Subscription box: Illumicrate
Theme/Month: Academic Rivals, November 2025
Ownership: Subscribed on their 6 boxes option. If you are interested in purchasing an Illumicrate subscription, you can do it on their website.
Illumicrate is a book subscription box that usually features fantasy and sci-fi, and curates a wide range of books, including both young adult and adult fiction. It usually contains a new release and several bookish goodies.
I have to admit this was one I didn't remember as much from last year, but it was all about academia again (there's been quite a bit of focus on academia type of novels, dark or otherwise). From memory they had revealed the book ahead of time, and it wasn't one I didn't particularly want but I also wasn't crazy about it.
Let's go over the contents, starting from the left and going towards the right:
Puzzle, jigsaw, whatever you call it. Cute, I liked that it basically has a celebration of the books it has done through the last 10 years as it was an anniversary jigsaw.
The already known book, which was A Rather Vengeful Accord by Danielle Knight and I admit I have no real opinion except I am not crazy about getting to read it, so if I end up reading it great, if not, that’s ok.
A calendar which as always delightful illustrations, I am just sad it is a wall calendar instead of a self-standing (as I used the one from the previous year on my desk and love it so much that I ended buying one for my desk for this year since theirs was not a desk calendar). I also wish the cover was a bit more catching, but still, I like they give a yearly calendar.
Underneath the items there’s a laundry bag, and honestly I like that they send nicely useful things that can be taken around and not just for shelf display. Useful to traveling and splitting things, though the design felt a bit bland for me.
A monthly leaflet as always
And above the leaflet, we have an iron on patch. Now I am definitely NOT a fan of patches because I don’t have anything to put them on, so they end up not staying as I have no use for them, but I love the design and colours of this one even if I won’t use it.
So as I already mentioned, the overall box felt very forgettable. Yes a laundry bag and jigsaw are nice (and I am definitely someone who likes making puzzles and spending time on them), but it just felt a bit empty and not really a god box, just a bit bland and not amazing. Definitely hope the calendar this year is self standing, because I do wish I could use them on my desk.
