Previous Match Results

Our most recent match saw Red Rising take the win over Opposite of Always, snagging two thirds of the votes. And I know what you’re thinking. No, I didn’t vote. I wanted to, but I felt like I was too close to it to make an objective decision. Fortunately, others didn’t have that problem. However, Red Rising will have to take on Pride in the next round… yikes.

Round 1 – Match 7

A Curse So Dark and Lonely has depth. Those thorns and branches seem to go on forever. Looking at it, I find myself trying to look deeper, actually moving my head around for a better angle, hoping  to see something more. 

The text plays nicely with the foliage as well, branches threading through and between letters. Anyone who’s been following this contest knows I’m a big fan of the text and elements playing together. 

Color scheme and aesthetic are both on point as well. It’s night time. I’m lost. I’ve stumbled into something that has massive thorn bushes as far as the eye can see and I have no way of getting out. I’m stuck and feeling hopeless. Very well done.

Nevernight is a completely different animal. When it was nominated, the UK version was specified, so that’s what we’re looking at here today.

On the surface, the imagery is already effective, but then we look deeper. Other images emerge from the feathers and now we’re seeing people and things from the story. Once having read the story you could even go back and see actual events blatantly taking place (though anyone who hasn’t read wont make sense or spoiler from them.)

If the design itself doesn’t speak to you personally, there have been reports on the internet of copies of this book selling for insane amounts of money. The cover certainly isn’t the only reason for that, but I’m sure it contributes. 

Which will you choose? Leave your vote in a comment below. Share this post with family and friends and let’s see how many votes we can pull in this week!

Note: Between education and career, I have over 15 years of experience in the field of graphic design. While I don’t pretend to know everything about design, and it will always be extremely subjective, I feel like I can speak about it with a modicum of authority (or at the very least, I don’t sound completely clueless.)

Previous Match Results

After a few close ones, we’re back to blow-outs! Pride wiped the floor with Harry Potter, even if it was the Slytherin Anniversary Edition. Many voters voiced their frustration at having to vote against the beloved Harry Potter, but Pride is an absolutely beautiful cover!

Round 1 – Match 6

Oh my heart! I’m not sure I can take this week’s match up… Although I didn’t nominate Red Rising, it is one of my all-time favourite books. However, as we’ve said before, we’re not voting on the book as a whole. Just the cover. Let’s get into it.

Black and red. Very cool, very classic. The style of the graphic is an odd choice. It’s not simple enough to be minimalist, but not detailed enough to be intricate. It floats somewhere in the middle, which I think might be a missed opportunity. The title running up the side is nice. A little more uncommon and leaves lots of “white” space, which you all know I like. Where this cover really excels is as a part of the trilogy. All very similar design. One red, one yellow, one blue. However, this contest is for single covers only, so that really shouldn’t be taken into too much consideration.

Opposite of always is a really different cover. The colours are attention grabbing, for sure. The art style is great and the illustration leaves me with questions. Which direction should we follow the stairs? Up as we watch a couple get together? Or down as one drifts apart? And why does the dude change his clothes while the lady does not? Font is an odd choice, but it works. Would have liked to see it more engrained in the graphic. Curve of the S tucked behind her hair, a foot wrapped around the P. Stuff like that.

Which will you choose? Leave your vote in a comment below. Share this post with family and friends and let’s see how many votes we can pull in this week!

Note: Between education and career, I have over 15 years of experience in the field of graphic design. While I don’t pretend to know everything about design, and it will always be extremely subjective, I feel like I can speak about it with a modicum of authority (or at the very least, I don’t sound completely clueless.)

Previous Match Results

Our fourth match was the closest one yet! A mere 2 votes gave the eerie Salt to the Sea the win over the ornate Gilded Wolves. We’re now at the halfway point of the first round. If you thought it’s been hard to decide so far, just wait until the second round!

I’d also like to take a moment to thank everyone who has been taking the time to visit these posts and cast their votes. It’s massively appreciated!

Round 1 – Match 5

I think this week’s match is going to be a tough decision for a lot of people. I know we’ve all been trying to keep decisions unbiased based on the inside of the book, but we’re talking about HARRY FREAKIN’ POTTER this week!

And it’s not just any Harry Potter cover. The specific cover nominated was the 20th Anniversary Slytherin cover. (which might actually count against it!) The entire series of covers were a polar opposite to the originals which were very animated with lots of action happening everywhere the eye wandered. These anniversary editions are simple. But as we’ve discussed before, simple isn’t always easy.

A beautiful shade of green for the “white space” (yes, it’s still called white space, regardless of the color, even when black) with a beautiful version of the house badge. The Harry Potter font at the top has been untouched from the original, which is a really nice string to keep it connected to original design. This cover (as well as the others in the series) seems to be aiming at looking like a literary classic, which, let’s face it, IT IS!

Pride is something special. Beautiful metal appearance that, if real, could only be handmade and extremely expensive. 

Juxtaposing this initial high-class, costly look is the title, hastily spray painted complete with several runs. It’s not just a font overlaid on the image, either. Look at the way the spray differs when crossing some of the decorative edging. It really looks like some rich family plaque has been defiled, and that really works for this design overall.

Which will you choose? Leave your vote in a comment below. Share this post with family and friends and let’s see how many votes we can pull in this week!

Note: Between education and career, I have over 15 years of experience in the field of graphic design. While I don’t pretend to know everything about design, and it will always be extremely subjective, I feel like I can speak about it with a modicum of authority (or at the very least, I don’t sound completely clueless.)