By: Zenia deHaven
I’ll admit it: I have bought a book based on its cover before, and I will again. There are times when I don’t even read the book’s blurb and just shove that bad boy right into my basket because the cover has a cool dragon. I enjoy coming home to a collection of novels with sprayed edges and art so magnificent and heartfelt that it should belong in a museum.
But my love for pretty books aside, I’m getting a bit tired of deluxe editions.
Deluxe, or special, edition novels are books that have the same main content as the original hardback or paperback, but with added aesthetic features. These include, but are not limited to, sprayed or stenciled edges, exclusive art, signed copies, and unique covers and dust jackets.
I’m not judging or shaming any reader who has purchased a deluxe edition novel. A few weeks ago, I purchased the deluxe edition of Katabasis by R. F. Kuang for its intricate sprayed edges.
The problem with deluxe editions is that sometimes the deluxe edition’s “special” features are lackluster, despite them still toting a heftier price tag than the standard copy.
This isn’t always the case. Take The Poppy War, for instance. Not to continue to discuss my love of R. F. Kuang (though I will use every opportunity to do so), take The Poppy War. The first image is the original cover, the second is the deluxe.
The second cover is more detailed, eye-catching, and, perhaps most importantly, accurate. In the first book, the main character never actually uses a bow and arrow, as shown in the original cover. This, to me, is a prime example of what a deluxe should be. It has the same base content, but it’s an improved version of the original. I think it’s a great product for fans of the series who want to spice up their bookshelf.
Price Breakdown (Barnes & Noble):
Paperback: $19.99
Hardcover: $32.00
Special Edition Hardcover: $45.00
Now, onto some deluxe fantasy novels that I find don’t live up to the price tag.
The Will of the Many by James Islington
I own a hardcover version of this novel. My edition is slightly different, as the sequel was released this fall, and the publisher decided to revamp The Will of the Many’s cover to match that of the sequel. When I saw the special edition in stores, I didn’t even realize it was the special edition. The special edition includes new cover art, gold sprayed edges, colored endpapers, a map, and newly added bonus material, according to Barnes & Noble’s website. It isn’t clear what the additional “bonus material” includes, but, to me, this doesn’t justify the six dollar price difference. I think it’s quite bold to advertise a map as a “special feature,” when maps are almost a given in high fantasy novels. It’s a standard feature in the genre. Admittedly, there’s not a huge price difference between the two, but the deluxe edition feels lazy and uninspired. The images below are the original hardback cover, the new hardback, and the special edition hardcover.
Price Breakdown (Barnes & Noble):
Paperback: $22.99
Hardcover – $29.99
Special Edition: $35.00
A Sorceress Comes to Call by T. Kingfisher
Also on my TBR (as many things are), the OwlCrate edition of A Sorceress Comes to Call disappointed fans of the novel. Unlike The Will of the Many, which just reused the same cover as the original, the special edition cover of Sorceress is entirely different, but many were upset with how different it was. Even as someone who has not read the book yet, the atmosphere of the original in comparison to the special is starkly different. The original is dark, intriguing, and suggests the story will be primarily fantasy with a dash of horror elements. The OwlCrate version, by contrast, features a white horse, which isn’t at all present on the original cover. It feels more like a YA novel than an adult one. The special edition book feels more mystical and alluring than dangerous and foreboding. Perhaps my opinion of it will change after I read it, but, on its surface and in accordance with the book’s fans, the special edition feels and looks like a completely different book.
Price Breakdown:
Paperback (Barnes & Noble): $18.99
Hardcover (Barnes & Noble): $27.99
Owlcrate Edition: ~ $33.00
Owlcrate Edition (resale): ~ $40 – $60
The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst
While by no means a bad cover, the OwlCrate edition of Sarah Beth Durst’s The Spellshop left fans feeling like there was a lot to be desired. The cover, while maintaining a similar cozy aesthetic and tone to the original, dilutes many of the details that make the original cover pop. Its somewhat basic design couldn’t quite justify its hefty price tag. It distills much of the detail present on the original cover into something bland and simplistic. The original price tag of the OwlCrate edition was around $40, with third-party individuals listing the copy as much as $95. While I find that to be an exorbitant price for any book, to demand that much for a generic and somewhat uninspired special edition is an affront to literature. I don’t think this cover is horrendous, but it takes the whimsical, cozy nature of the original and boils it down to something monotonous that could easily be overlooked when skimming the hundreds of other cozy fantasy novels.
Price Breakdown:
Paperback (Barnes & Noble): $19.99
Hardcover (Barnes & Noble): $29.99
OwlCrate Edition: ~$40.00
OwlCrate Edition (resale): ~ $70 – $100
A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
Finally, the main offender is the special edition version of Sarah J. Maas’ A Court of Thorns and Roses. The current covers for the series are simple, with an animal or symbol covering most of the page, and the title of the novel overlaying it. Each book has a distinct color: red, teal, pink, blue, and orange, respectively. Even if a new reader is unsure which book may be first, the clear color coordination helps identify which book is the second over the third (which helps since the titles all start with “A Court of” and then *noun* plus *noun.*)
When I saw the Barnes and Noble special editions of this series, I was stunned, and not in a jaw-dropping, flabbergasted way. To put it lightly, they are substantially worse. For one, the art was the same. The only difference is that Barnes and Noble decided that these novels would be improved by bleaching them of all color. By trying to fit the “Night Court” theme (one of the main settings/plot points of the series), Barnes and Noble made all the covers black and indistinguishable from each other. I think that it’s apparent where my opinions of this marketing strategy lie, but I’ll include pictures below, and you can decide for yourself.
Price Breakdown (Barnes & Noble):
Paperback Set: $95.00
Hardcover Set: $105.00
Special Edition Paperback (not available as a set): $19.00 each
Special editions aren’t going anywhere—BookTok has made sure of that. I’m sure that there will be a deluxe version of a novel that resonates with me that I will cave and buy, even if I own the original already. I don’t think that the deluxe edition is inherently evil or money-grabbing. I do, however, have a gripe when the deluxe editions charge more for a lesser product. So, publishers, if you’re listening, I accept that you’re going to keep churning out the same book in a dozen different ways. Just please don’t make them ugly.
