Post: Reply | Quote

A blend of The Quickening and Trinity covers.

Gallery Link:
http://fionamcintosh.fantasyscifi.com/base//images/gallery/43.jpg

Image:

Post: Reply | Quote

And although you can't really see it easily on this, there are pale blue arabesque type swirls at the top of the cover that point to the exotic nature of the story. It is a tactile cover - very velvety to the touch too!

Post: Reply | Quote

Fiona, my PC might be chucking a spastic but I can't see the picture!!! Just to let you know

-------

HAIL the fantasy writer!

Post: Reply | Quote

Me neitha

Post: Reply | Quote

I can!!!! How odd. I'll get Terame to take a look. Perhaps this is a Mac thing!

Post: Reply | Quote

'Fraid I can't see it on my Mac!! Cheers

Post: Reply | Quote

Can you see it now? Trent has fixed.

Post: Reply | Quote

Yes, I can see it now, thanks. I like it... but I love the Aussie cover. The Aussie cover of Odalisque is all sort of heat and fire and passion... and the artwork is delicately done... very detailed and intricate. You can see people going about their day-to-day business (or I get that impression when I look at it). The more you look at the cover, the more you see in it. Maybe some people would call it 'busy', but I really love it. Although I like the UK cover - it's a bold and beautiful statement - and I like the swirly blue bits at the top - my personal favourite is the Aussie cover. My two cents worth (including GST!). Cheers M

Post: Reply | Quote

I like the Aussie cover too. I saw the UK versions of Blood and Memory and Bridge of Souls when I was over in Rochester and as I'd sent my English friend a copy of Myrren's Gift to encourage her to read it - because she insisted that she couldn't find it over there - when I looked at the two covers I definitely preferred the grey, terracotta and green of the Aussie covers instead of the white ones. But I suppose the English are more sophisticated or something and they don't like borders around their book covers?

The swirly bits are quite nice though, but I agree with Merryd...although the English cover does look nice, I like the Australian cover better.

Post: Reply | Quote

Swirly blue bits are the best bit. I'm not sold on the UK cover. But I gather this is the trend in covers over there at the moment to be airy - a bit sparse - rather than the usual painted artwork look, crowded with detail. I adore the Aussie art. A very special bit about the English cover of Odalisque though is its feel. It feels incredibly silken and that's a deliciously tactile experience for a buyer....a sort of subliminal selling point - as you're handling the book and considering it, the sexiness of it pulls at your subconscious.

Post: Reply | Quote

I can see it now. I have to agree that I prefer the Aussie covers, though maybe if we could see (and feel) the UK covers maybe we wouldn't be so prejudice towards the Aussie. It might be that they look sparse but they might draw your attention when you see them on the shelves, I know if I was looking and I saw that cover with the mainly white background I would definately be drawn to it. Just my opinion though. I have to agree with Merryd and Kiki that the Aussie covers do give you a sense of being in the story and looking in on the world that you have created, Fiona.

-------

HAIL the fantasy writer!

Post: Reply | Quote

Absolutely....and we also have to accept that each market has its particular tastes. What Australia loves, America doesn't. What UK does, Australia likes but doesn't necessarily follow. It's quite intriguing. Some writers cross all boundaries of course and the covers remain the same but in the main, our covers are different all over the world. I think that makes it special, otherwise we might as well put a big yellow M on every book. You know what I mean? I feel all the world's great cities can feel horribly generic at times because of the global 'look' of big chain stores, huge international franchises. And when you go to the less developed cities, that's when you begin to feel like a real foreigner - as though you're really travelling, really being exposed to something you cannot see or experience at home. I don't see it any differently for books - I realy like that each market has its idiosyncracies, likes/dislikes and buying patterns.

Post: Reply | Quote

I'm in the UK so I just googled the Aussie cover and I have to agree that the picture is very nice. I love detailed pictures. When I was young I used to spend ages looking at detailed pics on the cover trying to imagine being there. (A flaw with todays books for children - the pics are all a bit bland with no depth. I spend ages hunting out nice front covers for the books I get my kids.) However, after reading the Quickening series I could tell by the cover that this book was by the same author, which was what caught my attention to take a closer look. So the publishers marking ploy seems to work .

Post: Reply | Quote

Well, that's very interesting to hear and I'm sure Orbit will be very glad to learn this. It was a very specific marketing intention to ensure the new series echoed the previous two and blended all three series into one 'look' even though the first two were so very different.