out the other three. Just look at that detail. I would love to have this image as a poster.
But what do you think? Which one is your favorite?
The BiblioSanctum 
I like the French edition and it’s somewhat darkness
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It’s a very moody cover, I agree!
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A katana-wielding heroine with a dragon at her back: that’s the perfect combination for a winning cover, indeed… 🙂
Although the French edition comes a close second, since it’s very intense.
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I am quite fond of the French cover as well, but I chose the other one because it was slightly more dynamic 🙂
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I really like all these covers, but I actually think the French edition just edges it for me! 🙂
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Yeah that one seems to be the popular one this week!
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Yes I agree with you there-that cover is gorgeous!
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I’m happy you think so too! 😀
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That is definitely the one I’d pick as well. It’s so pretty!
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Definitely pretty! The details are just stunning!
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These covers make me so happy! Jay has the best luck getting great covers for his books. I think my very favorite is the French edition 😁
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I agree, his books are definitely blessed by the cover gods!
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I believe you picked the best cover. All of them are amazing tho
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Yes, I agree! For once, all the choices are pretty strong this week 😀
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Nice covers. I think I like the TOR UK version- it’s got the mountainous background but still has a pop of red too. Although then again maybe the Thomas Dunn one lol- IDK, that pose in the UK TOR I’m not sure about- she looks more natural in the first one? They’re both great though! 🙂
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Indeed, the UK version is actually quite beautiful. It’s a shame because I think it tends to get overlooked simply because the others are more colorful 🙂
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I have never heard of this series but I loved Nevernight by the same author!! The covers are gorgeous ❤ I agree with your favorite!
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It’s a great series! I’ve read almost everything by Kristoff, and it was this series that started it all and made me an instant fan 🙂
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All the covers are quite pretty
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I agree, this book got really lucky with covers!
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For once I prefer the French edition!
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I think that one is a lot of people’s favorite too 😀
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TOR UK edition gets my vote. It reminds me of the Fated Blades covers by Steve Bein 🙂
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Now that’s one series that’s been on my TBR a long time. I pretty much forgot about it until you brought it up. So, it’s a good series/worth it?
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Well, I bought the trilogy 🙂 There is also a short story or two.
I think he’s done with it too. It’s been awhile since the 3rd book was released and I haven’t heard any rumors on his website about any others.
As long as you aren’t bothered by 2 stories taking place in history and currently, both being told side by side, then I do recommend them.
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Awesome, thanks for the info! I actually think I might have the first book on my Kindle.
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If you like the first book, you’ll like the whole trilogy. And vice versa. Bein doesn’t change his tone or style one whit for the whole trilogy…
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I do agree that would make a great poster. I love the simplicity of the UK one though. Awesome post! 😀
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Yeah, it was hard to choose this week, because I like the French and UK covers a lot as well. In the end I went with the one I thought was more dynamic, but it was close!
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I’ve only read Kristoff’s Nevernight Chronicles, I should check out his other stuff. This looks like something right up my alley. These are all pretty great covers too. Nice pick!
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This was the first series I ever read by Kristoff. I think the writing in it will feel a lot less polished now if you go back, and his prose has gotten way less purplish since, but it’s worth trying if you want to read it for the story!
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Thanks for the heads up. 🙂
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I like the French one. Reminds me of Guildwars 2 🙂
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Now that you mention it, I do kind of see a bit of Cantha in it 🙂
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Wow – that is a fantastic cover.
I can’t believe how far behind I am visiting everyone – I’m such a slouch! Still, I’ve finished stage 1 of the SPFBO which is what I intended. Now onto the review books!!
Lynn 😀
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