Prince of Swords — Elise Kova / FairyLoot Exclusive
Brad is already irritated that he has to wait until September.
FairyLoot's exclusive edition of Prince of Swords — Elise Kova's follow-up to Arcana Academy — opens to the general public on June 10. Clara Graysword is hunted and desperate. Her alliance with Prince Kaelis might be the only thing keeping her alive. Salvation or ruin.
The exclusive edition features a redesigned cover with foil by @micaelaalcainodesign, reversible dust jacket, and foil on the hardcover front, back, and spine — a collaboration with Hodder & Escape. Early access opens June 9 — 7am ET for US/Canada customers who received the FairyLoot Arcana Academy edition, 11am ET for all active subscribers. Public sale June 10. $32 USD + shipping (£24 GBP). Ships September/October.
Crate Expectations
The boxes you've been waiting on — themes confirmed, books revealed, waitlists noted. Your monthly crate check.
Illumicrate — June: Bad Reputation. A bad guy, a hero, and a fake feud that starts to feel real. Queer fantasy rom-com, nemeses to lovers, snarky as hell. The full box pulls from Assistant to the Villain, Sorcery and Small Magics, and V.E. Schwab's Villains. Subscription is waitlisted.
See the box · Join the waitlist · Spoiler alertAllurial — May: Sold Out. June now open! three limited edition picks, (Kissed by the Gods by Caty Rogan, The Anatomy of Magic, by Alexis L. Menard, or Dhampira, by Amy Pennza) you choose one. No waitlist. First book $9.99 with code SOLSTICE (normally $26.99). Free Morally Gray hat included.
See the box
Still on the shelf
The ones that stuck around. For now. Still out there. Still worth finding.
The Stars Are Dying (SE) by C.C. Peñaranda. If you've been curious about C.C. Peñaranda's Nytefall world, the special edition of The Stars Are Dying is on ThriftBooks at a price that makes it a low-risk entry point. USA Today bestseller, dark romantasy, slow-burn enemies-to-lovers.
Blink and You’ll Miss ‘Em
Brad has read both. He won't tell you which one he liked best. He did, however, earmark several pages.
Blood Over Bright Haven by M. L. Wang. FairyLoot exclusive, in collaboration with Del Rey UK. Magic academy, conspiracy, two outsiders who probably shouldn't trust each other. The romance is there — understated, well-done, not the heat-seeking kind. M. L. Wang is an author people are starting to pay attention to, and this edition is a good reason why. Ships July/August, FairyLoot subscribers get early access June 11th — public gets whatever's left June 12th.
Details at FairyLoot
The Knave and the Moon by Rachel Gillig. Sequel to The Knight and the Moth, FairyLoot exclusive with Orbit Books UK. Reversible dust jacket, foiled hardcover art, foiled character endpapers, sprayed edges. Digital signature. Ships November/December, previous Knight and the Moth owners get in June 15th, all active FL subscribers June 16th, public June 17th if anything's left.
Details at FairyLoot
Spotted in the Wild
Brad noted the $900 listing. He thinks the market is getting a bit out of control. He is, however, rushing to list his copy.
Empyrean Series True 1st/1st Signed Set by Rebecca Yarros. True first edition, first printing of all three Empyrean books — Fourth Wing, Iron Flame, and Onyx Storm — all hand signed, all with sprayed edges. Fourth Wing and Iron Flame are bookplate signed; Onyx Storm is signed in-book from the tour edition and comes with the Basgiath tote. Both include Lilac Library UK alt dust jackets. Iron Flame has the Chapter 17 dragon.
Listed at $575 or best offer. Condition: Very Good — seller notes some dust jacket wrinkling on the front cover, see photos before buying. For context: a single signed first printing of Fourth Wing is currently listed separately at $900.
On ebay as of 6/1
Throne of Glass 1–8 by Sarah J. Maas with Nerdy Ink Dust Jackets. A complete 8-book Throne of Glass set with matching Nerdy Ink hand-lettered dust jackets. Like New, US seller, $259.99 or best offer. Nerdy Ink does custom calligraphy-style jackets for existing hardcovers — on a full matching TOG set, the spines are the kind of thing that stops people mid-scroll. 34 people are watching it. Three have it in their cart. On ebay as of 6/1
On Brad’s Radar
Things worth your attention. Some close soon.
Omens and Oaths by Heather Hildenbrand. Three books, one spine, foiling and custom edges. Immortal Vices and Virtues world — fated mates, dark heroes, spice. Clean entry point if you're new, long-awaited if you're not. Closes June 5th.
Back it on Kickstarter
Kiss of the Black Flame by Helen Scheuerer. Helen Scheuerer (Legends of Thezmarr) opens a new romantasy trilogy with Kiss of the Black Flame — a gifted bookbinder, dangerous magic, a cursed immortal general. Simon & Schuster is releasing a deluxe limited edition hardcover: foil-stamped case, stenciled edges, custom illustrated endpapers. First printing only — pre-order now locks in the special edition. Ships September 22.
Pre-order via Flame and Fable
Mark those calendars
And if they aren't on your calendar yet, they should be. Brad has had these circled since the announcements dropped.
Sept 29, 2026 — new Empyrean novel from Rebecca Yarros
Oct 2026 — ACOTAR 6 from Sarah J. Maas
Special edition announcements for both will come fast and sell out faster. We'll be watching.
