Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 dadocollin Nov 03, 2010 9:52:57	So I recently finished reading the latest R.A. Salvatore novel, Gauntlgrym (which was very good), but when I finished I took a look back at the cover art and then sat there scratching my head in confusion. The cover of Gauntlgrym shows Drizzt fighting Dahlia, a new character in the book who turns from evil to good and helps Drizzt and the gang battle through the final scenes of the novel.  I kept waiting for her to turn traitor, thinking there was some battle scene between the characters coming based on the cover scene, but this never happens! Drizzt never fights Dahlia in the novel. Now, I might chalk this up to foreshadowing the future, but they're clearly fighting in the city of Gauntlgrym while the lava of the primordial is around them.  So, if you've read the book, they're probably not going to be in that situation again.  Not to mention they now seem to have a budding romance. Obviously cover art is commissioned before novels are completed, so did Salvatore have a scene like this and remove it, or is it simply an error on the artist's part?  I can't believe this would be intentional.  If it wasn't, it seems like false advertising to me then, and potentially confusing to readers.  Anyone ask Salvatore this at any of the book signing events? I guess this is why they generally keep cover art pretty generic, so they can avoid these potential situations.
#2 angelus_obscura Nov 04, 2010 22:52:38	Yeah, it's all about marketing. I honestly did not feel cheated of a fight because of the cover. Although, I would have preferred it if it was Bruenor on the jacket, as the book was his swan song. Yeah, Bruenor vs the Pit Fiend, with Drizzt and Dhalia in the background or somesuch.
#3 ukplayerx Nov 08, 2010 12:18:57	NOW I remember that old saying....never judge a book by its' cover
#4 dadocollin Nov 18, 2010 13:03:27	Good one, ukplayerX!  Definitely don't judge this story by that cover! I still think that it shouldn't be that hard to accurately depict a scene from the book.  I guess we're lucky that at least the artwork is accurate from a character standpoint.  Robert Jordan fans have been complaining for years about the artwork on those books.  On many of the Wheel of Time books, the artwork is way off in terms of having characters with armor and weapons they don't even use.
#5 mvincent Dec 03, 2010 18:22:21	Drizzt never fights Dahlia in the novel. ... they're clearly fighting in the city of Gauntlgrym while the lava of the primordial is around them.  Maybe the picture merely depicts them: 1) fighting a foe that is invisible to human eyes 2) fighting a small fire elemental, or 3) angrily trying to maintain their balance