Illumicrate #30: March 2025

I skipped February’s Illumicrate. This is the first time I’ve ever made and followed through on this decision!
Even before I knew what the book would be that month, I had already figured out that I probably wouldn’t be interested in it, based on the hints at the theme reveal. Later, I also learned about a lot of controversy surrounding the author of the chosen book (the author is said to have and promote some unsavory political views), which only reinforced my decision to skip it.

March, on the other hand, appealed to me.

The theme for March was Haunting Spirits with a Fantasy debut aimed at adult readers.

The first item was one of my favorite Illumicrate collectibles: a book pot!
This will be the fifth one I think I’ve received and another fun one to add to the collection! Inspired by lush, enchanting forests and untrodden paths and designed by @chattynora. I’m considering making this into a unique knife block for smaller paring knives, by filling it with rice or white sand.

Item 2 is something completely new for Illumicrate. I had seen other book subscriptions with a similar idea and was always a bit jealous. Not anymore!
This is an embroidery kit, including fabric, thread, hoop, and needles. The forest theme continues with this “Warden of the Forest” design from Where the Dark Stands Still, designed by @forensicsandflowers. Now to learn how to embroider, lol.

The third item is again from a collector’s series, the first of which was in the May box last year. This is a magnet depicting a well-known location from a book. This is Blunder from One Dark Window designed by @No0nedesigns.

The fourth and final item feels like a bit of an uninspired filler. A single wooden coaster inspired by The Jasmine Throne and designed by @perrycuffdesigns

The book of the month was The Prince Without Sorrow by debut author Maithree Wijeskara, a book that I’ve seen on many “anticipated” lists and of which the cover of the paperback edition particularly caught my eye. Not that the synopsis doesn’t seem interesting, but I notice that I’m falling less and less for these short blurbs, because they’re all written according to exactly the same formula and eventually all sound the same, lol.

Drawing on inspiration from the Mauryan Empire of Ancient India, debut author Maithree Wijesekara plunges readers into the first amazing book of the Obsidian Throne trilogy, a new fantasy series of hunted witches, romantic angst, and political intrigue. Perfect for fans of The Hurricane Wars and The Jasmine Throne.

A prince born into violence, seeking peace.

Prince Ashoka is the youngest son of the tyrannical Emperor Adil Maurya. Considered an outcast by his father for his rejection of the emperor’s brutal onslaught against the witches of the empire, Ashoka longs for change. When the sudden and unexpected death of his father leaves the monarchy in disarray, Ashoka is sent to govern a tumultuous region annexed by Emperor Adil that is terrorized by nature spirits—a task many see as doomed to fail. Suspected by a disdainful governor and evaded by distrustful witches, Ashoka must question his rigid ideals and fight against becoming the one person he despises the most—his father.

A witch shackled by pacifism, seeking revenge.

Shakti is a a witch bound by a pacifist code. After witnessing the murder of her aunt and village at the hands of the emperor, Shakti hurtles down a path of revenge, casting a curse with unexpected consequences. Posing as a maidservant in the famed palace of the Mauryas and armed with newfound powers beyond her imagination, Shakti attempts to dismantle the monarchy from within by having the royal progeny ruin themselves and turn their father’s legacy into nothing but ash.

In a world where nature spirits roam the land, and witches are hunted to extinction, Ashoka and Shakti will be forced to grapple with the consequences of to take it for themselves or risk losing it completely.

Unfortunately, Illumicrate didn’t do anything with that paperback illustration that had caught my eye, but instead made a modified version of the standard hardcover. Too bad, because while it’s not ugly, it also feels a bit generic, while I thought the paperback cover looked just so unique.

The hardcover itself is covered in a standard black fabric, with illustrations by @juli_artwork in gold foil, both on the front and back. The jaguar is clearly recognizable on the front, but for the illustration on the back I had to look more concentrated to see the path in the forest.
I do wonder if the jaguar is the right animal, given the tiger on the cover. But then the paperback illustration shows a deer and a flying snake, so the story will probably contain a lot of animals!

As usual, the book block also contains an illustration, this time taken directly from the new cover, which I always think is done nicely, and here too.

The front and back endpapers come with unique illustrations by @jaded.draws. I think this illustrator has a really nice style and the illustrations here are really cool in terms of composition and perspective. Still, they remind me more of a younger book, than an adult fantasy. It seems like this book will be another one that is somewhere on the border between YA and adult, so verdict will have to follow!

The book also comes with a bound letter from the author and a digital signature.

All in all a bit of an average box. I’m especially happy with another book pot and the embroidery kit. I think the book is a bit so-so. I’m afraid I’ve gotten used to too much by now, and this felt a bit like an easy, uninspired edition. I think I’m especially disappointed with the cover, which could have been so much more unique given the illustration with the deer and flying snake for the paperback!