Friday Face-Off: Desert
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:
“Nomad is an island.”
~ a cover featuring a DESERT
Mogsy’s Pick:
Rebel of the Sands by Alwyn Hamilton
I’ve long been a fan of western-fantasy settings, and Rebel of the Sands takes this one step further by combining it with an Arabian Nights feel, plunging readers into world of harsh sun and sand. Supernatural beings like the Djinn and magical horses fill these pages, as well as mortals endowed with special powers. These cases are explained in a very imaginative way, pulling in elements from legend and mixing them with the author’s own ideas.
But how do the novel’s covers measure up? Let’s take a look at them now:
From left to right, top to bottom:
Viking Books for Young Readers (2016) – Speak (2017)
Polish Edition (2017) – German Edition (2016) – Spanish Edition (2016)
French Edition (2016) – Romanian Edition (2018) – Serbain Edition (2016)
Winner:
There are some great covers for this book, and what really struck me were the subtle differences like the style of the border used in many of them. I find it amazing how that one feature can completely change the look and tone! Hence when choosing my winner this week, I considered everything from the color scheme and layout to the central image and art style, etc. and in the end, the Romanian Edition probably gets my vote for best all-round cover. I love the contrast between its bright border against that deep blue background, and the fact you can clearly see the silhouette of the girl on the horse, unlike some of the other covers. I also like the little touches, like the moon in the starry sky.
But what do you think? Which one is your favorite?
The BiblioSanctum 
Ooh I really like the first two, in totally different ways. I’m not sure I’ve seen that SPEAK version before, but I like it! The Romanian one though… yeah that’s beautiful, with those starlit dunes in the background. Heck I’m tempted to try and get that one just for the cover lol.
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Yeah, isn’t it just amazing what a small difference like a change in border can do to a cover?
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I vote for the Romanian one, with the Polish one right behind it!
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Polish would definitely be second choice for me too 🙂
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I think i prefer the Polish one, with the Romanian as a very close second.
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Can’t go wrong with either of those!
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Wow, the Spanish and Romanian editions are so cool! I saw a slightly different German edition (with different colours) to the one you have here when I was there over Christmas, so I wonder if the PB is different to the HB? Great post!
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Yes, the Spanish one is very different! I wish it didn’t have so much white space though, but I agree it is quite cool.
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Oh yeah, that’s true about the while space. But maybe they were going for something more minimalist!
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So many cool covers and I’m loving all the books everyone is picking this week. The one you chose is lovely, but I’m really drawn to the 2017 Speak edition.
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I agree, I looked around at all the blogs and the book picks are all so varied and different!
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This is a great choice! I’m drawn to the Speak edition, I think because of the warm color scheme.
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It’s a great cover! And I like the choice of the veiled face, I think it gives the cover an air of mystery, over the French edition that shows her face uncovered.
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The Romanian and the Serbian jumped out of me but I think your choice wins out because of the striking frame.
Lynn 😀
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Yeah, the border does wonders!
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Your choice, together with the very similar Polish and Virgin Books editions is perfect in color and theme – the one you chose, however, has the winning element of that full moon in the upper section that makes all the difference 🙂
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You pegged all the reasons why I chose it! I just loved the layout and all the different elements!
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I like the speak one, but it could have been better mage
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I do like that one, but maybe the figure could have been more dynamic? Like an action pose.
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The Romanian cover is the hands down winner, GORGEOUS!
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Yay, I’m glad to see so many people like that one too 😀
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I agree with your pick! That version is stunning!
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Right? It totally draws the eye 😀
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Oooh there are a lot of good covers! I agree that the subtle differences are super cool! I like the Polish 2017 edition best because I like the glowing sky 🙂
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The Polish edition would be my second choice – I agree with you on the contrast of the glowing sky. Very cool!
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I kind of love all of these covers! Can’t pick a favorite.
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Yeah, this book got lucky with the cover gods – some of them are better than others, but I agree they are all very strong 😀
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I really like the colour of the Speak version!
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Yes, I love the warm color tones! Very different from the US cover.
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Oh I’m so glad you picked this one – I LOVE this book and my favourite is that first cover, which is on the book I own, so brings back happy memories, as well as being gorgeous:). My favourite desert-themed cover I’ve seen!
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Right, I think I recall seeing this book featured in one of your past FF posts! It’s a great book, I really should get cracking on the rest of the series.
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Yes – I’ve read the complete trilogy and while the tone does change, the story rolls forward with lots of adventure, adversity as she changes throughout – which I love.
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ooh cool pick! I hadn’t seen that version before!
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