Cover Attracton | The Ruby in Her Navel: A Novel of Love and Intrigue in the 12th Century by Barry Unsworth
US Cover
I’m a very visual person and love beautiful, or interesting, cover art. It entices, and invites, me to stop and take a peek instead of walking right on by. Here’s a cover that caught my eye.
Title: The Ruby in Her Navel: A Novel of Love and Intrigue in the 12th Century
Author: Barry Unsworth
Release date: October ’06
UK Cover
Set in the twelfth century against the backdrop of the Crusades and during the brief yet glittering rule of the Norman kings, THE RUBY IN HER NAVEL opens in a Sicilian society in which Latin and Greek, Arab and Jew lived together in harmony. The novel tells the story of how the war between Islam and Christendom impinges on the mind and heart of Thurstan Beauchamp, a young Norman and would-be Knight at the Court of King Roger in Palermo.
Known for his loyalty but divided between the ideals of chivalry and the harsh political realities of his tumultuous times, Thurstan is dispatched to uncover the conspiracies brewing against his king. During his journeys, he encounters the woman he loved as a youth, Lady Alicia, now returned a widow from the Holy Land; at the same time, he is gripped by the earthy sensuality of the dancer, Nesrin, whose troupe he brings to the Court to dance for the king. In a compelling tale of love, passion, intrigue, and treachery, Thurstan finds himself caught in a tangle of plots, counter-plots, and deceptions, which force him to question the nature of his ambition and the folly of uncritical reverence for authority.
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Its very rare that I don’t like the UK cover as much or more than the US cover but so not the case here. I actually think the UK cover is ugly.
What book cover caught your eye? Leave a post link and share with your fellow readers.
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10 Responses to “Cover Attracton | The Ruby in Her Navel: A Novel of Love and Intrigue in the 12th Century by Barry Unsworth”
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Hi Marcia,
The UK cover makes me think of Rudyard Kipling for some reason, not exactly ugly but not attractive either. The US cover is gorgeous, beautiful work of art!
Here is mine and why I like it! The Winterhouse by Robin McGrath
I have to agree, the UK cover just seems old-fashioned as covers go, while the other is full of sensuous detail. I usually prefer UK covers myself. Your layout is so lovely, wish I knew how to do that. My Cover Attraction post is up:
http://freshinkbooks.blogspot.com/2009/10/cover-attractioncopy-cat-covers.html
I’m the opposite. The UK cover actually jumped out at me. Love its clean design and lovely colour and everything about it. The US cover I do not care for. It’s so interesting to see how differently we all define beauty in covers.
I prefer the UK cover, too.
It is all in the eye of the beholder.
I agree; I prefer the US cover.
I love love love this cover, Marcia you find all the best covers! mine is not nearly so good but the subject matter looks really interesting
I definitely like the US cover better on this book. Like you, I usually like UK covers better, but there have been two or three lately where I like the US one better. Beyond the cover, the story sounds really good.
I definitely prefer the US cover. The UK cover looks almost childlike to me.
The UK cover makes the book look like a lighter read; I prefer the US cover – it is certainly eye-catching!