Sunday, September 25, 2011

Bookish Pet Peeves Part 3: Cover Redesigns

I really hate it when the cover styles change half way through a series, either in cover art or printing size.  A really good example of this is the Nightshade series by Andrea Creamer.  Here's the original cover for the first book:
Holy gosh, beautiful right?  I love this cover so much, and I HATE calla lilies, so that's saying something.  It's glittery and feminine while still being wolfish and fierce.  When I look at this cover, I want to read this book. 

But then for the paperback, they changed the cover!  And now all of the rest of the series will match the paperback.  I hate this so much because I HAVE to have all of a series either all in hardback or all in paperback, I absolutely refuse to mix the two.  


I don't mind the new cover art, but it definitely isn't as good as the original art.  It looks a lot cheaper and less interesting and unique.  They do go together nicely except for the fact that Nightshade will have to be in paperback to match.  So either I have to have mismatched hardbacks OR I have to wait until the paperbacks come out, and considering I already purchased the original hardback, I'm kind of stuck.  (P.S. I HATE the cover for Bloodrose.  I think it's ugly as shit.  Her hand is huge and has talon fingernails and she's looking too far to the right, her irises are almost off her head).

Another book series that has fallen victim to the cover art redesign is the Delirium series by Lauren Oliver.  I have the original hardback that looks like this:
And it's ok.  I mean, I don't love it, but it's not horrible.  I'd never really seen a cover like that before, so it definitely stood out.  But now there is a special re-release with a new cover design that will match the next book Pandemonium. 
 I like the new covers a lot more.  They have a more cohesive look and I really love the colors.  I just am annoyed that my original copy won't match anymore.  I wish they had just started these covers from the beginning because I want the new cover now.

There are many examples of this happening.  The first book is released then they change the design of the paperbacks for the rest of the series.  Here's the Claire de Lune series by Christine Johnson:

Original hard cover for first book

New paper cover for first book and hardcover for second book  

Here's the Monstrumologist series by Rick Yancy.

Original hard cover for first book

New paper back cover first book and following books 

The Elixir series by (mostly) Hilary Duff.
 Original hard cover for first book

New paper back cover for first book and hardcover for second book

Lumatere Chronicles by Melina Marchetta.
 Original hard cover for first book

 New paper back cover for first book and hardcover for second book

I picked these examples because they're all hardbacks that I already own and now will have miss-matched covers for the rest of the series.  I'm sure there are more examples of this out there, has anyone else run into the same problem with other series?  Let me know in the comments!

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