We’re starting a new feature here on Chapter Break called Chat About Covers. ‘Cause you know we all judge books by covers, whether we admit it or not. We judge the style, the color and font choices, and just the overall look. That might not keep us from reading the book, but we do still judge.
This month, I was reading some blog reviews and these two books came up the same day. I was struck how beautiful the covers are. But also how similar. I had to click back and forth between the two reviews multiple times to realize they were not the same book. Let’s take some time to discuss book covers that are similar.
Look at all the lovely purple! Agree with Lynn, these definitely draw you in and make me want to pick them up and flip them over. Now, the sword cover gives me pause, of course. You know my sword issues. But the lovely petals. Oh those petals.
Ooh I just realized they’re different authors. I thought at first they were part of a series, because they are so similar and branded the same. But subtle differences show up when I really focus on them. And then I’m a bit disappointed to see how similar they are and yet are totally different publishers and authors. It has to be the same cover artist, right?
I love their fonts, their flowers. The purple and gray/white together, just magical. I assume they’re both Fantasy of a sort? They both seem YA. But that is all I can tell about them.
Does it even matter what the books are about when the covers are this beautiful? I am immediately drawn to the purple flowers and black background. The fonts are great as well. The silver\grey really stands out. The grenade full of flowers is super cool!
But if I’m being completely honest, if I saw these two on a shelf with a quick glance, I’d think they were the same book. There isn’t much to distinguish the plot of the stories from the cover. Both are YA. One is fantasy. I couldn’t tell at a glance which one was not. It always strikes me when books have really similar covers. Or worse, the same photos or models on the cover. I know authors sometimes don’t have much choice when it comes to covers, but I would think that for a book to stand out, having a distinctive cover would help.
What are your thoughts on this cover?
I will totally judge a book by its cover. An ugly cover has definitely kept me from collecting the physical books or liking the physical book on my shelf even if the author has signed it and/or I won it or was gifted it. I will place the book on my bookshelf so it’s the stand spin only display instead of facing it out toward me to gaze upon to my heart is content.
I’m a fan of Kiersten White already, so I knew about her novel. I’m waiting for this series to be complete and hoping all of the books get an audiobook release. Otherwise, I’ll have to skip it since YA fantasy is not a genre I can read with my own eyeballs typically.
I’ve never heard of this other author or her new novel, but I’m a sucker for purple and black (my two favorite colors). So I would’ve probably stopped to check out the synopsis for Violet Grenade at least. I try not to one-click books with covers I don’t like because I like to Pin books and then I don’t want to scroll past an ugly cover, lol! But there have been some ugly covers by my must-read authors that I couldn’t avoid getting.
Are either of you planning to read one or both of these now that their covers caught your eyes?
I’ve had And I Darken on my TBR for a while, Livia. I might just have to check it out!
It’s true we do judge book by their covers even though we try not to. There’s nothing wrong with that, it’s just like when someone is single and ready to mingle-the first thing that draws us is our attraction to that person.
That being said, the immediate second thing that I do is flip it over to read the synopsis. If that doesn’t draw me in then I don’t buy it.
Good point, Lisa. The synopsis is really the clincher.