Our April theme is Dearly Departed! This month is dedicated to those with an affinity for death be that a necromancer, assassin, zombie hunter or vampire.
Our featured book this month is a YA standalone fantasy. A blood mage, who has stayed hidden from the royal family that binds her kind to spirit guardians, accidentally reveals her powers and is thrust into the life she had managed to avoid. Desperate to escape, but not knowing who to trust and with danger lurking round every corner, she forms a reluctant alliance with her spirit guardian to save them both from an unwanted fate. We loved the spirit of the main character, and her chemistry with her love interests (that’s right, there’s 2!). Our Illumicrate edition features exclusive stencilled edges and character art endpapers designed by @lilith_saur and will come with a signed bookplate & author letter. It’s a truly stunning edition! Both our full box and book only options come with the matching pin designed by @stacey.mcevoy.caunt
Items this month are inspired by Gideon the Ninth, Nevernight, The Beautiful, Dread Nation and more! This is one of our favourite boxes this year, and we can’t wait for you to see it!
The book at a glance:
- YA standalone fantasy
- Stencilled edges and character art endpapers by @lilith_saur
- Pansexual MC, M/F/F polyamorous relationship, F/F relationships, non-binary & asexual side character
Content warnings (Taken from the author’s Goodreads review):
- Death (lots, major and minor characters)
- Death of queer characters, but most main characters are queer
- Parent death, on page and off
- Violence
- Blood
- Gore
- Mild body horror
- Mild substance addiction (alcohol)
- Enforced gender roles
- Forced marriage and pregnancy (including rape, but the latter is off page, in the past, and not involving main characters)
- Threat of rape/abuse of the main character
