Obsession Fantasy Book Cover Design (Featuring love, forest, and mist)

Visuals: Two shadowy figures stand facing each other in the center of the cover, enshrouded in black mist, their gold-glowing eyes locking intensely. A crimson-red string arcs between them, winding around their bodies in chaotic loops, its ends frayed and faintly glowing. A faint, dark forest emerges in the background, with shades of gold subtly streaking through the darkness like cracks of light. Drops of blood are suspended in mid-air around the figures, as if frozen in time. Subtle layers of texture create a sense of ancient, worn parchment beneath the design.

Typography: The title “What Binds Us” is rendered in an elegant serif font with sharp serifs resembling delicate daggers, a golden gradient giving it a metallic sheen. The author name, "A.J Smethurst," is set in a small caps sans-serif font in white, positioned modestly at the bottom center beneath the figures.

Layout: The shadow figures dominate the central vertical space, with the title positioned toward the top and the glowing red string drawing angular paths that intersect organically with the typography. The dark forest imagery fills the background subtly behind the characters, providing depth without distracting from the foreground elements.

Explanation: The visual composition portrays themes of obsession, fate, and eternity through the glowing gold eyes, the red string of fate binding the figures, and subtle imagery of frozen blood drops. The sharp serif font for the title exudes a sense of sophistication and timelessness, pairing beautifully with the smaller clean sans-serif font of the author name, which doesn’t compete with the intricate design. The layout centers the relationship between the shadowy figures while using the vivid red string to guide the viewer's eye throughout the entire piece. Last, the choice of matte black paper stock enhances the darkness, while spot gloss and embossed details bring focus to the key imagery and create a multi-sensory experience for readers. These combined elements result in an evocative, genre-appropriate design that captivates and intrigues.