Timewaster's Guide Archive
Local Authors => Brandon Sanderson => Topic started by: EUOL on November 09, 2007, 08:27:06 PM
-
All right, well, we just got a Warbreaker concept sketch. This is fairly early in the process, so we can (hopefully) actually have some influence on this one before it comes out. However, I thought I'd show it to you all. I'm interested in knowing what the people who have read the book will think of the cover, but I'm equally interested in hearing from those of you who haven't. Would this make you pick up the novel?
(http://www.brandonsanderson.com/graphics/warbreaker.jpg)
-
My four year old son just came up behind me and said, "WOW! She looks beautiful!"
I haven't read warbreaker yet, it's on my list though! ;)
I like the art, but as a non reader It doesn't tell me anything about the story. I do like it though and I would probably pick it up and read the synopsis if I saw it in the store.
-
Ooh, I like it, but I haven't read Warbreaker. But this is a very pretty cover.
-
I've read part of it before I lost track of where I was reading when I missed a few chapters while computerless for awhile.
1) her arms seems disproportionately long for her body and it bothers me.
2) if you didn't know the story at first glance it looks like the brightly colored swirl is coming from her hair instead of her mouth.
3) if you do know the story you wonder why her mouth is not open
4) I liked the lettering of the title except for the fact that the W is duplicated. Some people might think of the title as "W. warbreaker"
5) I wonder if guys would be turned off a bit to picking it up because the cover might look like "a girl's fantasy story". I've know guys who do that. They also refuse to read anything with dragons because they think those are fantasy stories "just for girls".
6) I miss the depth of field in the art that's been on your other covers. I kind of wanted something in the background to add to it? set context? I don't know.
7) seeing this image after reading a part of it I can see how it fits in with the story (and also helps to bring back the story since it's been awhile)
8) I like to see a little bit more blood on the blade
$.02 given (for what it's worth)
-
that's one long tongue
Outside of that it actually looks good which is amazing since the art on his site wasn't that intresting.
-
Yeah, we like the concept of the Breath he was trying to portray, but it looks too much like a tongue. It needs some kind of change.
Thanks, all, for the input so far. This has been very useful. I'm waiting to see what our artist and or bookseller types have to say.
Also of note, we're probably changing this title to be
MYTHWALKER
Chronicles of the Warbreaker, Part One.
Having 'War' in the title just seemed to give the wrong impression. Though, with this --Edit--COVER, it might not be as much a problem.
-
I like it overall, my only comment is I'm all about the art that if you have a choice in cover art... it shows a scene in the book. So that when i come across that scene, it makes me excited to see how the artist imagined it, and know the story behind the picture. Therefore, I'm less of a fan of the cover where its a single portrait that could be placed in several sections of a story, but eh... personal preference
-
I like the cover more-or-less.
I actually like the lack of proportion in the arms. I really like the angle of the picture and the pose. I feel having the arms proportional would ruin the pose.
It doesn't make me want to buy the book if I saw it next to any other fantasy book. It makes me think the book it targeted for a female audience, so that would be the number one reason I wouldn't buy the book if I saw.
Course, having read much of the book, it does seem to target a female audience in a way. So perhaps this is a good approach.
The multi-colored tongue thing not really conveying the concept of breath for me. The resemblance to a tongue makes it a little too sensual, but not in a good way.
IMO
-
All of EUOL's books target females.
-
All of EUOL's books target females.
So do I.
I like the cover but I really don't like either of the titles. Mythwalker is VERY generic and really has nothing to do with the story at all. At least make a reference to Breath, Awakening, or an undead king.
-
Yes, but you're not married.
-
So this is a concept sketch, right? Should we expect the final product to be as finally detailed as your other covers? If so, it should be fine (otherwise the whole abstract watercolor technique just does not work for me). But I don't like the lettering at all. It's too fancy, especially with the big W; it gives the impression of a cheap romance novel.
-
I gave my comments on the blog. But I didn't mention that the kerning between the r and e is too wide. ;)
-
A lot of these things have already been mentioned. As concept art, I think it's pretty nice, but it doesn't look like a fantasy book cover at all to me. The typeface, however, is fun and says fantasy. Everything else tells me romance novel; I wouldn't be picking this up off the shelf because of the artwork. I would be picking it up because I was hunting for Brandon's next book. It would be nice if the cover could grab the female audience Sprig was talking about without alienating the male audience altogether.
-
I like the shadowing from the title.
The Breath should be more misty, I think.
-
That's a pretty ostentatious dress for Vivenna! ;)
(I assume it is Vivenna and not Siri given the sword.)
- I like the bold, colorful look of the concept -- it is eye-catching!
- I like the pose: the kneeling down, dress pooled, bloody sword...very dramatic.
- The simple composition does make the book look a little too simple, if you know what I mean: it is a complex book in terms of the multiple POVs, the mystery-driven plot, etc. I agree with pengwenn, some sort of background depth would be nice to see because the setting does play such an important role in the story. If Vivenna was just a bit smaller and further down on the cover, you could do something like have sketchy hints of the gray and drab slums over one of her shoulders and then the colorful, saturated Court of Gods over the other shoulder...kind of visually showing that Viv is the bridge between the two. Maybe have a shadowy figure with a sword in the background (which readers will assume is Denth). Just...something more, that conveys more about what kind of story it is and that gives a broader spectrum of readers something that may appeal to their sensibilities.
- Vivenna looks a little haughty, uncaring, unapproachable...which of course she is early in the book, but to have her in full SpoiledPrincess! mode on the cover may make the book itself seem unapproachable. Over the top "damsel in distress" is bad, but it wouldn't hurt if the dress was a little dirty or perhaps if some of the color had been drained from it -- if it looked used -- and if Viv looked a little more intent/determined/concerned rather than haughtily dismissive.
Just my $.02,
MattD
-
Ok, time to throw in my opinion. I've been contemplating how I feel on the cover, and that's why it's taken me so long to post (or maybe I was just really busy the past two days....)
Ok, this is Dan Dos Santos, right? I know some people were wondering about the style, and DDS always has clean, gorgeously detailed illistrations.
This image is very alluring. I especially love the strong contrast of light and dark, it immediately pulls your eye to the character. And I have to disagree about it being to 'girly'. I think that's a rather sexist comment. If there was a book with only a man on the cover (of wich there are thousands), it wouldn't make me less inclined to read it. There's a woman kneeling in a gown, with a bloody sword in her lap, now how can you tell me that doesn't make you want to read it?
I also have to disagree that it would be better if it depicted a scene. It would be different, but not better. A covers job is to get you to look at the book, and hopefully once you look at the book you'll buy it. There are plenty of books out there that have just character covers, and are very affective. Dan Dos Santos' stuff always makes me stop in my tracks and turn to the book. Even BEFORE I know who he was. This image gives you teasers, really, as to what the books about. Who's that girl? Why's she holding a bloody sword? Why is there a ranbow coming out of her mouth (and that's not one that gets asked very often)?
But I'll agree, the 'breath' would look like a weird tongue, if you didn't know what it was. But some slight ajusting would fix that. And the arms are a little off, but remember this is a concept sketch, those kind of descrepancies will most likely be fixed in the final image.
-
Initially i would like to state that i have not read Warbreaker yet. I have downloaded it, and am currently debating with myself weather to read it now, or wait till it gets published...
Then being said - on the the cover-art :)
Realising it is only a sketch i have a few comments (and some are repeats of what other have already written)...
1) If you cut the picture in half horizontally, it could be seen as if she way lying down. That coupled with the beginning colour of that thing out of her mouth is red if think it looks like blood and she is defeated in some way - she has also lost grip of her weapon
2) The 'k' in warbreaker really annoys me. I'm not sure if it's a strange 'k', 'r' or 'h'. I would rather that the title was written using the font of the 2. 'w'
3) Does the 'w' impart some significance, since it is represented 3 times on the cover alone. The 2 are in connection with the title, and there is a 'w' hidden in the thing coming out of her mouth
4) what is the thing coming out of her mouth ? - if i were to analyze it, i would say she's dead (the red beginning) and then the colour changes to that of the rainbow (happiness, afterlife ?) which is kinda happy... So perhaps her death accomplished something ?
5) the string of rope tied to the hilt of the sword gives me an Asian/samurai impression...
6) As others have stated, it does bear a tone of femininity. Of being targeted more towards the female half of the population.
That was my off-the-top-of-my-head impressions
Would it make me buy it ? - No
Would it make me read the synopsis - Maybe. The femininity of the cover-art would mean that i should have the time and be in a 'browsing-mood' To flip to the synopsis and read it. If i was just quickly browsing to see if something would pop out - this wouldn't
-
I always thought the breath was more iridescent, the concept looks like she spat out a bolt of lightning.
I also have a suggestion to make the cover less pretty-girly. With her eyes shut it’s very dreamy, if they were open, and looked like they were staring directly at you it would be much less so.
Overall it’s beautiful!
-
As posted on LJ:
I like it with two exceptions: first, the title needs to be bigger (it is a necessity for the readability of the font used). Secondly, I peronally would like to see the character appear just a little more voluptuous. I am not necessarily referring to an increased bosom, but rather a woman that does not appear so thin in her dress; more buxom overall. Basically, the difference between a woman that is size 0 or 2 and and woman that is size 6 or 8.
Just my 2 cents,
R. Schuyler Devin a.k.a Shuez
In addendum, I do agree with Ookla The Mok's comment about the kerning between the r and e being too wide and Eudaimoniac's comments about the 'k'.
-
One of the first things I thought when looking at it is how distant she looks with her eyes closed. I think she would look more approachable and powerful and draw people into the book more if she had her eyes open. This just seems to make her look...weak...which Vivenna isn't. The picture is really pretty, but I don't think it really represents what the book is about. A few changes could fix that, though. :)
-
Here's another 2 cents worth of opinion...
1. I agree arms are too long. Bugs me.
2. Hair not gorgeous messy, just messy.
3. Hair and skin coloration are not enough for a good contrast to find appealing.
4. The neckline of the dress looks like the type to have some man be painted in to be leaning over her to be kissing her on the neck type of art. I'd pass over that book. Sell it to Harlequin Romance books...
5. Swords with blood on them aren't my thing, but I think it does tell a story by depicting it in the picture. I think it needs more in the picture to depict more of the story to grab me to pick it up to wonder about it.
6. I like the cover of Mistborn I as Vin has movement, action. She seems wholesome in a tough situation with that inquisitor below. This pictures seems a little stagnant. I like strong good women depicted even if that isn't who they are in the beginning of a book and they become this later.
7. I like the lettering to the title. I just think it needs to be way bigger.
..only opinions...good luck with whatever you choose.
-
Newest versions of this:
(http://www.brandonsanderson.com/graphics/warbreaker_colors.jpg)
They still haven't fixed the 'tongue' but there are some other interesting changes.
-
Wow, that white dress makes a huge difference. I like it a lot more. I'd still like the color trail to be more whispy and her eyes to be open, but I really like the white dress.
-
I don't know, I like the warmth of the orange dress. It also has greater contrast with the sword and hair, but the white dress has greater contrast with the breath.
-
This picture is growing on me a lot...especially now that it's getting more refined. The white dress makes a huge difference. There's still resonance of romance, but as a piece of artwork, I'm enjoying seeing how the artist is refining it.
So, overall, my opinion is changing. I'm beginning to think that this could be the most-striking cover for any of your books. The simplicity paired with the intense colors and black to white contrast will draw people's eyes. A cover like this may very well help the book sell more successfully. Who is the artist?
-
I like the white dress a lot. Its more how I imagined the book as I read it. Intense colors overwhelming duller colors.
Still not a fan of the tongue thing. Also, I'm not a fan of the typography by a long shot.
The more I look at both pictures, I think I'd prefer her to have a slightly darker skin-tone. It'd help the viewer to see the human form a little more clearly.
To me. the dress does appear to be rather southwestern native american, though it doesn't appear to be intentional.
-
I like the white dress better, but I just don't really like the way the breath is done.
Others have commented that it looks like a long tongue, but to me it almost looks like a ribbon flying away as her hair comes undone. If you put your thumb over the breath the picture almost looks better.
-
I think the yellow dress is too distracting. The white dress provides a much better contrast for the breath.
I don't like that the breath seems to fade into her hair. I like how the hair fades, and I like the look of the breath, I just don't like that point where you can't tell them apart. You might want to try putting a different color there. Since there are already a lot of cooler colors, I think that a bright red would look good. There is already a bit of red around her mouth, I know, but I still think it would look good.
I'm with pengwenn on the double "w." Fade in the larger one, and get rid of the smaller one. On the other hand, I did like how in the original cover, the lettering cast a shadow over her dress.
I know I am against the group on this one, but I think that she looks better with her eyes closed. Granted, I haven't read the book, but I can't imagine that it would give a different impression of this woman's character just by having her eyes open.
Overall: If I let myself buy books based on the cover, I would have way too many of them by now. However, I would pick this one up and look at the teaser based on the cover.
-
I think the matching blue eyeshadow is a little too much...I'm still for open eyes too.
-
I'm going with the majority here... the white dress looks better. i like it a lot more that way. all around it looks better, really.
-
1) I like the white dress a little better (i like how viberant the yellow is thought), but I think a dress more modest would look better. And since she is releasing the breath, is the color going to go from her dress as well, and is that a transistion that could be shown?
2) The breath still needs work as well
3) As to whether you include a background scene, I would have to reserve judgment and actually compare the two.
4) I do like the script, and I like the title too, Warbreaker sounds good to me, and I think with the cover as is might be more apt to sell, the cover is only seen while facing out, I often pick-up books because of the title. WB has just got more umph!! to me.
-
Yeah, I agree, I like the white dress better. It pops more, that, and the orange one had a kind of south american feel. It just doesn't fit as well.
-
I like this cover better than the new ones. Though the dress isn't as elaborate or skimpy as I think it should be. The second version, I really don't like because of the Native American -ish of the dresses. I think it should be a brighter color and the blood on the sword is definitely a plus. It makes it more interesting because without the blood on the sword it seems kind of pointless.
-
CtrlZed and I seem to be reading eachother's minds. The first glance at the first picture made me think "Holy Mercedes Lackey, Batman!!!" There was something about it that seemed too elaborate to me. I asked my co-worker who sits next to me what she thought (she's never read anything of Brandon's, and doesnt read fantasy...yet heheheh), and she said it looked like a romance cover.
However, the 2nd cover with the white/silver/greyish dress is much better and has been growing on me. The new way that artists have been grabbing attention is with simplicity rather than extravogance. I like the more simple contrast these colors bring - it's much more forceful and eye catching. I dont believe a scene needs to depict action for it to be good, or be a scene from the novel.
The purpose of a cover is to grab you attention and get it in your hands. When a buyer has a book placed in thier hands, or they pick one up themselves, numerous studies have accuratly shown that the majority are MORE LIKELY to buy the book. That is all this cover has to accomplish. I think keeping the title "warbreaker" would be better than Mythwalker because the cover grabs certain people while the title grabs others. Diversify.
Another thing that has not been discussed here is it's potential "strikingness" (other than a brief CtrlZed mention) next to Brandon's other novels, and other author's novels next to it on the shelf. This stands out. Period. Faced out, this cover can really grab a person. Ive decided I like it and the direction this art is going.
On a completly different train of thought, Brandon, you need to work out with Tor a way to get the SPINES of your books to stand out. In a bookstore where shelve-space becomes limited, a series of books that can grab you from the spines is a grat marketing/sales ploy. The Donaldson covers that form a ring are a good example. Also, I was at Borders with Rob (Errent on the forums) and we both stopped in our tracks seeing the Kevin J Anderson paperbacks spined out for his Saga of the Seven Suns (you need to see it on a shelve to understand). It's just another way to boost potential browse-buyers. Most people in a store are browse-buyers.
-
This stands out. Period. Faced out, this cover can really grab a person. Ive decided I like it and the direction this art is going.
I agree. And I like the second (white) dress just fine, don't make it more skimpy (please). I like how everything is crisper, and the sword is shining.... I'm interested to see what is next.
-
I liked the original better, and I prefer the orange dress by a mile and a half.
-
I prefer the white dress but I also think the breath should be more etherial than her hair. I liked the drops of blood on the sword and I miss that with these ones (if it's there I just might have to blow it up to see it).
-
Love the white dress (more than the yellow)
...I also want her eyes open, though.
-
Yea verily I declare that all who like the white dress better are foolish heathens and must be ignored. Yea, for the orange dress doth be greatly superior. Jerks.
-
Personally, from a purely artistic point of view (I have not had the opportunity to read the chapters yet...will fix that shortly) I much prefer the colored dress. It is much more vibrant, and begs the eye to pay attention, whereas the white dress is ...too grey, especially on the black background. The yellow brings the image to life, while the white makes it all feel cold and static, and it tends to fade back too much. It won't catch attention on the shelf as much as the yellow. If you want the white dress, you might try warming up the background a bit to make it fade less.
I like the subtle blood on the sword, and the drops that scatter across the dress, and once again, the yellow dress works much better for that- they can have more color to them without blaring out their presence, and not look like ink splots like they become on the white dress.
The type may need a little work as well. I like it as a font, but I think the 'w' might need a little tweaking to read better. As it is, I am having some difficulty picking out the word, between the scrolled 'w' in the background (which I do like) and the gothic calligraphy 'w' in the foreground. It does not read as a 'w' right off. It might be as little a task as minimizing the lines that are connecting the tops of the peaks. That would make it register as less of a closed rectangle, and more of a symbol.
As for the hair...This image looks like it is being created in Photoshop for the most part? Judging by the progression, I'd say it is. If that is so, I've used photoshop enough to know that hair is if anything more daunting in a digital medium than it is with more traditional media. If you look, you can see the large, blocky brushstrokes, so out of keeping with the delicate work of the rest of the image. The hair is merely 'in progress', and will be finished later, probably once the artist is certain no one is going to say 'move the head' or 'change the pose'. So, I'm not worried about that yet.
I would say, as for the color, everyone keeps calling it 'breath'? If so, it needs fewer lines. That would make it feel less substantial, more airy. It might be another 'in progress' portion of the picture, though...Oh, and to make it appear less like a tongue, either remove the fork at the end, or add more splits and feathers to draw away from that image.
It is really a beautiful image, and I have to agree, I am loving this current trend towards simplicity. And I think that dress is beautiful.
-
well, I had to go look at them again... just to give these yellow lovers the benefit of the doubt but, nah! the white once still better, sorry guys your outvoted ;)
-
My favorite thing about this discussion is the apparent in ability of several people to tell Orange apart from Yellow.
But I'm with Skar, the Orange dress is much better, the white one is not only drab but nothing really stands out in it and make for a very un-intresting cover.
-
I know the book (which I have not read) uses a color-based magic system, so maybe there's some world-building reason for picking the white dress, but on pure looks alone the orange dress is superior. It's brighter, more eye-catching, more intense, and will get more people to pick it up from a bookshelf. The white dress just looks like they forgot to finish coloring the image.
-
Having neither read the book nor knowing really anything about it, these are my first impressions put briefly in my opinon:
The orange is neat, it is eye-catching, bright, etc. but also it just makes me think of a giant pumpkin. Also the combo with the bluish green is nicely done to tie in some complementary colors, but I just don't like how they clash.
The white dress on the other hand, goes with her hair beautifully--they're both light, white-ish colors but while the dress is more tan, the hair is more blue. It emphasizes a certain delicateness to her qualities.
I do think that the picture is missing something without the blood on the sword. It would be a wonderful focal point of the picture with a dash of crimson instead of the yellow light; the rainbow craziness has a variety of colors but doesn't consist of any red other than the tiny bit at the narrow end. Ooh, and think of the small blood stains there could be on her dress near it! I always love the poetic appearance of red on white.
As for the wispy breath thing itself, I don't really think they're any necessity to dispose of it entirely, and instead mist it up a little and make it more detached from her face. When I first looked at the picture, I was extremely confused at what it was, but that made me interested!
I don't really want her eyes open; they would look awkward in her particular position if she was just staring at something. I dunno, it looks odd in my mind.
Overall, in the state it is in right now, I would definitely pick it up off the shelf and at least read the summary, and be strongly tempted to just buy it for the art (wouldn't be the first time). She's so beautiful.
-
Spriggan... :P
Yellow lover sounds better than orange lover anyway.
My husband, who doesn't really care at all, gave his opinion (since I made him) he says the white ones better too. Although he called it silver, which made me chuckle since we're on the topic of color identification. He also said it looks like she's smoking.
-
I just finished reading Warbreaker chapters/draft/sample. I was wondering if the breath colors could be the colors Vivena will be wearing...like maybe a gray faded area on the dress? Or at least have the breath just the colors of her outfit.
I don't like the Native American style of the dresses depicted. I think her dress from the story was vibrant but she chose more covered styles...very prudent woman.
And she does look kind of Asian...is that how you see her? I see the people in the story as more Caucasian.
-
Ok, because it's driving me crazy and I can't tell on my screen, that's a ref pic that he drew over, isn't it?
-
After having an animated discussion about this (referring to the new title, not the new artwork) with Steve (NotBookstoreGuyAnymore) the other night, I feel the need to put some of our opinions onscreen.
Mythwalker is a great title . . . but not for this book.
The fact is that Spriggan's right. The majority of Brandon's books target females, and the title of MythWalker would simply topple the scales of the delicate balance of men/women interest. When I read the title for the first time I was struck by two things: First its cleverness, and second, its lack of force. Think about the two words themselves . . . a myth, and the verb to walk. Neither is all that powerful of a word. Myths conjure up SLOW images; age, time, and intangibility (a myth isn't FACT . . . it has a cloudy ethereal quality to it). And THEN we pair it with WALKING . . . a plain image. An ordinary verb. There isn't conflict in walking in the same way that there isn't solid fact to myth. It seems so bland and serene . . . and when combined with Myth, it creates a clever image in which the ghostly myth is given action . . . as though the myth is given life. But ultimately it's a rather boring, ordinary life . . . Mythwalking conjures up images of a somber task, a slow tread, a dedication which could take ages. Fascinating, yes, but it fits for a more sedate story which would be unappealing to most guys. (Interesting perhaps, but appealing?)
Slap that title along with that cover, and it will drag the book down. Men and women will be intrigued by the cover art, but the title won't have the power--the I'm-slapping-you-in-the-face-and-daring-you-to-read-me kind of power--that Warbreaker has. Guys'll be interested in what that girl is doing with that sword . . . but let's face it. She's sitting there . . . and then we're going to relate the story to "walking?" Pass. It makes the story seem to be the classic suffering woman tale. Completely Mercedes Lackey (Not that there is a problem with that, but the last thing I want is for Brandon to get pigeon-holed. Besides. . . Warbreaker has one of the more powerful male figures Brandon has used (or at least a male figure who isn't either a:intellectual or b:a complete bastard). Vasher is pure, unadulterated male. No hint of the scholar (though we hear it might have once been part of his history), or the coward, or the powerseeking male ego. Vasher is a powerful contrast to the female characters in Warbreaker (Cause as fun as the other male character is . . . he's pretty lacking in the action department as well).
Warbreaker may be a tad misleading, I was one of the first to admit it (in a similar lengthy reply,) but the fact is that it has a drawing influence. It tells the reader that stuff is going to happen here . . . and in a way, it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. I was sort of surprised after finishing the book at how exciting and action packed I THOUGHT it had been. There really is a great deal of suspense and intrigue . . . and one of the main character's conflicts is centered around embarrassment (the little girls got some good spunk though)--but of action there is relatively little. I've mentioned before how all of the characters are removed from the war . . . Hell. The major threatening army isn't even LIVING. The catch to all of this is the TITLE. The title gave me a rush, and primed me . . . and because I went into the book feeling that it had already excited me, I was.
I realize that the Duology will be titled Warbreaker. But we ALL know that the Duology title will be in miniscule print. I don't know how the sequel is plotted, but I'm curious as to why Warbreaker couldn't be the title of the single work, and Mythwalker the title of the set. The first would draw readers into the series, and the second just SEEMS like it should apply to a longer, more enduring effort. Does the title warbreaker recur in the second book? After all, the character has MANY names . . . so it would seem fitting that one who "walks in the Myths" should have different titles based off of different myths. I always felt the character was playing a Warbreaker in the book, but had been fulfilling many mythological roles throughout his life.
That's my 2,000 cents. I'm sure NBGA (Steve) will add anything I've missed.
(Oh, and in regard to the art, I still love the progression. Though I DO wish there was more contrast and color. Part of me also wishes ther was some hint as to the mediterranean setting. It's such a lush, gorgeous enviornment and would really distinguish the cover from typical fantasy medieval settings.)
-
Can i get an Amen?
The Title:
Obviously, I agree with my partner in crime, Errent. One thing I want to make clear, I have NOT read the story. I have no clue as to what it is about. I have put off reading it because I like to sleep, and Brandon's stories tend to thwart that objective. Having not read the story, and purposely avoiding threads that discuss it's content, I am in the position that most buyers are in. If I saw that book on the shelves of a bookstore with the title Mythwalker, I would wonder if Mercedes Lackey had a new pen-name. It is the automatic association that pummels my mind. I have nothing against Mercedes Lackey. I understand that she is a great author, and...she's published and Im not. Like I stated in a previous post, I like the contrast the title Warbreaker brings to the table. It sounds like a David Gemmel title - aka awesome. It will FORCE people to pick the book up. When combined with that cover, you have more potential people grabbing the book. Both Errent (Rob) and I feel that the title Mythwalker as a main title would alienate a large portion of readers.
The Art:
Now, since people are commenting on the color aspect of the magic system, then colors seem appropriate. If this is indeed the case, bright colors may be the way to go. Could there be a version where the color is draining from her dress? With color being this important to the concept of the book, I can see why many people would like the more colorful cover. I would go along with that.
I would like to hear EUOL's thoughts on all these opinions.
-
I'm glad you mentioned the new title because I didn't even take in to account the title change when looking at the pictures. Now that I do here's my thoughts. When I see the name Mythwalker as the name of a story I think of of a Native American (NA) fantasy story. Similiar to a Dreamwalker type of person. When I look at the cover (and it had the name Mythwalker on it) I would definitely think it was a NA fantasy novel.
The tourquoise color on the dress especially points that way IMO and even more so when it's on the orange dress instead of the white one. I don't have anything against NA fantasy fiction but it's not high up on my interest list. It seems to be a VERY small niche of the general fantasy genre. With the title Mythwalker and either one of those dresses on the cover (but especially the orange one) I think readers would think it's a NA fantasy and pass it over.
This thought process for readers might only occur in certain markets. I live in AZ so that's why I picked up on it. Of course there might be some people who pick up the book with that title and cover expecting a NA fantay and might be disappointed in that the story didn't meet that criteria (but not disappointed in BS's writing style I'm sure).
-
I dont get a Native American vibe. That seems to be more of a personal thing. As far as Native American Fantasy, there aren't that many, so I don't see that as an issue at all from a sales standpoint.
-
The orange/yellow dress is better, but not with turquoise. I'm sorry, but it looks too native american and I personally find that a turn off. Also, I liked the blood in the original and I think that should come back. Third, this really doesn't look like a romance novel cover to me. All romance covers I've seen have a girl and a guy or no people at all, oddly.
-
Also, I liked the blood in the original and I think that should come back.
hmm, interesting statement....
-
Well, I have been photoshopping the picture for some time now and I still like the white better.
I removed the breath (it just clashes too much) and put the dress, the dress sleeves & chest, sword & tassle, torso and title all on different layers so that it would be easier experimenting with different color adjustments.
I kept coming back to the white or a slight variant, which is funny because I am usually a color person. A touch of Magenta in her dress really brought out her skin tones but I'm not sure that is the best effect.
The best color changes came with a variation of the sleeves and chest rather than the dress itself.
Overall though, it is looking good.
-
I agree with Errent and NaBGA about Warbreaker being a better title for this book than Mythwalker.
I'm curious as to why Warbreaker couldn't be the title of the single work, and Mythwalker the title of the set.
As I wrote on the blog comments, I'm not sure why the duology needs a title at all. We know from the start it's only going to be two books; couldn't the 2nd book just be "NIGHTBLOOD" with "the sequel to warbreaker" in small type under it? Adding stuff like "the chronicles of the" and whatnot seems a bit overboard for this series.
-
I feel a bit offended. I like Mercedes Lackey. I don't think the cover looks Mercedes Lackey at all. I'm looking at a 500 kingdoms books, Elvenbane, and The Outstretched Shadow - and I just don't get it.
It's a lot different from Brandon's other books though, which seem a lot more interesting to me because of the interesting backgrounds, but you can still tell that one thing is the focal point. The one thing I don't like about Mercedes Lackey's covers is that her name and the title seem to just overpower everything. Not so with Brandon's books.
-
First things first. I wouldn't buy this book with any of these covers. It looks too romantic-y like several people have said.
Did we decide who was on the cover? This is way to uncovered for Viv but Siri never had a sword or any more breath than her own. But Siri did live in the black palace thing. She never wore the dress there except to enter the room. I just don't feel like the cover fits the story at all. I think I should at least be able to tell who the person is supposed to be.
Otherwise it's pretty!
-
Swiggly,
The LAST thing I intended was any offense, please forgive me. As I mentioned above, there isn't a problem with Mercedes Lackey. She's a fabulous author. As NBGA has correctly stated, niether he nor I have been published, while her publishing record is a fabulous testament to her abilities. That said, the majority of her covers are similar (anything co-written is slightly different as I will get to below.) It's not an insult, its just fact. Many have the same style, but even more evoke the same MOOD. Again, as mentioned above . . . I'm not saying that the style or mood of the covers have anything to do with her writing ability. The problem is that the style and mood of ANY cover will grant a first impression, whether or not that impression is true of the book's style or mood.
Let's examine some of the covers firsthand, so perhaps you can see why I used HER covers as an example and not someone else's. I should also throw in a caveat here--interestingly enough, it is usually the books co-written that diverge from the usual style and mood of her covers (Andre Norton seemed to dominate the cover's of their co-written books, and I have to confess that anything co-written with James Mallory has an AMAZING cover.) I realize that chasing covers can be a bit messy, so the best source I've found has been http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/l/mercedes-r-lackey/ . . . though I'm sure there are COUNTLESS covers that we'll be missing.
First, Elvenbane. The Halfblood Chronicles were co-written with Andre Norton, an old favorite of mine . . . you can see her influence heavily in these covers. In fact, were the authors names not on the cover, I would have pegged them as Norton. They resemble the Witchworld books in style . . . MOOD however, is a different story. The second book in the series has a solid scene of action on the cover, which implies more (you guessed it) action. The first and third however . . . have relatively weak looking dragons (the one on the third cover is GRINNING.) They also contain a woman seemingly lacking in any conflict. She doesn't appear brave, strong, pained, sacrificing, courageous, cowering, or even about to DO anything. She's reclining in the first cover, and appears to be telling the dragon in the third cover some hilarious anecdote ( Part of me wants to throw this out to the forum for hilarious inserts . . . what IS she saying? ". . . and then SHE was like . . ."). While these covers may have NOTHING to do with the content of the books themselves, they definately give a first impression. Oh sure, I'd like to read these . . . right after I get through War and Peace. I'm still interested, but the first impression knocks the book down on my list of must-reads.
The Outstretched Shadow has a Fabulous cover, and covers get better with each sequel. The characters may not be involved in action, but there is a hint of conflict: the characters are standing at attention. In addition, there's a unicorn that doesn't appear to be resting, tossing its head, or enamored with a woman; it actually looks ready to fight--I didn't even know those types of unicorns existed! These things set a powerful mood. The style of the covers is very detailed, and a bit grainy. It lends a more realistic feel to the impression . . . pulls the casual glancer into the story with it's dark, but contrasting colors. This series would be the first of Lackey's that I would pick up. It just screams tension, action, and powerful characters caught in action and plot.
500 Kingdoms . . . Do I REALLY have to explain these ones? Airy, ethereal. Light and full of pastels. The style of the covers doesn't scream anything, but whispers saccharinely. The majority of the covers are taken up by Lackey's NAME, followed closely by profiled body shots of women who seem to have everything in hand. No conflict there whatsoever, and I probably wouldn't enjoy the self-assured, dialogue of these characters. Again . . . the content might be completely different . . . but first impressions are everything. I'm lemon lawing these unless I happen to have a young daughter to read them to.
You're right . . . of the books you were looking at, there is QUITE a variance. Bear in mind however, that two of the three were co-written . . . the one that wasn't was distinct (in a way which is off-putting to your average male reader)
Glance over the other covers at that sight. The mood conveyed is pretty consistent, and though the style does differ . . . it doesn't differ much. Lots of horses. Lots of individuals standing at attention looking majestic, or defiant (in a teenage kind of way.) The characters all look the same . . . oh there are different hair colors and outfits, but a powerful story needs more than just superficial cosmetics. A cover isn't any different. Not a lot of conflict or action, nor a sense of setting. They're very passive, light, and the style isn't very unique. One would imagine that with the beginning of a new series the style and mood would change, but it doesn't. Purples, Dark Reds, Light Blues, Golds.
Valdemar, Bedlam, Bardic, Elemental Masters, Dariens Tales, 500 Kingdoms and Dragon Jousters ALL have that mood and have similar styles.
So again Swiggly, please know that my opposition is not to Mercedes Lackey, but to her cover art. I think that it pigeon holes her, and keeps a lot of potential readers away because of their first impressions. I have to agree with you about Brandon's covers (the paperback Mistborn excluded), they have interesting backgrounds and a solid focal point. They have ACTION and Conflict. The Mood and Style are intriguing. There is more emphasis on art (read story) than on title and author (read commercialism.) There is a sense of something unique about each cover. I feel like this Warbreaker cover has some serious potential to interest both male and female readers, and I'd hate for a title to counteract that. I hope I've managed to emend instead of exacerbate any offense I gave. I'm sorry if there was any confusion.
-
Andre Norton is female (or was, since she died 2 years ago). Her original name was Alice Mary Norton.
-
What a fantasy faux pax! Back in Junior High I often had a Norton book alongside a Foster book and while the two styles are drastically different, I often think of one author when intending the other. Her numerous male pen names haven't helped me either. Forgive me. Alice (or Andre, or Andrew, or Allen depending on which novels anyone might have read) must be rolling over in her grave. Thanks so much for pointing out my mistake Ookla. At least I knew it was the author of WitchWorld. That makes me feel like I'm not losing my mind entirely.
-
Wow. Thank's for the clarification.
I like that the 500 kingdoms are airy. I like an airy book every once and a while. I especially like one good knight because it's funny, and I like little funny airy books as well as books like brandon's (which I adore probably more than any other author). I like epic fantasies and intense action books. The outstretched shadow books were okay, I'd have to say - but they had a lot of non-interesting fillers which made me skim to get to a part where they were actually doing something other than playing chess
I wouldn't recomend reading a 500 kingdoms book to a young girl, though. Well, maybe. Just skip some parts that have to do a lot with virgins becoming non-virgins for some reason...