Illumicrate #26: October 2024
My October Illumicrate was delivered in the first week of November at a parcel point. This month I had contemplated skipping, because the teaser indicated that it would be a YA crossover book. But then I read the rest of the teaser and couldn’t skip.
The theme for October was Colours of Magic, about how everything on earth and in heaven is imbued with the colours of magic.
The first item I unpacked was the one that made me not skip the box. A new book cover by @pauhami inspired by The Priory of the Orange Tree. I’m a huge fan of these covers and find them super handy to keep my beautiful editions fingerprint-free while reading.
Item two is also handy, but more of the trinket kind. A set of travel bottles to transport your favourite shampoo or body wash. The bag and bottles are nicely illustrated by @smugcomputer who got their inspiration from The Honey Witch.
Item three is also a winner! A set of washi tapes in a beautiful green color with gold foil. The designs are by @juliesofieart and were inspired by Gods of Jade and Shadow.
The last item is also beautiful, but less useful. A pin designed by @stacey.mcevoy.caunt and inspired by The Crimson Moth.
The October Illumicrate book is Until We Shatter by Kate Dylan.
No matter where she goes, Cemmy’s life is under threat.
The Church would see her killed for having any magic.
The Council of Shades wants her dead for not having enough.
So when her mother falls ill, Cemmy has no choice but to turn thief. And when she’s offered a job that could solve all their problems, it’s impossible to resist.
The catch? Cemmy will have to work with Chase – beautiful, dangerous, and full of secrets – to steal a powerful relic the Church has hidden within a deadly realm of shadows.
If she succeeds, Cemmy will finally be safe. But if she’s caught, she risks igniting a spark that could destroy the city – and everyone inside . . .
This sounds… okay? But also like hundreds of other books. So yeah, not immediately convinced to read this one based on the blurb, also knowing that it’s a YA.
Furthermore, the cover of the Illumicrate edition is also not that special. The illustration is the same as the normal edition, with slightly different colours and gold foil. Not ugly, but not really striking either.
I think the sprayed edges continuing the design of the cover is a nice touch, though. I’m a fan when things continue, so I think this is a success.
For the hardcover, Illumicrate continues to choose the route of printed illustrations, this time by @thecreepingmoon. Nice illustration, with a cool variation on the back that is probably meaningful to the story. Overall I like it, but its not as impressive as the one from 2 months ago.
The illustrations on the endpapers by @drea.d.art emphasize the YA character of the book. I appreciate the illustrations, but it does reinforce my idea that I will not pick this book up to read anytime soon.
The book also comes with a bound letter and a signature from the author.
While I am very happy with my new book cover and washi tapes, I am not really convinced that this box was worth my money.
Unboxings like this really illustrate that I need to pay more attention to spoilers for these book boxes and not get persuaded by a single item when my gut feeling tells me it probably won’t be worth it. But hey, that’s always easy to see and say in hindsight, lol.
Cheers,
Charlotte
