it's definitly gotten better in recent years but even when they have great illustrations, french publishers can't help making *awful* design choices
e.g. this Return of the King cover by Wojtek Siudmak (couldn't find a large jpeg of the actual illo, but it's one of my favorites)
I have these two originals for sale!
they depict two of the guardians of Iceland, Bergrisi the giant and Gammur the eagle
images are 16x22cm on a 18x24cm claybord
price is €1000 (shipping included)
if you are interested, you can email me: contact [at] https://t.co/XQcNxweoOu
@SpaceTurtleArt actually...the illustrator is kind of a household name in fantasy publishing around here? she's done a ton of Jack Vance, Frank Herbert.. P.K Dick...
these are from *2008*
you have to go back to the 80s to get good covers by Siudmak
i don't know what Granado Espada is about but unsurprisingly i loooove these designs by Tomomi Kobayashi
an 8 year old illustration i desperately want to remake someday, there are elements of it i like in theory but a lot of the execution feels kinda muddy now, lacking clarity, confusing and unpolished!