I genuinely feel like I have a thing for golden titles. Especially golden titles on green, leafy backgrounds. There’s something just captivating about it all, really, and this cover does a magical job of getting your attention. Which is a bit perfect, I think, as this definitely seems to be the sort of book that includes some sort of magic. And you just get that vibe from the very first moment your eyes happen upon the cover. From top to bottom, this one is engaging and basically accomplishes the one goal of a cover in the first place, to get your hand to reach for the book on the shelf in front of you.

I love the ivy covered walls, the stone of what I presume to be the castle. The door is uniquely crafted, looking to have a really intricate and eye-catching wooden design with a lovely bronze-ish finish (can you tell I don’t know anything about this sort of stuff?). And it seems like you’re sort of leaving a forest to enter through the door into some sort of courtyard or new world, which bodes well for the intrigue of the story. And finally, I’m in love and an adoring fan of all the gold. The title, the author’s name, and the swirly design at the bottom corners.

The only thing that kind of gets me is whatever is beyond the door. While the golden light is brilliant and beautiful, that weird shadowy shape is kind of creepy looking. It reminds me a bit of Miyazaki’s Castle in the Sky and those robot guys who protect Laputa. So, I’m not getting an entirely frightening feeling from it, but that prior association with that shape doesn’t really account for what the story will bring. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.

What do you think of this particular cover? Love it? Hate it? Only like it? Don’t care? Do you have similar feelings about the gold and the shadow figure? Do you think it will play into the book or was just a product of the cover artist? Let me know in the comments!

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