As a Canadian, I can never predict which cover I am going to find at the bookstore. We same to get a good mix of US and UK covers! I thought it would be fun to compare the US and UK covers of some 2022 covers and to choose my favourite.
I have read and loved You Made a Fool of Death With Your Beauty and I am trying to decide which cover to purchase for my shelves. This is actually the book that inspired this post because I am conflicted! The US edition is the one available here in Canada and it is striking. I love the colours and the tropical vibe- it fits the setting and tone of the book quite well. I am also a huge fan of the font! Thank said, and I feel like this might be an unpopular opinion, I find myself more drawn to the UK cover. I think it is because it is more unique. I love the pink background and the tropical nails. The wedding ring on the necklace is also very significant. I am not ashamed to admit that I loved this book so much I am open to owning both editions!
My winner: UK
This is a hard one because both editions of Daughter of the Moon Goddess are stunning, and I do own both. I bought the US version when it came out in January and I also have the stunning Fairyloot edition, which is similar to the UK one you see here but has purple flowers instead of pink. I like that the US edition has Xingyin on the cover, but there is something about the UK edition that appeals to me more. I think it is the way that the moon seems to be glowing!
My winner: UK
Not Good for Maidens is one of my recent reads and it does not come out until June, but I recommend preordering it because I loved it! I will talk more about it in a future post. This is an easy one for me. The US edition is so much better than the UK, which isn’t to say that the UK cover is bad. I just think that the US cover is one of my favourite covers of all time. This is a Goblin Market retelling and the cover captures the vibe perfectly. I cannot wait to have a copy on my shelves! I like the moth on the UK edition, but nothing about it is memorable.
My winner: US
This is another hard one for me! I have the US edition of Yinka, Where is Your Huzband? and I do really like it. I love that it includes illustrations of many of the women in Yinka’s life, especially since they are a big part of the story. That said, I think I am more drawn to the UK edition. A lot of that comes down to how vibrant the colours are. It is just more fun, and this is a romance after all!
My winner: UK
Also, look at the sprayed edges on the Waterstones edition! Stunning!
I have the Fairyloot edition of Only a Monster, and it is pretty, but I definitely prefer the US edition. The grey and red tones work perfectly together and I love the illustrations. I also think it is interesting that these editions have different taglines. The US one says “In every story, there is a hero and a monster. She is not the hero.” Love that! The UK one says “Only a Monster can kill a hero”, which is not as compelling to me. The stopwatch on the UK edition is intriguing, and I have not read the book yet, so maybe I will appreciate the elements on the cover more once I do.
My winner: US
The Ivory Key is definitely the one I am most torn on! They are both such strong covers! I love the repeated patterns on the US cover and there is something unique about it, but I adore the characters on the UK version. I am not sure how I feel about the green background though!
My winner: UK
Another hard one! There are things I love about both editions of A River Enchanted. The linework on the US edition is stunning and I love the inclusion of the harp. The UK cover has such a dreamlike quality to it and I appreciate the way that the title looks like it is flowing through the river.
My winner: UK
I thought that the Uk edition of This Vicious Grace was going to be the clear winner, but the more I look at the US one, the more that I like it! The blood dripping down the “I” is a nice touch. I love the illustrations on the UK edition, but I don’t know how I feel about the more muted colour palette. I think the vibrancy of the US edition draws my attention more.
My winner: US
This is an easy one- the UK edition of Nettle and Bone is perfection! I love all of the illustrations. There is even a chicken! The US edition is pretty, but it is a little generic. Nothing about it stands out to me!
My winner: UK
The Drowned Woods is another easy one. The US edition is absolutely gorgeous! The details in that tree are too good and I love the contrast between the background and the tree itself. I like the perspective on the UK edition and how it includes the sword in the forefront with the kingdom in the background, but it comes down to the colour palette for me. The lighter tones just aren’t my favourite
My winner: US
There could be an argument for either of the covers for Lessons in Chemistry! I like the colour of the US edition and the illustration is really cute! I love that she has a pencil in her hair and that you can see test tubes in the reflection of her glasses. However, the four blocks of the UK editions are a nice touch and I love how retro this cover looks. Also, having the “In” in the title look like it is part of the periodic table is a stroke of genius!
My winner: UK
I am not sure about this one! I love the purple background on the US cover of Notes on an Execution, but I am such a sucker for wildlife on a cover! That fox is too perfect! However, the US one is more unique and there is something eerie about it, which I like.
My winner: US
How do you even begin to choose between these two covers? Both editions of Babel are absolutely beautiful, and, obviously, pretty similar! While I really like the typography on the UK edition, but eyes are drawn more to the US version. I think that is because of the perspective and how the tower is in the middle and looks so looming.
My winner: US
Easy one! There is no debate here. The UK edition of Elektra is the clear winner. How can you even begin to compete with a cover like that?
My winner: UK
I like both editions of Gallant, and I initially thought that I preferred the UK edition because of how details the illustrations of the houses were, but I have really grown to appreciate the US edition. I think a lot of that comes down to how the book is actually packaged. The size of the US edition makes it feel more like a fairytale and I also like that the background is more of a cream vs a stark white.
My winner: US
And the winner is… the UK (by one point!)
Do you agree or disagree with my choices? I would love to know who one for you- the US or the Uk! Let’s talk in the comments!
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