Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks

Okay, I’m no stranger to Illunicrate. I’ve bought dozens of items second-hand through sites like Mercari. I even joined the panic to buy their Locked Tomb Book Set (which was worth it, btw). But until recently, I’d never actually been subscribed to them.

Naturally, I decided to change that (the fact that they ship from the US now helped me make this decision). I knew going into this subscription that I would probably only keep it for a month or two, but I thought it would be a fun experience while it lasted, you know?

To be clear, I really did go into this expecting to cancel in a month or two, but not because I expected to hate it! I’m trying to keep my bookish subscriptions to a minimum, after all. Plus, I signed up while on the waiting list for Illumicrate’s Evernight subscription, so I always intended to switch over when that became available (to me, the box isn’t new).

Don’t worry about spoilers. The box I’m reviewing (Hidden Magic) is over a month old, so it should be safe for everyone to read.

Packaging

The packaging for Illumicrate is iconic, to put it simply. It was a highlight of my day to see my mail carrier walking up with that bright yellow box! Best of all, the box seemed to do an excellent job of protecting everything inside, and really, that’s the most important bit.

Zhara (Guardians of Dawn)

The box I received contained Zhara, which is a book that had been on my TBR list. I was happy to cancel my other order, knowing that I now had a much prettier version of the book in my hands.

I have to say; I can see why fans gush over the customization that Illumicrate does. They really do go above and beyond. Zhara is stunning. The edges are probably my favorite bit, but then again, I always like sprayed edges, regardless of stenciling.

Other customizations include a signature by the author, full-color hardback printing, and end-paper artwork. The endpaper artwork is probably my second favorite part of the whole thing. That said, the completed look is perfect.

The Goodies

As expected, my Illumicrate box came with several goodies worth talking about! First and foremost is the mug, inspired by the Priory of the Orange Tree. I’m ashamed to admit that I still haven’t read this book (still! What is wrong with me?!), but I’m hoping the arrival of this pretty mug will help motivate me.

Next is a bookmark set. Personally, I’m not wild about character art like this. Since I’m not part of this fandom (The Mortal Instruments), this item was underwhelming for me, though I will say the artwork itself is stunning, so no shade on the artist.

The book tin is arguably my favorite item in this box. It’s inspired by Sorcery of Thorns (loooove it) and is already full of bookmarks. Because I am a bookmark hoarder, and I know it.

The final item in this box was a little box of washi tape, which is so cute! It’s four rolls in total, all inspired by House in the Cerulean Sea. So, I love this washi tape. I will probably hoard it for a special occasion that will never happen.

Overall, I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised by my Illumicrate unboxing, and I was expecting it to be good. However, this will probably be my only box of this subscription for a while because I already got off the Evernight waitlist! I wasn’t expecting it to happen that quickly, but I’m certainly not going to complain. Stay tuned for my review on the first (well, my first) box.