Remember when I told you that this was the cover of RAMPANT?
How about this one? Or this one?
I fooled my own mother-in-law when I posted this one:
Which is why I’m pretty scared right now. You see, I feel like the Girl Who Cried Killer Unicorn. I feel like there’s no way you guys are going to trust me when I tell you that I finally do have the actual, real, honest-to-goodness cover of RAMPANT.
And here it is:
Isn’t it gorgeous? Isn’t it stunning? Doesn’t Astrid look like she’s ready to eviscerate that unicorn charging right at her? (Careful, Astrid. Objects reflected in the sword are closer than they appear.)
Want to see the spine? the spine might be my favorite part.
Now, naturally, all authors want their books to be face out on a bookshelf, but I think, even spine-out, this is seriously eye-catching!
So, any of you out there who are currently featuring the old cover, please grab this jpeg. This is the new cover. No lying this time. (And any of you with the low res comp version that was leaked over the weekend on the Harper catalog, please switch to this one, if you please. It’s so much prettier and all-official.)
Squee! Pretty! Pretty cover!
And I’m so happy to have come out of what feels like the longest cover design process of all time with such a gorgeous result, so reflective of the book itself. I’ve been describing this cover concept to people as Uglies-meets-Graceling — two covers that I aboslutely adore, and which both share elements with this one.
And the funny thing is, my book is a little bit like both those books, too. Like Katsa, Astrid struggles with a magical ability that allows her to kill things, and questions her right to use the ability. Like Tally, Astrid is a normal girl thrust into a world far beyond her preparation, and must struggle between her desire to have the normal life she intended for herself, and her growing awareness of her own potential.
Pretty fitting, huh?
Thank you, Harper Teen! You kick killer unicorn butt!
April 27th, 2009 at 12:48 pm
I love how everything fits on the spine!
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April 27th, 2009 at 12:49 pm
Very cool cover! Love it.
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April 27th, 2009 at 12:52 pm
Thanks, Alea! I think i’m going to have bookmarks made to match the spine…
Thanks, Heather! I love it too. It may be my favorite cover to date.
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April 27th, 2009 at 12:53 pm
LOVE this one!!
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April 27th, 2009 at 12:54 pm
It’s beautiful! Hooray
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April 27th, 2009 at 12:55 pm
It’s going to look fantastic on a bookmark! Yay!
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April 27th, 2009 at 12:56 pm
I first saw it on Carol’s blog, and the picture was so small, but now, now I love it! I see the details on the sword and the color of her eye. It’s breathtaking! I love it!
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April 27th, 2009 at 1:00 pm
Wow, you guys are totally buying it. Mwahahahahha, my evil plan is in place.
Just kidding. This is the real cover.
Thanks, Shannon! You and I both know of changing covers, huh?
Thanks, Tiffany!
Thanks, Kelsey. Yeah, the one on Carol’s blog was actually just a comp they were using as a placeholder on the Harper catalog (i.e., for booksellers, not the general public) , so it was low res without the full color saturation, etc. and was REALLY hard to see the unicorn.
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April 27th, 2009 at 1:09 pm
SO totally tubular.
Love it.
Congrats on a fab cover.
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April 27th, 2009 at 1:09 pm
That is totally cool! Congrats, Diana! I love how the focus is on her eye. Way cool.
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April 27th, 2009 at 1:14 pm
hahahahah ur funy!!! LOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE the cover!! love it!
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April 27th, 2009 at 1:25 pm
I love the cover and the spine is amazing. It’s a stop you in your tracks, need to see that book spine.
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April 27th, 2009 at 1:28 pm
OMG just LOOK at that gorgeous knife! *fangirls knife*
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April 27th, 2009 at 1:42 pm
Okay, I missed it. Why did you get a new cover?
Love it, by the way!
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April 27th, 2009 at 1:45 pm
Gorgeous!!
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April 27th, 2009 at 1:54 pm
Gorgeous cover, Dianna! The spine is definately eye catching. Great artwork all around.
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April 27th, 2009 at 2:07 pm
An absolutely gorgeous cover for an absolutely gorgeous book!!!!! I wasn’t this excited about my own first cover. Fantabulously Spectaculariciously Gorgeous. I forsee books flying off the shelves, sales soaring, girls everywhere lining up to play a unicorn hunter in Joss Whedon’s Rampant, the TV series.
xoxoxo
Cheryl
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April 27th, 2009 at 2:11 pm
That’s lookin’ real good. I have an ARC of Rampant–do you think it’s going to become a collector’s item? Seriously, though, love this cover. I like the darkness of it, the eye, the reflection in the sword.
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April 27th, 2009 at 2:32 pm
Thanks, Rebachin. That’s the first time I’ve sen “tubular” in ages! You’re so retro!
Thank’s lynn raye! I know. I love her eye. I’m trying to remember now if I gave her an eye color in the book. In my head it’s brown, but if I never said it, I guess I can always change… the nice thing about this cover compared to the last is that the one thing I do say about astrid is she’s got LONG hair (there’s one scene where her hair is covering up other body parts), so it’s nice that her hair could be very long here.
Thanks, Reverie! I know, I’ve been joking about it for months.
Thanks, Vicki! I know, I ADORE the spine!
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April 27th, 2009 at 2:36 pm
Come on, Sarah, we know it’s not *just* the knife, right? You’re also into the unicorn…
Rachel, they wanted a cover with a unicorn on it, mainly, and with a more modern, adventure oriented vibe.
Thanks, HelenKay and Sharron. I was so worried about how the redesign would turn out, but I coudn’t be happier!
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April 27th, 2009 at 2:41 pm
Oh, you must have been thrilled when it came in. I love it!
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April 27th, 2009 at 2:45 pm
OMG! SOOOOO grogy! Love the spine too!! The other one wasn’t bad, but this one is 100000x better
Can’t wait!!
~Brooke
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April 27th, 2009 at 3:06 pm
Diana: I totally love and adore it. Cannot wait to read RAMPANT
— KC
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April 27th, 2009 at 3:12 pm
Greatest cover ever!!
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April 27th, 2009 at 3:26 pm
I love your cover, Diana! How very coolio
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April 27th, 2009 at 3:35 pm
Beautiful cover!!!
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April 27th, 2009 at 3:38 pm
Gorgeous!
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April 27th, 2009 at 3:44 pm
The spine AND the cover look fantastic! Definitely less girlish-looking and YAY for having a unicorn on the cover! I’m doing a giddy dance for August now
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April 27th, 2009 at 4:11 pm
OHMYGOD PRETTY! I like it better than the old one, although the old one wasn’t bad either. But this one POPS.
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April 27th, 2009 at 4:41 pm
This is definitely one of my favourite covers of 2009. Love.
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April 27th, 2009 at 5:28 pm
I LOVE it! I thought the other one was awesome, but i have a feeling this better reflects the content of the book! and it has a unicorn!
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April 27th, 2009 at 5:34 pm
The knife is meant for me: the unicorn meant for Astrid. There they are on the cover, TOGETHER. It is fate!
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April 27th, 2009 at 5:52 pm
What a fabulous buy me, read me, love me cover, Diana! And the spine looks as if it’s a weapon itself that comes with the book. It doesn’t just set a new standard for spines–it is THE standard. Congratulations!
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April 27th, 2009 at 6:07 pm
Gorgeous cover! Late to the party, but I love it. Although The Last Unicorn faux cover still owns me.
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April 27th, 2009 at 8:22 pm
Love it, great cover!
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April 27th, 2009 at 8:28 pm
Gorgeous cover!!
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April 28th, 2009 at 12:50 am
[...] bookmarks tagged killer Diana Peterfreund Blog | The Girl Who Cried Killer… saved by 11 others RockmanNeka bookmarked on 04/28/09 | [...]
April 28th, 2009 at 2:55 am
GORGEOUS cover. I said it on Twitter but I’ll say it again: tops.
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April 28th, 2009 at 7:30 am
Wow! Wicked awesome cover, Diana. Seriously. If I was just wandering through a bookstore, I’d pull it off the shelves whether it was face out or spine out.
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April 28th, 2009 at 8:23 am
I was kinda partial to the clinch cover, but I must admit–this cover (and especially spine!) knocks my socks off!
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April 28th, 2009 at 11:48 am
It’s beautiful and fantastic! I can’t wait to read it. Congratulations!
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April 28th, 2009 at 12:52 pm
Gorgeous cover!! And the view of the book spine is definitely eye catching! Can’t wait to read it!
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April 28th, 2009 at 12:57 pm
It’s absolutely gorgeous, Diana. And really eye-catching. Congratulations!
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April 28th, 2009 at 2:50 pm
That’s phenomenal! I love the title, too. And I REALLY love your takeoffs.
Congrats!
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April 28th, 2009 at 3:01 pm
That is an excellent cover, Diana. I can’t wait to read the book, but even if I hadn’t been, the cover would’ve tipped me over in that direction.
Killer unicorns–is that why my word verification is “grave”?
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April 28th, 2009 at 4:34 pm
I love it! It’s so gorgeous and I would definitely pick it up in a bookstore. Having the unicorn reflected in the sword is a brilliant touch.
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April 28th, 2009 at 5:35 pm
Diana, what a fabulous cover! may it sell a million!
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April 28th, 2009 at 8:17 pm
I’m SO late to the party, but I LOVE this cover. I really think it’s so much fiercer than the old one. And younger, too! I’m so glad they decided to go with this one!
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April 28th, 2009 at 11:26 pm
Ooooooooo.
You should know that I’m already composing the booktalk for this book.
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April 28th, 2009 at 11:35 pm
Thanks, Cheryl! You know from good covers, my friend!
Wow, thank you guys! I know I fell off doing indi-thanks, but rest assured, I am grateful for all of your comments!
Shveta, the “grave” word verification is a shout out to the name of the secret society in the other series. But yes, I suppose it’s still very fitting.
Ooh, Maureen, really? Awesome!
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April 29th, 2009 at 11:52 am
I love the new cover! It’s very cool. The spine as a bookmark would also be very cool.
P.S. I just have to say I love that my verification word is bugaboo. So cute. :p
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April 29th, 2009 at 8:58 pm
*drools, swoon* love the new cover! when I saw the first one all I could think about was “is this really a YA book!? *fans self*” lol
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April 29th, 2009 at 9:02 pm
Ooh, Yan the cover girl likes it! W00T!
Amee, i really need to figure out that bookmark thing. It’s a bit narrow for a bookmark at the moment. I must play with it.
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April 29th, 2009 at 9:04 pm
LOL I love your anti spam word.. unicorn..
I lolve love love your cover!! I think that the spine is just awesome as well. It would make a perfect bookmark too. Congrats on such a eyecatching cover. Cant wait to see it in the bookstore.
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April 29th, 2009 at 9:22 pm
Oo. My. God. That is so much prettier then the old cover! SO SO SO much more eye catching. I’ll admit I was not a big fan of the old cover because of the computer generated (not a big fan of those types of book cover graphic) lady (she didn’t look like a high schooler). But his is absolutely gorgeous and more YA appropriate and HOT (not in the sense of what’s going on the first cover) but like “Let me see what’s this about!”.
Kudos to HarperTeen for kick butt cover! I LOVE it. xD *excitement for seeing it on shelves come August*
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April 29th, 2009 at 9:32 pm
Thanks YA Book Realm! I’m not sure what you mean by computer generated, though. Nothing on the old cover was computer generated. My editor told me horror stories of the bugs on the horse farm where the photo shoot was.
This one — well, the sword effects are clearly computer generated, at the very least.
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September 6th, 2009 at 8:00 pm
Awesome cover!!! (But the first one was really, really special.
)
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