The cover design for the next JK Rowling adventure, Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince, has been unveiled. The illustration for the children's edition shows Harry and Professor Dumbledore surrounded by a circle of flames.
Dumbledore has already been tipped as one of the favourites to die in the sixth book, after Rowling said one of her characters would be killed off.
Brandishing fire sticks, Harry and his headmaster appear to have created a ring of flames to protect themselves from what could be an attack.
Rowling has completed Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince and publishers promise it will be the best yet. It is sure to spark a frenzy among Potter fans when it hits the shops on July 16.
The novel takes up the story of Harry's sixth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry when the young hero finds himself pitted against his evil nemesis, Lord Voldemort.
Rowling has refused to reveal who the Half-Blood Prince of the title is, although she has said it is neither Harry nor Voldemort. She has assured fans that Harry will definitely survive to the seventh and final book.
The children's cover is by Jason Cockcroft, who also created the image for the last book, Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix, which became the fastest seller in history, shifting 1.7 million copies.
The design for the adult edition, which shows what looks like an antique book, is from a photograph by Michael Wildsmith.
Apart from the US, both covers will be used internationally.
Why do they get a different cover in the USA? Why do you guys get to be special?
In fact while we're asking, why was Harry Potter and the Philospher's Stone changed to Harry Potter and the Sorcer's Stone for the USA viewers? Don't you have Phliosophers in USA?
There, you will find a link to the American cover, the childrens UK cover, and the adult UK cover. All three are cool.... but I like the American version best... really good art on it.
I like the US version too, this time. I'll end up getting the UK version, I know, since it's the first one we'll get out here. Besides, all my other books are the UK versions, so it'll be nice to have some sense of ... consistancy within my book shelf But I'll buy the US ones after they're all released, I guess.
schmiggens said this in post #2 : In fact while we're asking, why was Harry Potter and the Philospher's Stone changed to Harry Potter and the Sorcer's Stone for the USA viewers? Don't you have Phliosophers in USA?
No, I think the story was they wanted the readers to be aware that Sorcery and Magic were attributes of the story, so religious people wouldn't grab it thinking it was a harmless children's story.
Here is a link that shows all three of the covers link , USA and both the UK child's edition, and the UK adults edition. I haven't seen the UK adults edition posted on here yet.
From what I can see every book except for the first and sort of the fourth the cover contains an image of some place dangerous Harry will go, usually where the climax of the book is.
In the first one it was simply him on a broom, the only clues we had to the stone and the mirror was the three headed dog that appeared on the cover. (American Version)
In the second book Harry is shown flying out of the Chamber of Secrets where he met with Voldmort. (American Version)
In the third book Harry is shown saving Sirius, although Harry doesn't meet Voldmort this is definitely the climax of the book. (American Version)
In the Fourth book he is shown holding the Goblet of Fire behind him however, is the quidditch field. Even though it isn't where he faces Voldmort the quidditch field plays a significant enough role. (American Version)
In the fifth book behind Harry the doors in the MOM can be seen. This is a very important place in the book and at the time when Harry is there is probably one of the most dangerous places he has ever been (of course there have been others as well). (American Version)
In the sixth book Harry and Dumbledore are the only ones that can be seen. There are no images of any new characters (like there were in the 4th book, and which actually would have been nice in this book because I am sure most of us are all dying to know who this half blood prince guy is) and there is not much of a back drop, or a visible place that can be made out.
The colors of it though make me wonder, they are green. Green in the Harry Potter books is usually something that has been used to represent evil. The fact that Harry and Dumbledore my two favorite characters are surrounded by a wave of green makes me a little nervous. Neither of them however looks nervous, scared , or upset. It looks like Dumbledore is showing Harry something in my opinion, perhaps they are even looking through a pensieve into the past. JKR did say that we would be learning a bit more about Harry's past in this book.
I know it is probably pointless to sit here and guess off of a cover. But I have 4 months still to wait... can you blame me?
schmiggens said this in post #2 :
In fact while we're asking, why was Harry Potter and the Philospher's Stone changed to Harry Potter and the Sorcer's Stone for the USA viewers? Don't you have Phliosophers in USA?
Phliosophers stone is a slang for Mescaline among American drug users.
I know this from the Dark Tower series, as Roland takes some Mescaline in book one and calls it that.
I have also heard it called that in the movies and on t.v. a few times.
So, they did the edit so it didn't look like a druggie book, I would guess.
this is one of the changes in the new revised gunslinger, he changes the way he calls it.
quote:
124 [132] - Originally, Roland called Mescaline (LSD) the "Philosopher's Stone." This reference has been removed. It's interesting to note that the British title of the first Harry Potter novel is The Philosopher's Stone . King is obviously a fan of Rowling's stories (there are Harry Potter references in book five), and some people believe King removed the phrase because of this.
Lots of Harry Potter references in Kings work, the Crimson king fights with "Harry Potter explosive sneetches".
But I digress into off topic Dark Tower junk....
quote:
"Agreed. Have a present." Into Jake's hand Eddie dropped a couple of balls about
three inches in diameter. The surfaces looked like steel, but when Jake
squeezed, he felt some give- it was like squeezing a child's toy made out of
hard, hard rub_ber. A small plate on the side read
"SNEETCH" HARRY POTTER MODEL
Serial # 465-11-AA HPJKR
CAUTION EXPLOSIVE
To the left of the plate was a button. A distant part of Jake's mind wondered
who Harry Potter was. The sneetch's inventor, more than likely.
I first thought i might be Voldemorts house ... when Harry was transported ... Dumbledore has the trophy right, he may have been able to get it to transport again. that could be what the front cover of the UK version is? ... the guy they're following could be wormtail? who knows
Heres the back of the UK version, with the "blurb" ... Its from the Bloomsbury site, the official publishers of the UK HP books, so its got to be true ...
Oh wow. I want to know! Dang it. Is it here yet? Well, I will be offline on Sat. until I get to finish the book. I have to find the book first, but I think it shouldn't be a problem.
It will proberly be about the HBP in the first chapter. Or Dumbledore reveals an important fact about a new character, or he introduces Harry to a new character because he feels guilty about not telling him about the prophecy
But I'll buy the US ones after they're all released, I guess.
