Illumicrate ‘In The Shadows’ June 2020 Unboxing
I am so ready for my Illumicrate box this month! Definitely in need of a pick-me-up. This month’s Illumicrate ‘In The Shadows’ box completely sold out, which is unsurprising for two reasons. Firstly, the big reveal for this month is that it contains a @rosiethorns88 mug themed on V.E. Schwab’s the Villains duology. Secondly, the book this month is highly sought after and Illumicrate are giving us a unique edition! So excited for this unboxing.
The Book of the Month
The Illumicrate ‘In The Shadows’ box unsurprisingly contains The Court of Miracles by Kester Grant. This edition has an exclusive rose gold cover, which looks gorgeous. The sprayed edges and end papers are lovely. Most exciting however is the naked hardback, which is absolutely stunning. Illumicrate boasted that this is one of the most stunning books they have ever included and I 100% agree! Plus the actual story sounds epic too.
The Court of Miracles is a Les Misérables retelling set in an alternate of Paris in 1828, where the French Revolution has failed. The Court of Miracles is comprised of underworld criminal guilds including the Thieves Guild to which Nina (Eponine) belongs. When a ruthless lord of the Guild of Flesh is attracted to Nina’s naive adopted sister Ettie (Cosette), Nina does everything she can to keep her safe. To escape from Tiger they venture to the glittering royal courts. Nina’s choices could set off a brutal war between the guilds but is it a price worth paying to keep her sister safe from Tiger?
Illumicrate ‘In The Shadows’ Box Contents
- Pin of the month
- Rosiethorns88 Mug
- Fan
- Metalmark
- Tea Towel
- Art Print
Pin of The Month
I am so pleased that Illumicrate merged their pin club with their book box subscription. The pins always looked lovely but I couldn’t justify the additional expenditure each month. It is a lovely idea to have a pin themed on the book of the month as it ties the box together really well. This month the pin is obviously based on The Court of Miracles. The design seems fitting, although obviously I haven’t read the book yet. I like that the white enamel has glitter in it, which doesn’t quite pick up on the photo but I promise it is there. The inscription ‘Nous somme d’un sang’ roughly translates to ‘We are of a blood’. This suggests that it is connected to the underworld criminal guilds but I look forward to finding out more.
Rosiethorns88 Mug
As I have already mentioned this was one of the items that was announced for the box. I love Rosie’s artwork so much and it has been great collecting the mugs. The first two mugs were definitely my favourite but I had already read the books they were themed on. I’ve been wanting to read the Villains series for ages so this is a great prompt to do so. This is a really nice mug and I particularly love the detailing on the characters. You can tell they come from a papercraft rather than from a flat image. The colour and pattern are very recognisable to anyone who has seen the book covers for Vicious and Vengeful too.
Fan
Yay a fan! Illumicrate couldn’t have more perfect timing as the weather has turned seriously HOT over the past couple of days. I loved the fan that they included in the ‘Saints and Scars’ special edition box and am really pleased to see one in their monthly boxes. This fan is themed on Nevernight, saying “I am the war you cannot win” and is a nice simple design. It is going to get some serious use, starting right now!
Metalmark
Everyone loves a woodmark but I feel like a metalmark is even better. This one is gorgeous and it caught my eye as soon as I opened the box. It is themed on the much loved Serpent & Dove, with a different design on each side. I adore the character artwork by Viktoria Ridzel, it is seriously gorgeous. The quote design by @herpaperworld is pretty too and says “Love makes fools of us all darling”.
Tea Towel
Love, love, love this tea towel! Firstly, it is huge for a tea towel. Secondly, this design is awesome! If you didn’t recognise it from the pictures then this is Arya’s kill list from the Game of Thrones series. Arya is a serious badass and I think this is such a great item to put her list on. Handily, it has a loop in the top corner so you can hang it up to dry. It is made of nice thick material so should last forever. Pretty much like Arya’s grudges.
Art Print
Art prints can be rather hit or miss (April’s was definitely a miss) but WOW this month’s is a huge hit for me. I haven’t read Crescent City yet but knew immediately that this was Sarah J. Maas themed. The card is nice and thick, the foiling perfectly highlights the print and the art is beautiful. This is 100% getting framed and going on my wall.
Illumicrate ‘In The Shadows’ – My Thoughts
After two months where I haven’t been wowed by Illumicrate boxes I am thrilled to say that this box is spot on. I think there is a great mix of useful items. Obviously anything that has Rosie’s artwork is a winner in my book and I really hope that Illumicrate work with her on other items once the mugs have finished. Oh gosh, please give me a tapestry by her and I will subscribe to you forever. Or a collection of cushion covers…. Back to this box though, I am really pleased with the high quality art print. The book is truly beautiful and I congratulate the Illumicrate team on doing such a great job with it.
I love Illumicrate as a company and I think it would be remiss not to mention how they have recently made significant stands. Firstly, they have been supporting the BLM movement (as should we all), via their social media accounts. They have also decided not to continue with the Harry Potter themed book sleeves after the transphobic comments made by the author she-who-must-not-be-named. They will be continuing the collection based off other fictional worlds, which I am really excited about (Velaris and Narnia please!) I really appreciate that Illumicrate have set their business to the side to stand up for what is right. They have my support not just because of the high quality of their boxes but because they will make tough decisions for the greater good of their subscribers. So thank you Illumicrate team.
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