Unboxing Secret Project #3

Since the start of these Secret Projects, Dragonsteel has had some delays in sending out the physical books, due to a combination of problems with the printers and shipping companies. Personally, I don’t really mind, since we do received the books in e-book format in our inbox the first of the month anyway.
Meanwhile, the delays seem to be all but over as my box with book #3 left America for its long journey to Belgium 11 days after I received the ebook!

I did have a small heart attack due to bad communication from FedEx.
The scheduled delivery date was when I was on vacation, but luckily you can change the date to ensure you are home for delivery. But while I was still abroad, I received the notification that my package was delivered to my home on the original date. No mention was made who had received the package and I was afraid they had just left it on the curb!
Fortunately I was able to trace the delivery, which turned out to be delivered to one of my neighbors. But still, not really a pleasant experience! What’s the point of letting people change the delivery date to make sure they’re home, if you then ignore that?

Anyway! Let’s switch to something more fun: the unboxing!
You could already read my review of the story here, but now let’s see what a beauty the actual physical copy is!

Unlike my previous two boxes, this box looked almost perfect. The worry this time was about the delivery and not about possible damage, lol.

Again the box looks pretty much the same as the previous two times, but again a different quote was placed on the box.
As you can also see, the content is not just the book, but again a few extras.

Which is why there is a spoiler card.

The extra goodies are of the same type as previously, but of course adapted to better suit the book.
First, there’s the collectible pin featuring a character from the Cosmere. This is Shallan from the Stormlight Archive.
This time the sticker is one for the in the book frequently visited noodleshop. In itself a nice idea and very appropriate, but given the beautiful illustrations in the book, I had hoped for something more. I know, I’m getting quite spoiled and possibly desensitized 😉

Finally, the sturdy bookmark with an illustration from the book on both sides.

And now the star of the box, the book!
Another one worthy of a tremendous chef’s kiss. It’s bound yet again in a buttery soft imitation leather in a deep blue colour. The cover art is partially embossed and features details in electric blue, fluo pink and gold foil.

Really, once again so so beautifully made! And I really love the cover illustration (which is also fitting for the story).
You can also clearly see the inspiration from the mock-up version, but unlike book #2, this is really a beautiful new elaboration.

The only thing I’m a bit sad about is that the cover is once again blue. It would have been nice if each secret project book had its own signature colour (Tress = green, Handbook = blue) so that we got a beautiful colour palette in our bookcase. For example, a fuchsia-purple would also have really fit this book #3, while also being appropriate for the story.
Anyway, this is nitpicking on my part and I always want things in purple 😉 . So despite my remark, I still find this such a beautiful cover, blue and all!

The inside quality is once again just as impressive as the outside, starting with these endpapers at the front and back of the book.

Inside the book, the many accents are in the signature colours of Painter’s world: blue and pink.
The cover artwork is redone in the two colours and the neonhion lines of Painter’s world are used to separate the different parts of the story.

Once again, everything has been thought of, right down to the chapter numbering. This time two different mini-illustrations, depending on whose perspective the chapter is told from. Painter gets an appropriate bamboo illustration, while stacking stones were provided for Yumi.

Furthermore, there are a lot of full-page illustrations. Either on the same paper as the text, with the line-art having a blue/pink wash.

Or on luxurious glossy paper with full-colour illustrations.
(If you do not mind spoilers, I discovered you can browse through all featured illustration on Brandon Sanderson’s wiki: Coppermind Yumi interior art)

The artist for this book is Aliya Chen and she really is the perfect fit! Certainly go visit her website, because, wow!!

So I am once again over the moon to have this beautiful book, which is also a real work of art, in my possession!

Cheers,
Charlotte