Keeper of the Lost Cities Thoughts

Cover Analysis: Nightfall

Unlike the analysis for Lodestar, this one is very positive, so, if you don't like the Nightfall cover, you can try to convince me why I'm wrong as long as you don't spam my comments section with angry caps-lock comments.

First Impressions:

So, I think we've been in the "cover image that doesn't make any sense before you read the book," category for a while, and the Nightfall cover is no exception.

Though...pretty. Blue is my favorite color and just look at all those cool watery effects. And Linh! Though why does it kind of look like Sophie is freaking out? (Not really, though she does look kinda nervous.) Linh has a serious expression and Keefe...there's something wrong about his face but I'm not sure what.

They are surrounded by tall silver towers, which it how Atlantis is described, so maybe this is Atlantis. (Spoiler: It is, but I'm pretending I don't know this scene.) And Sophie is holding Linh's hand, without her gloves, so Sophie is almost definitely enhancing Linh. And it looks like she's enhancing Keefe, too.

And...pretty. Is it just me or is this cover gorgeous?

The background, at least. I'm not so sure about the people. Though that's usually how I am. Awesome background>elves that are supposed to be really pretty but I'm not so sure that's true. Especially when their clothes are always white and ruffly and way fancier than it seems like their character would like (Sophie).

Current Impressions:

So Linh got shortchanged on the Neverseen cover so they put her right in the middle on the Nightfall cover. What is it with Linh and being the main hero in books that begin with "N"?

Aesthetics: Cover=Still pretty, Keefe's face=Still weird, Sophie's outfit=Still frilly. Awesomeness of Linh's hydrokinesis=Very.

Just...so pretty.

I love the cool silver Atlantis buildings in the background. Eternalia sounds like it'd be kinda ugly to me: A bunch of super sparkly buildings in all sorts of colors making up an entire city. Please excuse me to not book a trip there. It would hurt my eyes. But Atlantis...look at those towers. Pretty and silver and elegant with all sorts of cool swoopy things (Atlantis=Pretty, My descriptions of Atlantis=Not pretty).

And Linh's hydrokinesis. Let's just say that Linh is really powerful and that hydrokinesis is really beautiful and leave it at that.

Though Atlantis is a lot more full of water than I thought. There are literally huge waves crashing up against the buildings. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure that a flood that was over as quickly as the Atlantis one wouldn't be that extreme. Though, if this is the main thing on the Nightfall cover that I don't quite approve of, then it's done pretty well (Especially compared to Lodestar.)

And, where can I get Linh's tunic? It's not exactly my style, but I think it looks really pretty (and that shade of green: wow), though that might just be because it's right next to Sophie's frill-monster. (Theory: Sophie's tunic is to Linh's tunic as Eternalia is to Atlantis.)

This cover might be my favorite (or, at least, one of my favorites). Stunning artwork, except maybe the people (?), and the portrayal of the scene is one of the most accurate ones (In my opinion).

Alternate Scenes:

I'm starting to realize just how odd this section is. Oh well.

In my opinion, this is a good scene to represent Nightfall. It was a climactic scene that affected the Lost Cities in a major way, though it doesn't directly have anything to do with the two Nightfalls. (Okay, maybe three Nightfalls, as of Stellarlune.) Perhaps a scene in one of the Nightfalls would've represented the book better. Ooh, like when they were facing off against the gorgodon. I want to see the gorgodon!

Though mutant beasts are definitely not as pretty as this cover.

I think that the scene also is a neat counterpoint to Verspera's speeches about ruthlessness and how Sophie relying on and caring about her friends is a weakness. The only way that Sophie was able to stop Atlantis from being flooded was by relying on Linh's skills. Yes, Sophie's enhancing helped (and showed how Sophie and her friends are stronger when they work together), but Sophie had to trust Linh to do the important part, stopping the flood.

So, from that perspective, this scene is very appropriate, because it shows how powerful Sophie and her friends can be, despite not being "ruthless," as Vespera put it, and how they really can save the Lost Cities, even when the Neverseen think they've won for sure.

Conclusion:

I like this cover, and I also enjoy how Linh finally got to be on the cover (she still should have been on Neverseen). Very pretty. Mostly true to the scene. And, if you think about it the right way, one of the best scenes to represent Nightfall, (and also a fantastic scene to represent the whole series because not only is it one of the Black Swan's biggest victories, but it also shows that Sophie's group isn't just "The moonlark plus a few extras," it's "Sophie and Linh and Dex and Keefe and Tam and Marella and Biana and Fitz and Maruca and Wylie and Mr. Forkle and all the people I forgot to list. The moonlark wouldn't be able to save the Lost Cities on her own, but with her friends, she can do the so-called impossible.")

Okay, I'm just fangirling over Nightfall's cover at this point.

I'd give it a rating of 9/10. I'm not going to say it's perfect, because it isn't, but it's pretty awesome. And...so pretty.

On to Flashback! (Or is it back to Flashback?)