Five Books with Hidden Secrets on the Cover
Five Books with Hidden Secrets on the Cover
Some bookcovers are very, very clever. The tiniest detail on the cover could really reveal something big within the story itself. What to expect, what lies within? What could this symbol mean etc?
Without giving away spoilers. I have picked five covers with things you might not notice unless you look a little closer….
The Illusions
A wonderfully descriptive cover. Alluring too. Every time you look, you see something new. And since the book is all about magic, moving pictures and tricks in general, then this is very apt. The world of magic and illusions awaits and it’s a wonderfully theatrical novel with so many rich characters. It’s set at the early stages of when moving pictures were becoming big news and when magicians were honing their crafts with new ideas. Plenty of charlatans about too. All represented on this cover!
The House of Whispers
When you have a title like this, you can’t help but scour the cover for clues. Keys, bees, open doors, a figure in a keyhole. OMG just wait until you enter the House of Whispers. My goodness. It might be set in wartime Rome but I was most afraid inside the house! There is one event in particular which spoooked me and this is represented with that pillar/plinth. There should be something on it….
The Maiden
Now I thought a maiden was a young, unmarried woman. Turns out it’s also an instrument for hanging people. This clever use of language has been evoked on the cover with both maidens but with just the figure in full view. The peacocks and the flora and fauna add even more interest to the scene. It feels very exotic but is set in Edinburgh. Wait until you hear that it’s based on a true story of murder and deception….
Our Hideous Progeny
When you have a cover like this, you can feel the hair on the back of your neck standing on end. The book is a retelling of Frankenstein but it’s so much more than that. It adds to the overall wonderment of discovery and experimentation going on at the time, and also showcases the time from a female perspective.
The cover depicts animal parts, an evil eye, and bones. I am thinking dissection, creating a monster from another living animal (things hatching) and body parts in bottles….
Fyneshade
Birds can sometimes freak me out on covers. This one looks innocent enough but then it is against a very dark background and it’s carrying a key. Something going on here. And what or who is Fyneshade? Why the darkness and then that dramatic red? Gothic hairs on the back of my neck are up and ready. I am there!
