Saturday, May 6, 2017

I Judge Books By Their Covers: Shades of Magic Series



I just finished reading the conclusion to V.E. Schwab's delightful Shades of Magic series, so what better time to compare covers? I must say, if you haven't read the series yet, you should definitely check it out. It's fantasy, but it's super fun and accessible; it'd appeal most readers -- even if you don't typically read the genre. It's got magic, amazing worldbuilding, great characters, edge-of-your-seat moments.... Plus books are just fun, easy reads. Now, time to get down to business!

 U.S. // U.K.


U.S. // U.K.


U.S. // U.K.

Holy guacamole, this is a hard decision! I love both sets of covers, and I think it's fun to pick out all the similarities and differences. I adore the black, white and red color scheme, the maps, the fonts and the graphics! I think it's rare to find a series whose covers perfectly fit the story as well as these do.

Perhaps my favorite thing about both versions is that each book depicts one of the three main characters: Kell on book one, Lila on book two and Holland on book three. I do have to say, though, that the U.S. versions make it much clearer which male is Kell and which is Holland than the U.K. covers do. And while I do like the large silhouettes of the U.K. covers, I think I prefer the more detailed, almost geometric, depictions on the U.S. covers.

I really have nothing bad to say about the U.K. covers -- both sets are true works of art. But I think the U.S. version squeaks by for the win; it's just something about those illustrations, and the way the maps are incorporated. I also like that the background color is a sort of cream rather than a true white.

Do tell: which covers do you prefer? Have you read the series?

2 comments:

  1. I definitely like the US ones more. I didn't really love them at first but they have grown on me a lot. I'm excited to start this series soon!

    ReplyDelete
  2. It's not often that I say this, but I definitely prefer the US covers!

    ReplyDelete

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