The Cold Commands [Cover Art]

It's not horrible, and that's really about all I can praise it for. As anyone who's been reading this blog for a while knows, I started out in love with the Original US cover for The Dark Cold Commands. Then, when I saw the final product, I was a bit less enthused, to put it mildly. Someone had, it seemed, sprayed strobe-lighted mist all over my precious atmosphere. I was told in the comments of that very post, by James, that the UK cover art would not be an improvement. All the same, I had this tiny hope that I couldn't quite extinguish. Now that's quite crushed. I wonder what's the better buy: the failed or the generic?

Ah well, at least we get the better title back.

The Dark Commands...Again [Cover Art]

God damn it.

I mean, it's not AWFUL, but it has almost none of the atmosphere I initially loved. I guess the bluish glow is supposed to make it feel ethereal, but all it does is make me feel like someone should turn the lights down and think that everyone looks slightly transparent. Seeing as this is the US cover art, I suppose that one can hope the UK is not similarly afflicted.

The Dark Commands [Cover Art]

I’m generally staying away from cover art on here. It’s an interesting subject – at times – of course, but there seems to be little point when all I’d be doing for the most part is regurgitating what I learn at A Dribble of Ink. This is going to have to be a bit of an exception, though, because it’s just that foreboding. The Steel Remains had a great cover (or, at least, the UK/Subterranean editions did), but this one blows even that out of the water.

Or, on second thought, perhaps not. The cover’s as amazing as it was when I first saw it, but now there’s reasons to doubt its continued survival. On Westeros, Pat said: Got word from the folks at Del Rey not to pay attention to the Morgan cover, as it's only an early sketch. Now I’m torn between awe at the thought of that thing getting even better and terror at it being ruined. I suppose only time will tell…

UPDATE

New, ruined, cover art can be found here.