r/thebrokenbindingsub

Got my first "Adult Fantasy" subscription book from Owlcrate last week for their month of August book. It's pretty much a "romantasy" book instead of a fantasy book so I gave it to my 17 year old daughter as that's not really my thing.

Other than the book content itself the quality of the book is a couple steps behind the majority of the books from The Broken Binding and seems just a standard trade hardback with a fancied up dust jacket and end papers. The text block itself is quite mediocre with thin low quality paper, zero extra illustrations, and low end glue bound. I probably will NOT keep the Owlcrate sub but will see what arrives next before deciding fully. What do you all think? How do they compare in your opinion?

I did a video on the book and compare it to a few books from The Broken Binding including their glue bound The Dungeon Book and their sewn bound Piranesi from the Fantasy subscription. Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dr-w5815KAM

So pumped I got this

It was an error after all!

Arcane Society is doing a special edition of Empire of the Vampire and I'm not sure whether to get it or not. I would prefer a BB edition, if they ever decide to offer us one. My hopes are that it will be included in the Fantasy Subscription at some point. I already ordered the Nevernight Special Editions from The Locked Library. What do you think?! Any help is appreciated. Thank you. :)

The gollancz edition is more expensive, but it also adds a lot more i think

Really hoping they can swing sewn binding and acid-free paper for these 🤞

FIVE HUNDRED Great British Pounds for books that have cost £120 and he's got 3 sets...

...edit... I'm muting this now the seller has found his way here and is hounding the replies...my final words: There were three listings on his account, now there's one. Maybe it was a Vinted bug but more likely two have been deleted

Secondly, these weren't shipped as a set, they were shipped two books at a time months apart. The wrapping hasn't been removed. These were always going to be sold at a premium regardless of whatever the seller claims about a stolen bike 😂

I only just received Piranesi today as I had it sent to me via a package forwarder. I thought I would share some comparison pictures of both sets.

[Potential minor spoilers in the pics for earlier chapters in the stories]

I have to say that although the Folio books are a significant bump up in quality the TBB books with their improved specs need not be embarrassed to stand next to them.

I think the cover and slipcase of the Folio Piranesi is absolutely spectacular and is a real standout—even if bound in paper unlike JS&MrN. However, although I find Julian de Narvaez's art really atmospheric, I think Alice Cao's pen and ink art for TBB win out for me interior wise. The dense linework somewhat echoes Giovanni Batista Piranesi's copperplate etchings and engravings to an extent and seem very appropriate for the book since his labyrinth series of etchings inspired the world of the book.

For JS&MrN its much harder to compete with Charles Vess though. I read that Vess's artwork was itself an inspiration for Susanna Clarke in creating the character of The Gentleman so it was very appropriate that it came full circle and he illustrated her books for Folio later. The standout art for me on the TBB edition is the exterior (endpapers in particular) more than the interior but even they get overshadowed by unusual foldout endpapers on the Folio edition.

I didn't include any detail pics of The Ladies of Grace Adieu and Other Stories since TBB didn't do an edition (its a shame). But this too is Vess illustrated, in fact he illustrated the trade edition with some drawings and the Folio edition uses the same along with new colour paintings he did.

Between the two sets the most glaring gap in quality for me is the paper on TBB. It might be acid free but its quite thin and doesn't compare to the very nice Abbey Pure Rough used on the Folio books.

Anyway even as an owner of the Folio books, I'm very pleased to have the TBB set; Piranesi in particular for the fantastic artwork.

DISCLAIMER : THIS IS NOT MY PHOTO

However, this has been brought to my attention from a post i made on Facebook, this is one of several issues with lonsome dove ...now i know that for some reason issues with broken binding books gets down voted alot, but my only intention is to.make those aware , if you have boughg for yourself and not unwrapped it yet, or if your buying this book as a gift for someone , or you just havent got round to go through this beautiful book yet.... now is the time to think about checking it , as issues such as this never seem to be an isolated case .. so.be sure to.check.your copies that you have .