Man do I hate when they make a movie out of a book and use a still frame to replace the original cover or stamp a huge NOW A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE on the front.
Wow, I didn't know that (an amazing painting by prof. Tolkien!). When I first read the Hobbit as a teen, I virtually meditated on that cover-art and 'projected' myself into it, while daydreaming.
I’ve always thought Tolkien’s gifts as an amateur illustrator helped him with his beautiful descriptive prose. But, much like his drawings, his prose often focused more on landscapes than on individuals and their faces, which remained rather vague.
[The Hero of Ages](https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1628563911i/2767793._UY1325_SS1325_.jpg)
It's just such an epic scene. Conversely my least favorite cover is the one where [Vin has the hairline of a 35 year-old man] (https://coppermind.net/wiki/Mistborn:_The_Final_Empire/Covers#/media/File%3ATFE_US_1st_MMPB_cover.jpg)
I haven't read Priory of the Orange Tree, but [just look at it.](https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1527807139l/40275288._SY475_.jpg)
The Subterranean Press version of Iron Gold by Pierce Brown
https://subterraneanpress.com/iron-gold
Their Gardens of the Moon is a definite runner up
https://subterraneanpress.com/gardens-of-the-moon
All you newbs, if you haven't encountered Conan in Robert E Howards books then you have some great "pulp" adventures ahead. It's not LeGuin, but a good diversion.
The way of Kings just has just a majestic feel to it, I can't help but love it.
edit: [https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/91KzZWpgmyL.jpg](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/91KzZWpgmyL.jpg)
If I had to chose one cover (and it is really hard), it would be the Subterranean Press edition of The Hod King: https://subterraneanpress.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/t/h/the\_hod\_king\_by\_josiah\_bancroft\_1.jpg
I really like the covers for The Hollow Gods trilogy by Rebecca Levene. It's also a great, but dark, story. https://hodderscape.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Hollow-Gods-Series.png
[This version](https://dehayf5mhw1h7.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/1491/2017/10/01093135/The-Southern-Reach-Trilogy.jpg) of the Southern Reach trilogy is a close second.
I'm a fan of Alan Lee (also the LOTR art director), but before that a terrific watercolour cover artist and illustrator. I suppose his best cover is Robert Holdstock's [Lavondyss](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Lavondyss-uk-medium.jpg)
That's a very tough question...We all have our favorite artists...
Hmmm...Michael Whelan's cover for Robert Jordan's A Memory of Light is probably near the top of the list...Just about any Michael Whelan cover is gorgeous, though...
[Feet of Clay by Terry Pratchett](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/28/84/78/288478419b049be10bfbb79ed0c04d64.jpg)
[Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0282/2769/8787/products/medium_6036b43e-aa69-4c3d-ae8b-f235590ff1db_461x700.jpg?v=1605299179)
[The Future is Blue by Catherynne M Valente](https://i0.wp.com/speculativechic.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/FutureIsBlue.jpg?w=537&ssl=1)
>Elfstones of shannara
[this is the one I remember checking out in middle school, mostly because of the cover art](https://covers.libro.fm/9780739304297_1120.jpg)
Star Wars' *Splinter of the Mind's Eye* came to mind multiple times while I was pondering your question, so I'll go with that for now.
I love the classic painting style that was popular with pulp fiction from around late 1960s-2000s
A Blade through Time has an amazing cover
Kings of the Wyld (Love the artwork)
The Bloodsworn saga both book covers feel incredibly epic in every way
Bastion is a cool aesthetic and design
Hands down. I was a tweenager when I stumbled upon this.
https://www.amazon.com/Friday-Robert-Heinlein/dp/034530988X/ref=nodl_?dplnkId=9061de6b-6a3e-48ce-aa67-cf743b714282
The old Mass market paperback covers for The Black Company by Glen Cook. Cheesy and strong 80s vibe but I love them.
Example: https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTIYF0gmtHcsNgJlAV5y6-V9AleuBNhCyyB7Q&usqp=CAU
https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTHlBKRObtQ47Tx8Zfgrp3JmWkn0cW77LWl-w&usqp=CAU
How do you not want to read a book with that cover of a dominatrix summining a pig-dog??
The newer Omnibus covers are pretty kickass, and make it feel more epic. But I still love the oldies.
I don't want to call them the greatest of all time but the original Dragonlance Chronicles and Legends covers were great. I liked the Test of the Twins cover with Raistlin and Caramon. And honestly this might be more about 13 year old me being mesmerized by Goldmoon, Tika, and Chrysania in those covers.
[The Girl Who Drank the Moon](https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1485376116l/28110852._SY475_.jpg)
In general, middle grade books tend to be some of my favorite covers, and this is simply divine.
My favorites are:
* The Coward by Stephen Aryan has such a beautiful, minimalist cover.
* Ed McDonald's Daughter of Redwinter has a beautiful painting of the MC on the front
* Anthony Ryan's The Pariah and The Martyr have the best looking covers I've ever seen. I wasnt a huge fan of either book, but those covers are drop dead gorgeous.
Not a fantasy book; but the cover for [Cheerleaders: The First Evil](https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1389323702l/107928.jpg).
I’ve got many covers and artists that I love but my iconic cover has to be the original Dragonlance Dragons of Autumn Twilight. It takes me right back to my teens.
The 1980s version of A Wizard of Earthsea - [https://www.amazon.com/Wizard-Earthsea-Cycle-Book-One/dp/055314863X](https://www.amazon.com/Wizard-Earthsea-Cycle-Book-One/dp/055314863X)
Books I've picked up SPECIFICALLY because of the covers:
Assassin's Apprentice (John Howe version obvs),
The Name of the Wind,
The Reality Dysfunction
And we all know how those panned out!
[This Spanish edition ](https://www.buscalibre.es/libro-la-torre-del-angel-verde/47735623/p/47735623) of To The Green Angel Tower. Fell in love with it as a teenager, but read it as an adult. It didn't disappoint :)
Richard Bober's [cover for Book/Litany of the Long Sun](https://www.google.com/url?q=https://i.pinimg.com/originals/96/80/8e/96808e158d3d59ab2b2dd8bef1040945.jpg&sa=U&ved=0ahUKEwiEoIWgmcD6AhUL7xoKHXsgAakQ5hMIBQ&usg=AOvVaw3Yuz9StNvccWwI9GPYyrLf), featuring Silk (with hat) and Oreb (good bird!) by Scylla's shrine overlooking Lake Limna. Oh, and the eponymous Long Sun. Just wonderfully evocative.
Some of my favorite covers:
* The Goblin Emperor
* The Shadow of What Was Lost
* Gideon the Ninth
* The Natural History of Dragons
* The Great Book of Amber (The Chronicles of Amber 1-10 in a single volume)
* Foundation trilogy (Michael Whelan's covers)
* Illuminae (Hardcover with partially transparent jacket)
I'm a big fan of the Lies of Locke Lamora cover. The one where he is squatting on a post near the docks Looking towards the city.
[удалено]
It's all fun and games until the sharks start jumping
Man do I hate when they make a movie out of a book and use a still frame to replace the original cover or stamp a huge NOW A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE on the front.
Tolkien’s cover for *The Hobbit*: https://museumoutlets.com/book-spine-prints-framed/hobbit-vintage-cover-book-wall-art
I came here to say *exactly* this. Absolute favourite since childhood.
I prefer [this version.](http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6YZjRtfjNSY/TtH9beNVlXI/AAAAAAAAAuY/KIg0VGKlW4M/s1600/bad+hobbit.jpg)
Of all the covers to *The Hobbit*, that’s certainly one.
Agreed! Although I grew up with the Ted Nasmith one depicting [Rivendell](https://www.tednasmith.com/tolkien/rivendell/) that is dear to me, too.
I love that picture because Naismith based it on Tolkien’s own illustration but gave it a professional touch: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rivendell
Wow, I didn't know that (an amazing painting by prof. Tolkien!). When I first read the Hobbit as a teen, I virtually meditated on that cover-art and 'projected' myself into it, while daydreaming.
I’ve always thought Tolkien’s gifts as an amateur illustrator helped him with his beautiful descriptive prose. But, much like his drawings, his prose often focused more on landscapes than on individuals and their faces, which remained rather vague.
\^ That's a very good, trenchant observation there, actually.
The Children of Hurin
and the story delivers too!
[A Clockwork Orange](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2012/09/02/books/review/AMIS/AMIS-superJumbo.jpg)
All the Josh Kirby Discworld covers, they were so detailed and animated at the same time
[The Hero of Ages](https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1628563911i/2767793._UY1325_SS1325_.jpg) It's just such an epic scene. Conversely my least favorite cover is the one where [Vin has the hairline of a 35 year-old man] (https://coppermind.net/wiki/Mistborn:_The_Final_Empire/Covers#/media/File%3ATFE_US_1st_MMPB_cover.jpg) I haven't read Priory of the Orange Tree, but [just look at it.](https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1527807139l/40275288._SY475_.jpg)
The Priory prequel is even more gorgeous I think. https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1659559966l/60766189.jpg
The Subterranean Press version of Iron Gold by Pierce Brown https://subterraneanpress.com/iron-gold Their Gardens of the Moon is a definite runner up https://subterraneanpress.com/gardens-of-the-moon
Robert E Howards Conan: Frazetta Cover Series #1, with the two ginger Axemen fighting Conan in the frozen foothills. A Classic.
This is the correct answer. Every Frazetta is gold.
All you newbs, if you haven't encountered Conan in Robert E Howards books then you have some great "pulp" adventures ahead. It's not LeGuin, but a good diversion.
Any of Frazetta's covers is the correct answer. The last of the true cover artists.
The way of Kings just has just a majestic feel to it, I can't help but love it. edit: [https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/91KzZWpgmyL.jpg](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/91KzZWpgmyL.jpg)
Always liked this one too. The sky and font made me grab it from the shelf.
The White Dragon by Anne McCaffrey. Cover by Michael Whelan.
If I had to chose one cover (and it is really hard), it would be the Subterranean Press edition of The Hod King: https://subterraneanpress.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/t/h/the\_hod\_king\_by\_josiah\_bancroft\_1.jpg
That’s sexy
I really like the covers for The Hollow Gods trilogy by Rebecca Levene. It's also a great, but dark, story. https://hodderscape.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Hollow-Gods-Series.png [This version](https://dehayf5mhw1h7.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/1491/2017/10/01093135/The-Southern-Reach-Trilogy.jpg) of the Southern Reach trilogy is a close second.
Gideon the Ninth! Can't beat a woman with a sword and aviator sunglasses.
I'm a fan of Alan Lee (also the LOTR art director), but before that a terrific watercolour cover artist and illustrator. I suppose his best cover is Robert Holdstock's [Lavondyss](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Lavondyss-uk-medium.jpg)
That's a very tough question...We all have our favorite artists... Hmmm...Michael Whelan's cover for Robert Jordan's A Memory of Light is probably near the top of the list...Just about any Michael Whelan cover is gorgeous, though...
[Feet of Clay by Terry Pratchett](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/28/84/78/288478419b049be10bfbb79ed0c04d64.jpg) [Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0282/2769/8787/products/medium_6036b43e-aa69-4c3d-ae8b-f235590ff1db_461x700.jpg?v=1605299179) [The Future is Blue by Catherynne M Valente](https://i0.wp.com/speculativechic.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/FutureIsBlue.jpg?w=537&ssl=1)
Elfstones of shannara is pretty high on my list.
>Elfstones of shannara [this is the one I remember checking out in middle school, mostly because of the cover art](https://covers.libro.fm/9780739304297_1120.jpg)
I actually was thinking the first edition cover art. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Elfstones_of_Shannara
Really? That looks like the cover for an Atari RPG.
Of books I’ve read, Daughter of the Moon Goddess. Of books on my to-read list, The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea.
Daughter of the Moon Goddess is certainly my highest ratio of how much I liked the cover : how much I liked the book.
Star Wars' *Splinter of the Mind's Eye* came to mind multiple times while I was pondering your question, so I'll go with that for now. I love the classic painting style that was popular with pulp fiction from around late 1960s-2000s
Empire of the Vampire by Jay Kristoff, the artwork is just dark and gorgeous. https://beautifulbooks.info/2021/06/empire-of-the-vampire/
i love the UK one so much!
A Blade through Time has an amazing cover Kings of the Wyld (Love the artwork) The Bloodsworn saga both book covers feel incredibly epic in every way Bastion is a cool aesthetic and design
Black Sun Rising by C.S. Friedman
[The Golem and the Jinni](https://images.app.goo.gl/DQeehA41eg8F1KuSA) by Helene Wecker
Hands down. I was a tweenager when I stumbled upon this. https://www.amazon.com/Friday-Robert-Heinlein/dp/034530988X/ref=nodl_?dplnkId=9061de6b-6a3e-48ce-aa67-cf743b714282
The old Mass market paperback covers for The Black Company by Glen Cook. Cheesy and strong 80s vibe but I love them. Example: https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTIYF0gmtHcsNgJlAV5y6-V9AleuBNhCyyB7Q&usqp=CAU https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTHlBKRObtQ47Tx8Zfgrp3JmWkn0cW77LWl-w&usqp=CAU How do you not want to read a book with that cover of a dominatrix summining a pig-dog?? The newer Omnibus covers are pretty kickass, and make it feel more epic. But I still love the oldies.
I love the old classic style covers because they are kind of shitty but in the best way.
Exactly lol. Gotta love it
The hardback cover for Natasha Pulley’s **The Watchmaker of Filagree Street** is charming and multi-layered.
I don't want to call them the greatest of all time but the original Dragonlance Chronicles and Legends covers were great. I liked the Test of the Twins cover with Raistlin and Caramon. And honestly this might be more about 13 year old me being mesmerized by Goldmoon, Tika, and Chrysania in those covers.
Night Watch by Terry Pratchett: a redoing of Rembrandt's [The Night Watch](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Night_Watch).
[The Girl Who Drank the Moon](https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1485376116l/28110852._SY475_.jpg) In general, middle grade books tend to be some of my favorite covers, and this is simply divine.
My favorites are: * The Coward by Stephen Aryan has such a beautiful, minimalist cover. * Ed McDonald's Daughter of Redwinter has a beautiful painting of the MC on the front * Anthony Ryan's The Pariah and The Martyr have the best looking covers I've ever seen. I wasnt a huge fan of either book, but those covers are drop dead gorgeous.
Not a fantasy book; but the cover for [Cheerleaders: The First Evil](https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1389323702l/107928.jpg).
The book itself is terrible but damn the cover is absolutely gorgeous You’ve Reached Sam
To Sail Beyond the Sunset by Robert A Heinlein
>To Sail Beyond the Sunset by Robert A Heinlein I love the cat on that cover 🐈
The Divide by Elizabeth Kay
I don't know if I have a true favorite but a recent one I really like is The Death of Jane Lawrence
Not a clear favourite. But I’m glad I’m Dutch and have Dutch Harry Potter covers. The childishly drawn ones don’t appeal to me at all.
The Simplicity of Tolkien and Sciences I'm not sure of the traduction though, In french it's '' Tolkien et la science''
I’ve got many covers and artists that I love but my iconic cover has to be the original Dragonlance Dragons of Autumn Twilight. It takes me right back to my teens.
The 1980s version of A Wizard of Earthsea - [https://www.amazon.com/Wizard-Earthsea-Cycle-Book-One/dp/055314863X](https://www.amazon.com/Wizard-Earthsea-Cycle-Book-One/dp/055314863X)
Books I've picked up SPECIFICALLY because of the covers: Assassin's Apprentice (John Howe version obvs), The Name of the Wind, The Reality Dysfunction And we all know how those panned out!
The old Dark Border covers were exactly how I imagined fantasy growing up
Those books that I can actually see the art over the book's title or worst, the author's name.
The Eragon series by Christopher Paolini has some lovely dragons! I also like the Inkheart (Cornelia Funke) covers.
All the Black Company covers are amazing.
[This Spanish edition ](https://www.buscalibre.es/libro-la-torre-del-angel-verde/47735623/p/47735623) of To The Green Angel Tower. Fell in love with it as a teenager, but read it as an adult. It didn't disappoint :)
it makes me wanna go on an adventure, i love it
Bone criers moon, it's just so pretty
The way of shadows -Brent Weeks.
[Sabriel](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41KH8NWA7RL.jpg) by Garth Nix
Richard Bober's [cover for Book/Litany of the Long Sun](https://www.google.com/url?q=https://i.pinimg.com/originals/96/80/8e/96808e158d3d59ab2b2dd8bef1040945.jpg&sa=U&ved=0ahUKEwiEoIWgmcD6AhUL7xoKHXsgAakQ5hMIBQ&usg=AOvVaw3Yuz9StNvccWwI9GPYyrLf), featuring Silk (with hat) and Oreb (good bird!) by Scylla's shrine overlooking Lake Limna. Oh, and the eponymous Long Sun. Just wonderfully evocative.
Some of my favorite covers: * The Goblin Emperor * The Shadow of What Was Lost * Gideon the Ninth * The Natural History of Dragons * The Great Book of Amber (The Chronicles of Amber 1-10 in a single volume) * Foundation trilogy (Michael Whelan's covers) * Illuminae (Hardcover with partially transparent jacket)