Great Cover Art
Here at ObsidianBookshelf.com, I've got to show you some great book-covers I've encountered. All these book-covers contain a lot of emotion and reflect qualities to be found in the respective novels.

Here is the cover for Whistling in the Dark by Tamara Allen.  According to her dedication, it was created by Lorraine Brevig who generously donated her fee to the American Lung Association. Whistling in the Dark is set in 1919 when the sophisticated, yet innocent, Lost Generation was recovering from the First World War and reaching out for the happiness and optimism that would characterize the Roaring Twenties.  Somehow this portrait manages to capture that yearning for happiness after hard times and that endearing optimism.

Look at Jack on the left.  He has that slightly manic grin and energy to his face that makes him such a memorable character.  He looks like he's on the verge of talking Sutton into some new risky, but fun, experience. He also has dark hair and looks a lot like I pictured him in the novel.  Sutton, who is accurately blond, has a more peaceful smile that seems to express exasperation and fondness. 

The love that these two feel for each other shines through; plus their clothes are perfect for the time period!

Take a look at the cover for Alex Beecroft's novel The Witch's Boy, which is set in a fantasy world reminiscent of Britain right after the Norman Conquest of 1066. 

This is a subtly beautiful cover (copyright © 2008) with its Norse-looking designs, its lettering that resembles flames, and its background which resembles scorched vellum.

The black and brown color scheme give it the look of an artifact from a long-forgotten time. Note the touches of orange light upon the brown that also suggest flame. This could bring to mind monks praying by candlelight or travelers huddling over a campfire in the midst of the dark forest.

The brown-and-black also suggests the cold and primitive feeling of Dark Ages Europe. According to Alex's dedication inside the book, the cover artist is Black Hound.

Here is the cover of Lieutenant Samuel Blackwood (deceased) by Emma Collingwood with cover art and design copyright © 2008 by Amandine de Villeneuve.  It's done in the style of the 18th century woodcuts and the book includes four interior drawings (see my review for more about them). It has a beautiful peach-colored background and old-fashioned lettering reminiscent of the "penny dreadful" thrillers of the 1800s to which this story pays homage.

Our hero Lieutenant Daniel Leigh holds a lantern aloft as he explores the hold of the cursed ship, HMS Privet.  Look at the detail of that wood grain in the ship's planks! Note the historical authenticity of Daniel's elaborate garb on down to the highlights of his polished shoe. Daniel has an expression of wariness, but a bold and determined stance.  It captures the excitement of this sea-faring adventure. For more art by Amandine de Villeneuve, visit her at LiveJournal and also at her website.

Next, have a look at the disturbing, compelling cover art (copyright © 2008) by Barry Bulsara for Nikolai by Angelia Sparrow.

This image shows Nick after he gets his head shaved in prison. With his fingers digging into his scalp, he is an anguished sight.  Note the heavy, ragged stone-like textures hemming him in on all sides. Or is it chunks of dirt? It suggests that he's been buried alive.

In addition, the cover has a pieced-together look as if composed of overlapping folds. The effect is extraordinary: Nick looks like the Frankenstein monster, riddled with stitches and scars.    This haunting cover art isn't pretty, but it manages to convey volumes about the story within. See more art by Barry Bulsara at DeviantART

Then there are the Delacorte Press covers for Diana Gabaldon's latest two Lord John historical mysteries, Lord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade and Lord John and the Hand of Devils.  Gabaldon is getting the royal red carpet treatment from the art department here. We're talking heavy cloth-type paper, gold-lettering, and provocative glimpses of oil portraits of Grey himself. Brotherhood of the Blade has a rich burgundy background.  It features a blond man with face lit in gold tones as if by firelight, casting a wary gaze to his left.  Hand of Devils, with a forest-green background, shows the same man looking to his right. Here his expression is more concerned.  The close-up portraits fill a sword-narrow strip and focus on Grey's eyes as if to emphasize his position as an observant outsider of his society. In both cases, the book jacket design was done by Yook Louie, and the art by Robert Hunt (copyright © 2007).

Next feast your eyes on this highly emotional photograph by David Becker (copyright © 2007) for the cover art of Walking Wounded by Lee Rowan. Two guys with military haircuts are kissing passionately.  One wears a rainbow-bead necklace, the color of which contrasts beautifully with the rest of the black-and-white photo. (This isn't obvious in my small version, unfortunately.)  Note the graceful and tender way one touches the other's head. 

Then there is the  cover art for The Tin Star by J. L. Langley which was done by April Martinez (copyright © 2006). Jamie is holding his cowboy hat in a slightly self-conscious way (which is good) as if to say, "What you see is what you get." 

He has beautiful blue eyes (as in the novel), and the longish sideburns that cowboys seem to favor.  He looks very young compared to Ethan next to him (who is 11 years older according to the novel). 

Ethan's hat is a velvety black and he is posed looking down so we just get a hint of long lashes and a pensive mouth.  The pose gives him a mysterious quality.  He looks protective of Jamie. His earring and gold chain suggest a nonconformist attitude! Both guys seem sexually and romantically bonded to one another.

 Last, we have a look at the cover art for The God Eaters by Jesse Hajicek which was done by Sarah Cloutier (copyright © 2006). It looks like a watercolor and is an absolutely stunning triptych. The left and right panels feature flowering plants, including a poppy, superimposed over a steam locomotive. 

The center panel shows Kieran and Ash who have different skin tones and contrasting emotions upon their faces. The steam from the locomotive builds up in the horizon behind them like a thunderhead. See more art by Sarah Cloutier at Elfwood.com.

If you appreciate gorgeous cover art as much as I do here at Obsidian Bookshelf, check back as I add more in the future!