Illumicrate

Illumicrate Unboxing 5 – November 2016

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Just in case this is not obvious from the title, this post contains ‼️spoilers‼️ for the November 2016 Illumicrate!

Here’s what I thought of the November 2016 Illumicrate. If you want to see what I thought of previous boxes you can find the play list here. Or if you’re interested in checking Illumicrate out for yourself you can find details here.

What’s in the box:

  • I’ll Be Home for Christmas gift tag
  • Sparrow + Wolf Coffee Cosy [exclusive]
  • Holding Up the Universe/All the Bright Places cards
  • Unconventional postcard
  • Wolf by Wolf and Blood for Blood tattoo transfers
  • Caraval by Stephanie Garber postcard
  • The One Memory of Flora Banks by Emily Barr sampler
  • Evil Plans Notebook by House of Wonderland
  • Replica by Lauren Oliver poster
  • Happy Sock Company – socks
  • Six of Crows cardholder
  • AIDAN Candel by Meraki Candles [exclusive]
  • Blood for Blood by Ryan Graudin
  • The Diabolic by S. J. Kincaid + letter from author, signed bookplate and bookmark

Are you subscribed to a book subscription box? If so, which one do you use and what do you think of it?

Review: Nevernight by Jay Kristoff

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Nevernight by Jay Kristoff (UK edition)

Nevernight by Jay Kristoff (UK edition)

Title: Nevernight (The Nevernight Chronicles, 1)
Author: Jay Kristoff
Genre: Fantasy, Sword & Sorcery, Young Adult
Publisher: Harper Voyager (11th August 2016)
Blurb:

From bestselling author, Jay Kristoff, comes a dangerous new world and a heroine born in darkness.

Destined to destroy empires, Mia Corvere is only ten years old when she is given her first lesson in death.

Six years later, the child raised in shadows takes her first steps towards keeping the promise she made on the day that she lost everything.

But the chance to strike against such powerful enemies will be fleeting, so if she is to have her revenge, Mia must become a weapon without equal. She must prove herself against the deadliest of friends and enemies, and survive the tutelage of murderers, liars, and daemons at the heart of a murder cult.

The Red Church is no ordinary school, but Mia is no ordinary student. The shadows love her. And they drink her fear.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4 stars)
Review:

NEVERNIGHT is the first book in a delightfully dark fantasy trilogy by Jay Kristoff. In this book we are introduced to Mia Corvere who was ten years old when she was given her first lesson in death. She is sixteen when the book starts, and is ready to take the first steps on the path to keeping the promise she made on the day she got her first lesson in death. This book introduces Mia and her world, and shows us the beginning of her story – when she attends the Red Church, which is no ordinary school.

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Review: When We Collided by Emery Lord

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When We Collided by Emery Lord

Title: When We Collided
Author: Emery Lord
Genre: Contemporary, Young Adult
Publisher: Bloomsbury Childrens (7th April 2016)
Blurb:

Seventeen-year-old Jonah Daniels has lived in Verona Cove, California, his whole life and only one thing has changed: his father used to be alive, and now he’s not. Reeling from the tragedy, Jonah must take care of his family.

Enter Vivi Alexander, new girl in town.

Vivi is in love with life. A gorgeous, unfiltered hurricane of thoughts and feelings, she transforms Jonah’s family and changes his life.

But there are always consequences when worlds collide . . .

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4 stars)
Review:

WHEN WE COLLIDED by Emery Lord tells the story of Jonah Daniels and Vivi Alexander two seventeen-year-olds in Verona Cove, California. Jonah has lived in Verona Cove all his life. The only thing that has changed for him is the death of his father, and then everything fell apart. Vivi is the new girl in town. After a chance encounter Jonah notices her love of life and he and his family slowly get pulled into her orbit, or maybe she falls into theirs. Whatever happens, that summer two people’s lives collide in this gloriously dreamy story. Every action has a consequence.

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Illumicrate Unboxing 4 – August 2016

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Surprise! Despite everything going on at the moment I have actually managed to get this out on time – go me! My Illumicrate arrived last Wednesday and I thought you might like to see what’s in it. So I’ve done an unboxing video you can watch if you want, and I’ve also included photos of the items in the box. Needless to say there will be !Spoilers! beyond this point if you haven’t got your box yet.

If you’ve never heard of Illumicrate before it is a UK based subscription service. It is a box that contains a book and some other bookish goodies. It costs £29.99 (plus P&P if you live outside the UK). You can find out more information and sign-up for updates about the next box here: http://www.illumicrate.com/ . Needless to say I’m not  affiliated with them, I just enjoy the boxes!

The video for those who want to watch:

 

The items in this quarter’s Illumicrate are:

  • A gift card from MyBOOKMark
  • Drink Me Strawberry Tea by Post Tea
  • Jay Kristoff signed bookplate
  • Laure Eve signed bookplate
  • Torch Against the Night by Sabaa Tahir sampler
  • Red Rising inspired artwork
  • Temporary Tattoos based on The Graces
  • A letter from Laure Eve
  • Postcard about Unboxed by Non Pratt
  • The Graces by Laure Eve
  • Nevernight by Jay Kristoff bookmark
  • Coloring Quotes by Ashley Poston
  • Trio Coasters by Taratjah Art
  • In Omnia Paratus tote bag by Colorful Geekiness
  • Nevernight by Jay Kristoff

I hope you enjoyed this unboxing. I really enjoyed this quarter’s box, and I’m curious to see what the next Illumicrate will bring.

Review: Truthwitch by Susan Dennard

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Truthwitch by Susan Dennard

Title: Truthwitch (A Witchlands Novel, 1)
Author: Susan Dennard
Genre: Fantasy, Swords & Sorcery, Young Adult
Source: Illumicrate, Box 2
Publisher: Tor (14th Januaey 2016)
Blurb:

IN A CONTINET ON THE EDGE OF WAR, TWO WITCHES HOLD ITS FATE IN THEIR HANDS

Young witches Safiya and Iseult have a habit of finding trouble. Afterclashing with a powerful Guildmaster and his ruthless Bloodwitch bodyguard, the friends are forced to flee their home.

Safi must avoid capture at all costs as she’s a rare Truthwitch, able to discern truth from lies. Many would kill for her magic, so Safi must keep it hidden – lest she be used in the struggle between empires. And Iseult’s true powers are hidden even from herself.

In a chance encounter at Count, Safi meets Prince Merik and makes him a reluctant ally. However, his help may not slow down the Bloodwitch now hot on the girls’ heels. All Safi and Iseult want is their freedom, but danger lies ahead. With war coming, treaties breaking and a magical contagion sweeping the land, the friends will have to fight emperors and mercenaries alike. For some will stop at nothing to get their hands on a Truthwitch.

Rating: *** (3 stars)
Review:

TRUTHWITCH by Susan Dennard is the first book in an interesting new series called The Witchlands Series. It introduces us to a new world full of magic and on the cusp of war. The book follows the story of two young witches Safiya and Iseult who have a history of getting themselves into trouble. When the story starts, they end up getting themselves into a far deeper trouble than they expected to.

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Illumicrate Unboxing 3 – May 2016

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This post has been one I’ve wanted to write for a while, but unfortunately I managed to tweak my right arm which has made typing challenging. So, sorry for the delay.

The video of my unboxing for this quarter’s Illumicrate is a little different from the previous videos. If you decide to watch it I would love to hear your feedback – did you like it? If you want to skip the video then there are pics below it.

So for those of you who haven’t heard about Illumicrate before:

Illumicrate is a UK based subscription service. It is a box that contains a book and some other bookish goodies. It costs £29.99 (plus P&P if you live outside the UK). You can find out more information and sign-up for updates about the next box here: http://www.illumicrate.com/

The items in the May 2016 Illumicrate are:

  • Book Club Mug by The Art of Escapism
  • To Read List Note Pad by Goodnight Boutique
  • Bookworm Clip by My Bookish Mark
  • Ex Libris Stamp by Little Stamp Store
  • Readers Gonna Read Pin by Literary Emporium
  • When We Collide by Emery Lord + signed book plate
  • Jenny McLachlan Badges
  • The Square Root of Summer Recipe Card
  • Mystery and Mayhem Postcard
  • Strange The Dreamer by Lani Taylor Sampler

I think this is a complete list, please let me know if I’ve missed anything.

Review: Wolf by Wolf by Ryan Graudin

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Wolf by Wolf by Ryan Graudin

Title: Wolf by Wolf (Wolf by Wolf, 1)
Author: Ryan Graudin
Genre: Alternative History, Historical Novel, Young Adult
Source: Illumicrate, box 1
Publisher: Indigo (5th November 2015)
Blurb:

Once upon a different time, there was a girl who lived in a kingdom of death. Wolves howled up her arm. A whole pack of them – made of tattoo ink and pain, memory and loss. It was the only thing about her that stayed the same.

Germany, 1956. Over ten years since the Nazis won the war.

Seventeen-year-old Yael is part of the resistance, and she has just one mission: to kill Hitler.

But first she’s got to get close enough to him to do it.

Rating: ***** (5 stars)
Review:

WOLF BY WOLF by Ryan Graudin tells the story of Yael who lives in a world where the Nazis won the Second World War, and she is part of the resistance. A decade after their victory, when Yael is seventeen she is given the mission to kill Hitler.

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Illumicrate Unboxing – February Box

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Illumicrate is a UK based subscription service. It is a box that contains a book and some other bookish goodies. It costs £29.99 (plus P&P if you live outside the UK). You can find out more information and sign-up for updates about the next box here: http://www.illumicrate.com/

The second box from Illumicrate arrived in the post on Monday, and like the first one I thought I would do an unboxing video of it. I have also included photos of the boxes contents below, as well as links to the people who made them. Let me know in the comments below what you think.

The items included in the Illumicrate are:

*The book also came with a signed bookplate and a postcard.

You can find my review for The Girl Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick here.

Illumicrate Unboxing

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Illumicrate is a UK based subscription service. It is a box that contains a book and some other bookish goodies. It costs £29.99 (plus P&P if you live outside the UK). You can find out more information and sign-up for updates about the next box here: http://www.illumicrate.com/

This is the first Illumicrate, and actually my first subscription box. I have been thinking about signing up to one for a while but for various reasons I haven’t up until now. I was super excited to get this and find out what was inside. You can watch me open the box in the video below, or skip past that straight to the pictures.

The items that came in the Illumicrate are:

I am really glad that I signed-up to get this box. I think it – and other services like it – are really neat. I loved what I got in this box, and I’ll definitley be signing-up to get the next one.