Fairyloot Adult #24: February 2024
Just about halfway through February I received my Adult Fairyloot of that month. For this subscription service, this timing is fairly standard (if nothing goes wrong with customs of course), even almost to the early side.
The theme for February was Vikings and here too the speculation about the possible book was quite unanymous.
Also take a look at this beautiful theme card from @blanca.design. So I had very high expectations about the appearance of this upcoming edition!
The book is A Fate Inked in Blood by Danielle L. Jensen.
I haven’t read anything by this author before, but I recognize her name, linked to the popular romantasy series The Bridge Kingdom. This new book also falls under the romantasy genre or fantasy with a fair bit of romance:
Freya’s dreams abruptly become reality when her husband betrays her to the region’s jarl, landing her in a fight to the death against his son, Bjorn. To survive, Freya is forced to reveal her deepest secret: She possesses a drop of a goddess’s blood, which makes her a shield maiden with magic capable of repelling any attack. It was foretold such a magic would unite the fractured nation of Skaland beneath the one who controls the shield maiden’s fate.
Believing he’s destined to rule Skaland as king, the fanatical jarl binds Freya with a blood oath and orders Bjorn to protect her from their enemies. Desperate to prove her strength, Freya must train to fight and learn to control her magic, all while facing perilous tests set by the gods. The greatest test of all, however, may be resisting her forbidden attraction to Bjorn. If Freya succumbs to her lust for the charming and fierce warrior, she risks not only her own destiny but the fate of all the people she swore to protect.
This sounds interesting and Fairyloot’s edition only increases my interest!
Once again we received a completely redesigned cover, which I like a lot more than the original! The original is certainly beautifully designed, but I notice that I prefer somewhat more abstract covers. I’m certainly a fan of illustrated characters, but I prefer them inside my book rather than on the cover.
So I’m definitely a big fan of this new cover
Under this cover, the hardcover received a fairly standard Fairyloot treatment, but one that I always enjoy!
The cover is in a very light white-gray/silver-gray colour with an illustration of our two main characters in gold foil by @sashac_art. Really a very nice, detailed foil illustration!
The book block is spray-painted all around in a deep blue colour, matching the blue of the cover, and illustrated with Celtic knots and a runic pattern.
The book itself is also hand signed by the author.
And if you thought the outside of the book was already so beautiful, see these beautiful illustrations as endpapers!
I think these are really one of the most beautiful illustrations I have ever seen. Totally a fan of this style (also from @sashac_art) and it makes me extra curious about the story!
Many people seem to like the original version of the cover better than this one from Fairyloot, and this shows once again that my taste differs a lot from the majority, because for me this edition is absolutely TOP and the reason why I remain subscribed to these special editions. I think the entire book is a real gem and secretly hope that Fairyloot will continue to collaborate with this illustrator, because when I take a look at her instagram, I’m really drawn to het style!
Cheers,
Charlotte
