The Friday Face-Off: Bodice Ripper

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: Bodice ripper

This is sort of tough if you’re looking for speculative fiction covers, but I did find a book I read before blogging with the main character wearing a corset on the cover, so I believe this counts as a “bodice ripper,” or at least that’s what I’m going with! A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray is a YA alternate Victorian fantasy and I remember really enjoying it at the time. Also it has a lot more covers than I expected:

Simon & Schuster (U.S) edition 2003 | German edition 2007 | Spanish edition 2006

Dutch edition 2008 | Simon & Schuster edition 2010 | German edition 2014

Turkish edition 2010 | Czech edition 2011 | Indonesian edition 2009

Although I really like the German edition, I’m going to have to go with the U.S. Simon and Schuster hardcover as my favorite, since that’s the one I own:


Which cover do you like best?

Posted June 12, 2020 by Tammy in The Friday Face-Off / 26 Comments

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26 responses to “The Friday Face-Off: Bodice Ripper

  1. Oh yes, this is the best cover. I had already selected it before realising it was also your favourite, too. I think I took the subject a bit too literally this week…:)).

  2. This is kind of a tough topic for speculative fiction, lol. I love your choice though. It’s my favorite from the group. I like the over the shoulder pose and that it’s a little shadowy and mysterious.

    • Tammy

      Oh you are right, I should have used that series! Absinthe Earl only has one cover I think, but I could have shown both books. Great idea!

  3. For me it’s a tie between the one you chose and the Indonesian one. There’s something about it and to me it’s not as cringe-worthy as some of the others. I’m familiar with this series but have never read it.

    • Tammy

      Exactly, and I don’t really read those anymore. I should have just used an old romance that I read a long time ago, but I think this works:-)

  4. Too funny! This one made me laugh. For the theme I’d agree with your pick. But for overall cover design I like the German one. I love how we only see part of the woman’s face and her gaze is off to the right towards the light, and how it perfectly transitions to the building below (a cathedral or castle?).

  5. This is a perfect choice for a speculative fiction book! I completely blanked on finding anything to fit, haha. I think I also pick the US Hardcover as my favorite, though I agree the German one is a nice one, too!

    • Tammy

      There are quite a few urban fantasy books that could have worked this week, but I was trying to pick something I’ve read.

    • Tammy

      Although that US cover doesn’t say “fantasy” at all, and if I remember, this is a fantasy:-)

  6. I had to check this out, because I was so curious to see what you’d come up with for this topic. xD I’m impressed! Not the sort of cover I expected, but it totally fits. Some of these covers look painfully contemporary, and I wouldn’t have even known it was fantasy at all if you hadn’t said it. I thought it was straight historical fiction. I agree with your choice for the best cover, though!

    • Tammy

      It doesn’t say “fantasy” at all, but if I remember there are some elements. It’s been too long since I’ve read it!

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