[Question] Drenai Saga - David Gemmell - Inconsistent Cover art styles

[forzainternl]

Dear Dragonmount community,

 

Is there anyone out there that can explain to me why almost every single book of the Drenai Saga by David Gemmell, has a different 'Cover Art Style' (Title Position/Size, Author Name Size/Position, Picture style)? 

 

I love collecting fantasy books almost as much as reading them. The Drenai Saga has almost always a different spine art, and cover art style for every book, and that definitely looks awkward in my bookshelf! :/

 

I ended up returning all my orders from Amazon until I find out if there is a way to order these books with consistent "Cover Art Styles"! Does anyone know of a book seller that provides this saga with consistent "cover art styles"?

 

If we look at the standard publisher "Del Rey", the cover art styles are rather inconsistent throughout, as can be seen in the attachments:

 

 Book 1: Legend 

• Authors name at the top in large writing
• Title at the bottom of the page in large font size
• Picture of protagonist in the middle of page

  Book 2: The King Beyond the gate (Similar style for Book 2 to 8)

• Authors name at top in medium sized writing
• Title in small in the middle of the page
• Scene in the middle of the page 

  Book 9: Hero in the Shadows (again similar to Book 1)

• Authors name at the top in large writing
• Title at the bottom of the page in large font size
• Picture of protagonist in the middle of page

  Book 10: White Wolf (again completely different Cover art style)

• Authors name in the middle in large
• Title at bottom in large writing
• Picture of protagonist in the middle of the page covering most of the page (similar to Book 1)

 Book 11: The Swords of Night and Day (similar to Book 10) 

• Authors name in the middle in large
• Title at bottom in large writing
• Picture of protagonist in the middle of the page covering most of the page (similar to Book 1)

If someone can help me solve this mystery, I will be eternally grateful! Thank you very much.

[Werthead]

The books were published over a very, very long period of time (over 20 years). In the UK they had revamped cover styles several times when all the books were updated at once to the same style, but the US publisher seems to have gone for a grab-bag approach of their own covers and borrowing whatever British cover they liked best.

[waylander8611]

bit of a late reply but having gone through hell trying to collect these in the same format I think I can explain it. Basically one publisher owns half of Drenai (Orbit) and another owns the other half (Corgi/Bantam) basically there seems to be no way to buy them in the same height books, let alone same art style. Which is my only complaint about the series.

[Snuffles]

Also, sometimes artists are no longer available or affordable.   Royo is expensive, so I can see not wanting to keep using him.   (Even though he is great).