UNBOXING | Illumicrate Collections: A Darker Shade of Magic

 

When I first read A Darker Shade of Magic a few years ago, I loved it immediately, so when Illumicrate announced they were releasing a special box for the book, I knew I would love to get one, and when it arrived it certainly exceeded all of my expectations! Everything in the box was beautiful and so creative, I was very happy with it and felt it was well worth the price.

Four Londons blanket, designed by Yoshi Yoshitani.

Dust jackets, designed by rosiethorns88.

Pin, designed by Stacey McEvoy-Caunt.

Cloth, designed by Victoria Ying.

Book sleeve, with artwork by Laia López and lettering by Chatty Nora.

The Essen Tasch banner, designed by Sylvia Bi.

Acrylic character figures, designed by Monolime.

 Special signed edition of A Darker Shade of Magic, with sprayed edges and artwork by Em Allen on the endpapers.

Everything in this box was so unique and inventive, opening it was such a delight. I have never seen acrylic figures in a book box before, and I thought the banner was such a brilliant idea too, those were both such fun items to include. I also love how beautiful the book sleeve, the pin, and the dust jackets are, they are really gorgeous, and the blanket is so soft! The cloth is such a cute little item too, I am sure it will come in handy for cleaning my glasses. The book itself is such a beautiful edition, I am very happy to add it to my shelf.

Did you get this box? What did you think? Let me know in the comments! If you would like to find out more about Illumicrate, their website is here.

Review: A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab

Name: A Darker Shade of Magic
Author: V.E. Schwab
Publisher: Titan Books
Date published: February 2015
Rating: 5/5

Kell is one of the last Travelers - rare magicians who choose a parallel universe to visit.

Grey London is dirty, boring, lacks magic, ruled by mad King George. Red London is where life and magic are revered, and the Maresh Dynasty presides over a flourishing empire. White London is ruled by whoever has murdered their way to the throne. People fight to control magic, and the magic fights back, draining the city to its very bones. Once there was Black London - but no one speaks of that now.

Officially, Kell is the Red Traveler, personal ambassador and Prince of Red London. Unofficially, Kell smuggles for those willing to pay for even a glimpse of a world they'll never see. This dangerous hobby sets him up for accidental treason. Fleeing into Grey London, Kell runs afoul of Delilah Bard, a cut-purse with lofty aspirations. She robs him, saves him from a dangerous enemy, then forces him to another world for her 'proper adventure'.

But perilous magic is afoot, and treachery lurks at every turn. To save all of the worlds, Kell and Lila will first need to stay alive - trickier than they hoped.

- From Goodreads.

When I finished reading A Darker Shade of Magic, I actually felt sad because it was over and I had really enjoyed reading it and had become so attached to the characters and the worlds. I just loved it all so much. The idea of the book is such a unique and inventive one that really captured your attention. It created so many intriguing possibilities, and it had such a fascinating past and background. The worlds were all well thought-out and it was obvious a lot of time and effort had gone into creating them.
Kell and Lila were amazing characters who I now love so, so much. They seemed so much like real, living people, they were well-rounded and developed, and they had flaws and made mistakes, but that only endeared them to you. They were so good, and strong, and, oh my gosh, I just want to hold them close to my heart and not let them get hurt.
There were so many little things in this book that I loved and that radiated with attention to detail. There was Kell's many-sided coat, which was completely and utterly brilliant, and which I now really want in my own life, as well as some other very stylish outfits, including Lila's fantastic masquerade ball costume, which was incredibly awesome. There was also the brilliant magical fights, the action of which was described  clearly and which were easy to follow, while at the same time remaining impressive and epic and everything you could want from a fantasy and adventure novel.
This was an excellent and marvellous story, and I am immensely excited for when I read the next one in the series, because from what I have read so far, it seems like it will be amazing!