Go Indie Now Book Subscription Box Review & Coupon – September 2016

Go Indie Now! is a monthly book subscription that brings you a mental vacation each month with a 4-D Reading Experience. For 20$ per month, you’ll received one or two self or independently published book as well as something to tantalized all five senses within a them related to the book.

There are three plans available in this subscription : General Fiction, Poetry and Romance/Erotica. I received the general Fiction.

Everything in the mailer was nicely packed in autumn themed plastic bag. Something smells like cinnamon. I guess that’s one of the senses! I love getting a handwritten note in my box, it makes the box a little more special. So I guess the theme for this month’s box is New Perspective? So, Alternate Realities? I’m down with that! Bring it!

Everything in the box. It seems we have one coloring book and two books! AWESOME! MORE BOOKS! Seriously, something is very very fragrant.

In one of the bag, we have bookmarks and a business card for AdventureScents. I guess that’s for the sense of smell.

Included in the box, the letter from the curator with a description of the content of the box.

So let’s start with the senses! There’s an envelop “To Taste”, one “To Hear”, an art print, a little knitted pouch and something to touch.

To Smell = Steam Engine Scent Pack by AdventureScents (5$). Key scents : Steel, Coal, and Smoke. AdventureScents makes unusual scents based on common adventure locations. I can smell what they were going for, and yes I could associate it to steampunk-type location, but I cannot shake the feeling there’s cinnamon in it. It’s quite an earthy, spicy fragrance, and I could enjoy it from a distance. It comes in a handknitted pouch that your suppose to wear on you, but the fragrance is too strong for me. I love the little pouch though, and I might reuse it to carry something more mundane in my purse (pill box, for example) as I really like the texture of the yarn used. By the way, this was knitted by the owner of Go Indie Box.

To Hear = Steampunk Playlist, To Taste = Gear Shaped Pasta Salad Recipe

A playlist linked to the month’s book is created each month to be enjoyed will reading. In the letter, they mentioned it was accessible through their facebook page, but I couldn’t find it. But I easily found the channel on youtube. I find it quite interesting to have a dedicated playlist for a book, I usually read in silence. But the music is nice.

The recipe is quite easy! I need to find gear shaped pasta, but I will try it.

To See = Steam Frog Artprint. I love that frog and the details on the ones on the side. It will find it’s way in a frame at some point, it’s very nice. It was designed by Ashley, the owner of Go Indie Now. After reading the book, I can say this is spot on!

To Touch = Steampunk Themed Book Jewelry OR Crocheted Gear Coaster. I’ve received the Book Jewelry in a rich rusted brown colour. This is an interesting item, I had never heard of Book Jewelry before. The feel of the yarn is great! I’m not sure if fits with the book, beside the colour and the gear, but it’s nice.

On to the books! This month, we received an Adult Coloring Book and two fiction books.

Bookish by Martha Sweeney ($14.99). This is hilarious! It’s full of bookish references, list to make (there’s a To Be Read list), well known sentences (just one more chapter). It’s a fun take on the coloring book trend. The pages are single sided, so you can colour with anything you prefer. Great Book! There was no information about this item in the letter from the curator, but I thought it was a nice touch!

The Surrendered by Case Maynard ($9.95). Published by Blaze Publishing, this is a dystopian, coming of age, young adult novel.

After a financial collapse devastates the United States, the new government imposes a tax on the nation’s most valuable resource―the children.

Surrendered at age ten―after her parents could no longer afford her exorbitant fees―Vee Delancourt has spent six hard years at the Mills, alongside her twin, Oliver. With just a year to freedom, they do what they can to stay off the Master’s radar. But when Vee discovers unspeakable things happening to the younger girls in service, she has no choice but to take a stand―a decision that lands her on the run and outside the fence for the first time since the System robbed her of her liberty.

Vee knows the Master will stop at nothing to prove he holds ultimate authority over the Surrendered. But when he makes a threat that goes beyond what even she considers possible, she accepts the aid of an unlikely group of allies. Problem is, with opposing factions gunning for the one thing that might save them all, Vee must find a way to turn oppression and desperation into hope and determination―or risk failing all the children and the brother she left behind.

This is a bonus book. The setting sounded interesting, but it is sadly not my cup of tea. I could not relate or care for any of the characters, and even though the setting was intriguing, it wasn’t enough to keep me interesting. But I know a lot of people who enjoy dystopian YA like Hunger Games or Divergent, so I’ll pas this along to someone who I’m sure will love it!

The Cogsmith’s Daughter by Kate M. Colby ($12.95). Published by Boxthorn Press, owned by Kate M. Colby, this is a Steampunk Fantasy driven by revenge.

In a desert wasteland, one king rules with absolute power and unquenchable lust, until the cogsmith’s daughter risks everything for vengeance.

Two-hundred years ago, the steam-powered world experienced an apocalyptic flood. When the waters dried up, the survivors settled around their steamship in a wasteland they named Desertera. Believing the flood and drought were caused by a scorned goddess, the monarchs demanded execution for anyone who commits the unforgivable sin—adultery.

Today, King Archon entraps his wives in the crime of adultery, executing each boring bride to pursue his next infatuation. Most nobles overlook King Archon’s behavior, but when Lord Varick’s daughter falls victim to the king’s schemes, he vows revenge.

When Aya Cogsmith was a young girl, King Archon had her father executed for treason. Orphaned and forced to turn to prostitution for survival, Aya dreams of avenging her father’s death. When Lord Varick approaches Aya with plans for vengeance, she agrees to play the king’s seductress—even though it puts her at risk for execution.

I had some 1001 nights vibe while reading the back cover. I would not have picked the book by myself based on the synopsis, but it was quite an interesting read for my introduction to steampunk. Although there was a bit of gear, a lot of the aesthetics, but none of the steam! I like the setting (the struggle of people left in a desert with only steam-powered technologies). I wish we would have known more about the past, about the culture of the people. I found the ending bittersweet, so I might pick up the second book just to have closure for some of the characters. It was fun to read, pretty light, and enjoyable. The box also includes a short interview with the author where she mentions that 1001 Nights were the first spark for this book!

Fun fact : while reading the book, I could smell the scent pact that was included in the box as the fragrance had permeated the pages! It wasn’t too strong, so I really enjoyed it!

This box has a lot going on! The value of the box surpass easily the subscription without included the value of the handmade items and the thoughts behind the other goodies. This is a great box to discover new books and new authors from publishing houses that we don’t hear from often. I enjoy encouraging indie authors, but there are so many of them out there that it’s nice to have someone to go through them and pick some Coup de Coeur to share. On top of that, you have a nice experience delivered to you with items and tools to cater to every senses! There’s a lot of soul from the owner behind everything in this box. I’ve enjoyed this box quite a lot and I’m looking forward to discover even more new authors.

Visit Go Indie Now! to subscribe or find out more! Save 10% on your first box! Use coupon code  ACCIO10 or GIMMENOW.