Favourite International Book Covers | brace yourself, there’s a lot

Hey everyone!

The book community loves gushing about book covers, predominantly ones from the US or UK but there are so many amazing international covers. Here is just a sprinkling of the ones out there. I am sorry I couldn’t feature every country in this post, but that would be a lot hence this is just a sprinkling of all those out there. Please enjoy looking at some of my top picks.

special thanks to Lais @ The Bookish Skies and Vee @ Vee Bookish. Their posts featuring international covers helped me discover a few of these editions.

please tell me if I have gotten the wrong countries for book covers. I relied on goodreads information or my browser’s translation pick to inform me, so I’d love to correct any mistakes present.

SERIES

the poppy war by r f Kuang

🇮🇩 Indonesian

🇮🇩 Indonesian

🇵🇱 Polish

🇵🇱 Polish

🇹🇷 Turkish

🇵🇱 Polish

🇵🇱 Polish

🇹🇷 Turkish

🇵🇱 Polish

🇵🇱 Polish

🇹🇷 Turkish

I actually love the style of the UK covers, but I love how these 3 editions each have a different style and embolden the fantasy aspect.

🍄 The Poppy War By R. F. Kuang | Spoiler-Free Book Review

strange the dreamer by Laini Taylor

🇮🇩 Indonesian

🇮🇩 Indonesian

I’ve never read the books, but I’ve heard the legend of the whimsical writing and these covers seem to showcase that very well.

The green bone saga by Fonda lee

🇪🇸 Spanish

🇪🇸 Spanish

Oh my! These covers are stunning, extraordinary, beautiful; my eyes can’t take it! The Green Bone Saga is one of my all-time favourites and these covers represent the feel of these books very well. They are reminiscent of old gang movies and I love it.

🍄REASONS TO READ THE GREEN BONE SAGA BY FONDA LEE | flipping through fantasy

vicious by v e schwab

🇮🇩 Indonesian

🇫🇷 French

🇪🇸 Spanish

🇩🇪 German

🇮🇩 Indonesian

🇫🇷 French

🇪🇸 Spanish

🇩🇪 German

Some really cool designs for Vicious here which are so much more imaginative than the UK covers. I think the Indonesian and French editions are beautiful and well-suited for the books.

shades of magic by v e schwab

🇫🇷 French

🇧🇬 Bulgarian

🇫🇷 French

🇧🇬 Bulgarian

🇫🇷 French

🇧🇬 Bulgarian

The French covers are artistically beautiful but I think the Bulgarian ones have a distinctive edge that works well for the series.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan

🇩🇪 German

🇩🇪 German

🇩🇪 German

🇩🇪 German

🇩🇪 German

The best covers for this series in my opinion. They represent the books so well; old middle grade, greek legends, fantasy adventure. Perfect.

🍄 COLLAB: Aditi Recommends | Reading ‘Percy Jackson’ & Watching ‘Avatar The Last Airbender’

the Grisha trilogy by Leigh bardugo

🇫🇷 French

🇫🇷 French

🇫🇷 French

Whilst I can’t see anyone but Jessie Mei Li as Alina, I do think these covers make the covers so much more enticing to YA fantasy readers. Great central positioning too.

six of crows by leigh bardugo

🇫🇷 French

🇫🇷 French

I love the aesthetic of these covers and the positioning (especially for the first book). It is simple but atmospheric. These are the best-looking covers I have seen for this series.

alex stern by leigh bardugo

🇨🇳 Chinese

🇳🇱 Dutch

🇳🇱 Dutch

I think the Chinese cover has an almost ‘textbook’-like appearance which is great for an academia book. Then the Dutch editions have an old library book feel which again works well for the genre.

The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater (GIFT EDITIONS)

🇷🇺 Russain

🇷🇺 Russain

🇷🇺 Russain

🇷🇺 Russain

One of my favourite series and I love that each book has an individual character on; very artsy. I love Ronan and Blue’s covers the most.

🍄 The Raven Cycle | A Lot and A Lot of Chatting and Playlist

serpent and dove by Shelby mahurn

🇪🇸 Spanish

🇪🇸 Spanish

🇪🇸 Spanish

These are very colourful editions and I don’t know if that matches the book as well as the UK covers, but they make me think of witches more so I like that.

captive prince by c s pacat

🇵🇱 Polish

🇩🇪 German

🇵🇱 Polish

🇩🇪 German

🇵🇱 Polish

🇩🇪 German

I don’t know if I will ever read these books but these covers are stunning. The Polish ones feature some beautiful art but the German ones are my absolute favourite. It is a simple, clean aesthetic but it stands out to me so much, and I imagine the writing to be shiny foil. It is such an effective use of a plain background whilst displaying the content still. LOVE IT!

warcross by Marie lu

🇵🇱 Polish

🇵🇱 Polish

Gamer Girl Energy! No more words need to be said.

🍄 Warcross by Marie Lu | Spoiler-Free Review

MISCELLANEOUS

🇧🇷 Brazilian: If This Gets Out by Sophie Gonzales & Cale Dietrich // So colourful, so happy and THEY! ARE! HOLDING! HANDS!

🇸🇪 Swedish: Anxious People by Fredrik Backman // This is such a quirky cover. It reminds me of cutting out drawings of people and assembling them on a background. It is so different and I believe this story is a little unconventional so *chef’s kiss*!

🇨🇳 Chinese: She Who Became The Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan // This has a very similar design idea to the UK cover with the dragon taking the focus (read the book, and loved it, but I still don’t understand the presence of a dragon). I love the colour scheme and dragon positioning. I think it looks more adult than the UK one which suits the book better.

🍄 Would I Recommend All Of The Sapphic Trifecta? | aka i review the unbroken, the jasmine throne and she who became the sun

🇪🇸 Spanish: Dreams Lie Beneath by Rebecca Ross // I think this art style is so effective, black, white & gold work so well together. The cover almost looks like a tarot card.

🇪🇸 Spanish: The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Talor Jenkins Reid // A very simple but effective cover. It reminds me of a dramatic movie poster that wins all the awards, very fitting. It is very well-balanced which I love. Plus, the red is so startling in the best way.

🍄 The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo | What makes this book SO good?

🇮🇩 Indonesian: Dry by Neal & Jarrod Shusterman // It makes me feel thirsty just by looking at it. The title cracked in the ground is soo effective.

🇮🇩 Indonesian: Last Tang Standing by Lauren Ho // I love the colours on this cover. I am not sure if I love it more than the pastel greens on the UK cover but it is a close second.

🇮🇩 Indonesian: Love Your Life by Sophie Kinsella // The split line is fun and there is a dog. A rom-com delight.

🇪🇸 Spanish: Rent A Boyfriend by Gloria Chao // Basically a drawing of the photograph on the UK cover. I thought the photograph was a great cover, but this one makes it look extra cute and magical.

🇧🇷 Brazilian: I Kissed Shara Wheeler by Casey McQuiston // I think Chloe deserves a place on the cover given that she is the main character. This cover represents the book a lot more, especially with the map and envelopes. It is a lovely art style as well. YES!

🇨🇳 Chinese: Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston // A regal cover for a regal love story. It has a lot more personality compared to the UK cover which I like.

🇯🇵 Japanese: Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston // This takes the idea of the UK cover and improves every aspect of it, in my opinion. The typography, the positioning, the art, and the expressions. My favourite cover for this book.

🍄 Red, White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston | Spoiler-Free Review

🇮🇩 Indonesian: Pachinko by Min Jin Lee // I believe this is a tv tie-in edition (??) but I love the art style and how it really shows the family aspect of the novel.

🇧🇷 Brazilian: Somewhere Only We Know by Maurene Goo // I love the two faces from different directions and the background. It looks like a galaxy.

🇧🇷 Brazilian: SuperFake Love Song by David Yoon // I love the angsty teen room aesthetic.

🇨🇿 Czechia: 10 Blind Dates by Ashley Elston // It has cute Christmas vibes, and I love the lights wrapped around her.

🇧🇷 Brazilian: She Drives Me Crazy by Kelly Quinden // This immediately says enemies to lovers and it is a great art style, they definitely look like teenagers which is always a plus in my eyes.

🇸🇪 Swedish: Circe by Madeline Miller // I love the classic greek aesthetic and how different it is for a book cover nowadays.

🇫🇷 French: Circe by Madeline Miller // It is a simple fine-line style but it has a modern classic feel which works well for this book.

🇷🇺 Russian: Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall // I love this cover because their body language says a lot and the London background is excellent.

🍄 baby, it’s a love story *emphasis on the story* | Using My Favourite Tropes to Create a Romance TBR (37 books !!)

🇹🇭 Thai: What If It’s Us by Adam Silvera and Becky Albertalli // This is a really unique art style and I can’t explain it but it matches the font on the book so well. Plus, I love the bakery setting behind the characters. It looks very warm and cosy.

🇮🇩 Indonesian: The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas // I think the greyscale background characters with Starr in the centre, in full colour, is effective. Plus, I really like how the placard board has a face outline which is relevant to the plot.

🇭🇺 Hungary: The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas // I love the cover. The THUG part of the title is obvious and the face shading as she looks behind is quite artsy, grabbing my attention.

🇧🇷 Brazilian: Dash & Lily by David Levithan & Rachel Cohn // I like this cover because it has so many Christmas-related items on it. I think the positioning could be better but I still like what it does.

🇩🇪 German: Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas // Whilst not necessarily my cover style, I do love the colour and busyness of it. There are so many details which represent the book, the trans flags at the bottom, the car, the skull outline and Yadirel & Julian sitting underneath the new title.

🇪🇸 Spanish: The Henna Wars by Adiba Jaigurdar // I don’t entirely love the green on this cover, but the art style is beautiful. I love that the two main characters are leaning against each other and that they look young. Especially as this book is on the younger side of YA.

🇧🇷 Brazilian: Dear Martin by Nic Stone // I can’t translate all the writing behind Justyce but I think the array of writing is effective as the book is about keeping a journal and discusses a lot of topics which I think you can hint at from the writing itself.

🇷🇺 Russain: A Song of Wraith and Ruin by Roseanne A Brown // I do love the UK cover for this book, which was actually a photography cover, but this classic illustrative one looks beautiful. Especially as it is so gold, it looks magical.

🇮🇩 Indonesian: The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller // I love the background, writing and simple illustration but the only downside is it makes the book look like a middle grade.

🇨🇿 Czechia: Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson // This is quite different to the luminous blue of the UK cover but I think this one has a better moody atmosphere which would appeal to mystery readers. Plus, it suitably reminds me of an old boarding school.

🇮🇩 Indonesian: Ayesha by Uzma Jalaluddin // The background and illustration are beautiful. It focuses on pastel colours therefore it isn’t as vibrant as the UK cover, but very pretty.

🇮🇩 Indonesian: Love From A to Z by S K Ali // While Adam and Zayneb are far away on the cover, they still stand out, the steady in a moving world. It is different but I like it.

🇷🇸 Serbian: King of Scars by Leigh Bardugo // This is a very loud cover. I wouldn’t necessarily put this blue and gold together, but I love the eyes watching out above the crest.

🇪🇸 Spanish: Skyhunter by Marie Lu // One of my favourite covers on this list. The colour, the extravagance, the action, the detail, the stars. It is a piece of art!

🇫🇷 French: The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V E Schwab // I haven’t read the book but this cover seems to embody the word “invisible”, Addie looks like a ghost which seems apt.

🇵🇱 Polish: Raybearer by Jordan Ifueko // Whilst Tarisai’s hair is different to the US cover, the background and gold details look stunning.

🇮🇩 Indonesian: The Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker // I love the mood of this cover and if you look at the face, you can see shadows of other women which I love.

Arabic: The Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker // I love this style so much, the art resembles some of the Ancient Greek vases which I think adds an immediate, suitable aesthetic.

🇯🇵 Japanese: Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia // I love the UK cover a lot, but this is a very pretty style. The red dress, the border and the little details!

🇪🇸 Spanish: The Sisters Grimm by Menna van Praag // Nothing can beat the US cover for this book, but this edition is better than the UK one. It looks so ethereal and gothic.

🍄5 Things I Love In Books

🇩🇪 German: A River of Royal Blood by Amanda Joy // This is like a colourful version of the new UK cover (greyscale with gold accents). But I love the blue and red details, it makes the fluid motion seem more alive and the whole cover looks more elegant.

🇮🇩 Indonesian: These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong // I love that the monster is on the cover! Plus, it captures the vintage aesthetic well.

🇺🇦 Ukrainian: The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren // This cover immediately makes me think of a fancy holiday and I love that the floats are interwoven.

🇮🇹 Italian: Darius The Great Is Not Okay by Adib Khorram // Whilst the skyline of Yazd is featured in multiple editions which I love, this particular style makes it look more alive. Whether due to the dimension or the fact that you can see other figures on the cover, I love it.

🍄 Darius The Great Is Not Okay By Adib Khorram | Book Review

🇪🇸 Spanish: The Deep by Rivers Solomon, Daveed Diggs, William Hutson & Jonathan Snipes // The symmetry of this cover is very satisfying and I think it is cleverly put together.

🇷🇴 Romanian: All Systems Red by Martha Wells // This looks like a vintage horror poster in the best way. I don’t know how well it reflects the book but it looks like a horror sci-fi.

🇷🇴 Romanian: Freshwater by Akwaeke Emezi // I love the portrait style with the 3 faces/angles merged together and the colour palette is really effective at bringing it all together.

🇧🇷 Brazilian: Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo // A similar design to the US cover with a different art style. I really like the positioning on this one. The diagonal spilt and little planes are great.

what are your favourite international covers? what are your favourite covers from your country? what is your favourite cover style?