Book Stole My Look {8}

Welcome to Book Stole My Look! Here I take two (or more) book covers that are coincidentally similar and discuss them!


Today's Books Are:

 Dark Angel (Dark Angel #1) by Eden Maguire
The Vespertine (The Vespertine #1) by Saundra Mitchell

At first glance it's not easy to pick up the similar theme because the color palettes used for the two books are vastly different. Dark Angel's bold red is harsher compared to the muted neutral tones of The Vespertine. However; if you look more at the model on the covers rather than at the cover as a whole, you can see why these two covers look alike: both models are running. And not even are they just running, but they are both looking over their right shoulders while each hand is pulling up the fabric of the dress's skirt. Oh, and the dresses? Yep, they're identical, just different colors. So let's compare, shall we?

Dark Angel is a Young Adult Paranormal focusing on Angels and Demons. The summary on Goodreads says, "Tania's heart belongs to Orlando. Nothing can rip them apart. Until the seduction begins in a flurry or glamour and magic, music and parties all orchestrated by the mysterious and mesmerizing Zoran, an iconic rock star who has retired to a remote ranch in the nearby mountains. And there Tania meets the dark side. Can she resist temptation?" I have not read this book, but what I've encountered in my love of all things Angels & Demons, is that depending on the main themes, they tend to range from subdued cover colors(i.e. Unearthly by Cynthia Hand), to screaming bold cover colors. Dark Angel is taking on the latter of those two. This is a smart choice in my opinion because it seems that Tania, the main character, is going to be dealing with a lot of the "Dark Side", which in my mind Demons = red or black in colors. What are the main colors of the cover? Yessir, red and black! And the white to me would represent the Angel part of the book, with the white feather splayed across the mid-lower half. 

I absolutely love the layout of this cover! I believe that the abundance of red and the fact that the cover model is "running away". Since her dress is red, my thoughts are this: She is trying to run away from the 'demon(s)' but cannot get away because they are entwined/wrapped around her/her life. Again, these are all assumptions considering I haven't read the book, but just winding together the summary and the cover art. I love the way that the top half is the 'action' part of the cover, and then it's abruptly split by the white feather with black font (which I LOVE!) and then the red around it with the author's name in white. I would say that if I were in a bookstore I would pick this book up based on the cover alone.

Now... on to The Vespertine. Again, I haven't read this book so I am going to be basically giving my own opinion based on the summary and the cover art. Per Goodreads, the summary for The Vespertine is this: "It's the summer of 1889, and Amelia van den Broek is new to Baltimore and eager to take in all the pleasures the city has to offer. But her gaiety is interrupted by disturbing, dreamlike visions she has only at sunset - visions that offer glimpses of the future. Soon, friends and strangers alike call on Amelia to hear her prophecies. However, a forbidden romance with Nathaniel, an artist, threatens the new life Amelia is building in Baltimore. This enigmatic young man is keeping secrets of his own - still, Amelia finds herself irrepressibly drawn to him. When one of her darkest visions comes to pass, Amelia's world is thrown into chaos. And those around her begin to wonder if she's not the seer of dark portents, but the cause." Okay, I feel like I'm grasping at straws on this one... I feel like it's harder for me to tie in the cover art and the summary. The easiest element to choose to analyze is the model. Yet again, we see her 'running away' so I will have to assume that she is running away from her visions, since they've turned dark. The colors are so subdued that the only link I feel I can make is that they are more 'Victorian Era' colors. The color yellow from the website Crystal-cure.com states that "yellow, like the energy of a bright sunny day brings clarity and awareness....Clean, light yellow clears the mind, making it active and alert. Yellow is great if you are looking to sharpen your memory and concentration skills." Ok, so this helps me some. The font on the cover is in yellow (and in a "Victorian-ish" style) which would fit in well with what someone with visions of the future would need in their life: clarity, awareness, concentration skills.. yep! We have a winner! Now, the main overall cover color is brown. Utilizing the same website, "Brown can mix into many surroundings. It is a mixture of red, blue, yellow, and has many shades and tones - each of which produce a different effect. Brown can be a stabilizing color. The red in brown gives it a practical energy, while the yellow and blue add mental focus energies. Too much brown can make a dull effect. Brown gives a feeling of solidity, and allows one to stay in the background, unnoticed. Brown is good for creating a solid, wholesome feeling; to blend with the background; to connect with the natural earth and the stability it brings; and for orderliness and convention." Ok, again this is so helpful! Let's discuss: So it's easy to see why the brown of the cover would give a very grounding, earthy feel to the book. Also, if you are able to see the future, you would want to keep it kind of a secret right? By "blending into the background". Check. Again we are given the ability to enhance mental focus, which again a seer would want/need. However, I do have to agree with "too much brown can make a dull effect". I think the cover has too much of it. But in fact it does enhance the meaning of the cover, I suppose. There are several different shades of brown in the cover art as well, which means varying tones of the "mix colors" (red, blue, yellow...) can help to encourage certain themes and aspects of the book. 

In my opinion, Dark Angel is the cover winner here if we are judging on the summary and cover art representing the overall theme of the book.

What are your thoughts on the covers? Have you read either book, and enjoyed or disliked it? Let me know in the comments!!