I’m never sure what to think about fandom neutral book boxes. However, I quite enjoyed the March 2023 one by Illumicrate!
About Illumicrate
Illumicrate is one of the best known UK book boxes that ship internationally. They offer both a full box and a book-only subscription, and the books they feature are generally YA fantasy, but they also include other genres and adult books. Next to their monthly subscription, they also have special edition boxes and exclusive editions.
The teaser
This is the info we received upfront:
- Entirely fandom neutral items inspired by Greek mythology
- YA fantasy standalone
- Bisexual heroine, F/F and M/F relationships between main characters
- Debut author
The goodies
As mentioned, this box was a fandom neutral one. It included the following items:
- A mini tea pot (the final item in the Greek mythology tea collection), designed by @niallcgrant
- A book pot, designed by @chattynora (next item in the book pot collection)
- A sticker sheet, representing Greek gods and goddesses, designed by @moehrenkunstshop
- A lunch bag, inspired by the underworld and designed by @creativewannabe_
The book
The featured book of the month is Lies We Sing to the Sea by Sarah Underwood.
“Each spring, a kingdom condemns 12 girls to die to sate the centuries-old curse a god placed upon their land. When one of the sacrificed girls wakes up on a mysterious island, she and the island’s lone resident form a plan: go undercover at the palace and kill the crown prince. If they succeed, the curse will be broken and no more girls will be sacrificed…but at what personal cost?”
The Illumicrate edition has a redesigned cover, digitally printed edges, foil embossing on the hardback, endpaper artwork, and is signed.