Fantastic Figures of Fantasy Book Covers (Men Only) – April 2011

Since April somehow got away from us without a cover hotties post for that month–I blame Game of Thrones, which significantly increased my work load AND distracted me from looking at any other part of SFF fandom–the usual formatted version of this column will return for May.  But April was just too good a month for dudes for me to not make some mention of them, so I’m foregoing Damon’s input on the ladies and just sharing the eye candy my fellow ladies might enjoy. Did I miss your pick?  Feel free to point it out in the comments!

So here they are, the cover dudes from April that would make me take a second look on the street.

For me there is no clear winner, so consider my top three interchangeable based on mood and lighting.  Up first is smoldering on the cover of Douglas Hulick’s Among Thieves: a tale of the kin.

Meeow. He’s like half poet, half pirate. Also I think he might be based on Inigo Montoya, and anyone that’s essentially a hotter version of a Princess Bride character (excepting Westley who, of course, could not BE any hotter) is always good in my book….

I am also seriously digging on the hero(? anti-hero?  Not like I’m ever reading this one) on The Lost Fleet by John Campbell.

So blond. So dangerous. So lonely. Space warriors seem to be the only kind of men on SF covers who appeal to me. Hm. That bears further pondering.

Third slot (or is it second?  Or first? I’m so torn) goes to Connor Grey on Mark del Franco’s fifth book in the series, Uncertain Allies.

In direct contrast to Blondie above, this one is dark, contemporary, and decidedly un-dangerous-looking, even if he secretly is (I don’t know; I don’t read those books, either).  He also vibes a little bit Hot Damon Salvatore on Vampire Diaries to me, and that’s always a good sign.

First runner up, just because he has that sort of crazy religious zealot light in his eyes, is the dude From Darkness Won by Jill Williamson (who has an Inigo scar to match the first guy’s Spaniard sword-master look).

I actually quite like him, but he has that look in his eyes. He’s either mad devoted or mad stupid, and neither is quite going to work for me….

Next runner up is on Annette Blair’s not-so-secretly-paranormal-romance Vampire Dragon.

I can’t call this a win, because I can’t take it seriously. Seriously, vampire…dragon?  WTF.  My brain just exploded.  It’s like she tried to meld A Song of Ice and Fire into one creature. Also this model looks too much like RPattz, which just makes me wonder if this vampagon sparkles?

And finally:  okay, this one is not a hot dude, it’s just a hot cover–Adrian Tchaikovsky’s The Scarab Path:

Yeah…I mean, not much else to say about that one really, except great job, Pyr cover design team.

So there you have it. My quick-picks for April cover men.  Check back next week for a full edition for May!