KJV Sovereign Collection

Mar 12

A new King James Bible design from Thomas Nelson inspired by the legacy of the original.

The enduring legacy of the King James Bible is remarkable, and the fact that it is still one of the most beloved Bible translations for readers today (over 400 years after it was first published) is a testament to its stature. Thomas Nelson has recently unveiled a new design called the KJV Sovereign Collection, which aims to offer a modern take on a traditional design style that “honors the legacy of the King James Version Bible.”

This is a lovely Bible, and I think many KJV fans are going to enjoy it.

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KJV Sovereign Collection – Overview

Thomas Nelson’s initial release of the KJV Sovereign Collection offers four unique binding styles: three in Leathersoft (brown, black, and purple) as well as one in black genuine leather (this is the edition I’m using for my review). Each one has a slightly different design element for the cover, but they all match on the spine with four raised hubs and gold artistic embellishment. The genuine leather edition is edge-lined with a synthetic liner. The Leathersoft editions feature paste-down liners.

The official title of this Bible is “KJV Personal Size Reference Bible, Sovereign Collection” (this leaves room for there to be future editions of the collection that are different sizes, although I did not get the impression that the release of another KJV edition was imminent when I spoke to the folks at Thomas Nelson). With a text block that is 5.25” wide, 8.5” tall, and 1.75” thick, calling this a “personal size” Bible makes me chuckle. Don’t get me wrong; I love the size. It’s almost identical to my beloved NKJV Single-Column Reference Bible. But I tend to think of something much smaller when the words “personal size” come to mind.

Inside you’ll find a 9.5pt KJV Comfort Print typeface that is line-matched on 36 GSM paper. It is a traditional two-column, verse-by-verse layout everywhere except Psalms and Proverbs, where the design becomes a single-column poetic setting. As you can see in the photos below, the KJV Sovereign Collection includes ornate drop caps in red at the start of each chapter as well as red verse numbers and headings. It also uses red letters for the words of Christ. Reference features include book introductions, textual footnotes and cross-references (found together at the bottom of the page beneath a thin red line), a concordance, and full-color Bible Maps.

FEATURES
• 9.5pt type size
• 5.25” x 8.5” trim size
• 1.75” thick
• 36 GSM paper
• Line matched
• Smyth-sewn binding
• Two ribbon markers
• Book Introductions
• Cross-references and footnotes
• Concordance
• Full-Color Bible Maps
• One-Year Reading Plan

Beauty on a Budget

I think the overall look and feel of the KJV Sovereign Collection accomplishes its goal. It’s a modern take on a classic design style that fits the King James Bible well. The drop caps, for example, would seem out of place if you were reading them with a more modern version of the Bible like the New Living Translation, but with the KJV, they fit so well and actually enhance the text in a great way.

It seems to me like this design would be a good fit for the more premium finishes Thomas Nelson offers in their Premier Collection (goatskin covers, fantastic paper, etc), but so far the collection only offers these more affordable options. It looks like you can get the Leathersoft editions for around $30 and the genuine leather edition for less than $70 (see links below).

Bottom Line:
This is a solid KJV Bible for a good price. Easy to use and beautifully designed.