In my opinion, Peter V. Brett is one of the finest examples of a modern fantasy author. For those of you who don’t know why I’m such a huge fan of Peter V. Brett, you can read reviews for The Painted Man and The Desert Spear to find out. To summarise it for you though, Peter V. Brett’s work is the perfect combination of character based fantasy, terrifying enemies, a unique magic system, a roller coaster of a plot and an atmospheric setting unlike any other. The result is what all readers and writers strive for: a book that truly draws you into the world, a book that has you tearing through the pages to find out how the story and characters develop and leaves you, once finished, demanding more.
The problem for me, and for Peat’s thousands of fans, is that Peter V. Brett isn’t the type of author who bangs a book out every year. Indeed, in an interview with Peat last year he told me that he’s ‘an insane perfectionist’, and that he ‘[doesn’t] let a manuscript out of [his] sight until [he is] totally satisfied with it.’ For this reason, the wait for The Daylight War has been killing fans, understandable though it is. For two years and six months we’ve been waiting, following Peat’s blog and twitter in anticipation. The good news is that we’re on the home stretch now. We are just a couple of months away from one of the most anticipated fantasy novels of the modern era and we’re getting excited.
So, you can imagine my elation when Peter’s UK team got in touch and asked if we’d like to reveal the UK cover for The Daylight War. Now, all I know about book three is what I’ve gathered from extracts. Peter has this wonderful ability to take what you would consider a ‘villain’ and tell their story in such a way that leaves you seeing them as justified, perhaps even a hero. He did this incredibly well in The Desert Spear with Jardir, and it looks to me that Inevera will be getting the same treatment in The Daylight War.
Anyway, the reason I’ve told you this is to give a bit of context to the cover. The cover for book one was one of the finest covers to grace the UK’s (and eventually US’s) bookshelves. The second book was equally as good and so it will not surprise people that book three’s cover is just as iconic, just as amazing. So, without further ado from me…without any more rambling about how great Peat is (although I honestly could do it all day…), here’s the UK’s cover:
Beautiful…isn’t it? :O Personally, I love the blue look of Inevera. She is just as beautiful and as dangerous as I imagined her. The blacks contrast perfectly and if you click the image to see the larger version, you’ll truly get a feel for the detail that the artist has taken time to add. There is no question about it, this book will look amazing on the shelf sitting next to the two other hardbacks in the series. Seriously, I’m going to need wider bookshelves by the time Peat’s series is done with: I’m going to be turning them all face-on!
Now, not content with just giving us this stunning cover reveal, Peat has asked us to host a COVER OFF between the UK and US cover art. Now, I’m glad I didn’t have to give my opinion, because I think it’s impossible to choose between the two!!! The American cover is a beautiful red – perhaps more what you would expect from a woman equal to royalty in a desert setting. The difference between wielding a dagger and wielding magical items should be considered too. However, The United Kingdom’s version pops more and the character is more openly dangerous looking.
The Artist
For those of you who don’t know, Peter has had the same artist, Larry Rostant, for all three of his books. I guess the logic there is that if someone does a friggen awesome job, why not use them again, huh? Also, for those who don’t know, Larry’s work isn’t exclusive to Pete’s books. Mr Rostant has been awesome-ing up fantasy book covers for years and looks to continue doing so for a long time yet! Take a browse through Larry’s website and drop him a message over Twitter to let him know how much we in the fantasy community value his skills 🙂
RED VS BLUE
Now guys and girls, it’s down to you: US publisher’s vs UK publisher’s decision. It’s time to vote!
Leave a comment with your choice and why 🙂
The Daylight War hits shelves February 12, 2013 – make sure you pick your copy up. It’s sure to be one of the books of the year. You can learn more about Peter V. Brett and his Demon Cycle series here. You can see more of cover artist Larry Rostant’s work on his website here.
Geoff Matthews
Julia Kitvaria Sarene
I <3 this cover! I may have to get them both. 🙂 Beautiful work! My vote is for the blue cover though. I like the movement in it the best. 🙂
Been waiting for this for so (too) long!
My vote goes to blue. Red is nice too but blue wins it by a country mile.
I think I like the blue if I HAD to choose… damned tough one!!! 🙂
Wow, that’s wonderful! The blue UK version definitely wins for me! It’s positively stunning. Congrats, Peat!
Beautiful cover :] the blue is definitely my favourite!
I love how much it relates to the previous two and gives a little taste of what/who the book will be about!
Red for me. The magic items are more fantasy orientated. Both nice.
Blue or red…
“You take the blue pill – the story ends, you wake up in your bed and believe whatever you want to believe. You take the red pill – you stay in Wonderland.”
Actually I think both blue and red are going to take you to the same great destination in this case and I think they’re both very cool!
I’m not normally bothered by waiting for books, but this one just needs to hurry up and get here.
The red cover caught my eye more the first time I saw it. So I vote for that one. The blue one is awesome too though.
I prefer the US cover primarily because the stormy clouds in the UK one are far too generic and bring an otherwise vibrant image down. The US one also has a lot more depth and texture to it because the photo shot is head on and the title text weaves both in front and behind the character. Clearly mine is not the popular opinion though!
Also, cool extract from book 3 here:
http://www.petervbrett.com/excisions/inevera/
I prefer the blue cover, but both look wonderful!
Will have to go with the blue, really not sure on the floating dice in the US cover…
I like the color blue more than the color red…so the blue one.
Blue is sweet. Well done Brits. Anyone got models number????
Blue for me – the dice don’t work terribly well for me on the red, they look stuck on, and Inevera looks a bit too sexualised: kneeling, leaning forward, flashing her thigh. In the blue the pose is dynamic and the dagger lends an air of danger. Just my 2€
I vote for the blue one. i think it matches the cover of the desert spear.. so, yeah. 🙂
I like the red better, but will be getting both 🙂 The blue is pretty awesome too!
Me too! I’ll be ordering USA version 😉
Both are awesome. but the red would clash with The Painted Man’s Orange. Has to be the Blue!
Haha – that was my thought!!! We are such geeks ;D
The red is more mysterious, but the blue fits better with the storyline and the title.
My vote is: Blue
They are both fantastic and the content is what interests me, but personally I like the red. Much more oriented towards the character I think. Especially the demon bones.
I like the US cover better. It’s more vibrant and tells a story with the demon bones and the look in her eyes.
I’m leaning RED, too. But Red happens to be my favorite color
No matter which cover wins, Peat wins in the end with these two beauts
Its got to be the blue cover, that’s a winner in my eyes! both really good but blue all the way
I’ve got to go with the Blue, myself.
I refuse to choose between the two. Both are excellent.
Red
Whoa, thats cool! Tops the US cover for me. Might be bias as a Brit Mirrors Jardir’s cover
I love the UK one, but I prefer the US cover!
Wow, I don’t know which I like better… I want both!
omg omg omg omg, 4th feb is to far away
They are both excellent! I thnik I want the blue one, but red !
I would choose the red. I like the way her clothes flare better than in the blue cover and I like her pose better. I would rather she held a dagger than magical items though.
They are both amazing! But I think I’m going to go with red.
I love the lettering on the red version and the use of magical artifacts, but the overall pose and colours on the blue version win it for me. As ATM said the red is a bit too sexualised.
I like the typewrite of the blue one but prefer the Red one overall, more mysterious! x
Wow, both are beautiful, but the blue definitely wins for me. I agree with what others have said – there is a better feeling of movement in the blue one, making it very eye-catching. It looks like the red one is trying to make Inevera look too sexy, whereas she looks more dangerous in the blue one, which I think is a better feeling for the cover. And I love that blue colour! It’s not a colour you see as much on characters on fantasy covers, so it’s more unique. I do like the magical items better than the dagger, though, but blue still wins for me.
I like the red as it features the demon bones used in the book. But I think the blue works just aswell the model is how I would picture inevera. Well done can’t wait to read this have had it pre ordered for a long time. I love the series and think the social aspect and world is brilliant taking into account the society and religious set up by Pete.
Blue. It suggests she’s not as evil as we already believe.
As someone who hasn’t discovered this author before, I’d pick up the red one and flip it over before I’d pick up the blue. So that’s my vote!
*scurries off to find the first book in the series*
Good girl! Seriously, these books are AWESOME!!!
Okay, it’s seriously hard to choose between the two! I think I’d prefer the red one, because the fonts somehow seem to match the “atmosphere” of the book more.
Oh, that’s a tricky choice… Love the bold colours for both of them. I think the blue goes better alongside the orange and green of books 1 & 2, but I am rather partial to a strong red. Both really nice, though. Peat’s lucked out, certainly.
The red one caught my eye (and keeps drawing it back) but then on closer inspection the blue has a slightly more dangerous, secret edge.
Both gorgeous.
So red for catching my attention, blue for holding it and making me pick up.
Let’s say red.
Red one. The blue one reminds me too much of The Blinding Knife’s cover because of the quote.
The Blinding Knife’s cover quote was: Every shadow has a secret.
Also, I like the subtlety and mysteriousness of the first one. Second just seems so… “I’ll kill you with my dagger” for my taste. : )
Both are awesome, though.
Holy Shhh…! They will both look fantastical faced out on my bookshelf.
Tricky choice. I think UK cover fits better with books 1 & 2, but I do like the US’s red…
Kinda like Blue for the font on the author name being the same as on the books I already have, but for art, I prefer Red.
Red – much more mysterious!!
Gorgeous!
Blue, I feel it fits better with the other covers, what with the background, also I like blue.
The red cover jumps out at me more than the blue one, grabs my attention and makes me want to look at it. However, I find the blue one much better once I take a closer look. If I walked by both in the bookstore, just sitting on a shelf I’d probably grab the red, but if I looked at both carefully, I’d definitely pick the blue.
Summary: I prefer the blue cover, but the red cover is better for marketing.
Both are beautiful covers. But if I had to choose a cover for the novel – my choice is with the blue cover.
they are very similar, which is a nice change!
I like the blue one. 🙂
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Been looking for books to read lately and have had little luck in finding anything really good but lo! I find Fantasy Faction and BAM open a flood gate to a butt load of great authors and books I’ve totally been missing out on.
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Wow. What a tough choice. They’re both so amazing!
Though I’m from the UK myself, I think I’m actually going to have to go with the US cover. I LOVE both of them, they’re both so stunning. The blue does catch the eye more, but the red seems more mysterious somehow. For me though, it comes down to the weapons. Though we have seen Inevera use her dagger, whenever I think of her, I think of those dice. So much of Jardir’s story hung on those little dice and they’re probably one of the main parts of Inevera’s character. Also, as mentioned by Marc, Inevera looks more openly dangerous on the UK cover, whereas on the US one it’s a little subtler, which I think suits Inevera more.
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Blue for me but I do like the warded dice on the red cover!
Definitely blue one! Love it 🙂
Blue is my favorite color so I guess blue, however, I like the Red woman’s pose better.
Wait, I changed my mind. I like red better. DIdn’t see the dice thing she was tossing.
Blueas the red looks like she is been squashed by the text. Also the font for peters name is better and she looks like she is about to side kick you in the face.
As people say though warded dice if they could get that in the blue version it would be perfect
Like the Blue best but glad i have a US and UK edition on order. Both will look great on my BookShelf
If I was judging solely on how pretty it is, I’d pick US. But the blue tone on the UK cover and the model’s position looks so much more dangerous and exciting. Definitely UK.
You should have a poll for this 😛
Both are intriguing. I love the colours and the dices in the red, but the pose and the placing of the text in the blue.
For me, blue wins because the additional line “sunlight casts the deepest shadows” is so very good, you just have to buy it to find out.
I love the blue cover, everything from the model and the flowing blue outfit to the font and clouds.
Defo Red… Blue’s cool, but red feels more like the manipulative character we know and.. love?
Blue. The red feels a bit more sexy fantasy girl with naked thigh. They’re both lovely, though.
I think the blue one looks much better.
Both are stunning. But I think I have to go with the blue one because the character looks more out-and-out dangerous and strong, rather than the red’s ‘I’m a girl so I’m looking slightly dangerous but mostly just sexy and half naked’! Also, light blue is a bit more unusual for fantasy and I think it might stand out better on the shelf.
I’m voting for red. The font choices and composition both work better for me.The title and author name both get lost in the blue one, but in the red they are as much a focal point as the illustration of the woman.
I vote for the red cover. When I saw it I though it was gorgeous, epic and with a different dynamic than the covers for the other two books. In contrast, the blue one’s style looks like the cover from ‘The Desert Spear’.
Both are amazing! Gotta be red I think.
I think the blue definitely looks amazing, but it is pretty much the same as ‘The Desert Spear.’ The red however, is more of what I picture Inerva doing so realistically the red cover, but the blue’s action is more badass
Definitely the red! I love how the fabric flows up behind her, filling the cover. I also love the expression in her eyes. And of course, the demon dice! 🙂
Red one,it’s more vibrant and alive,it just strikes you in the face like boom! 🙂
The Red one looks like she’s gonna shag her way through the book to get what she wants, the Blue one suggests she is willing to fight for it. I vote Blue.
It’s a hard choice, but I vote for the blue cover.
I vote for the red cover. It just holds my eye longer, there is more mystery to it and the demon bones just make it win.
Blue – it’s just beautiful
I love them both!! But red wins because it spreads out nicely.
My only problem is that compared to the other two books, you can tell that this cover is a photo of real woman (or a damn near replica), which is what I loved about the other books – they didn’t throw a definite image of what Arlen or Jardir should look like. But this kinda forces you to see Inevera as the girl on the cover :/
I’m coming at this from design perspective.
The blue is pleasant to look at, but design-wise, the red nails it. The author’s name and the title is smack on your face in the blue cover, and everything is just off balance. The font used for the author’s name does not gel properly with the smaller font used for the title and the text below it. As an end result, it’s quite unsettling to look at.
On the red cover though, everything is aligned properly on the top and the text does not cut into the gorgeous image, with the title and author’s name maintaining prominence just by being on top. It’s a more balanced design and more pleasing to look at.
Difficult decision …
Both covers are wonderful and fit the theme of the book that will tell about Ineverze but blue is made in the style of previous books in the series demonic (subtitles in the middle picture book the main character) and red tells us more about Ineverze ….
While both are nice because of the previous books I’d choose blue.
I vote for blue!!
Honestly, the red is kind of gross…
looks like some kind of disgusting sexual fantasy book
I was disappointed this was the US version
the artwork IS great, don’t get me wrong… but… meh, it’s 2013 and this seems a bit trashy/objectification of women too! not a book i’d want to have around my mom or dad, or my little nephew… “what ARE you reading…” lol don’t judge a book by its cover though– I LOVE this series and can’t wait to read it ! ! ! ! !