Welcome to Shelf Candy Saturday!!
This is my weekly feature
showcasing beautiful book covers!
It also provides information,
if available, on their very talented creators!
For more information
about Shelf Candy Saturday,
simply go HERE.
Here's my choice for this week!
Auralia's Colors
(The Auralia Thread #1)
Trade Paperback, 334 pages
Waterbrook Press
September 4, 2007
Christian Fiction, Fantasy
Romance, Science Fiction
My Thoughts About This Cover
This stunning cover actually has a very simple, yet very effective composition, and it derives most of its power from its overall gorgeous tones of blue. Of course, I was immediately pulled in; this color affects me like no other!
This is a very mysterious, moody, and mystical night scene. The glowing moon in the cloud-filled sky, the bands of mist across the landscape, suggesting the contours of a forest, and perhaps, the ocean beyond that, all contribute to the total effect. Furthermore, the faint contours of a city can be seen looming out of the band of very light blue mist in the bottom half of the cover.
I also love the young woman's billowing cloak, which also contributes to the romantic mystery of the scene, strongly reminding me of 19th-century British fiction, such as Jane Eyre and Tess of the D'Urbervilles. The purple color of the gown also contrasts with the predominantly blue tones of the rest of the cover.
The positioning of the young woman at the lower left of the image adds yet another layer of mystery to it. The young woman is looking out over the landscape as if pondering a decision, or whether she will venture out into the night. What thoughts are swirling through her head? Again I am reminded of Jane Eyre....especially as she pondered what to do about her romantic relationship with Mr. Rochester.
Adding to the magic of this cover are the curling, fanciful designs located on each side, at the bottom of the image. Another of these also peeks out from the top right-hand corner.
The final touch is the equally magical treatment of the title itself. The letters of the font glow with light -- especially the word "colors", and the title is enclosed in a box that might be an ancient scroll.
Once again, I have encountered the frustration of not being able to find any information about the creator of this masterpiece of a cover..... As for the Amazon reader, which offers previews of books, it has not been any help at all.
I hope you all enjoy looking at this cover, though, just as much as I do!
Update
Jeffrey Overstreet, the author of
Auralia's Colors, has just given me the
name of the brilliant artist who
created this gorgeous cover.
His name is Kristopher Orr. Below are
some links for him, including
an interview with the author of
this exciting fantasy novel!!
What do you think of my
choice this week?
Please leave a comment
and let me know!
Well, I for one think you've made a marvelous choice. And not just because I wrote the book, but because I think Kristopher Orr did a remarkable job on the cover art. Did you know that elements of this image are actually photographed? I've seen the cloak itself hanging in the studio of the artist, where he told me about the model who posed for this. You can read my interview with him here: http://www.patheos.com/blogs/lookingcloser/2010/03/auralias-artist-a-conversation-with-kristopher-k-orr/ Thanks so much for highlighting Auralia's Colors. I hope you enjoy what's inside as much as you enjoy the artwork.
ReplyDeleteHi, Jeffrey!
DeleteOh, how wonderful that you've dropped by and commented on this post!! I always LOVE it when an author does this!! I GREATLY appreciate it :)
I'm also happy you've told me the name of this brilliant artist, because now I can include it in the post. I will also put in the link to your interview with him, even though you've included it in your comment. That way, people can click on it, and be taken to the interview right away.
I'm totally AMAZED that this is a composite of photographed images!! The whole thing looks like a painting!
Let me tell you that, when I pick a cover for this meme, I also take into consideration the contents of the book. If I don't like the plot, I won't feature the book on "Shelf Candy Saturday", no matter how much I like the cover. So you can rest assured that I am VERY much interested in reading your novel!! In fact, I already have it on my Goodreads shelves, and in my Amazon "Fantasy" wish list! (I have 40+ book wish lists on Amazon. Lol.)
Thank you SO much for visiting and leaving such a nice comment, as well as for providing the name of the artist!! : )
Great choice of covers again.
ReplyDeleteI am glad that you mentioned Jane Eyrie as this cover makes me think about that book.
I few impressions that I have here. This may be just how the cover makes me feel and not really reflective of the intent of the artist. This women is serious. There are momentous things coming. Ominous things may be transpiring but all hope is not lost.
This is a great setup for a story.
Hey, Brian!
DeleteYeah, I LOVE this cover!! And it definitely reminds me of Jane Eyre.
I also agree with your impressions of the cover. Something rather ominous does loom on the horizon, but "all hope is not lost", as you put it. Nice insight!
Now that I know who the cover artist is, I will look for more of his covers to feature on "Shelf Candy Saturday"!
Thanks for the great comment!! : )