Overview
Books ordered –
- The Founding: A Gaunt’s Ghosts Omnibus by Dan Abnett (Warhammer 40,000) [Paperback]
- Eisenhorn: The Omnibus by Dan Abnett (Warhammer 40,000) [Paperback]
Price(s) + Delivery/Shipping charges –
₹1,026/- and ₹1,035/- respectively (NOT MRPs) [ZERO delivery/shipping charges for both]
Review
“This review is NOT sponsored/promotional in any way, shape, or form.”
Bookswagon is pretty much the largest online bookstore in India… and quite rightly so! With over 40+ million selections on offer, there can hardly be any doubt. Don’t believe me? Check out the article below from their blog to know more.
7 Reasons why Bookswagon is India’s largest online bookstore.
I’ve been meaning to order from Bookswagon since ages, awaiting the right opportunity… and it finally arrived in the form of Warhammer 40,000! Having discovered “40k” (as it’s commonly referred to) for the very first time in 2024, and after binging numerous videos on YouTube throughout the year, I was more than convinced that it was right down my alley. And being a massive bibliophile, I wanted to get into the lore and the world straight away; get to know it better from the beginning. Two of the best and most recommended places to start the ultimate 40k journey, as pointed out by majority of folks, were the novels – The Founding Omnibus, and the Eisenhorn Omnibus, both written by Dan Abnett.
After a quite thorough search through various e-commerce stores, two things were pretty clear. One – the physical copies of 40k, printed by Black Library, were quite limited and rare to acquire in most cases. And two – if they were available in the first place, the price was quite high. Even the digital copies were kinda pricey! Quite luckily, a friend that I made on X/Twitter turned out to be a massive 40k fan, and very kindly and generously shared multiple eBooks for me to dive in. But I still wanted those hefty, tome-like physicals up on my shelf, you know?
And that’s when I stumbled upon Bookswagon, particularly at a time when a few of the 40k books were priced relatively low and available in stock simultaneously! Talk about luck, no?! Trust me, I did not waste any second whatsoever in ordering them. And now, two months later, both the physicals are safely tucked away on my shelf!
Here’s my full, honest opinion and experience about ordering them from Bookswagon.
Delivery info.
- Date(s) ordered – 13th October, 2024 (The Founding); 24th November, 2024 (Eisenhorn).
- Date(s) shipped – 08th November, 2024 (The Founding); 17th December, 2024 (Eisenhorn).
- Date(s) delivered – 11th November, 2024 (The Founding); 21st December, 2024 (Eisenhorn).
- Delivered from – Daryaganj, Delhi, India.
- Delivered to – Mumbai, Maharashtra, India.
- Delivered by/delivery partner – Blue Dart (for both).
- NO/ZERO extra charges/fees for packaging/delivery/shipping (for both).
- Notifications, both email and SMS, were provided for “order confirmation/success”, “shipping details”, and “out for delivery”. Package tracking was also available for both.
- Overall, it was a pretty good and a really satisfactory delivery/service experience on both the occasions.
Packaging info.
- A double layer of packaging was present for both. An outer recyclable, cardboard covering, followed by an inner bubble wrap.
- Both the novels arrived in pretty much great conditions, and were brand new.
- Overall, an excellent and a quite satisfactory packaging on both the occasions.
What really impressed me the most?
- As mentioned (and seen) above, the delivery and the packaging on both the occasions was pretty much spot on. No major complaints at all.
- Both the novels were delivered in a brand new/mint condition.
- The availabilty for both, alongside the slashed prices, was definitely the main highlight. And particularly when the products in question are either too expensive, or straight out unavailable (especially in India).
What was not quite up to the mark?
- To begin with, my first order of the Eisenhorn Omnibus (placed 20th October, 2024) was cancelled nearly 3 weeks after I had placed it. Apparently, it had run out of stock, which was a bit disappointing. The email notifying about the refund was delivered on the same day, and the refund was completed shortly after, which was a positive at least.
- And although both the novels were brand new in, there were a few minor issues with both –
- Slight damage to the top right-side of the front cover (as can be seen in the pics).
- Very minor scratches/markings on the front cover, back cover, and the spine.
- Lastly, the delivery time was approx. a month, which can be a bit long. But considering that the books are printed and shipped from outside India, and having no/zero delivery/shipping charges, I’m not complaining whatsoever.
Other info.
- As a first-time user, I got a discount coupon of FLAT 10% off (max. up to ₹50) while ordering The Founding as my first order.
- Bookswagon also has a sub-brand called “Comicwagon” running on their website, mentioning it as the “biggest comic and manga sale”. So if you’re a comic/manga geek, then they’ve got you covered.
Rating: – 9/10 (CERTAINLY RECOMMEND that you check them out!)
