What’s inside a Rainbow Crate box?
Here’s a different spin to my book reviews – a review of the physical book.
For a couple of years now, I’ve been subscribing to Rainbow Crate. If you haven’t heard about them, they are a company that sends out monthly LBGTQIA-themed book boxes to subscribers. Check out Maya’s interview with Danielle Chambers, co-owner of Rainbow Crate to find out more about this company.
Each month is themed and used to include one hardcover book, an author signature plate, trinkets, and fan art. The trinkets were related to book titles that were in the same genre as the monthly theme. Recently, Rainbow Crate has decreased the number of trinkets and will now be sending out two books. This month, I received two books with designs that are definitely worth a shout-out.
Sixteen Souls by Rosie Talbot
Sixteen Souls is about 16-year-old Charlie, a bilateral amputee, who can see the spirits that linger in the alleys and “snickleways” of York, Europe’s most haunted city. Seeing spirits is hard on Charlie. He hasn’t told anyone he started seeing them after he nearly died, and if he pays too much attention to them, they start following him home. About the time Charlie notices spirits are going missing, he meets Sam, an irritating new seer who feels it’s their responsibility to find out who, or what, is responsible for the disappearing spirits. Charlie only wants to get involved once a befriended spirit goes missing. As they search for clues to the missing spirits he can’t help but wonder when did Sam go from irritating to interesting? I loved all the British slang, and had to stop and look up numerous terms like “snickleways.”
If this title intrigues you, check out these posts:
Best Laid Plans by Roan Parrish
A beautiful reading experience
Sixteen Souls by Rosie Talbot, has to be the most stunning book I now own. The dust jacket is stunning in itself, and once you remove it the hard cover is also beautifully foiled (by @jamielynnlano). Wait, there’s more. The page edges are illustrated (by @writingrosereads) making a stunning wrapper overall for a great book!
Front cover and author signature card
Back cover with illustrated edges
The Restless Dark by Erica Waters
The Restless Dark by Erica Waters, came with not one but two dust jackets. The first is the traditional jacket. The second, created by @VickyWhoDraws, has glow-in-the-dark elements and nutritional facts.
The Restless Dark takes place in Cloudkiss Canyon, a national park with a dark history. It has been two years since Lucy evaded the Cloudkiss Killer, closely avoiding being one of his victims. Rumoured to have died after he lept to his death, the Cloudkiss Killer’s body was never found. Lucy has come back to Cloudkiss Canyon to take part in ‘Killer Quest’, a true-crime podcast event to find the killer’s bones. By doing so, she is hoping to lay her fears to rest. At ‘Killer Quest’, Lucy meets Carolina, a true crime fan with memory issues and a fear of her own rage. She also meets Maggie, a psychology student, who arrived a week early to get the feel of the place. The three girls join forces to find the killer’s bones and win the week-long Killer Quest, but the foggy canyon doesn’t let go of its secrets easily. Neither do the three girls . . .
Give into The Restless Dark, and find out what happens.