Unboxing Video

Illumicrate Unboxing #17: The Final Frontier (May 2019)

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This Illumicrate marks the final box of my three month subscription. I mentioned in the February unboxing that Illumicrate had changed how they worked, as well as how much they cost and that I would use the March, April and May boxes to decide if I was going to continue with my subscription. I will be talk about what I am going to do going forward at the end of this post, so let’s dive straight into the unboxing.

Unlike the April box, this month’s arrived on time. That’s why there’s not much of a gap between the two unboxings. I will say I do miss the yellow shredded paper that used to appear in the white box, it was a nice pop of colour. This brown screwed up paper, whilst great at making sure items survive in the post, is not the prettiest thing I have seen.

The contents of The Final Frontier (May 2019) Illumicrate box.

This month’s box contained five specially curated items, the featured book, a collectable magnetic coin, and two samplers. First up this month is the LUNAR CHRONICLES COOLER BAG designed by @po_jainter which would be great for keeping snacks cool for a mini picnic when you read outside. Next up is the ILLUMINAE PILLOWCASE the illustration was designed by @alice_duke and the quote was designed by @chattynora. Both designs look super cute and fun (I’ve only included the illustration in the photo) but I don’t think the pillowcase itself is cotton, which is a little disappointing. Then there is the HOWLER LUGGAGE TAG designed by @fableandblack which would stand out on bags if you do a lot of travelling, though I’m not sure how practical it would be. Next there’s the SQUAD 312 POUCH designed by @iparwing which I think looks super fun. The final specially curated item is the SPACE STICKY NOTES designed by @fableandblack which are super cute. The book of the month is AURORA RISING by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff. It has an exclusive cover, pink sprayed edges, and it’s signed by both the authors. It also comes with a letter from them. This month’s magnetic coin is designed by @monolimeart and is of Kady Grant from The Illuminae Files. The final two items, the samplers, are for Emily Eternal by M. G. Wheaton (which was published on April 23rd) and The Furies by Katie Lowe (which was published on May 2nd).

In all honesty I think this is the end of the road for me with Illumicrate. This box, and the March and April ones, haven’t convinced me that the change in price and the increased amount of boxes are worth it. There have been some items in the previous three boxes that I have really liked, but most of them have just been ok and I can’t justify paying £31.35 a month for a box where I’m not excited by at least most of the items. I’m really sad to bring my subscription to an end, but that’s how it’s going to be. I hope you’ve enjoyed the unboxings and if you have any recommendation for book subscription boxes that could replace my Illumicrate subscription then please leave them below. They would be much appreciated.

Thanks for reading this so far. Until next time.

Illumicrate Unboxing #16: Your Majesty (April 2019)

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The April box is my penultimate box from Illumicrate, and I’m curious to see what is inside it. If you’ve not been keeping up with my Illumicrate posts and want to know why my subscription is coming to end check out the end of my post on the February box here. If you’re thinking of subscribing to Illumicrate you can find more details here.

But enough of that, let’s dive straight into the unboxing.

This month’s box features five main items. First up there’s the Moth & Mirth Mug which is designed by @rosiethorns88. It’s an officially licensed Holly Black mug, and I’m assuming that it’s links to Black’s The Folk of the Air series. I think it looks really pretty, it’s not too heavy, and it looks like it will hold a lot. All pluses for me. Next up there’s the Once Upon A Time Tin designed by @moledrocraftco which features quotes and imagery from Throne of Glass. I think this looks cool, but I’m not sure about its practicality – it’ll be a good prop for photos, but other than that I’m not sure. The third item is the Crown of Power Candle created by @flickerinkuk which is raspberry scented, and it definitely smells strongly of that. The next item is the Iron Throne Phone Ring designed by @fableandblack which is Game of Thrones inspired. It’s an interesting idea. The final items are the Three Dark Crowns Travel Posters designed by @pinapali, which are inspired by Kendare Blake’s series. They look pretty. This month’s featured book is Descendant of the Crane by Joan He, which is a Chinese-inspired epic fantasy. It has an exclusive cover and sprayed edges to this box, it also comes with a letter from the author, a signed bookplate and the preorder incentive character cards. This month’s Illumicrate also comes with a Magnetic Coin which this month is designed by @monolimeart. It is the first in their new collectable series, and this month comes with the necklace and pendant back.This month’s box also includes two samplers. The first is for We Are Blood And Thunder by Kesia Lupo which came out April 4th. The second is for A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson which came out May 2nd.

Overall this is another good box. There is a broad variety of items and fandoms, and there was only one item that I’m a bit unsure about. That being said, I didn’t love this box. For me it’s missing a certain spark. I think a lot of people will love this box, and be really pleased with the contents of it. My favourite item of this box is definitely the Moth & Mirth Mug. It is just beautiful, and very practical.

Thanks for reading this to the end. If you’ve made it this far I’d love to know what your thoughts are on this box. Until next time.

Illumicrate Unboxing #15: Adventure Awaits (March 2019)

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  • Yellow Illumicrate box unopened.
  • Yellow Illumicrate box from the top. Displays Illumicrate logo.

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?

Opened Illumicrate box, with booklet on display.

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.

Contents of the March 2019 Illumicrate on display.
Adventure Awaits (March 2019) contents.

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.

Book, signatures, and letter from the authors.

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.

Illumicrate Unboxing: #14 Gods and Monsters (February 2019 edition)

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Long time readers of this blog will know that I have been a subscriber of Illumicrate since the first box. I have always love the fact that it’s a relatively inexpensive book box you get four times a year, that has had some really awesome books and some great book related merchandise. This box is the final Illumicrate that follows that formula. From this box onwards, Illumicrate has moved to a monthly subscription. I’ll talk more about this and my feelings about the change after I’ve unboxed this Illumicrate for you guys.

I was really excited to get my hands on this box. So excited that I went ahead and opened it before showing you guys, so there’s no video to go along with this post. I was contemplating doing on anyway, but as my procrastination has already got us to May I thought it would be better to just get on with things.

A quick peek.

This box contains ten items, including the book. I think they all look really great. I hadn’t heard of the book or the author before seeing it in this box, so I’m looking forward to giving it a try. I also really enjoyed the variety of the items – there are quite a few that, as far as I’m aware, haven’t featured in a book box before.

The items in Illumicrate #14: Gods & Monsters

The Orphanage of the Gods by Helena Coggan is this quarter’s book. The cover is gorgeous, very atmospheric. The book is a special edition for Illumicrate with an exclusive cover, and comes with lovely blue sprayed edges. The book itself is signed and there is a letter from the author, as well as a metallic notebook. The story is about war between gods and humans, and a girl trapped by it. The next item in the box is a set of six character bookmarks by @lesyablackbird, based on characters from Lani Taylor’s Daughter of Smoke and Bone series. The artwork is on both sides of the bookmark, and looks cool. Then there is the Strange and Dream Umbrella from @hodderscape. Up it looks brilliant, and it’s perfect to slip into a bag to help keep dry in any showers. The next item is the Keep Me Case with artwork by @moledrocraftco, perfect for keeping pens in or maybe just keeping bookmarks safe and easy to find. Girls of Paper & Fire Chopsticks by @heyatlascreative, I definitely have not seen this item in any book box before. Then there’s the Beautiful Thing Pouch with artwork by @stellabookishart, perfect to store make-up in so you don’t loose it in your bag. The next item is the Nectar of the Gods Lip Scrub by @hellolovelyskincare which will be great for getting rid of any dead skin. The final two items are two samplers. The first is for The Binding by Bridget Collins, which was published on Jan 10th by Borough Press. The second sampler is for The Red Scrolls of Magic by Cassandra Clare and Wesley Chu, the first book in The Eldest Curses series which was published on April 9th by Simon & Schuster. I believe all, or at least most, of the items are exclusive to this box.

  • The new box
  • The original box

Thank you to everyone who made it this far in the post. I mentioned at the start that I was going to talk to you more about what is going on with Illumicrate, and what this means for me. To start with, Illumicrate is now a monthly subscription book box. If you buy the box monthly that means you will pay £26 a month (now, this does not include VAT or P&P which only get added on at the end), but they also offer 3 and 6 month prepaid subscriptions. This honestly made me pause. As much as I have loved getting Illumicrate, these changes with no possibility of keeping the quarterly subscription made me seriously consider what my future with this book box was going to be – this was before I knew the “true” cost for a 3 month prepaid subscription.

When it was a quarterly box the final Illumicrate cost me £29.99 plus £3.70 shipping, so a grand total of £33.69. So based on that 1 year (4 boxes) would cost me £134.76, which I could both afford to do as I only paid every four months. I also liked the fact that it only meant I was getting 4 books a year, as most of the books I got through Illumicrate I hadn’t heard of before so there was no guarantee I would like them. Under the new system, I decided to try the 3 month prepaid subscription which cost me a grand total of £94.05 (including VAT and P&P). Now my first issue here is that the website says this 3 month prepaid subscription costs £75 excluding VAT – it doesn’t mention that it doesn’t include shipping. But forgetting that, a whole year (i.e. 4 subscriptions to this package) will now cost me £376.20. Now that is a lot of money. I don’t even want to think what it would cost paying monthly. Sure it works out as £31.35 per box, but frankly I cannot justify paying £376.20 a year on a subscription box. It’s just too expensive for me. I know going to the 6 month prepaid plan would be cheaper, but it’s still (in my opinion) a HUGE initial amount to pay every six months.

So what does that mean for the future of Illumicrate on this blog? Well. I have paid for the 3 month prepaid subscription, which does mean that the final unboxing will be for the May box (as my subscription started in March). After that, well things are up in the air. I don’t really want to say goodbye to Illumicrate. Daphne has created some awesome boxes, and I think that it’s brilliant that her company has grown this big. The price is a tad prohibitive, and frankly makes me rather uncomfortable. When the three months are up I don’t think I will be re-subscribing. However, I will be using the next 3 boxes to decide if the price increase is worth it. Sorry it has taken me so long to write this. It’s made me super uncomfortable, but I really did feel like I had to say something. I don’t think I’m going to be the only one who has mixed feelings about this. I would love to know your thoughts in the comments – am I overreacting? Do you agree that this is a huge hike in price? Thank you for reading so far, and I’ll see you on my next post.

[I’ve just noticed that I haven’t posted an Illumicrate unboxing since box #11, which I apologise for. I honestly thought I’d posted about them. I will endeavour to get them up ASAP. Thanks for sticking with me.]

Illumicrate #11 – Hidden Talents | Unboxing

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The May Illumicrate.

The May Illumicrate.

I’m back with a post on my regular schedule. I hope you enjoy this unboxing of the May Illumicrate – I will be posting the August one soon, but I wanted to get the May edition up first. If you don’t want to scroll through the pictures you can watch me talk about the items here.


The card contains a list of all the items included in the box.

Let’s have a closer look at the items.

This is an exclusive advanced reader copy edition of Light Years by Kass Morgan [goodreads]. It’s the first book in a new young adult sci-fi series.

This is a sample of Holly Bourne’s first adult contemporary novel How Do You Like Me Now? [goodreads]. I’ve never read any of Holly Bourne’s young adult fiction, but I think the blurb for this book sounds interesting.

The postcard and badge are for I was Born For This by Alice Oseman [goodreads].

This #preferfictionalworlds Box is beautifully illustrated by @aliceosemanart. I think it looks utterly gorgeous.

This Camp Half-Blood Enamel Pin is designed by @fableandblack and whilst it might not be my fandom, I do think it looks lovely.

All bookworms/bookdragons should have a book sleeve. This Black Panther inspired It’s Your Time Book Sleeve is designed by @risarodil and will be fantastic for protecting my current read.

This postcard celebrates the release of Reaper at the Gates by Sabaa Tahir [goodreads] , the third book in the Ember in the Ashes series.

This dagger bookmark celebrates the release of Grey Sister by Mark Lawrence [goodreads] the second book in the Book of the Ancestor series. An ARC of the first book was included in a previous Illumicrate.

A postcard celebrating the release of From Twinkle with Love by Sandhya Menon [goodreads].

Another fandom I’m not a part of, but these Infernal Devices Cards by @taratjah are absolutely gorgeous! 😍

The penultimate item of the box are these lovely Elements Page Markers designed by @anotherstudio_ inspired by avatar: the last airbender.

And the final items included in the May Illumicrate are all to do with this quarter’s book – A Thousand Perfect Notes by C. G. Drews [goodreads]. The book itself is exclusive to this box, with red sprayed edges. Also included are a bookmark, a signed book-plate, and a letter from the author which also includes bookstagram tips on the back.

So that is it for the May Illumicrate. Overall I am very pleased with this box, and I’m looking forward to discovering what is inside the August one. I’d love to know your thoughts.

Illumicrate – The Starfall Edition | Unboxing

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As those of you who follow my blog will know I’m an Illumicrate subscriber, but I have never purchased one of their special edition boxes until now. The Starfall Edition celebrates the release of the latest book in Sarah J. Maas’s A Court of Thorns and Roses series – A Court of Frost and Starlight. It was originally available in two editions hardback and paperback (and priced accordingly). I chose to go with the paperback edition so it matched the rest of my series.

I was also lucky enough to acquire one of the boxes in the first batch (there was such a high demand for this box that after they sold out Illumicrate created a second batch that did not contain all the items from the original, but I believe had some new ones too). At the time of posting all editions of this box have sold out. It should be obvious but, from this point there will be spoilers.  So stop scrolling now if you don’t want to find out what’s inside, otherwise continue scrolling to see the brilliant content of this box.

Seriously, stop if you don’t want to see what’s inside.

At first glance inside this box I am pleased with the contents. Although the box is by no means bursting, there looks like there are a reasonable amount of items and from what you can see in this picture they look, at least in my opinion, promising.

By the way, items are posted in the order I removed them from the box.

So the first item I pulled out from the box is this lovely Prythian inspired constellation book sleeve by Sparrow + Wolf.

I think both the front and the back look amazing – the colours are absolutely gorgeous! It feels incredibly soft and squishy, so it will be great for protecting my books when I carry them in my bag. It’s a reasonable size and is holding the book well, as well as several more items.

This stunning illustration is by Kat Adara (you can find her stop here) and it is of Rhys and Feyre during Starfall. I think it looks absolutely lovely. Really magical.

So this is the edition of A Court of Frost and Starlight I chose – the UK paperback edition – it comes hand-stamped with an exclusive ink stamp (which I totally forgot to take a picture of – sorry). There is also this cute note from Sarah J. Maas.

And because it didn’t really pick up in the first image, I wanted to show you some of the gorgeous filigree on the cover.

The final item hidden in the book sleeve was this shiny exclusive bookmark from Bloomsbury.

Both front and back look lovely, and it was interesting trying to take a photo of it without accidentally appearing in the bookmark. I don’t think I quite managed it in the above photo, but oh well.

So, the first item that caught my attention was this Stars Eternal and Night Triumphant enamel pin set by  Fable & Black. I like the fact that it offers you the option of wearing it as one badge, or two.

This box intrigued me, so of course I had to pick it up and have a closer look at it.

According to the card these cards were designed by Keeper of the Suns’ and feature favourite characters and items from the series. This item really surprised me. I don’t think a deck of cards has been included in a box before. I actually think it’s really neat.

This is perhaps one of the smallest items in the box, and I really like it.

It’s called Truth-teller and it’s by Lovely Lip Balm. It’s inspired by Morrigan’s red lips and Azriel’s magic knife. It smells absolutely gorgeous – the scent of roses just wafts from it.

This is a Illyrian wingspan inspired necklace made of mirrored enamel by Mirror Image Accessories.

This is a lovely, almost delicate looking necklace. I like the fact that it’s quite subtle about what it’s referencing.

What is a book subscription box without a candle?

This gorgeous smelling candle is a layered glass candle from Two Candle Thieves inspired by Feyre and Rhys, and by how stars look against the night sky.

It’s a bit warm now for this (at the time of writing), but I still think it’s a great addition to the box.  It’s a lightweight double-sided summer scarf by Evannave that proudly depicts the symbols of the seven courts.

This gorgeous set of six cards is by Monolime and depicts the Inner Court in tarot style cards.

These bright socks were designed by Illumicrate and show Feyre’s tattoos. I think they will look wonderful on.

This is an absolutely gorgeous tote bag. The artwork is by Ink & Wonder, and the colours are amazing. I like the fact that they tied it together with one of the favourite quotes from this series.

And last but not least we have this enamel mug.

As Illumicrate say in the card, “No Starfall Edition would be complete without featuring something from Charlie Bowater!” For me (and a lot of others) Charlie Bowater’s artwork is really tied to this series, and is actually one of the reasons I decided to pick up the first book.

And the card which lists all the items contained in this book was designed by Hey Atlas Creative.

So that’s it. We’ve reached the end of this unboxing.

I am really pleased with this box. It might have cost more than Illumicrate’s quarterly boxes, but I think it was well worth it. I’m really pleased I decided to give it a try. If you liked this box then be sure to follow Illumicrate on Instagram and Twitter to keep track of their new boxes – and to keep an eye out for special edition ones.

Illumicrate Unboxing 10 – Rise Up!

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This box arrived on last Friday (2nd March), and I couldn’t wait to open it and share my thoughts on this quarter’s box. I’m sure you all know the drill by now, but for those of you who don’t: Illumicrate is a quarterly UK based subscription box. I signed up for the first box, and I’ve never looked back! And finally before we go any further just to be clear, if you read this post any further there WILL BE SPOILERS for this box.

This quarter’s box is late and in different packaging to normal because there is just so much stuff!!! I think this is the first time the box has a name – Rise Up! Which I have to admit did leave me super intrigued.

The first item I picked up is the Fight The Darkness Cushion Cover which is designed by @stellabookishart, and it’s exclusive to this box. I really like the colour of it, and it feels super soft.

The next item I picked up is the Phoenix Magnet which is designed by @hannahhitchmanart, it’s also exclusive to this box. The writing ties it to the Harry Potter fandom, but I also think it’s a lovely depiction of a phoenix all on its own. It’ll defo be added to the fridge.

The next item I picked up is a pocket mirror for The Truth and Lies of Ella Black by Emily Barr a young adult contemporary action and adventure that’s out now. The blurb sounds very intriguing.

The next item I picked up is a little notebook with pen for The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert which is the first book in a young adult fantasy that’s out now. You can find the blurb here.

Then I picked up this gorgeous Stranger than the Dreamer by Laini Taylor postcard.

Then I picked up a sampler for Restore Me, which is the fourth book in Tahereh Mafi’s Shatter Me series.

The next item I picked up was also a sampler, this time for Clean by Juno Dawson which is out on the 5th April 2018. You can find the blurb here.

The next item I picked up is a Daggermark designed by @rdashjackdotcom, an exclusive to this box. A really neat looking bookmark.

I then picked up another bookmark, this time for Witchsign by Den Patrick the first in a new young adult fantasy trilogy out May 22nd 2018. You can find the blurb here.

Next I picked up the Lunar Lip Balm designed by @lovely_lip_balm, an exclusive to this box. I think it smells nice, and I’m looking forward to trying it out.

Then I picked up the Inimitable Mug designed by @abbieimagine, an exclusive to this box. This is a lovely mug that survived the post super well – Illumicrate have definitely improved their packaging since the last time they included a mug which I’m very thankful for!

The next item I picked up is A Rebel’s Command List designed by @howstoreofficial, an exclusive to this box. I think it looks cute and it should be super practical.

Now let’s move onto the book section of this unboxing.

The first book I picked up is an exclusive advanced reader copy of The Smoke Thieves by Sally Green, the first book in her new young adult fantasy series. Although you can’t see them in this photo, this book comes with lovely purple edged pages. This book will be published on the 3rd May 2018, and you can read the blurb here.

The main book of this Illumicrate is Blood and Sand by C. V. Wyk, the first book in a young adult historical series. The book came with a bookmark, pin, temporary tattoo and a signed bookplate. It’s actually a US edition, which really surprised me. You can read the blurb here.

This was another fantastic box by Illumicrate. I’m really pleased with it. I hope you enjoyed this image heavy post. Thanks for sticking around until the end, and I’ll see you next time.

Illumicrate Unboxing 9 – November 2017

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Sorry this post is late, but I am looking forward to talking about the ninth box from Illumicrate. Illumicrate, for those who don’t know, is a quarterly book subscription box that I signed up to a couple of years ago. And I’ve really enjoyed all boxes I’ve received to date.

I actually got this box late November/early December and I did an unboxing video, but I wasn’t happy with it. So instead (a lot late) I’ve decided to do this blog post, I hope you enjoy it.


So this is what’s in the box, and I have to say I’m very pleased with it. The presentation of the box was lovely, as always. There’s also a huge variety of items, which I really love. It’s actually on of the reasons I choose to subscribe to this box.

The fist item I’m going to talk about is the Reading in Bed Candle by merakicandles which I think looks lovely. It’s exclusive to Illumicrate, and it smells really chocolatey. The candle itself is a pale yellow, with a sprinkle of pink glitter.

The next item is the gorgeous Moon and Stars Necklace by ohpandaeyes. It too is exclusive to Illumicrate. I think it looks really lovely, and I really like the little bag it comes in – they both look soooo pretty.

So this is a first for me. I’ve never actually seen this item included in a book box before, but I really like it. The Bookish Tea Towel is by evannaveillustration and it feels really nice.

This is a really pretty book quote. I think I might frame it. It’s  “The Right Book” Print by nutmegandarlo, and is exclusive to this box. I think the quote is probably very true too.

This journal is really quite clever, and I liked the fact that it was included in the last Illumicrate of the year – brilliant timing. The Unicorn Journal is by prismofstarlings and is exclusive to Illumicrate.

I think all fans of Pierce Brown’s Red Rising series would be pleased to get this in their box.

This sampler is great for a taste of This Mortal Coil by Emily Suvada.

The penultimate item, this exclusive advanced reader copy of The City of Brass by S. A. Chakraborty, sounds like it is right up my alley. I’m really looking forward to diving into this.

Artemis by Andy Weir is the final item in this box. It’s an exclusive edition to this box with black sprayed edges, it also comes with a travel brochure and bookmark. Sci-fi is always pretty hit and miss with me, but I think this book sounds interesting.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this post. It’s a little more image heavy than my usual Illumicrate posts, so I’d love to know what you think of this format. Thanks so much for reading.

Illumicrate Unboxing 8 – August 2017

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The August 2017 Illumicrate.

As you can no doubt tell from the date, I am late (and not just a little) getting this post up on the blog. I was ill from mid-June to September, and then I just kept putting it off.  As we are edging ever closer to box 9, I thought I should probably get on with it and put up my thoughts about this quarter’s box. If you are thinking of signing up for a box you can find out more details on the Illumicrate website here.

I was pleasantly surprised by this quarter’s box. The book was actually one I had been thinking of buying anyway, and I almost asked for it for my birthday. So I am really looking forward to reading it. I also really liked all the items in the box, and I’m curious about the ARC.

The contents of the August 2017 Illumicrate.

Doesn’t it look pretty?! I’m also really happy with the packaging, as nothing broke in transit. The box may have been a little battered and bruised, but the contents themselves were fine.

The contents of the August 2017 Illumicrate (part 1).

  • The Red Church Tea by T-ology, which was exclusive to the box.
  • A Shakespeare Zip Bag with artwork by Miss Phi, which was exclusive to the box.
  • The Wisdom Journal designed by Hey Atlas Creative, which was exclusive to the box.
  • The Alethiometer Coaster with artwork by Hannah Hitchman Art, which was exclusive to the box.
  • The Book Money Jar and Sticky Bookmarks were by Blossom Books.
  • Ringer (Replica 2) by Lauren Oliver bookmark.
  • After the Fire by Will Hill bookmark.
  • Harper 360 autumn releases postcard.
  • The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden bookmark.
  • Moxie badges/pins.
  • A Wonder Woman pin/badge, which was exclusive to the box.

The contents of the August 2017 Illumicrate (part 2).

  • An exclusive edition (with red sprayed edges) of Wonder Woman: Warbringer (DC Icons, 1) by Leigh Bardugo (Goodreads)
  • An exclusive edition advanced reader copy of Nyxia (The Nyxia Triad, 1) by Scott Reintgen (Goodreads)

Congratulations for making it this far down the post. Let me know in the comments if you’re thinking of signing up for an Illumicrate (you can sign-up here), and what your favourite item from this quarter’s box is.

Illumicrate Unboxing 7 – May 2017

/ beckireads / 2 Comments

The May 2017 Illumicrate before I started.

This quarter’s Illumicrate didn’t arrive until the beginning of June, hence why this post is so late. I’m not sure why this quarter was a month late; it just was. If you are interested in signing up for an Illumicrate, the next is due out in August I think, then you can find more details on the website.

Too long, didn’t watch: Overall I was pleased with the box, a little disappointed that it sustained damage whilst in transit.

The contents of the May 2017 Illumicrate. There is a full list below with links where possible.

If you want to see more pictures of the contents of the box then be sure to check out my instagram.

Contents of this quarter’s box: