I've always been a bit smug because I knew we had the better covers here in the UK, but I've noticed in the last few years that the US is getting more amazing covers. So it's definitely not as clear cut as it used to be!
It would be interesting to hear from a US and a UK cover artist to see how and why they think the briefs / requirements are different in the two countries!
Brit here! I find that I gravitate towards UK covers far more than US covers, and one thing I've noticed is the US covers usually have more of a focus on having a face (or at least a person) depicted in them. You touched upon how some covers that include character depictions don't always show that character in the way that they are described within the text, and I think thats a big thing for me. Going into a book without having an idea of what the artist thinks the character looks like, and being able to build that image in my own head, from what the author describes... it just works for me so much more.
it's interesting to see how generally the US covers seem to focus on illustrations (having clear subjects/focal points, a readable scene) and the UK covers tend towards a more surface design style (symmetrical/repeating pattern, no/less clear focal point, centered title) one you didn't mention that i actually prefer the US version of is What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher. i just feel like it fits the vibe more!
I love the way Sanderson's UK covers all have a similar aesthetic and they really look nice together on a shelf, but I adore the American covers for the Stormlight Archive. Michael Whelan does a lot of fantastic fantasy covers and I really admire his work.
Me as well! Thought I just can’t stand the all white minimalist designs of the UK versions. It feels like they just lose all personality. They look clean on a shelf but to me, uninteresting
I like how you actually chose difficult ones. On the first one I would even choose the US one! The UK covers normally are better, but in this edition it was sometimes difficult to decide. Great video!
I love these cover challenge videos! The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea & Daughter of the Moon Goddess were impossible so I ended up with both. It’s so rare that this happens but these were those exceptions for me. Always the white Sanderson’s, no question.
The Daughter of the Moon Goddess and its sequel are beautiful books in both editions. As is The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea. I still haven't bought them because I keep going back and forth between which edition I want. I didn't even hesitate when I saw the Belladonna UK edition. I saw it and immediately bought it. Purple is my favorite color, so that definitely is the reason why.
Jennifer Saint's Greek retellings (Elektra, Ariadne and the upcoming Atalanta) are some of my biggest head scratchers of the last couple years. The UK covers are so stunning and intricate but those US covers? The UK covers were done by one of my favourite covers artists and designers Micaela Caino. Covers artists deserve so much praise and attention because really, who doesn't judge books by their covers?
I appreciate a lot more UK covers usually, but I think the US is slowly catching on to having better covers. I had a misleading cover this year, "The Counselors" by Jessica Goodman. It still bothers me. And there is not a UK version to fix it either. It looks slasher horror, it's not.
I LOVE when you do the US vs UK covers videos! I’m always sad when there’s not more books lol This is the first time I was already aware of all books in both covers but when I’m not I love seeing new covers I haven’t yet. It’s become a thing for me when I don’t love the US cover I go to see if the UK is better before I buy lol. I agree with not liking realistic people on the cover most times and that’s normally too. The way you described it is exactly how I feel too. This year, Legends & Lattes is one where I bought the UK cover because I liked it so much more, and also Belladonna. I really dislike UK Sanderson covers but wish the UK ones came in hardcover or a bigger floppy paperback! Can’t win lol
I agreed with all of your picks. What I find with the US covers is that they seem to cater towards a younger audience/fans of YA. This is a bit of a problem when the book is very much an adult one. I think they’re starting to improve now, but still behind the UK in terms of quality.
Are the UK mistborn editions a trade paperback feel or do they feel more like a mass market paperback where you know the spine will crack going into reading them?
I don't like the UK Sanderson covers at all (I hate them lol) and end up importing the USA hardbacks. I typically really dislike abstract covers and gravitate towards covers that are illustrations of characters or of scenes. I both miss and love the old 90s (and earlier) style of pulp fantasy covers
First cover I prefer US. Side note I generally prefer UK covers but lately Ive been getting jealous of the US ones 😅 Sanderson always UK Okay out of these I prefer UK 😅
I haven't read The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea yet so can't speak on that aspect but I think the UK cover feels more young and I would've definitely picked it up at age 12/13 especially because of the small, detailed drawings. The US cover though I feel would catch my attention already from afar because even though it's detailed it still has a bigger focus point with the mc in the middle. I also would rather hang a poster with that artwork in my room than the UK cover. Obviously they are both gorgeous and well done though!
For me : The girl beneath who fell beneath the sea -US The lost metal-US Nettle and Bone-UK Daughter of the goddess- US Secret society of irregular witches-UK Belladonna -UK I based it on if I was in store which would I pick up .
I enjoyed this and getting to see the difference. One thing I noticed is the US covers, most of them you showed are so media oriented meaning they look like television characters. When I look for a fantasy book, I like a more classical look which is why I love the UK cover of The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea and Nettle and Bone. The US covers were what I call blingy. And the flowers, omg I love flowers but it's getting to be too much that when I am at a bookstore, I glance right by those covers and have no interest unless someone said the story was good. I also do that with Romance covers that seem to only have cartoon characters drawn by fifth graders on them. IMHO, not sure if this is really a humble opinion, lol
I personally like the US Belladonna cover more. I feel like the face adds to the relevance of the red lipstick and her coming into society along with the berries and flowers. Although the UK edition is beautiful, I personally think the US takes more elements of the book into consideration.
Also, my preference/votes: Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea: UK The Lost Metal: UK Nettle & Bone: UK Daughter of the Moon Goddess: UK The Very Secret Society: US Belladonna: can't decide.
My choice are based on if I saw it in the store would I buy it Beneath the sea US Lost Metal UK (I don’t like the realistic look of the us) Nettle &Bone US (uk looks to generic lol) Moon goddess UK (I love the flowers and the moon) Witches US Belladonna UK (purple is my fav and I prefer faces to not be in covers)
I don't like covers with real looking people either. If it looks like a photograph or a realistic picture, it's not my favorite. I also think the US is stepping up it's cover art game. I own the UK editions for the first era Mistborn series but I plan to buy the US editions for the second era. I think they do a better job of portraying the western vibe. While the white and blue UK covers are sleek and sophisticated, I want to see the differences between the era. Particularly since I know Sanderson plans on moving forward in time to the industrial age, space age, etc. Also I prefer US paperbacks (which is my preferred style of book) because they are floppier.
Genuinely curious- do artists typically read the book fully prior to designing the covers and other art pieces related? Or are the concepts and ideas just pitched to them from the author and publisher?
I do think the UK Mistborn second era covers are better than the US, but I really love the Stormlight US covers, so much so that I almost want to get rid of my UK ones and ship over some from the good ole' americas. Also, if you read this, what do you mean by thie "sizing" issues with the UK Mistborn second era?
Great topic. I mostly agree with you. For example, The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea is very well-covered on both sides of the pond. I also liked the UK BS cover better, despite the dog treat shape. Example of book with great US cover: A Darker Shade of Magic.
So, this is barely fantasy related, but I jumped on the katee Robert bandwagon this year to have a fun time. lol. Almost all of her books have very generic looking covers. But her least talked about series, A Deal With A Demon, has very old school romance style covers (but with monsters) and I just thought they looked stunning and do an amazing job at giving off the right vibe for the story.
Idk, the UK cover for The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches is giving me cosy mystery vibes. I haven't read it, so maybe that's accurate, but I'm getting a more witchy vibe from the US cover.
Can agree for most everything except Sanderson. Gotta say I’m not a fan of the overwhelming white colors with minimalist designs. They look clean and the designs pop, sure, but it just takes away the personality of a cover and makes everything uniform. If my entire row of Sanderson books all looked the same I think I’d be bored
UK covers, more often than not nowadays (at least from the covers I've seen), were more about symmetry and details all over the page. The US ones were more 'focus on this character' plus details thrown in the background. I think the UK covers were neat. But sometimes I just feel like they lack personality. They also start to look the same for me. While for the US covers, you can tell the different series even if individually, they look messier. Also, Daughter of the Moon Goddess US was gorgeous. But ghat moon not being in the center was messing with my head.
Honestly in the case of the Lost metal i don't really like either of them. One seems like a add for "class z tv movie " the other makes me feel cold or like it's some clinic flyer ...😅
My votes: Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea: UK The Lost Metal: US Nettle & Bone: US Daughter of the Moon Goddess: US The Very Secret Society: US Belladonna: UK
I wish they hadn't added the dog bone outline to the UK Sanderson covers - I have the UK versions of his books going back over a decade, and now they don't quite match. I can't understand why they did it :P
I finally read the girl who fell beneath the sea because it was a good reads nom and it was so sweet and fun, I still haven’t decided which edition I’m going to buy though
The frame around the new Sanderson books does bug me, there only in the second era mistborn books that I own. Also, I just listened to the audio of lost metal, I’ll have to wait a year for the read paperback to match my collection
My hot take is that I don’t like the UK era 2 mistborn covers. I really don’t like the frame in them. The US ones are also not amazing, but I have to pick them because I dislike them less. The rest of the cosmere UK covers are great tho.
I agree I think overall I like the UK covers the best but when it comes to readability US. UK bindings are so tight that they don't lay as well as a US version in my opinion.
So many people praise the UK Sanderson covers which is sure whatever. But if you buy them, they have the worst bindings. They’re so tight and so difficult to read. The build on the US books is so much better that I got rid of my couple of UK ones and went with the US ones only.
Hmmm for me TGWFBTS UK wins I don't really like any 2nd era covers by UK wins again Hmmm NaB I would say I actually prefer the US cover DOTMG...US wins for me. The flowers on the UK one aren' as exciting for me VSSOIW.....hmm I think UK is cuter and I am here for that cover Belladonna I kind of hate both covers lol So basically I mostly agree with you except for on TGWFBTS 🤣
It is interesting to also point out that the US is okay to put a live human on the cover or a photo-realistic human on the cover but it seems that the UK shy's away from it. And I think it goes along with the fact the US covers in the fantasy genre look more vintage (not all fantasy novels but most adult fantasy is vintage fantasy cover looking) where the UK versions look more modern because they are more simple, not as busy, they don't always feature a human or a person, clean lines and a solid color background and the art is in the foreground, for the UK its more of capturing the vibe rather than possibly a scene in the novel (Brandon Sanderson novels always look like they are capturing a scene rather than the vibe in the US).
generally, i feel like US covers have more originality in their art. I think UK covers do a lot of what you're saying- a pretty font surrounded by symbols of the book. sometimes I find the simplicity of UK covers to be boring. An obvious winner for me is Six Crimson Cranes & A Dragons Promise. the US versions are so beautiful & the UK versions lack personality imo
I love the US covers for the Mercy Thompson series, Dan Dos Santos' artwork is gorgeous! And the UK/Aus covers are just so boring 😔 I also think the dog bone thing is weird lol
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I actually prefer the US version of The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches even tho I dnf'd 😆. Glad to see at least SOME US versions win. UK almost always looks better.
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In the new year I plan on ordering Jack Campbell's Lost Fleet series and all it's spin-offs from the U.K. because their covers are so much better than the U.S. version.
I usually like UK more, but lately there are some great US covers. I don't like reading the UK books though, especially paperback. They are so stiff, so I usually stick with the US versions.
In the modern age there’s no excuse for a crappy cover. The US winners for me are: the girl who fell beneath the sea, The daughter of the moon, & secret society of irregular witches. I prefer the UK for the rest.
The girl who fell beneath the sea UK cover, it appears she fell beneath the sea vs being sucked into the sea love The Lost metal cover because I don't like to many of the same colors together. Nettle and Bone US all the way. Daughter of the moon goddess US cover. Though I love the peace of the UK edition Belladonna US colors.
Where's Babel!? I agree that UK has the best covers most of the time, but for me US wins with Babel. I really like the picture of the tower on the US cover.
I noticed that US covers are more inconsistent and diverse in both style and quality while UK covers almost always have this elegant and minimalist style for many books. That said, I am kind of getting bored of that UK style because I see it on so many books, even if it’s pretty. I’d rather have something more unique for each book.
Real looking people on covers is always a no for me. I can name on one hand the ones I don’t hate - like the 7husbands of Evelyn Hugo green dress UK cover. But that makes sense because the title is her name so she should be front and center 🤷🏼♀️
I feel the same way regarding the UK Sanderson books. Why put that bone looking pattern. I ordered a box set recently and received this version unfortunately. Still better than our North American versions though.
I like your dog bone comment about the UK cover. But I like the US version better. Generally speaking, I am not a fan of the white covers with limited other colors.
I do not know why, but UK/Aussie covers are on average WAAAAAY better than US covers. I have to wonder what is going on with US publishers & their tastes. Nettle and Bone - I would walk right past the US cover, however, Irregular Society of Witches US cover is gorgeous.
I hate the white Sanderson covers lol. They're so boring and indistinguishable from each other. And also they show damage much more. I actually preferred the US covers, except for maybe Belladonna. It's a shame we mostly get UK covers here in NZ
For the girl who fell beneath the sea the UK win solely based on the fact that UK is a full sized hardback whereas US is a small hardback and I hate that format 😅
Im from the us, and an artist, and i have always really disliked photographed novel covers. It just looks like so bland and cheap to me, like wattpad covers, just super unprofessional and amateurish to me (not all things from wattpad are bad, but a lot of it is). Especially for fantasy novels, because with art you can really capture the fantastical aspects and of the world in the novel and it can better set the atmosphere. And a photo of some person just breaks that immersion for me. Theres exceptions of course, photography is art as well and it can protray some things better than an illistration could.. but in most cases, i don't like photographed fiction book covers.
Oh man. I have opinions. I saw one of your early videos talking about Nettle and Bone where you showed the UK cover. It sounded right up my alley, so I stopped at a bookstore not long after and found it with the US cover. I know we shouldn’t judge by the cover…. But…. I didn’t buy it. I REALLY dislike the US cover compared to the UK one for this! I ended up ordering the UK one online and had a hell of a fun time with that book (thanks for sharing it!) But for reals. UK cover wins big time there.
I've always been a bit smug because I knew we had the better covers here in the UK, but I've noticed in the last few years that the US is getting more amazing covers. So it's definitely not as clear cut as it used to be!
As you should be. Most of the time you guys have superior covers and I'm jealous. 😉
@@jackiesliterarycorner you guys win on the stormlight books though! I'm trying to get a hold of the US versions because I love the illustrations.
The US edition of Daughter of the Moon Goddess is one of my all time favorites. It’s so beautiful.
It would be interesting to hear from a US and a UK cover artist to see how and why they think the briefs / requirements are different in the two countries!
Brit here! I find that I gravitate towards UK covers far more than US covers, and one thing I've noticed is the US covers usually have more of a focus on having a face (or at least a person) depicted in them. You touched upon how some covers that include character depictions don't always show that character in the way that they are described within the text, and I think thats a big thing for me. Going into a book without having an idea of what the artist thinks the character looks like, and being able to build that image in my own head, from what the author describes... it just works for me so much more.
it's interesting to see how generally the US covers seem to focus on illustrations (having clear subjects/focal points, a readable scene) and the UK covers tend towards a more surface design style (symmetrical/repeating pattern, no/less clear focal point, centered title)
one you didn't mention that i actually prefer the US version of is What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher. i just feel like it fits the vibe more!
I love the way Sanderson's UK covers all have a similar aesthetic and they really look nice together on a shelf, but I adore the American covers for the Stormlight Archive. Michael Whelan does a lot of fantastic fantasy covers and I really admire his work.
Me as well! Thought I just can’t stand the all white minimalist designs of the UK versions. It feels like they just lose all personality. They look clean on a shelf but to me, uninteresting
I had to import the US Stormlight hardcovers, can’t stand those UK hardbacks at all.
Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea US cover art is a traditional Chinese style, almost water color but with more vivid coloring
I think my favourite cover in recent years was Priory of the Orange Tree. Just fab.
I can't wait for the second book, just so I have another cover by the artist.
I like how you actually chose difficult ones. On the first one I would even choose the US one! The UK covers normally are better, but in this edition it was sometimes difficult to decide. Great video!
I love the UK Cover for daughter of the moon goddess! I'm neither from the US or UK and tend to love the UK Covers way more
I love these cover challenge videos! The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea & Daughter of the Moon Goddess were impossible so I ended up with both. It’s so rare that this happens but these were those exceptions for me. Always the white Sanderson’s, no question.
The Daughter of the Moon Goddess and its sequel are beautiful books in both editions. As is The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea. I still haven't bought them because I keep going back and forth between which edition I want. I didn't even hesitate when I saw the Belladonna UK edition. I saw it and immediately bought it. Purple is my favorite color, so that definitely is the reason why.
Jennifer Saint's Greek retellings (Elektra, Ariadne and the upcoming Atalanta) are some of my biggest head scratchers of the last couple years. The UK covers are so stunning and intricate but those US covers?
The UK covers were done by one of my favourite covers artists and designers Micaela Caino. Covers artists deserve so much praise and attention because really, who doesn't judge books by their covers?
I appreciate a lot more UK covers usually, but I think the US is slowly catching on to having better covers. I had a misleading cover this year, "The Counselors" by Jessica Goodman. It still bothers me. And there is not a UK version to fix it either. It looks slasher horror, it's not.
I LOVE when you do the US vs UK covers videos! I’m always sad when there’s not more books lol
This is the first time I was already aware of all books in both covers but when I’m not I love seeing new covers I haven’t yet.
It’s become a thing for me when I don’t love the US cover I go to see if the UK is better before I buy lol.
I agree with not liking realistic people on the cover most times and that’s normally too. The way you described it is exactly how I feel too.
This year, Legends & Lattes is one where I bought the UK cover because I liked it so much more, and also Belladonna.
I really dislike UK Sanderson covers but wish the UK ones came in hardcover or a bigger floppy paperback! Can’t win lol
For covers, I'll give it to the UK versions but for floppiness and sizes of the paperbacks, I choose US.
PLEASE 🙏🏻 Do more videos like this!!!!
I agreed with all of your picks. What I find with the US covers is that they seem to cater towards a younger audience/fans of YA. This is a bit of a problem when the book is very much an adult one. I think they’re starting to improve now, but still behind the UK in terms of quality.
Can I ask what is the bookshelf setup You have? Is it an Ikea one or something else? Thank you.
Are the UK mistborn editions a trade paperback feel or do they feel more like a mass market paperback where you know the spine will crack going into reading them?
Great video!
I don't like the UK Sanderson covers at all (I hate them lol) and end up importing the USA hardbacks. I typically really dislike abstract covers and gravitate towards covers that are illustrations of characters or of scenes.
I both miss and love the old 90s (and earlier) style of pulp fantasy covers
Those styles seem to be becoming things people collect at this point, too, so that probably makes it even harder to get your hands on them
Definitely agree with all of your choices, but some are so hard to decide. :D
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First cover I prefer US.
Side note I generally prefer UK covers but lately Ive been getting jealous of the US ones 😅
Sanderson always UK
Okay out of these I prefer UK 😅
This was so nice to watch, will you be doing a part 2? Also will you do a video on your favorite reads of 2022?? 😊
i like both NETTLE AND BONE covers.
I love seeing these covers videos!
I haven't read The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea yet so can't speak on that aspect but I think the UK cover feels more young and I would've definitely picked it up at age 12/13 especially because of the small, detailed drawings. The US cover though I feel would catch my attention already from afar because even though it's detailed it still has a bigger focus point with the mc in the middle. I also would rather hang a poster with that artwork in my room than the UK cover.
Obviously they are both gorgeous and well done though!
For me :
The girl beneath who fell beneath the sea -US
The lost metal-US
Nettle and Bone-UK
Daughter of the goddess- US
Secret society of irregular witches-UK
Belladonna -UK
I based it on if I was in store which would I pick up .
Are you going to read „Gleanings - Stories from the ARC of a Scythe“ by Neal Shusterman??? Cannot wait for your review.
By the way, so your special edition of the trilogy! ❤🤩✨
I enjoyed this and getting to see the difference. One thing I noticed is the US covers, most of them you showed are so media oriented meaning they look like television characters. When I look for a fantasy book, I like a more classical look which is why I love the UK cover of The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea and Nettle and Bone. The US covers were what I call blingy. And the flowers, omg I love flowers but it's getting to be too much that when I am at a bookstore, I glance right by those covers and have no interest unless someone said the story was good. I also do that with Romance covers that seem to only have cartoon characters drawn by fifth graders on them. IMHO, not sure if this is really a humble opinion, lol
I love the UK version of Babel by R. F. Kuang
I personally like the US Belladonna cover more. I feel like the face adds to the relevance of the red lipstick and her coming into society along with the berries and flowers. Although the UK edition is beautiful, I personally think the US takes more elements of the book into consideration.
Also, my preference/votes:
Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea: UK
The Lost Metal: UK
Nettle & Bone: UK
Daughter of the Moon Goddess: UK
The Very Secret Society: US
Belladonna: can't decide.
I now can't unsee the dog treat on my covers.....great thanks kids are crying now aha
Haha, I’m sorry! 😂
My choice are based on if I saw it in the store would I buy it
Beneath the sea US
Lost Metal UK (I don’t like the realistic look of the us)
Nettle &Bone US (uk looks to generic lol)
Moon goddess UK (I love the flowers and the moon)
Witches US
Belladonna UK (purple is my fav and I prefer faces to not be in covers)
We have the same taste in covers! Agree with all of them
I don't like covers with real looking people either. If it looks like a photograph or a realistic picture, it's not my favorite. I also think the US is stepping up it's cover art game. I own the UK editions for the first era Mistborn series but I plan to buy the US editions for the second era. I think they do a better job of portraying the western vibe. While the white and blue UK covers are sleek and sophisticated, I want to see the differences between the era. Particularly since I know Sanderson plans on moving forward in time to the industrial age, space age, etc. Also I prefer US paperbacks (which is my preferred style of book) because they are floppier.
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Genuinely curious- do artists typically read the book fully prior to designing the covers and other art pieces related? Or are the concepts and ideas just pitched to them from the author and publisher?
I do think the UK Mistborn second era covers are better than the US, but I really love the Stormlight US covers, so much so that I almost want to get rid of my UK ones and ship over some from the good ole' americas. Also, if you read this, what do you mean by thie "sizing" issues with the UK Mistborn second era?
Great topic. I mostly agree with you. For example, The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea is very well-covered on both sides of the pond.
I also liked the UK BS cover better, despite the dog treat shape.
Example of book with great US cover: A Darker Shade of Magic.
So, this is barely fantasy related, but I jumped on the katee Robert bandwagon this year to have a fun time. lol. Almost all of her books have very generic looking covers. But her least talked about series, A Deal With A Demon, has very old school romance style covers (but with monsters) and I just thought they looked stunning and do an amazing job at giving off the right vibe for the story.
I definitely prefer UK for Daughter of the Moon Goddess and then for Nettle and Bone I prefer the US. Love these types of videos!
Idk, the UK cover for The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches is giving me cosy mystery vibes.
I haven't read it, so maybe that's accurate, but I'm getting a more witchy vibe from the US cover.
I can’t unsee the dog bone now
Can agree for most everything except Sanderson. Gotta say I’m not a fan of the overwhelming white colors with minimalist designs. They look clean and the designs pop, sure, but it just takes away the personality of a cover and makes everything uniform. If my entire row of Sanderson books all looked the same I think I’d be bored
UK covers, more often than not nowadays (at least from the covers I've seen), were more about symmetry and details all over the page. The US ones were more 'focus on this character' plus details thrown in the background.
I think the UK covers were neat. But sometimes I just feel like they lack personality. They also start to look the same for me. While for the US covers, you can tell the different series even if individually, they look messier.
Also, Daughter of the Moon Goddess US was gorgeous. But ghat moon not being in the center was messing with my head.
Honestly in the case of the Lost metal i don't really like either of them. One seems like a add for "class z tv movie " the other makes me feel cold or like it's some clinic flyer ...😅
The only uk cover I like more in this video is Sanderson. Which has never happened before
My votes:
Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea: UK
The Lost Metal: US
Nettle & Bone: US
Daughter of the Moon Goddess: US
The Very Secret Society: US
Belladonna: UK
I wish they hadn't added the dog bone outline to the UK Sanderson covers - I have the UK versions of his books going back over a decade, and now they don't quite match. I can't understand why they did it :P
I know, it’s very odd 😅
I'd love a video comparing hardbacks vs paperbacks since sometimes the paperbacks are wayyyyy prettier like in Legends & Lattes 😫
I finally read the girl who fell beneath the sea because it was a good reads nom and it was so sweet and fun, I still haven’t decided which edition I’m going to buy though
The frame around the new Sanderson books does bug me, there only in the second era mistborn books that I own.
Also, I just listened to the audio of lost metal, I’ll have to wait a year for the read paperback to match my collection
Isn’t it so sweet??? Ah, and yes, I really don’t get the additional of that strange border!
My hot take is that I don’t like the UK era 2 mistborn covers. I really don’t like the frame in them. The US ones are also not amazing, but I have to pick them because I dislike them less.
The rest of the cosmere UK covers are great tho.
I love these Videos. Hope there will be another Version of US vs German Covers
The UK Nettle & Bone looks like some PowerPoint slides I've created lol
I prefer the USA cover for Nettle and Bone and Belladonna. All the rest uk gets my vote.
Daughter of the moon goddess is a hard one 👀
I agree I think overall I like the UK covers the best but when it comes to readability US. UK bindings are so tight that they don't lay as well as a US version in my opinion.
So many people praise the UK Sanderson covers which is sure whatever. But if you buy them, they have the worst bindings. They’re so tight and so difficult to read. The build on the US books is so much better that I got rid of my couple of UK ones and went with the US ones only.
It seems to me that Asian inspired fantasies get amazing covers most of the time. Both US and UK editions
Hmmm for me TGWFBTS UK wins
I don't really like any 2nd era covers by UK wins again
Hmmm NaB I would say I actually prefer the US cover
DOTMG...US wins for me. The flowers on the UK one aren' as exciting for me
VSSOIW.....hmm I think UK is cuter and I am here for that cover
Belladonna I kind of hate both covers lol
So basically I mostly agree with you except for on TGWFBTS 🤣
It is interesting to also point out that the US is okay to put a live human on the cover or a photo-realistic human on the cover but it seems that the UK shy's away from it. And I think it goes along with the fact the US covers in the fantasy genre look more vintage (not all fantasy novels but most adult fantasy is vintage fantasy cover looking) where the UK versions look more modern because they are more simple, not as busy, they don't always feature a human or a person, clean lines and a solid color background and the art is in the foreground, for the UK its more of capturing the vibe rather than possibly a scene in the novel (Brandon Sanderson novels always look like they are capturing a scene rather than the vibe in the US).
generally, i feel like US covers have more originality in their art. I think UK covers do a lot of what you're saying- a pretty font surrounded by symbols of the book. sometimes I find the simplicity of UK covers to be boring. An obvious winner for me is Six Crimson Cranes & A Dragons Promise. the US versions are so beautiful & the UK versions lack personality imo
I love the US covers for the Mercy Thompson series, Dan Dos Santos' artwork is gorgeous! And the UK/Aus covers are just so boring 😔 I also think the dog bone thing is weird lol
UK covers win hands down in your list, except for the Secret Society of Irregular Witches... The US cover is waaaay better
UK have better cover, but their paperback are so much worse. Floppy paperbacks for the win. 😁
Daughter of the goddess another great books and GORGEOUS COVERS!! 📖🍃🤎🦃❤️❤️❤️🤎🤎🤎📚📚🍁📙📙🍂🍂🍂📖🍃🦃❤️❤️❤️🤎📖🍂🧡📙🍁📚📚📚🍁🧡📖📖🍃🤎🦃🦃❤️❤️❤️❤️🍃📚📚🍁🍁🧡🍂📖📖📖🍃🤎🦃❤️❤️❤️📖🍂🧡🍁🍁📚📚📚🍁📙🧡
I actually prefer the US version of The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches even tho I dnf'd 😆. Glad to see at least SOME US versions win. UK almost always looks better.
Kayan Kollyn ❤
The great fantasy adventure book series by V VN Mangukiya 😊😊
My favourite book after Harry Potter and lord of the rings 😊😊😊
Waiting for your review ❤❤❤
As a UK reader I hate the new Sanderson covers. That weird border just doesn't look good in my opinion 😅
In the new year I plan on ordering Jack Campbell's Lost Fleet series and all it's spin-offs from the U.K. because their covers are so much better than the U.S. version.
In the case of both The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea and Daughter of the Moon Goddess, I think the US covers slightly edge out the UK ones!
UK for everything except for Daughter of the Moon Goddess.
I usually like UK more, but lately there are some great US covers. I don't like reading the UK books though, especially paperback. They are so stiff, so I usually stick with the US versions.
Love Nettle of the Bone such a great book! 🦃📚🍃❤️❤️🍃📚🤎🦃📚🍃❤️🍁🍁🍁📖❤️🍃📚🦃🤎📙📙🧡🍁📖📖🧡📙🤎🤎🤎🦃📚📚🍃📚🦃🦃📚🍃❤️❤️❤️❤️📚🦃🤎📙🧡🍁📖📖📖📖🍁📙🍂🤎🤎🦃📚🍃🍃❤️❤️❤️🦃🦃🦃
the only one I disagree with is the nettle & bone cover, I just like u.s. cover more.
In the modern age there’s no excuse for a crappy cover.
The US winners for me are: the girl who fell beneath the sea, The daughter of the moon, & secret society of irregular witches. I prefer the UK for the rest.
The girl who fell beneath the sea UK cover, it appears she fell beneath the sea vs being sucked into the sea love The Lost metal cover because I don't like to many of the same colors together. Nettle and Bone US all the way. Daughter of the moon goddess US cover. Though I love the peace of the UK edition Belladonna US colors.
@ebnovels I think a scammer is setting up your users
Where's Babel!? I agree that UK has the best covers most of the time, but for me US wins with Babel. I really like the picture of the tower on the US cover.
I noticed that US covers are more inconsistent and diverse in both style and quality while UK covers almost always have this elegant and minimalist style for many books. That said, I am kind of getting bored of that UK style because I see it on so many books, even if it’s pretty. I’d rather have something more unique for each book.
Real looking people on covers is always a no for me. I can name on one hand the ones I don’t hate - like the 7husbands of Evelyn Hugo green dress UK cover. But that makes sense because the title is her name so she should be front and center 🤷🏼♀️
I feel the same way regarding the UK Sanderson books. Why put that bone looking pattern. I ordered a box set recently and received this version unfortunately. Still better than our North American versions though.
Im guessing this is fake?
I mostly like the UK covers but I hate how stiff the paperbacks are 😢
One series that comes to mind where the US has better book covers is Goosebumps.
I like your dog bone comment about the UK cover. But I like the US version better. Generally speaking, I am not a fan of the white covers with limited other colors.
1: UK
2: UK
3: UK
4: US
5: US
6: UK
I do not know why, but UK/Aussie covers are on average WAAAAAY better than US covers. I have to wonder what is going on with US publishers & their tastes. Nettle and Bone - I would walk right past the US cover, however, Irregular Society of Witches US cover is gorgeous.
Hard disagree on The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches. Something about the UK cover was super off putting to me.
I hate the white Sanderson covers lol. They're so boring and indistinguishable from each other. And also they show damage much more.
I actually preferred the US covers, except for maybe Belladonna. It's a shame we mostly get UK covers here in NZ
@Elliot Brooks looks like this scam is all over the comments in this video :(
The UK Mistborn covers are super boring and uninspired, I had to return mine after I held it in my hand. The spanish hardcover covers are BEAUTIFUL
I seem to be in the minority, but I prefer most of these US covers slightly more than the UK covers this time around.
US covers tend to lean towards a cheesy 80's and 90's throwback aesthetic
We only agreed on 2 covers. 😅😅😅
For the girl who fell beneath the sea the UK win solely based on the fact that UK is a full sized hardback whereas US is a small hardback and I hate that format 😅
Im from the us, and an artist, and i have always really disliked photographed novel covers. It just looks like so bland and cheap to me, like wattpad covers, just super unprofessional and amateurish to me (not all things from wattpad are bad, but a lot of it is). Especially for fantasy novels, because with art you can really capture the fantastical aspects and of the world in the novel and it can better set the atmosphere. And a photo of some person just breaks that immersion for me. Theres exceptions of course, photography is art as well and it can protray some things better than an illistration could.. but in most cases, i don't like photographed fiction book covers.
I feel like I'm the only one who doesn't like the UK Sanderson covers
Oh man. I have opinions.
I saw one of your early videos talking about Nettle and Bone where you showed the UK cover. It sounded right up my alley, so I stopped at a bookstore not long after and found it with the US cover. I know we shouldn’t judge by the cover…. But…. I didn’t buy it. I REALLY dislike the US cover compared to the UK one for this!
I ended up ordering the UK one online and had a hell of a fun time with that book (thanks for sharing it!) But for reals. UK cover wins big time there.