Fairyloot Adult #46: December 2025
The very last book box of 2025 was a bit of a let down for me. Not so much because I was disappointed with the book itself, but mainly because of the carelessness in packing it. Unfortunately, that immediately sets a tone that’s hard to completely ignore.
Anyway: FairyLoot does have the honor of closing out the 2025 blogging year, so let’s take a look at what they had in store this month.
December’s theme was Dagger & Dynasty. Not exactly a theme that immediately sparks my imagination, and to be honest, I find the design of the theme card a bit lazy. Quite generic, lacking in atmosphere. The accompanying buzzwords — revenge and retribution, morally gray characters, and a tough female protagonist — are certainly interesting, so this box wasn’t completely written off.
The book of the month was Dawn of the Firebird by Sarah Mughal Rana.
Khamilla Zahr-zad’s life has been built on a foundation of violence and vengeance. Every home she’s known has been destroyed by war. As the daughter of an emperor’s clan, she spent her childhood training to maintain his throne. But when her clansmen are assassinated by another rival empire, plans change. With her heavenly magic of nur, Khamilla is a weapon even enemies would wield—especially those in the magical, scholarly city of Za’skar. Hiding her identity, Khamilla joins the enemy’s army school full of jinn, magic and martial arts, risking it all to topple her adversaries, avenge her clan and reclaim their throne.
To survive, she studies under cutthroat mystic monks and battles in a series of contests to outmaneuver her fellow soldiers. She must win at all costs, even if it means embracing the darkness lurking inside her. But the more she excels, the more she is faced with history that contradicts her father’s teachings. With a war brewing among the kingdoms and a new twisted magic overtaking the land, Khamilla is torn between two impossible vengeance or salvation.
Wow, this book is immediately being compared to some BIG titles. Overconfident, or rightly so? Based on the blurb, the story itself sounds interesting, though I’m a bit worried about the quality of the editing. I think there are a few sloppy mistakes and strange sentence constructions (like “torn between two impossible”… two impossible what, exactly?). That’s why this isn’t exactly a book that’s pushing itself to the top of my TBR.
FairyLoot provided this edition with a completely redesigned cover featuring artwork by @monafinden. It’s undoubtedly a technically strong and impressively detailed illustration. And yet… I’m a bit conflicted.
A character front and center on the cover is simply difficult for me. It tends to give books a slightly more childish feel, and that clashes with what an adult fantasy should convey. So I’m not sure if this cover really works for me.
On the back, FairyLoot chose to show the standard cover, but with a modified colour palette. And I personally think that works much better. The original version in blue and orange tones is already beautiful, but these softer pastel colours perfectly match the whole “dawn” theme of the title.
Given my reservations about the new cover, there’s a good chance I’ll flip this FairyLoot edition over and display the standard cover on the front in my bookcase.
Oh wow — FairyLoot really scores here. The hardcover features an elaborate gold foil illustration, designed by @aeadraws. Rich, detailed, and truly beautifully executed. This is the kind of hardcover that exudes luxury even before you open it.
And then… the sore point. If you have a keen eye, you might have already spotted it: my copy arrived quite damaged. The box itself was completely intact, so this isn’t the fault of the delivery service this time. It strongly appears that both the damage to the cover and the tears at the bottom of the hardcover were already there before packaging.
I contacted FairyLoot about this immediately, but given the time of year, I’ve only received an automated confirmation of receipt so far. I sincerely hope I get a replacement, or at least a decent compensation, because I find this rather shameful for a box set at this price point.
Back to the book itself: the sprayed edges are once again illustrated by @monafinden, and they are truly impressive. The illustration extends across all three sides and is perfectly aligned. Beautiful colours, strong composition, and a phoenix that truly shines. Absolutely nothing to criticize here.
The endpapers also feature illustrations by @monafinden. Beautiful landscapes, lots of birds, and characters that work much better here than on the cover, in my opinion. While I’m not a 100% fan of the main character on the dust jacket, I do find these illustrations on the endpapers a great asset.
The fact that FairyLoot consistently used the same artist for all the character illustrations also creates strong visual cohesion throughout the entire edition, which I really appreciate.
The book also includes a bound letter from the author with a digital signature and a bonus chapter.
All in all, this is another beautiful FairyLoot edition, but one that I find difficult to be truly enthusiastic about due to the damage to my copy. The artwork is undoubtedly strong, but the frontal character covers remain a stumbling block for me. Add to that the fact that I haven’t heard much praise for the story itself so far, and my enthusiasm remains somewhat subdued.
So yes, a sad ending to 2025. Hopefully, 2026 will start with a bit more care, sharper choices, and, above all, a damage-free experience.
Cheers,
Charlotte
