I'm really failing at this whole thing.
I have three books I'm currently in an on hold status on: * Prince of Thorns * Half a King * La Belle Sauvage
Those would be my suggestions for this month. I have read The Girl on the Train and have neutral feelings on it.
I understand that, but it doesn't change the fact it's a clear image I have no interest in.
There's nothing there that would make me look twice... and so the best that can be said of this cover is that it is "not bad." Nothing about it will actively push me away from the novel, but nothing about it will make me more likely to buy it either. Which ultimately means it blends into the background and I ignore it.
In order to avoid the potential risks of a cluttered cover, you've lost (for someone with my tastes) the most fundamental purpose a cover is supposed to serve. And it looks like any of a dozen other forgettable fantasy covers that use this same design.
There are a lot of people who don't share my tastes. Your cover is modeled after what is typical of the American market, while I greatly prefer European variants. But it is very possible to create a cover with a clean composition that looks good as a thumbnail, while still preserving a cover's function as an evocative or intriguing piece of art.
Consider this cover for a Dance with Dragons. It is FAR simpler than your cover, far easier to see... but it still tells a story. Something is happening here. I want to know more. And that is despite the murky colors and issues posed by the massive author's name and HBO details.
http://www.amazon.com/Dance-Dragons-Song-Fire-Book-ebook/dp/B003YL4LYI/ref=zg_bs_668010011_42
Or the covers for Prince of Thorns. It's a portrait shot, but there is emotion here. The subtle background tells a story and the fact that the protagonists face is obscured keeps us from being distracted with its blunt presence.