UNBOXING | Illumicrate: Mystery Box

 When I saw Illumicrate were selling mystery boxes again, I decided to get one considering how happy I had been with the last one that I bought, and I think again I can say that the price is definitely worth the risk of not knowing what you might get. Here's what I got in my mystery box!

Mulan silk scarf, designed by Feifei Ruan.

Nevernight Corvere Crest necklace, designed by Danielle.

Game of Thrones inspired phone ring, designed by Fable and Black.

Hermione Granger Harry Potter magnetic coin, designed by Monolime.

Monsters of Verity quote pouch, designed by Stella Bookish Art.

Nevernight art print, created by Nan Fe.

Wicked Saints triptych print, illustrated by Nicole Deal.

Throne of Glass quotes book tin, designed by Moledro Craft Co.

The Raven Cycle notebook duo, designed by BookMark'd Tattoos.

C.S. Lewis quote book sleeve designed by Sparrow + Wolf.

Witchlands pin banner, designed by Hey Atlas.

Although I already had three of the items from previous Illumicrate boxes, the Throne of Glass book tin, the Game of Thrones phone ring, and the Monsters of Verity pouch, I have a friend who is happy for me to send those to her so they will not go to to waste, and the rest of the items were all of high quality and I can find a use for them. I think my favourites were the silk scarf, which will look beautiful on display, the pin banner, because my other pin banner is filling up and I love displaying my pins, and the notebooks, because I just adore pretty notebooks and am always looking for something new to write in.
I would definitely recommend considering purchasing an Illumicrate mystery box if they go on sale again, although make sure to take the time to think about the risk of getting items you already have or might not like, and decide whether it might be worth it for you!
Have you ever bought a mystery box? What items did you get? Did you think it was worth it? Let me know in the comments below!
If you'd like to find out more about Illumicrate, you can visit their website here.

UNBOXING ¦ FairyLoot: Dark Magic - April 2019

Dark Magic is a really fascinating theme, and I am always interested to see it explored in fiction, so I knew this would be an exciting box from FairyLoot, with lots of beautiful items and an intriguing book, and I was definitely not wrong! This was a brilliant box, and I have listed each item below, with the shop or creator that designed it.

The Darkling (from the Grisha trilogy) tote bag, with lettering by KDP Letters and art by morgana0anagrom.

Six of Crows tarot cards by Emmilinne.

Philosopher's Stone soap by Pretty Suds. 

A Curse So Dark And Lonely pin by Literary Emporium.

Children of Blood and Bone notebook by Stella Bookish Art. 

Mister Kindly (from Nevernight) tea strainer by FairyLoot.

A Darker Shade of Magic book sleeve by Monolime.

Nocturna by Maya Motayne, exclusive signed edition with blue sprayed edges, author letter and character art by niru. 

Fairyscoop booklet, bookmark and spoiler card with theme art by Taratjah.

I really enjoyed unpacking this box and I think I'll love making use of the items, especially the Mister Kindly tea strainer, since I've been wanting a cute one for ages. I'm also really excited to read Nocturna, the plot sounds so thrilling!
If you want to find out more about FairyLoot, you can find their website here. If you got this box too, let me know what your favourite item was in the comments below, or if you've already read the book, tell me your thoughts!

Review: Harry Potter and the Curse Child by Jack Thorne

Name: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
Authors: Jack Thorne, with J.K. Rowling and John Tiffany
Publisher: Little Brown
Date published: 2016
Rating: 4.5/5
Spoiler warning: Moderate

It was always difficult being Harry Potter and it isn't much easier now that he is an overworked employee of the Ministry of Magic, a husband and father of three school-age children. 

While Harry grapples with a past that refuses to stay where it belongs, his youngest son Albus must struggle with the weight of a family legacy he never wanted. As past and present fuse ominously, both father and son learn the uncomfortable truth: sometimes, darkness comes from unexpected places.

- From Goodreads.

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child feels quite weird and bonkers to read, but then Harry Potter has always been that way and I am glad it has managed to keep its sense of humour and fun. Additionally, I think it felt a little strange to read because in the past when I have read Harry Potter it has mainly been from Harry's perspective, with insight into his mind. So, this being a play, meaning the structure is a little different to how it would be with a book, and with Harry not being as much at the centre of it as he used to be, makes it a little more distanced and leaves you with a different feeling, but that is not a bad thing, it is just different.
In terms of characters, first I have to say that Scorpius Malfoy was a surprise but definitely a good one as he was so brilliant. There was also, of course, the surprise of the trolley witch, which was actually quite fantastic. The part with Hagrid broke my heart, it was only the smallest moment but it was so emotional and true to Hagrid's character. I think it was the part of the play that got to me the most. I have to admit that I found the idea that Bellatrix and Voldemort had a daughter a little strange, but then I suppose you could not call either of them normal, and if J.K Rowling thought it was plausible then I should think it was, seeing as she came up with the characters in the first place.
I felt like the original characters were portrayed well and it was true to how they would be, except perhaps Harry's character felt a little off at times, although I suspect he was meant to be that way as he was supposed to be under a lot of stress in the story. I am glad Ginny was written the way she was, because she has always been a favourite of mine, and the play managed to show that while at times she may be quick to temper and say the wrong things, she makes up for it in her strength, understanding and intelligence. I also liked the moments between Ron and Hermione for the same reason, that I felt it was true to them and showed the strength in their relationship. As well as that, I am glad that Draco and Harry had a chance to come to some sort of understanding, because after everything that happened, especially in the last book, I always thought that they would.
Overall, while I would not say that it was absolutely perfect, I would say that I still very much enjoyed reading it, and now I want to watch it on stage even more than I did before, especially since I want to see how they staged all the magic and how all the sets work because it definitely sounds amazing!

Add the book on Goodreads | Author's website

EVENTS | YALC 2016

A week ago on Sunday, I attended the Young Adult Literature Convention at the London Film and Comic Convention for the first time and I had the most brilliant time! I went with my friend Emma, who I know from university, and whose idea it was to go, and of course we had to go on the day that they were celebrating Harry Potter's birthday and the release of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (which I have now read and will be posting a review of in the future)!

The first thing we did when we arrived was attend the New Voices in YA panel, which I thought was so interesting to listen to, with the authors (Natalie Flynn, Harriet Reuter Hapgood, Julia Gray, Claire Hennessy, Rhian Ivory, Pete Kalu, Martin Stewart and Chris Vick) talking about publishing their first young adult novels and giving some great writing advice.

After that, Emma and I wondered around looking at the stalls, got ourselves some freebies, and bought ourselves some books (more on that in a bit), and found this amazing cake of Harry's cupboard under the stairs! I didn't quite believe it was a cake at first, it was that impressive.

The next panel we attended was the Morally Complicated YA panel, with Melvin Burgess, Louise O'Neill, Manuela Salvi and Emerald Fennell. I thought it was a great discussion that covered some of the really significant issues that come up in YA, and showed that it was good that these topics are covered in YA because an open discussion of controversial topics helps young adults deal with them when they come across them in their own lives.

Once that panel was over, we had another little wander and found this brilliant book wall, which I was happy to see included Carry On by Rainbow Rowell, which I really enjoyed reading.

The final panel we went to was Maggie Stiefvater in Conversation, which I thought was brilliant, as Maggie was very funny and intelligent, and told some great stories! Emma and I went to her signing afterwards, and managed to get copies of The Raven Boys signed, which I have yet to read but am very excited to! It was lovely to meet Maggie, and she told us that, when she was deciding what name to change hers to before she chose Maggie, Emma was one of the contenders!

Then, of course, the Potter Party started, and there was an amazing costume contest, which the brilliant Gilderoy Lockhart won, and deservedly so. We were very surprised and excited to see Natalie Tenna (also known as Tonks!) present the prize for the contest!

We had a fun time playing some games in our houses, overseen by some brilliant authors as our heads of houses, which were Non Pratt and Lisa Williamson for Gryffindor, Alwyn Hamilton and Lucy Ivison for Hufflepuff (which is the best house, not that I'm biased or anything), Catherine Doyle and Samantha Shannon for Ravenclaw, and V.E. Schwab and Melinda Salisbury for Slytherin! Emma and I were very happy that Hufflepuff tied with Ravenclaw for the house cup.

So that was the end of our wonderful day at YALC! We had a fantastic day, and I was very happy with the purchases I made, How Not To Disappear by Clare Furniss, Love Song by Sophia Bennett (a signed edition), The Rest of Us Just Live Here by Patrick Ness (a signed edition), A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab, and The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater (which, as I said, I got signed in person)!
The day was a wonderful experience, especially wonderful as the first time that we had gone to the convention, and I am definitely going to go again next year if I can!

Top Ten: Fictional Places

I've been wanting to make this post for a while, as the fantasy, fairytale and science fiction genres are some of my absolute favourites, and I love the imagination involved in creating the places that they feature. Before I give you my top ten though, I should just note that these are in no particular order because I am far too indecisive for that. Comment below with some of your favourite fictional places!

Hogwarts* from the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling
The narrow path had opened suddenly on to the edge of a great black lake. Perched atop a high mountain on the other side, its windows sparkling in the starry sky, was a vast castle with many turrets and towers.
- Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, J.K. Rowling

The Discworld from the Discworld series by Terry Pratchett
The disc, being flat, has no real horizon. Any adventurous sailor who got funny ideas from staring at eggs and oranges for too long and set out for the antipodes soon learned that the reason why distant ships sometimes looked as though they were disappearing over the edge of the world was that they were disappearing over the edge of the world.
- The Light Fantastic, Terry Pratchett

The Restaurant at the End of the Universe from the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series by Douglas Adams
The Restaurant at the end of the universe is one of the most extraordinary ventures in the entire history of catering. It is built on the fragmented remains of an eventually ruined planet which is (will haven be) enclosed in a vast time bubble and projected forward in time to the precise moment of the End of the universe.
This is, many would say, impossible.
- The Restaurant at the End of the Universe, Douglas Adams

Elsa's Ice Palace from Disney's Frozen
My power flurries through the air into the ground
My soul is spiralling in frozen fractals all around
And one thought crystallizes like an icy blast
I'm never going back,
The past is in the past!
- Let It Go, as sung by Indina Menzel in Disney's Frozen

The Library from Doctor Who
It's a world. Literally. A World. The whole core of the planet is the index computer. Biggest hard drive ever. And up here, every book ever written. Whole continents of Jeffrey Archer, Bridget Jones, Monty Python's Big Red Book. Brand new editions, specially printed. We're near the equator so... This must be biographies! I love biographies!
- Silence in the Library, Steven Moffat

Neverland from Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie
Of all the delectable islands, the Neverland is the snuggest and most compact, not large and sprawly, you know, with tedious distances between one adventure and another, but nicely crammed. When you play at it by day, with the chairs and tablecloth, it is not in the least alarming, but in the two minutes before you go to sleep it becomes very nearly real. That is why there are night-lights.
- Peter Pan, J.M. Barrie

Narnia from the Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis
And that is the very end of the adventures of the wardrobe. But if the Professor was right, it was only the beginning of the adventures of Narnia.
- The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, C.S. Lewis

Wonderland from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
We're all mad here.
- Alice in Wonderland, Lewis Carroll

Halloween Town from Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas
I'm a master of fright, and a demon of light
And I'll scare you right out of your pants
To a guy in Kentucky, I'm Mister Unlucky
And I'm known throughout England and France
And since I am dead, I can take off my head
To recite Shakespearean quotations
No animal or man can scream like I can
With the fury of my recitations!
- Jack's Lament, as sung by Danny Elfman in Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas

Stormhold from Stardust
To the new King of Stormhold. Whichever of you fine fellows it might be.
- Stardust, based on the novel by Neil Gaiman

*Don't worry, I know that Hogwarts is definitely real.