Tuesday, February 23, 2016

Cover Clichés: The Regal Royal Ruffle (Open Collar)

Sometimes, while browsing the virtual shelves on Amazon and Goodreads, I see an image that gives me an oddly disconcerting sense of deja vu. I could swear I've never read the book, but I know I've seen the jacket image somewhere before.

This phenomenon is what inspired Cover Clichés. Images are often recycled because cover artists are often forced to work from a limited pool of stock images and copyright free material. That said, I find comparing their finished designs quite interesting.  

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On February 8th, 1587, a woman of forty-four, regal, elegant, but no longer beautiful, knelt to lay her head upon a block. At the third stroke of the axe the order signed by Queen Elizabeth I of England was carried out, and the turbulent life of Mary, Queen of Scots was ended. — "Immortal Queen" tells the story of that life, from Mary's childhood days in France to her death at Fotheringay. The narrative is in the highest tradition of historical fiction - vivid, alive, and rich in pageantry. From the first page the reader is lost in a world of nearly four centuries ago, a world of drama and torturous intrigue, of treachery and high courage. Mary, a widow and a queen at the age of eighteen, dies as courageously as she had lived; and Bothwell, that lion of a man who perished a madman in a Danish prison, more that matches her in courage - and is the one man she could trust among many who would betray her and plot her downfall. All spring to life in this enthralling, unforgettable book.




Luke Ballard, Dominus Elemancer and Privy Inquirer into Divers Mischiefs and Grievances, has grown his magical powers since his last encounter with the Sunderers, dark sorcerers who will stop at nothing—including partnering with England's mortal enemies—to destroy the throne. But is he skilled enough to protect his own and prevent tragedy from reaching the royal family? The continuation of Tudor rule and the future of England's true religion rest with King Henry IX's new bride, Queen Madeline of Scotland. Pregnant with a possible heir, she's nearly killed—twice—in incidents that bizarrely mimic the Plagues of Egypt. And she is not alone. All of Hampton Court, it seems, has been surrounded by a dark cloud of otherworldly danger. Fearful for his wife and unborn child, King Henry can only turn to one man.


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Which cover strikes your fancy and why? What colors draw your eye? Do you think the image appropriate next to the jacket description? Leave your comments below!

Have you seen this image elsewhere? Shoot me an email or leave a comment and let me know. 


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