Signed and numbered special editions of the first two He Who Fights With Monsters books are now available to back on Kickstarter. Shirtaloon, the pen name of Australian author Travis Deverell, is working with Upside Go on illustrated hardcovers featuring new covers by Jeff Brown, painted edges, and a long list of interior artwork.
The campaign runs until November 20, 2026, at 6 p.m. Pacific / 9 p.m. Eastern. Book one costs $90, while the two-book Reaper tier is $169 before shipping and applicable taxes. Estimated delivery is November 2027. These are newly produced collector’s editions of the existing novels, separate from the Aethon hardcovers already appearing in bookstores.
What comes with the special editions?
Both books have dust jackets with gold foil and spot gloss, with textless versions of the cover art printed on the cases underneath. They use Smyth-sewn binding and offset printing on premium, acid-free 90 gsm paper. Buyers of a special edition also get their names included in the thank-you section at the back of each book.
The interior design includes full-color endpapers by Richard Sashigane and a map of Pallimustus by Jack Shepherd. Ren “druid-for-hire” Lee is creating chapter artwork, custom scene breaks, enhanced System messages, and black-and-white illustrations. The color illustration team includes Sashigane, Cole Eastburn, Nathaniel Himawan, and the Ronin Guild’s Erick Efata and Reinaldo Indrajaya.
The original specification called for six full-page color illustrations and four black-and-white illustrations in each volume. All eleven original stretch goals have now been unlocked, adding two color illustrations to book one, three to book two, and two additional black-and-white illustrations to the special editions. Other unlocked upgrades include painted edges by Jeff Brown, metallic-colored ribbon bookmarks, matching headbands and tailbands, and artwork on the reverse of the jackets.
Signatures and numbered copies
Every Kickstarter special edition of books one and two will be signed and numbered, including copies purchased as add-ons. The signatures are hand-signed tip-ins: Deverell signs individual pages that are later glued into the finished books.
Collectors should note that numbers are assigned at random. The campaign FAQ says specific numbers cannot be requested, and the team cannot currently match the numbers across a two-book order. Add-on copies are limited to five of each special-edition volume per backer.
Pledge tiers and merchandise
The $90 Adventurer tier includes book one, while Reaper includes both volumes for $169, an $11 saving against buying the two $90 books separately. The $13 Outworlder tier includes a Jason enamel pin and access to add-ons, but no book.
For readers who want the books alongside merchandise, the campaign offers several bundles. Prices below are in U.S. dollars and exclude later shipping charges and applicable taxes.
| Tier | Price | Main contents |
|---|---|---|
| Outworlder | $13 | Jason pin and add-on access; no book |
| Adventurer | $90 | Book 1 special edition |
| Reaper | $169 | Books 1 and 2 special editions |
| Collecting Books is Your Thing | $229 | Both special editions, Aethon books 4 and 5 reservations, signed bookmark; contiguous U.S. only |
| Chef Bundle | $250 | Both special editions, apron, two shot glasses, recipe cards, tasty sticker bundle |
| Gary’s Bundle | $258 | Both special editions, apron, pillowcase, Gary pin, Weapons Drawn shirt |
| Familiars Bundle | $289 | Both special editions, Onslow plush, familiar stickers and pins, Stash shirt |
| Jason’s Bundle | $533 | Both special editions, cloak, shirts, map, coins, desk mat, pins, and more |
| Diamond Ranker | $777 | Both special editions, broad merchandise bundle, and an audio thank-you from Heath Miller |
Add-ons include a $37 Onslow plush, a $29 Gary body pillowcase, a $110 Cloak of Night made with Knightweave, spirit coins, enamel pins, desk mats, and a cloth map of Pallimustus. The pillow insert is sold separately. The recipe-card set contains 15 food recipes and 10 drinks, and the unlocked art-print packs cost $30 per book or $45 for the combined 23-print bundle.
The $229 Collecting Books is Your Thing tier needs a little explanation. It combines the two Kickstarter special editions with reservations for the Aethon retail hardcovers of books four and five, plus a bookmark signed by Deverell and audiobook narrator Heath Miller. It is restricted to the contiguous United States. The retail books ship separately on release and incur their own shipping fees; the bookmark arrives with the Kickstarter rewards.
Shipping, payment, and the November 2027 estimate
The rewards list November 2027 as their estimated delivery date. Shipping is collected later through PledgeManager, closer to fulfillment, so the $0 shipping shown during the initial pledge does not mean free delivery. The team also anticipates collecting EU VAT through the post-campaign process.
The campaign ships internationally with exclusions, including Brazil, Israel, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates. Check the full country list in the FAQ before pledging. Kickstarter’s Pledge Over Time option is enabled, allowing eligible backers to split their pledge into three interest-free installments.
After an early price inconsistency in the Adventurer tier, Shirtaloon said the team would apply a $5 shipping discount to that tier through the post-campaign pledge manager. The current book-one pledge remains $90.
How these differ from the bookstore editions
Aethon’s retail hardcovers are a separate collection. He Who Fights With Monsters, Book 1: Outworlder and Book 2: Adventurer are already available through Amazon. Our book-two hardcover coverage explains that edition’s sprayed edges, foil details, illustrated endpapers, and bonus short story. Those retail features should not be confused with the Kickstarter’s signed, numbered books and expanded illustration program.
For anyone new to the series, He Who Fights With Monsters follows Jason Asano, an Australian who wakes in a world of magic and monsters and starts building a new life as an adventurer. His increasingly unsettling powers sit alongside a story full of friendships, political arguments, monster fights, and everyday downtime. These editions begin at the start of that story.
Shirtaloon says the intention is to continue producing special editions of the rest of the series for as long as it remains financially viable. This campaign covers the first two volumes; a complete special-edition set has not been announced for delivery on the same schedule.
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