Fairyloot Adult #50: June 2026
The June Fairyloot Adult box was without a doubt one of the boxes I was looking forward to the most this year. Very early in the year, spoiler accounts started speculating about which book Fairyloot would choose for June, and those predictions were almost unanimous. It involved a new book by an immensely popular author, one whose series I had previously read that completely won me over.
When Fairyloot finally announced the monthly theme, that speculation was effectively confirmed. From that moment on, I could only look forward to seeing what Fairyloot would make of this edition.
The theme for June was Legends, with a book that would be perfect for lovers of medieval fantasy, arranged marriages, and mythological creatures. The theme card alone leaned entirely into that medieval atmosphere, and I immediately felt that this was going to be totally my thing.
The book of the month was, of course, The Unicorn Hunters by Katherine Arden, the author of the fantastic Winternight Trilogy.
Now Brittany is occupied by her enemies, her treasury empty, and only one thing is lacking to complete her realm’s subjugation: she is required, on pain of the sword, to marry the King of France.
But Anne cannot. She has promised her dead father that Brittany would never be conquered.
Defiantly, she betroths herself in secret to France’s greatest enemy. But in a world where courts may spy on each other by magic, there is only one way to solemnize this illicit union.
Under the guise of a hunting party, Anne takes her court deep into a deep forest, a strange place dogged with rumours of ancient enchantments; a place where diviners cannot see. She tells the French that she had gone there to hunt unicorns.
It’s a ruse, a lie, a feint.
But when, against all expectations, a unicorn does appear and a wounded stranger stumbles from the trees and falls at her feet, Anne is plunged into a world of enchantment where a doomed sovereign might find the power to change the destiny of her nation – or be lost in the mist for ever.
And yes… admit it, how amazing and original does this story sound? The synopsis alone makes me incredibly excited. I really can’t wait to start this book.
For this edition, Fairyloot designed a completely new cover, with graphic design by @lydiablagden and illustrations by @jasonchuangart.
And… wow. What a beautiful cover.
The illustration, the colours, the composition, the font… to me, everything here is truly perfect. The cover feels rich, luxurious, and at the same time completely as if it comes from a medieval story. Honestly, I don’t think Fairyloot could have made this cover much better.
As usual, on the back of the cover we find the standard cover in a modified colour variant. I am slightly less enthusiastic about this, though. The pink, in particular, feels like a bit of an odd choice to me. I think red, matching the roses on the Fairyloot cover, or even the blue of the flowers, would have worked much better. The green is also just a little too intensely saturated for my taste.
But anyway, ultimately that doesn’t really matter much. I prefer the Fairyloot cover over the standard cover without any doubt, both in terms of illustration and overall appearance. The new version really wins for me by a wide margin.
Oh, look! This is exactly what I mean when I say I want a book to look like it came straight from the Middle Ages.
The hardcover was illustrated by @sheydgarden and I am completely in love with it. That unicorn looks deliberately a bit clumsy and somewhat disproportionate, exactly like you often see animals in medieval miniatures. That is precisely what makes it perfect to me. The colours, the ornate decorations, the font… it reminds me of old manuscripts, tapestries, and illuminated manuscripts.
♥♥♥ For me, this is truly a perfect hardcover.
The sprayed edges, also designed by @jasonchuangart, effortlessly continue that same style. The colours complement the cover beautifully and ensure that the entire book forms one coherent whole.
The endpapers also remain true to that medieval feel. The character illustrations by @annalisejensen might look slightly less sleek and polished than what we are usually used to from Fairyloot, but that is precisely why they fit so incredibly well here. They truly feel as if they come from an old illustrated manuscript.
Furthermore, the book also contains a bound author’s letter with a digital signature and bonus content.
YES… Wow. For me, this is a perfect edition in terms of atmosphere and appearance.
Every element of the design works together and exudes the same medieval atmosphere. This is without a doubt one of my favorite Fairyloot editions of recent years.
There is actually only one small downside.
Despite how phenomenal the design is, I do get the impression that the physical quality of this book is slightly less than what I am used to from Fairyloot. The dust jacket feels remarkably thin and light; I am almost afraid it will tear when I pick it up. The book block itself also feels a bit fragile in the hardcover.
Additionally, I really miss headbands here. For such a luxurious edition, that feels a bit like a missed opportunity. This particular book, with its beautiful medieval appearance, would have benefited enormously from them.
Fortunately, that does not detract from how incredibly beautiful this edition has turned out. If this story turns out to be as good as this version, then this could very well become, in every respect, one of my favorite books of the year.
Cheers,
Charlotte
