US cover art for Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson's TOWERS OF MIDNIGHT


Speaking of Sanderson, here's the US cover for Towers of Midnight (Canada, USA, Europe). Typical Sweet cover, it reminds me of those old Piers Anthony Xanth covers from the 80s.

Here's the blurb:

The Last Battle has started. The seals on the Dark One’s prison are crumbling. The Pattern itself is unraveling, and the armies of the Shadow have begun to boil out of the Blight.

The sun has begun to set upon the Third Age.

Perrin Aybara is now hunted by specters from his past: Whitecloaks, a slayer of wolves, and the responsibilities of leadership. All the while, an unseen foe is slowly pulling a noose tight around his neck. To prevail, he must seek answers in Tel’aran’rhiod and find a way—at long last—to master the wolf within him or lose himself to it forever.

Meanwhile, Matrim Cauthon prepares for the most difficult challenge of his life. The creatures beyond the stone gateways—the Aelfinn and the Eelfinn—have confused him, taunted him, and left him hanged, his memory stuffed with bits and pieces of other men’s lives. He had hoped that his last confrontation with them would be the end of it, but the Wheel weaves as the Wheel wills. The time is coming when he will again have to dance with the Snakes and the Foxes, playing a game that cannot be won. The Tower of Ghenjei awaits, and its secrets will reveal the fate of a friend long lost.

11 commentaires:

Brett said...

Ah, man. Why can't we Americans get the awesome "black with gold rings" cover too? Screw pictures - I prefer abstract symbolism for my covers.

Fluffs said...

"Sweet cover"? WTF? That cover is shiteous beyond belief. All the US covers are embarrassing.It's like they are trying to trick Harry Potter fans into buying the books.
It is one of the great adult fantasy series of all time. Why disguise it as some sort of child's fairytale?

Fluffs said...

Ah Sweet is the artist. PMSL. Isn't he rather badly named. Mr. Poo would be much more appropriate.

machinery said...

fluffs - wot - adult fantasy ????
whhhhaaaatttt ???????
not one swear word, not one description of what the stupid american movie ratings would deem (whatever it is for movies not for kid) ...
it's a young adult series, if ever there was one.

Icepick said...

Yes, because we all know that what defines an adult is swearing.

Anyway, I've much prefered the UK covers over the American ones for every single book in the series. Some people might think they are a little bland or whatever, but I think they look just fine, especially compared with that hideous alternative.

Adam Whitehead said...

"it's a young adult series, if ever there was one."

With, at times, quite high levels of blood, gore, people being blown to pieces by the Power and two female characters being raped?

It's somewhat YA in tone, but not in content, although the publishers have confused the issue by reissuing the first two books in YA editions.

machinery said...

fluffs, adam whithead, before reading soiaf, runelords, abercrombie, erikson and so many others, i would have agreed with you.
after those ?
no way.
it's a young adult, imo, and i'm being generous.

Unknown said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Unknown said...

IMHO, while the tone is PG to PG-13, and can certainly appeal to a younger crowd (I started when I was 12), the prose itself is older than young adult, which I guess makes it adult.

So, language = young adult
but use of the language and topics = older than young adult = adult

The big picture though is that WoT can be enjoyed by people of all ages.

Unknown said...

I can't hate on the artwork at all. It was the same artist the whole way through, so it's consistent.

As far as being YA, I doubt it, Jordan's work had a running theme of darkness in it; it was never too vanilla, nor was it over saturated with detail. It works for older ages as well as younger that have a venacular for realism.

Was it perfect, with spankings and pillow buddies and all that? No.

But decrying it is wasted time.

The word it wants me to enter is 'ingst' which much be the new term for lofty fellows decrying decent work 'ingst' indeed.

Timmay said...

The language and plot is certainly adult in it's complexity.

And I think you're underrating the amount of violence in the book.