The Broken Binding Fantasy Sub #8: May-June-July 2025
Three months have flown by once again, which means I’ve received another complete fantasy trilogy in my The Broken Binding subscription. Even before I had received the second book of the previous series, The Broken Binding had already revealed what their series for May, June, and July would be.
The next trilogy comes from a veteran in the field: Raymond E. Feist with his iconic Riftwar Saga. This series is considered a classic within the epic/high fantasy genre, with the first book originally published in 1982.
The world had changed even before I discovered the foreign ship, wrecked on the shore below Crydee Castle, but it was the harbinger of the chaos and death that was coming to our door.
War had come to the Kingdom of the Isles, and in the years that followed it would scatter my friends across the world. I longed to train as a warrior and fight alongside our duke like my foster-brother, but when the time came, I was not offered that choice. My fate would be shaped by other forces.
My name is Pug. I was once an orphaned kitchen boy, with no family and no prospects, but I am destined to become a master magician…
Raymond E. Feist is an author whose name I had heard a lot. His works are often mentioned in fantasy circles, and I had promised myself that I would eventually dive into them. With all the new releases, I hadn’t gotten around to it yet, but now The Broken Binding has given me a little nudge! The synopsis itself doesn’t immediately strike me as unique or exceptional, but all the artwork in this edition piques my curiosity about the bizarre and magical world in which this series is set.
As we’ve come to expect from The Broken Binding, the books arrived perfectly packaged. Each copy was not only wrapped in plastic bubble wrap and honeycomb paper but also presented as a small gift in gold paper with a black ribbon. I was initially a bit worried about the first book, as the gift paper was torn… but thankfully, that was a false alarm.
The May book came with a map of the fantasy world but without the accompanying bookmark. That was neatly included with the June book.
The covers of this edition are once again breathtaking. I would recognise the artist behind these illustrations anywhere: @jeffbrown_graphics. The colours, the sense of movement, and the magic that leaps from the illustrations are truly stunning.
When you open the covers, the illustration continues seamlessly and reveals even more secrets about the story. For example, with the third book, I only realised when opening it that the three characters were riding a dragon (I think?) – such a beautiful detail.
But it is the illustrations on the hardcovers themselves that ignite my fascination with the story, due to their almost eerie and absurd atmosphere. The artwork is by @martinuche and the creatures he depicts range from majestic to grotesque. Their immense scale compared to the fighting human figures in the foreground immediately gives me an ominous feeling.
The sprayed edges use the main colours from the cover illustrations and wonderfully convey the magic of the series. What I only discovered once I had all three books in hand is that the illustrations on the edges flow seamlessly from the first, over the second, to the third book. Absolutely stunning!
Inside, the endpapers are once again a visual feast. @allenmorrisart created stunning scenes that will likely gain a lot of meaning as I dive into the story.
As always with my Tier 1 sets, all the books are numbered and signed by the author.
The accompanying bookmarks with quotes are also a lovely addition: both a souvenir from the box/month and practical for reading the book.
What a stunning, beautifully curated set from The Broken Binding! Initially, I was mainly curious about the story because of its classic status, but the extensive artwork and thoughtful editions have immediately placed this series higher on my reading list. I’m very excited to see if the magic of the illustrations carries over into the story itself.
Cheers,
Charlotte
