Before I begin discussing Allurial, I want to mention that I signed up for Allurial on my own volition and have not been paid for this review or received any material compensation. I just want to help people decide how to best access books and reading!
What is Allurial?
Allurial is a romantasy-only book subscription box that claims to have special, limited edition books. Subscribers will have the option of three books each month from which to choose. All Allurial editions are limited, meaning once they are sold out, they will not be restocked.
How does it work?
At the start of each month, Allurial will feature 3 new romantasy books. Subscribers will then have until the 6th of the month to log in and pick one of the monthly selections or skip the month. If you choose to skip, you will not be charged, and the book “token” (i.e., credit) you already paid for will roll over to the next month. our token for the current month will roll over and can be used towards add-ons. However, if you do not choose a book or skip by the 6th of the month, your subscription will be renewed, and you will be charged for an additional token at the end of the month. There is a limit though. Unused tokens for active subscriptions expire after 12 months. If you cancel, tokens expire in 60 days. After you sign up, you are locked into both the first month you order and the following month.
How does Allurial measure up?
Book Selection
Allurial selections are exclusively romantasy. Thus far, there have not been any selections that are solely fantasy or solely romance. The books are also intended for adults and not intended for young adults.
My only critiques of Allurial is that they have underestimated demand, making books quickly out of stock. In the service’s second month, two of the three books sold out very quickly. However, due to issues with printing, Allurial had to print additional copies which they also restocked online. Allurial also sold out of all the book selections from the previous month by their second month. Hopefully once Allurial finds its footing, there will be less urgency to immediately order books once they drop.
In its first month, Allurial selected one debut and all books were the first installment of new series. However, Allurial did not provide this information. As a result, I ordered a book thinking it was a standalone novel and was disappointed to find out that it ended on a cliff hanger. In its second month, Allurial chose two books that are first installments and one book that is the second installment of planned series. The July selections published in June or the beginning of July. The August selections published in the second have of July. So, thus far with shipping times, Allurial is not actually providing any early releases.
Book Quality
Despite the customized edition, holographic book casings, and fancy end pages, Allurial wins the award for worst quality of any book box I have tried. The book casing is similar to the quality of Book of the Month. The paper stains simply from the oil of your fingers. The pages are the thinnest of any book I have ever picked up. In addition, my book came misprinted – the title pages plus the first 26 pages were upside-down and backwards. While Allurial quickly replaced the book once I sent them pictures of the issue. However, a lot of people had issues with misprinted or damaged books in August, and customer service was reportedly slow to respond.
The book jacket is the same design as those available commercially with the addition of an Allurial logo on the top right corner of the cover as well as the spine. In addition, the back cover has the month and year as well as “Allurial”. It does not display the typical text of a commercial book jacket.
Underneath the jacket, the book has the title and author on the spine in foil. The back is also stamped with the month, year, and Allurial branding.
Price
A token or Allurial subscription is $26.99 + tax per month (which includes shipping). If you would like more than one of the books, additional books after the first are $19.99 + tax. You can add up to two additional books to your box. Allurial does have a guarantee that if you do not enjoy your selection, they will replace it for free in your next box. There was an initial offer to sign up and receive your first book for $9.99. However, that offer is no longer available. Now, you can sign up and receive your first box for $19.99.
Customer Service
Because my book arrived misprinted, I reached out to customer service through the website. They asked that I send pictures of my damaged book before they replaced it. Others have reported slow responses from customer service.
Shipping
My box did not ship until the 7th of the month, despite placing my order on the 3rd. This means that it took multiple days to prepare the box prior to shipping. I received my box on the 11th. The box was shipped from Hanover, Pennsylvania. My box arrived damaged although the book was not affected. Other people have waited in August more than 2 weeks for their boxes to ship. This was likely caused by the need to prints additional books.
Incentives/Rewards Program
Right now, Allurial does not have a rewards or member incentive program. The service also does not have any way to refer other customers and receive something in exchange.
Website
Allurial’s website is sleek and easy to navigate on a computer or a phone. It mirrors the website for Book of the Month.
For each books, the website provides a short synopsis (a.k.a. “hot take”), major tropes (e.g., enemies-to-lovers, morally grey, forced proximity, and forbidden love), a spice level, a Tiktok creator video, full synopsis, special edition features, and an excerpt.
My Verdict
Not Worth It
The suggested retail price for first edition hardcovers range from $30.00 to $32.99. Meanwhile, new paperback books typically cost $19.99. (Yes, you can typically find them discounted on Bookshop.org or Amazon. However, Amazon lowers its prices to undercut its competitors, hurting independent bookstores and authors.) So when you order a book through Allurial, you are either saving around $3-5 or paying $7 more for a hardcover edition (rather than a paperback).
Another factor to consider is that many new fantasy and romantasy releases already have the features (e.g., foil cover, fancy end pages, and sprayed edges) that Allurial is offering and without all of the Allurial branding. While Allurial editions are unique from other editions, they come at the cost of prominent branding on the book jacket and the book itself.
Unlike Book of the Month, Allurial does not offering its selections ahead of their release date; consequently, you will typically receive your Allurial box after a book’s publication date. But Allurial does offer a satisfaction guarantee if you do not like a book.
For me, the cost is too high for the quality of the book and the long shipping times, particularly when a majority of Allurial selections are published with special features. I may consider Allurial for books that are published as paperbacks, since I have a strong preference for hardcovers. Otherwise, I think Allurial is best for individuals who are big on collecting special editions.
