The Friday Face-Off was created by Books by Proxy, where each week bloggers can showcase books with covers centered around a weekly theme. You can visit Lynn’s Books for a list of upcoming themes. Join in the fun each Friday by finding a book whose cover is based on the theme!
This week’s theme: “Odin, Odin, send the wind to turn the tide.” – A cover featuring a longboat.
So, yeah. Longboats are hard to find. I had to Google “fiction about Vikings” in order to find a book this week, and I finally settled on an old Michael Crichton book called Eaters of the Dead, which I have not read btw. And being a Michael Crichton book, of course his name takes up half the covers on most of these. BUT I do think I found some good ones, take a look:
U.S. edition 2009 (Harper) | French 2005 edition
Lithuanian edition 2009 | Hungarian edition 2015
U.S. edition 1976 (Knopf) | Italian edition 2010
U.S. edition 2016 (Harper) | Italian edition 2018
I tried to pick covers with boats on them, and succeeded except for the Italian 2018 edition, which is still pretty cool even if it doesn’t have a boat. To be honest, I’m not really crazy about any of these covers, but the U.S. 2016 edition jumps out at me because of the vibrant color and the interesting composition. So, I’ll have to go with it as my favorite!
Uff, they are all really good i think! I find these kind of boats super terrifying. I’m guessing that was the aim! 😀
I need to read this. It’s one of my favorite authors writing about one of my favorite things. And I think there is a movie loosely based on this which I kind of enjoyed (The 13th Warrior maybe?).
Anyway- my favorite cover is probably the US 2016 edition, but I also sort of like the Lithuanian 2009 edition.
Good choice of books. I like the French Edition and I bet you’ll never guess why? (Of course you know me well and you know it’s because it is purple).
Ooooh I love this theme and the Hungarian edition is definitely my favorite. I love the purple and the way the longboat is shaped.
Great choice. I have never heard of this. I’ll be checking this one out. Thanks! 🙂
It’s a tie for me between your choice and the French edition. Most of the others look too busy for me.
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Good job finding a cover with an actual longboat! Hahah I settled for a ship
I don’t love any of the covers either, but if I had to pick I would probably go with Hungarian edition 2015
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ohh I never heard of this book before! Looks good! Who doesn’t love vikings??? 🙂 My fav is the Lithuanian edition! 🙂
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The Lithuanian edition really catches my eye! I think it’s the colors, I”m a sucker for those shades of blue-teal.
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I really like the Hungarian edition 2015 😀
Nice pick! I do like the US one you chose, and I agree the Italian one is still pretty neat! I like the silhouette style of the 2010 Italian edition as well, but all the text takes away from the overall cover.
Great choice – my favourite is the US – Knopf edition, which I find oddly compelling.
Ooooh, fantastic pick! I really love the 2015 Hungarian edition!
I love so many, including the one you picked, but the Hungarian, with its purple and the way the boat is drawn, is really calling to me!
I definitely prefer the more “modern” (eg. post 2000s) covers for this book! I did consider your favorite as well as the 2009 Harper edition for my winner too!
I like your choice – very vibrant and I’m strangely drawn to that rather macabre Italian cover.
Lynn 😀
I like the colors of the Lithuanian cover.
I like the orange one you picked and I’m also drawn to the Italian 2010 because it has an atmospheric feel to it.
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Cool. I think my favorites are the Lithuanian and the Hungarian covers. 🙂
I think I like the first one the best 🙂
I can see why you chose the one you did, but the colors on the Lithuanian one jumped out at me most, and the Hungarian is my favorite in terms of design, though I don’t *love* any of these either. But I don’t know a single cover that has a longboat, so you did good finding this one!
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