The Broken Binding Sub #3: January-February-March 2024

It’s been a while since I talked about my subscription with The Broken Binding.
After receiving my first two series from them, I received an invitation to upgrade my subscription from tier 2 to tier 1. However, the series that followed the Chronicles of the Wolf Queen did not really appeal to me and despite the overwhelming enthusiasm online for this series, I decided to skip it. Fortunately, this was allowed, while retaining my upgraded subscription, which comes with books signed and numbered by the author.
That’s why there was a six-month break between my next update about this subscription, but last month I received my third book from the next trilogy in their subscription, The Hanged God Trilogy by Thilde Kold Holdt

Following in the steps of Neil Gaiman & Joanne Harris, the author expertly weaves Norse myths and compelling characters into this fierce, magical epic fantasy.

A dead man, walking between the worlds, foresees the end of the gods.

A survivor searching for a weapon releases a demon from fiery Muspelheim.

A village is slaughtered by Christians, and revenge must be taken.

The bonds between the gods and Midgard are weakening. It is up to Hilda, Ragnar, their tribesmen Einer and Finn, the chief’s wife Siv and Tyra, her adopted daughter, to fight to save the old ways from dying out, and to save their gods in the process.

Mythology is something that has always fascinated and interested me. My focus was mostly on Greek myths and legends, but I also regularly read Norse myths. For example, I really love Neil Gaiman’s American Gods and I recently read the first two books in the Bloodsworn Saga by John Gwynne and I’m really looking forward to the third part. This is to say that my intrigue for this trilogy is really high!

But what has The Broken Binding done to the outside of the books?

As always, each book came neatly wrapped in beautiful gold paper tied off with a black ribbon bow. I’m really a fan of this packaging. Even though I paid for these books, receiving them always feels like getting a present! I also love the attention to detail, like how the sticker on the paper is always customised depending on the content.
This series was shipped between January and March, and I got to pick each book up around halfway through each month.

Normally each book also comes with its own specially designed bookmark and this was the case for the first book, until the folks at The Broken Binding noticed that they had forgotten to change the year from 2023 to 2024. Happens to all of us at the beginning of the new year. This problem was neatly solved by producing new bookmarks and sending all three of them with the last book!

Unlike the two previous trilogies I received in this subscription, this one comes with completely new exclusive dust jackets designed by @vargasni.
Very nice and I really like how the scenes continue across the entire cover! The illustrations predict a very brutal series, but my intrigue is further aroused by small elements, such as the animals that appear in each cover and the promise of magic.

Underneath the cover of the first book is a black hardcover with a continuous illustration in a bronze-coloured foil. look at that fox or dog on the back ♥.
The endpapers also each have a unique illustration in a breathtakingly beautiful realistic style. The illustration of those two fighters could almost be a photo!

Book two has a silver foil, but the illustration is in the same style and also continues across the three sides. The illustrator of this is @catrina_paints, who I mainly know through Instagram from the find Harold plates.
Book two also comes with two unique illustrations as endpapers. The one with the ship and the gigantic sea serpent is really beautiful.

Finally, the third and final book again has a continuous illustration, but in gold foil this time.
The endpapers also have beautiful illustrations by @reneaignerillustration. I can already see that this series will be heartbreaking, looking at that battlefield with the wolf and polar bear!

Since I am now a tier 1 subscriber, each book also comes signed and numbered. How nice is that last signature, with that sword added! I also think the signature itself is very cool!