Recent Covers that Caught my Eye

Just for something different, I thought I'd share with you some recent covers that caught my eye. As much as I love the convenience of reading e-books on my Sony, I do miss having a gorgeous, glossy, textured cover to glance at from time-to-time. I've never bought a book just for the cover, but I do consider it part of the reading experience.

	Everything about this one is just gorgeous - the way it's framed, the woman at the center (her dress, her markings, her very posture), the trailing red ribbon that escapes the frame, and the sparse use of color. It's beautiful, gorgeously gothic, and even a bit dangerous. From Blood Rights (House of Comarré) by Kristen Painter.
	This one is intentionally retro and campy, and I love it. Every time I look at it, I think of those oddly animated introductions to a b-movie from the 50s or 60s. It's not cartoonish, but it has that look of 'artistic' animation. The lettering, of course, is a perfect compliment - and the title just makes me smile. From How I Stole Johnny Depp's Alien Girlfriend by Gary Ghislai.
	This one is simple, yet elegant. I love the overall look, like an old leather-bound diary, and the gold frame sets it off nicely. Of course, it's the brilliant blue of the butterfly, and the splash of red blood that draw your eye to the central focus, but if you look around you'll notice subtle little touches like the cross atop the pin, or the tattered left wing. From The Butterfly and the Flame by Dana De Young
	This one completely creeps me out. It's the kind of cover you can't stop starting at, desperate to make out the monsters in the darkness. It's well-lit, but from behind, casting shadows upon the demonic surgeons. I think it's the way they seem to float, with tatters of their clothing trailing beneath them, that really makes it work for me. From Carnal Surgery by Edward Lee
	This one just appeals to me on so many levels. I love the use of color, with the eyeshadow making the red pop, and the hair having just enough of a platinum blond tinge to set it apart from the alabaster flesh. The pose itself is perfect, with lips not quite touching, and the look of anticipation leaves me breathless. From Girls Who Bite: Lesbian Vampire Erotica edited by Delilah Devlin.
	This one looks nothing like the 'standard' fantasy covers of his other work. Instead, we get a very ominous, apocalyptic background, with the silhouette of a very androgynous figure, surrounded by white. The lettering actually reminds me more of an action-thriller than a fantasy novel, but it somehow works in the context of everything else that's going on. From The Omen Machine by Terry Goodkind

Well, that's it for me. What covers have caught your eye recently?
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