Our Illumicrate September theme is . . . DARKER ACADEMIA!
These hallowed halls of learning harbour something dark and restless.
Our September Illumicrate book is A Dark and Drowning Tide by Allison Saft! Sent on a quest by a king seeking the power of a magical spring, a determined folklorist knows it is the perfect chance to prove herself. But when her mentor is murdered, she must team up with her infuriating (and beautiful) academic rival to uncover the truth. Caught between her dangerous expedition mates and the mysterious forest surrounding them, what she discovers may make her question the motives of her mentor and the kingdom itself.
Our Illumicrate Exclusive edition is a Royal hardback and features:
- A redesigned cover (by @niallcgrant; design by @chattynora)
- Full colour printing and foil on the hardback utilising the US cover art (by @audreybenjaminsenart; design by @chattynora)
- Digitally printed edges (by @niallcgrant)
- Illustrated endpapers (by @hopechristofferson; design by @chattynora), different front and back
- Bound-in author letter
- Bonus material
- Signed by the author
Our September box is inspired by the theme of dark academia and is fandom-neutral. Our next puzzle will be in this box, and we will also be including a useful item with artwork by @lichen_and_limestone.
The book at a glance:
- Adult fantasy standalone
- Featuring: redesigned cover; full colour printing and foil on the hardback; digitally printed edges; illustrated endpapers; author letter; bonus material; signed by the author.
- F/F romance; lesbian main character, lesbian love interest, queer side characters; Jewish main character; German folklore
Content warnings:
- Violence, including graphic descriptions of blood and injuries
- Murder
- Past death of a sibling (on page in flashback)
- Antisemitism and scientific racism
- Nationalism and imperialism
- Grief and PTSD
- Emesis
Open subscription spots will be offered exclusively to our Illumicrate waitlist. You can join the subscription waitlist here.
