Sound off on this cover art

[Mistborn]

Got a cover sketch for one of my books on Friday, and am curious to know what people think. My editor and I were not expecting it to look like it did, and we're trying to decide if this is a good thing or not.

Realize this is a just a concept sketch, so it's not completely finished yet. Mods, let me know if something like this is out of line--I'm not trying to spam or advertise. I legitimately want opinions, particularly from readers who might not be familiar with my work. (That way they won't be biased by name recognition.)

EDIT--thanks for the feedback! Pulling the cover as we're working on something new.

[Vella_Malachite]

I love it!

That's really awesome! I don't see anything wrong with it. I'm not an expert, but I think it's pretty cool.

[Semidi]

It's interesting if a bit generic. My only complaint is the lighting is a bit off (look for where the light source is coming from, it's a bit confused. Is the sword giving off the light? Is it an outside source?) Though I'm an amateur art critic so someone might want to set me straight. Also, her hair should be less linear in the back as most of it is going towards the left side and that one part on the right is straight. However, it's a rough sketch. That's like bitching about a comma splice in a rough draft.

Uhm what else? I have no idea what you've written so what in particular do you want comments on? At first glance it looks like she has a party favor in her mouth, and I can't stop staring at her cleavage. I don’t want to sound harsh but that’s what I got at a cursory glance (in general what you’ll receive from most people at B&N).

[Mistborn]

Semidi,

I'm just looking for basic impressions--the sort of "First Glance" feelings that you'd get when passing the book on the shelf. The goal of every cover is to get you to pick the book up. Would this cover do that for you? (Assuming a final draft on the cover.) If not, what about it doesn’t appeal to you.

Though, I suppose a little more context wouldn't hurt. I write epic fantasy. Publisher is Tor books (Robert Jordan, Terry Goodkind, that lot.) This'll be my seventh or eighth published novel, depending on exact date of publication and what else is going on with my other contracts, so the hope is that people who are already fans would pick up the book because of name recognition.

Therefore, I'm looking for impressions from people who don't know about my work. Hence, asking here at GitPG where I mostly just lurk, rather than posting a lot. I figure people here, like yourself, will be unfamiliar with my work and will have a more unbiased reaction to the cover.

[Icewalker]

I'd say as a cover it looks pretty interesting. A little weird. I don't know if I'd pick it off a shelf, but if it was shown to me, I'd take it and read the quick summary on the back or cover or first few pages.

The blood at the bottom is really dark, hard to see.

[Mistborn]

Thanks for the comments, folks.

[Soups]

Actually, the finals are very good. I would totally put that up as a poster in my room. Im not much of an art critic. Personally I hate crituiqing anything. Makes me sound like a jerk. I like how the sword is no longer bloody. It detracted from the flow in the original sketch. Red is a prominent color, and having it on the border shifted focus from the face with its energetic hair and ribbon.

(BTW, totaly jealous of whoever art skills those are. Im sad that I kinda call myself a multimedia major.)