As half-promised yesterday: HarperCollins in the UK have confirmed that their ARC is now final and can be shared. (It’ll be going out there soon, just as ARCs in Canada and the States are.)

A few notes before the unveiling below. ARCs there are closer in style to what I remember from the old days here, too, when they were still called galleys: a deliberately rougher, less finished look, meant to not be confused with anything like the real book to come. (Note the phrase on the back: “Introducing River of Stars“) They’ve gotten glossier in North America, but aren’t always so in the UK, and HarperCollins are in that  camp.

So this needs to be seen in that context. It is even possible that their finished book for July will have an entirely different look, but I am betting it won’t. I like this fine as a concept. I think it captures an elegant, more literary aspect of the novel and the time inspiring it – which is consistent with their change of imprints for River of Stars in the UK. I think that properly refined, polished, colours sorted, details added and typeface thought through, this will work very well, be quite beautiful. And I appreciate the thought and care going into this repositioning. (You can click it to see it larger.)

HarperCollins UK ARC