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Today’s post is about the March 2019 Illumicrate. Yes, you read that right: March. I’m late to the party, but I’m trying to catch up – hence this post. So, the Adventure Awaits box is the first monthly box Illumicrate has curated. So let’s dive right in shall we?

From the outside this box looks pretty much the same: a lovely warm yellow, with Illumicrate logos and books drawn in white. The most notable change of this box is when you open it up and see the note card. Gone is the familiar yellow card, and in its place is a booklet (in this case various shades of blue) that lets you know what this box’s theme is.

Excluding the book, there are five main items in this months box. First there is The Raven Cycle Notebook Set designed by @bookmarkd.tattoos. I like the different sizings and colourings, whilst keeping the same design. Next there’s the Excalibur Water Bottle featuring artwork by @sarahandsweet. I’m not really a fan of it as it’s not something I’d use, but I think the artwork is beautifully done. Then there are the Mistborn Socks designed by @Illumicrate which look lovely, and will be great for adding a subtle bit of bookishness to an outfit. Next up is The Grand Tour Mug Rug featuring artwork by @temporaryplacesshop. A mug rug isn’t something I’ve come across before, but I like the fact that it’s so big – some mugs/cups are bigger than others after all. And the final main item is the Beginning & End Enamel Pin Set designed by @fableandblack. They look absolutely gorgeous, and I enjoy the LotR merch. There are a couple more items that have been included in the box. The first is Muse of Nightmares by Lani Taylor postcard. The second is a bookmark promoting Proud compiled by Juno Dawson, a collection of LGBTQ+ anthology of stories and poetry for a YA audience. The final item is a sampler of Temi Oh’s debut novel Do You Dream of Terra-Two? which came out on March 7th.

The book that is featured in this March Illumicrate isn’t one I had heard of before. It’s a space fantasy with a King Arthur twist, that I think sounds intriguing. Once and Future by Amy Rose Capetta and Cori McCarthy looks absolutely stunning. It’s has an exclusive Illumicrate edition cover and sprayed edges, it’s also signed and comes with a letter from the authors. It’s a US hardback with no dust jacket, which is good news to those of us who hate damaging it.

Overall I think this is a good box. I don’t think it’s anything particularly special. There are things in it people will love, but for me it’s missing a certain spark. I don’t think it’s a bad box, but I wouldn’t pick it as a favourite. The item I like most in this box is probably the pin set because it’s pretty and of all the items in the box I’m probably closest to being a member of this fandom. The notebooks and the mug rug are cool, and I do like the socks even if I had to google to find out the book that inspired them.

Thank you for making it this far down the post. I hope you enjoyed it. Until next time.