Well thank God!

[easol.livejournal.com]

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51Lf7DmvWZL._SS500_.jpg

Finally, a cover that doesn't look like porn. Too bad about the contents -- I think they cannot be salvaged.

But I can't help but wonder if the publishers are tightening the reins a little, wanting it to look more crimey and less like naked women's tinted body parts. Given LKH's deserved reputation, I wonder if they are trying to rope in a different audience than teenagers and embittered divorcees, or just maintain their dignity.

(Although I gotta say, I would HATE that cover on any normal book -- so grimy)

Comments

[kessie.livejournal.com]

It definitely looks more like a crime novel than urban fantasy. It reminds me of the UK cover of the latest Dexter novel, in terms of colour and shading, though naturally you can't compare the content of the two books. XD;

[hellozombies.livejournal.com]

You mentioned Dexter--you receive a cookie. *gives cookie*

I actually do like the cover for Blood Noir. I still won't read it, of course. But now I won't have to point and laugh when I see it on a shelf.

[drho.livejournal.com]

It looks like a poster for Hostel 3.

[easol.livejournal.com]

Hee hee, it does! That grimy nasty look, with the big scissors. All they need is some blood.

[ctrl-issue.livejournal.com]

And I still giggle at the fact that her name is so much larger than A) the title and B) the name of the series the book is associated with.

[hellozombies.livejournal.com]

And I still giggle at the fact that her name is so much larger than A) the title and B) the name of the series the book is associated with.

I think that's one of my most favorite parts about her covers.

Because the troos will go "OMG LKH I WILL BY THIS W/ MY ALOWENCE," even if it's a manual for window-washing in Qatar.

[brandiweed.livejournal.com]

I wouldn't be surprised to see such a cover on a true-crime book.

[guardians-song.livejournal.com]

It is a true-crime book.

Against sanity and commas.

[daphne-gateau.livejournal.com]

I hope those scissors will be used to give Nathaniel a haircut.

Maybe the publishers are hoping it they give the book and entirely different cover the readers will be duped into thinking the inside is something new as well.

[easol.livejournal.com]

Well, then they should have put the series and author name in teeny tiny print.

[hellozombies.livejournal.com]

Agreed.

Who wants to bet that Jon designed the cover?

[artemis-rex.livejournal.com]

I'm just glad not to see a weirdly colored body part close up and/or bondage. No offense to those who enjoy, but I have to admit, when they went to those covers, it was a weird feeling going up to the checkout with them.

... not that I'm buying them anymore, but still ...

[kerame.livejournal.com]

Maybe the designer's making a sneaky, editorial comment on the castrating, spine-severing, soul-killing nature of the DoomCrotch?

[easol.livejournal.com]

If so, kudos to them. It's like she DOES have a rusty pair of scissors in there somewhere... just waiting for something to snip off. Guh.

[carolpent.livejournal.com]

I like how it's grungy with scissors. It makes me wonder if there's going to be some sort of back-alley abortion situation going on.

[pearkiwi.livejournal.com]

They're trying to trick people into thinking that there's going to be more plot then "wangst/(sex) mention of (sex) a bad (sex) guy/wangst/sex/sex/whining/sex."


Back when I still bought the books, the close-up bondage body shot embarassed me too. And it was really fun reading them in class in high school.

[contrariwise.livejournal.com]

Huh. I definitely did a double-take when I clicked. I like it better than the tinted body parts, but I wonder if it's some designer's comment on Anita's scissor legs? What with all the constant opening and closing, ya know?

[easol.livejournal.com]

And their tendency to snip off the naughty bits that slip in periodically.

Anyway, if a pair of scissors are not prominently featured in the book, like as a murder weapon or something, I shall write a love note to the person who chose that cover.

[assplund.livejournal.com]

WTF SCISSORS.

[easol.livejournal.com]

You get major win for the Psych avvie.

... yet another great thing that LKH is trying to ruin for me.

[gothgoddessrhia.livejournal.com]

This does not look like an LKH cover. It's weirding me out. I would like it as a SAW or Hostel poster, but an LKH book? It's false advertising!

HATEEEEEE ITTTTTT

[voguexcouture.livejournal.com]

I hate this cover....

I don't know, I am just used to different from her and I REALLY HATE this cover. The first thing that came to mind was SAW and I won't watch that either...wtf was she thinking.


I HATE THIS COVER. >> Yes, now I think my point has been made.

[mystickiwi.livejournal.com]

I remember, back in the day when the books were still readable and entertaining I would get so much crap for reading porn based solely off the books covers. I wish they'd started with this theme and progressed to the tinted body parts

[nightangel486.livejournal.com]

I agree that it's better than the S&M covers, but I still don't care for it much. Too much negative space, for one thing, the 'An Anita Blake novel' text just looks weird and lonely floating out there in the grimy whiteness.

And what the fuck do the scissors have to do with Anita Blake, or this book in particular? If I had lived in a cave my entire life and had no idea who LKH was or what the series was about, this cover would tell me absolutely nothing.

Oh...I get it now. They did that on purpose so people who hadn't heard of it wouldn't know what it was really about and might think it actually, you know, had a plot.

[ayako.livejournal.com]

I guess it's kinda of a cool cover for any other book but since it's an Anita book I can't help but wonder why the scissors are there.

D:

For the love of god, no porn + scissors

D: D: D:

[freyalorelei.livejournal.com]

Wait, this is the American cover?

On the one hand, I'm glad they dropped the cheesy soft-porn covers (although I must admit, they had become something of a tradition, and I miss mocking the questionable anatomy). On the other hand...yeah, false advertising. Unless she's actually gone back to the original supernatural crime element, full stop, with only a couple pages of sex scenes, then it's blatantly misleading for anyone who wants to read books with, you know, PLOT. At least with the porn covers you knew what you were getting into.

Also, the "Blood" fits in weirdly with the round hinge part of the scissors. Makes it look off-kilter or something.

[easol.livejournal.com]

Yup, the American one, although it looks more UK. I checked amazon.co.uk and they didn't have a cover yet.

[mulder200.livejournal.com]

The cover is ugly as hell! It seems like it would be more apporaite for a horror movie than a LKH book.

[easol.livejournal.com]

As a small sidenote, does it strike anyone as a little weird that LKH hasn't said a word about the cover art?

Someone on amazon theorized that this was just so they could pull out the REAL cover art (probably with some naked woman licking blood or something similarly wretched) later on. Can they do that?

[duchym.livejournal.com]

Yes, they can change cover art. When they first showed the cover of George R. R. Martin's A feast For Crows on Amazon it was a gorgeous cover with a knight on horseback. When the book was finally released, it was entirely different (and nowhere near as attractive).

So who knows? Maybe we will get a semi-naked person once again when all is said and done...

[teacup-carousel.livejournal.com]

Desperate attempt is desperate. I cant get over how completely misleading that cover is - seems mighty noirish.

[ravenhaley.livejournal.com]

Are those the same scissors Anita used to cut off all the men's balls?

[roguetailkinker.livejournal.com]

It's ugly. I could elaborate, but I think that pretty much covers it.

[cicipsychobunny.livejournal.com]

*clears throat*

WHY THE FUCK IS THERE A COMMA, AND NOT A COLON, AFTER "ANITA BLAKE"????

HAS EVEN THE DESIGN DEPARTMENT BEEN INFECTED WITH HER HORRIFIC ILLITERACY???

[digitalusrex.livejournal.com]

ha ha! i'm an embittered divorcee!
and i still hate the series!