Robin Hobb has had an incredible amount of cover re-issues over the years (and why not? Her books are timeless and deserve to reach as many readers as possible!). This latest one by artist Alejandro Colucci is one of the most interesting in though. I say that because it shows a full, closeup version of Hobb’s ‘Fool’ character, who before now has always been seen at a distance – keeping inline with the rather mysterious feel he is given in the books. Additionally, with the Fool being a character so close to everyone’s heart and fan-art versions of him being so fantastical / otherworldly, this cover image revealed today is likely to surprise a few people:
The ever lovely Robin Hobb mistakenly wrote: “Here is Golden Fool. What do you think of him? The Fool’s first time as a cover, I do believe!”. She quickly corrected herself saying a version of the Fool as Lord Golden was created by John Howe a few years back too (again, notice the more fantastical style and abstract nature of the ‘Fool’):
What do you guys think? Are you glad to finally see a version of the Fool? Does it live up to your own version?
And before we leave you, here is the UK’s version of Fool’s Quest, released just a few days ago:
This version of the book will be published by Harper Voyager on August 13th.
Geoff Matthews
Julia Kitvaria Sarene
Is it me or does the Fool look a bit like Benedict Cumberbatch?
He does bear a certain resemblance… but there’s something of the stereotypical, swashbuckling romance pirate to him, don’t you think?
Wow, this is not how I think about the Fool. I always thought about him like he was half-elvish or something, but this guy… He looks a bit like a bad actor in a medieval movie. And he does look like Benedict Cumberbatch.
I’m really not a fan of the current fantasy book cover fashion. Which is very similar to the current fashion for videogame boxes. When every book has one or two guys posing in the center of the cover and looking at the reader, they all just blurr together into sameness. It seems all fantasy books look almost entirely the same these days. Which is a disservice to the books. The cover is to make the book being noticed on a shelf, so do something different than everyone else.
Like Dinosaur Lords, for example. (I really hope they don’t change that cover for the release.)
No, I don’t like it. He is too traditionally handsome to be the Fool, and nowhere near pale enough. Especially his hair (and yes, I know it is the ‘Golden’ fool, but I still think he is too pale. And not skinny enough.
Yeah, I prefer John Howe’s version. This one looks WAY too much like Cumberbatch, and while I’ve nothing against the man, he’s ubiquitous enough…
My mind went to David Bowie, especially as Jareth in Labyrinth, when I saw the cover.
Yeah, not a fan… I expected him to be more… otherworldly, or something.
This just reminds me that I cannot stand US covers… Thankfully, I’ll be getting that lovely UK cover of Fool’s Quest.
I always imagine the Fool to somewhat resemble Robert Carlye’s version of Rumpelstiltskin from Once Upon A Time, though a lot paler skin and white hair. Both characters have that quirky riddle speaking personality about them
Comes across to me as a supposed love child of Benedict Cumberbatch and Michael Bolton. I always imagined Fool as a more androgynous character.