Illumicrate #44: May 2026
You were still owed the May Illumicrate from me. This was another one of those boxes where I hadn’t really kept track of what was inside, making the unboxing a real surprise.
The theme of the month was Fatal Fortunes, with the slogan: Fortune favours the brave and the bold, but some fortunes may be fatal for all those involved.
Oh yes, a new book jacket! And one inspired by The Knight and the Moth, at that. The design by @marymetzgr really hits the nail on the head. Instantly recognizable to anyone who knows the book, beautifully illustrated, and simply a very nice cover to protect a hardcover. Very happy with it, Bartholomew!
At first I thought this was a sketchbook or notebook, but it turned out to be a sticker album where you can store stickers and reuse them later.
The cover is designed by @rosdottir and is inspired by Immortal Consequences, a book that, to be honest, doesn’t immediately ring a bell. I do think the illustration is very beautiful, though.
The third item is a keychain with a beautiful pendant full of fine details, designed by @thebitterseason. Here, I actually recognized the source of inspiration, The Raven Scholar, immediately, even though I haven’t read the book yet.
The last item is a set of stickers with truly stunning illustrations by @artbysarahmason. If I ever pick up my reading journal again, I can definitely see myself using these to brighten up a page. Moreover, the designs are inspired by this month’s book, so I might just save them specifically for when I read that book.
The book of the month was Blood Bound by Ellis Hunter.
You duel or you die.
Astrid has always known she is destined to die. She is the last Nachstern witch and heir to the Queendom of Arturea, cursed by a centuries-old covenant to duel the heir to the Kingdom of Vatra for the source of all magic: the Heart. And now Astrid’s time is up. She is heading into enemy territory to face Prince Zryan, the most powerful dragon rider in eons, with only her familiar, her potions, and her wits to aid her. She is going to die, and any chance her queendom has of curing the Blight that’s ravaging the lands and killing her people will die with her.
Meanwhile, deep in dragon country, Skylar and her travelling troupe arrive in Vatra’s capital, ready to profit off the legions of spectators swarming to the city ahead of the duel. She despises the royals and all they stand for, especially as the King’s guard murdered her mother. But when her best friend disappears, suspected to have been taken in the conscription, her search takes her closer to the royals than she ever could have imagined.
As the duel looms over the kingdom, Skylar and Astrid’s fates intertwine. They must battle a growing rebellion, their inner demons, and ultimately, those they love most, to determine if together they will save—or doom—their world.
Although the book market seems to be flooded with dragon riders lately, I actually haven’t read that many myself. I’ve avoided Fourth Wing a bit, since the huge hype surrounding it had the opposite effect on me. But the combination of dragons and witches sounds very interesting here, so I’ve definitely become curious about this story.
Ooh, wow… Illumicrate really went completely in their own direction here and I am a huge fan of the result! This beautiful illustration by @yasu.art.studio appeals to me much more than the standard cover. The transition between light and darkness is beautifully executed and all the elements feel like they are perfectly in place. Of course, the dragon immediately catches the eye, but for me, that flying panther completely steals the show. Truly a cover that keeps inviting you to look at it again.
OOOOH… there’s that flying panther again! And he’s been joined by some other cool, beautiful beasties. Here too, the illustration plays with the contrast between light and dark once again. In that sense, the design by @mad_brake ties in nicely with the cover, even though the colours are much more subdued.
And the sprayed edges are absolutely top-tier too. It’s a little bit of a shame that the illustration doesn’t extend all the way across the top and bottom of the book block, but the front alone makes a huge impression. The colours match the cover perfectly, and the illustration by @isvoc is full of depth. I almost feel like I can touch those dragon scales.
On the endpapers, we get two extensive illustrations by @palinlineart. The colours truly pop off the pages. The second illustration, in particular, screams “romantasy” very loudly and, to be honest, strongly reminds me of the atmosphere of Sarah J. Maas, so this could turn out to be a very fun book.
Furthermore, the book contains bonus content and a bound author’s letter with a digital signature.
Yes, I actually thought this was quite a strong Illumicrate box. Perhaps not the most memorable in terms of items, although they are all beautifully executed, but the book jacket and that book alone make the entire box worthwhile for me. The illustrators have really done a fantastic job here, and the complete edition feels very well thought out and cohesive.
My next Illumicrate unboxing will be the July one. I actually skipped the June box after I learned which book would be inside. The story sounds quite nice in itself, but not like something I necessarily wanted a special edition of in my collection. So, it was finally time to use one of my skips.
Cheers,
Charlotte
