Welcome to The Friday Face-Off, a new weekly meme hosted by Books by Proxy. Join us every Friday as we pit cover against cover, and publisher against publisher, to find the best artwork in our literary universe.
The Friday Face-Off: Just Then Flew Down a Monstrous Crow
The Last Mortal Bond (Chronicles of The Unhewn Throne #3) by Brian Staveley
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Tor – US Cover
Cover art by Richard Anderson
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Tor UK – UK Cover
Cover art by (?)
The Friday Face-Off Winner is…
Tor – US Cover; Cover art by Richard Anderson
Look, anyone who follows my blog or has seen my comments on other’s blogs, should have known the instance they this cover, that regardless of what the other cover was, Anderson was going win. I love his art style – from the artistic talent to the coloring – and personally, I think he is the best cover artist out there right now.
Aside from Anderson’s art though, what else I do really like about the cover is the font of the title. See how all vowels are level at the top of the words rather than the bottom? Very good style choice.
I don’t actually think there is anything wrong with the UK. I’m a fan of the gripping sword, and the smoke around the border is pretty badass; and I like how every matches with the grey color. But again, Anderson is simply too talented an artist.
MyLifeMyBooksMyEscape 
I have to go with the US cover to, it just looks awesome, nothing wrong with the UK but for once the US takes it. 😊
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It’s tough to beat Anderson’s art 🙂
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US cover for me as well. Love everything Anderson does.
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Pretty sure I’ve loved every cover I’ve seen done by Anderson.
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The US cover definitely tells more of a story. I’m kind of tired of “sword” covers. And I’m a big fan of Richard Anderson too:-)
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I met Richard at Boskone a few months back and was able to pick up a print of his Beyond Redemption cover 🙂 And I still have to do a post about all the art and books I got there…. LOL
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Anderson is too amazing. Love love love the US covers for all these books. As nice as the UK cover is there’s never any contest!!!
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I feel bad for whoever did the UK cover. I think it is really well done, and would probably beat out a lot of others, but I see few people picking up the UK edition over the US.
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Indeed! I wish Anderson was on my book covers right now!
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So far this week, the UK covers have aced it – but this time I agree with everyone else, the US cover is the better option. Apart from anything else, it sort of looks like the hero is in the process of stabbing himself in the UK cover – or is that just me??
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Your totally right! The shading makes it look like the angle of blade is going into his gut!
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I’m glad you saw it, too… I was beginning to think it was just my twisted mind:))
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What an absolutely ace choice! I love it and completely agree with your winner this week.
Lynn 😀
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Any time the US covers need a win, I’m just going to pick a book Anderson has done XD
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Agree with the US cover. I also loved Anderson’s covers for The Builders and The Dinosaur Lords.
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The Dinosaur Lords is my FAVORITE cover of his! 🙂
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Heck yeah, US cover all the way. One, it’s Anderson. Two, it’s the bloody ketral!!! Three, the UK one is just booooring. I’m done with the whole “faceless armored guy holding a weapon” motif on fantasy covers.
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Have you seen that Ketral Athesrltics t-shirt that Staveley wears sometimes?! I want one so bad!
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That gigantic bird is pretty cool, but I actually prefer the UK cover. Can’t say why though. I just do.
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