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!

UNBOXING ¦ Illumicrate Mystery Box

I have always enjoyed the previous Illumicrate boxes that I have purchased so when they announced they were selling mystery boxes I thought it would be a great chance to get some of the wonderful items I had missed from other boxes. I was very pleased with what I got, especially since I was lucky enough not to get any items that I had already received! Below I have listed each item that came in my mystery box, with a link to each designer or shop that created them.

Hamilton quote ceramic mug, designed by Abbie Imagine.

Warcross by Marie Lu quote wooden bookmark, designed by chatty nora.

Protagonist/Antagonist necklace, designed by Down the Rabbit Hole.

Elements metal bookmarks, designed by Another Studio. 

A Court of Thorns and Roses character cards, designed by Monolime. 

A Court of Thorns and Roses, Feyre and Rhysand art print, designed by Kat Adara. 

Grisha book sleeve, designed by Sparrow + Wolf. 

Tote bag, designed by KDP Letters. 

I was really happy with all of these items, I thought they were all fun, well-designed and of high quality. I think my favourites are the element bookmarks, because I love Avatar: The Last Airbender, and the Antagonist/Protagonist necklace, because it is really creative and I will love wearing it.
Comment below if you received a mystery box and let me know what you got in it! If you would like to know more about Illumicrate then you can visit their website here.

BOOKS ¦ Review: The Orphanage of Gods by Helena Coggan

Name: The Orphanage of Gods
Author: Helena Coggan
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton
Date published: 2019
Rating: 3.5/5

In the bloody revolution, gods were all but wiped out. Ever since, the children they left behind have been imprisoned in an orphanage, watched day and night by the ruthless Guard. Any who show signs of divine power vanish from their beds in the night, all knowledge of their existence denied.
No one has ever escaped the orphanage.
Until now.
Seventeen-year-old Hero is finally free - but at a terrible price. Her sister has been captured by the Guard and is being held in a prison in the northern sea. Hero desperately wants to get her back, and to escape the murderous Guardsmen hunting her down. But not all the gods are dead, and the ones waiting for Hero in the north have their own plans for her - ones that will change the world forever...
As she advances further and further into the unknown, Hero will need to decide: how far is she willing to go to do what needs to be done?

- From Goodreads.

The Orphanage of Gods was a very exciting book, with almost non-stop action, complex characters, and vivid descriptions that really immersed you in the story.
There was definitely more gore and violence than I expected and, while I think it helped show how vicious the world was and how desperate or cruel some of the characters were, I would have appreciated a little more warning because I do not think the book description prepared me for that.
While the action was well-written and kept my attention, I thought there could have been more pauses and breaks between action scenes as it felt like as soon as one fast-paced scene had ended, another one began and there was no time to breathe or think between those moments. I understand this was a good way to show that the characters were living in a dangerous world where they could not count on being safe, but unfortunately since the characters did not have any time to process the events and their thoughts, neither did I and I would have liked more time.
One of the positives of the book was the multiple perspectives as they were all from likeable characters' viewpoints that helped me to see how the world and the story could be seen through different lenses and why the characters might have different ideas or opinions. I did not feel like any of them were unnecessary.
The ending left me feeling conflicted. I could see why it ended the way it did, because it seemed realistic that it was as happy an ending as it could be given that they story was set in such a gruesome and gritty world. However I still felt a little unsatisfied with it, I do not think all of the character deaths were necessary, and I think the ending could have been just a little longer to give us more details of how the world looked after the climax of the story.
Overall, I did enjoy reading The Orphanage of Gods and felt invested in the story and the characters, but there were  quite a few places where I felt like it could have been better and could have left me feeling more satisfied.

BOOKS ¦ Review: Shadowsong by S. Jae-Jones

Name: Shadowsong
Author: S. Jae-Jones
Publisher: Titan Books
Date Published: 2018
Rating: 3/5
Note: This review contains spoilers for both Wintersong and Shadowsong.

Six months after the end of Wintersong, Liesl is working toward furthering both her brother's and her own musical careers. Although she is determined to look forward and not behind, life in the world above is not as easy as Liesl had hoped. Her younger brother Josef is cold, distant, and withdrawn, while Liesl can't forget the austere young man she left beneath the earth, and the music he inspired in her. When troubling signs arise that the barrier between worlds is crumbling, Liesl must return to the Underground to unravel the mystery of life, death, and the Goblin King - who he was, who he is, and who he will be. What will it take to break the old laws once and for all? What is the true meaning of sacrifice when the fate of the world - or the ones Liesl loves - is in her hands?

- From Goodreads.

I was glad that Shadowsong did answer the questions I had from Wintersong, the first book in the duology, and I think it wrapped up everything I felt it needed it to. It also had most of the same things I enjoyed about the first book: the writing, the fantastical atmosphere, and a compelling enough story for me to want to read through to the end to find out what happened.  I also felt that Liesl, the main character, was easier to understand in this book and I felt I knew her character better.
Unfortunately there were some things that were frustrating about the book. While I thought the plot was an interesting idea, it did not reach its full potential. For most of the second half, the lack of communication between Liesl and her brother Josef was difficult to read because it felt like they needed to have a proper conversation sooner than they did and there did not seem to be a good enough reason for them not to.
It also felt frustrating that there was not much to read of Liesl and the Goblin King together. My favourite parts of Wintersong were the interactions between them and it was a shame there was not more of that. I understand that they were mostly kept apart for the plot, and it was fascinating to read the Goblin King's backstory and to see Liesl discovering some of that, but I would have enjoyed more of them together and I thought maybe the plot could have been written in a way that would allow that. I would have liked there to be a bit more for us to read of their life together at the end as well. Considering so much time was spent waiting for them to be together, there was not much pay off. I think I might have even rated the book higher if there had even been just a couple of scenes added in at the end where we could see more of their happy ending.
Overall, Shadowsong was a good sequel to Wintersong in that it helped me to understand better what happened in the first book and developed all the characters, giving them more backstory and depth. However, as with the first book, it felt like there was a potential that was not quite fulfilled, especially since I was hoping for more interaction between Liesl and the Goblin King, and I was left feeling a little disappointed.

Six months after the end of Wintersong, Liesl is working toward furthering both her brother's and her own musical careers. Although she is determined to look forward and not behind, life in the world above is not as easy as Liesl had hoped. Her younger brother Josef is cold, distant, and withdrawn, while Liesl can't forget the austere young man she left beneath the earth, and the music he inspired in her. When troubling signs arise that the barrier between worlds is crumbling, Liesl must return to the Underground to unravel the mystery of life, death, and the Goblin King-who he was, who he is, and who he will be. What will it take to break the old laws once and for all? What is the true meaning of sacrifice when the fate of the world-or the ones Liesl loves-is in her hands?

UNBOXING ¦ Illumicrate: Gods & Monsters - February 2019

Gods and monsters are two of my favourite themes in fantasy fiction, so the theme of this Illumicrate box definitely intrigued me, and I certainly was not disappointed when I opened it! I am really fascinated by the book, so keep an eye out for a review of that when I have read it. I have listed each item from the box below, with a link to the designers or shops they came from.

Monsters of Verity quote pouch by Stella Bookish Art.

Dragon tin case by Moledro Craft Co.

Girls of Paper & Fire chopsticks by Hey Atlas Creative.

Daughter of Smoke and Bone bookmarks by Lesya Blackbird.

Nectar of the Gods lip scrub by Lovely Skincare.

Extracts from The Red Scrolls of Magic and The Binding.

The Orphanage of Gods notebook.

Strange the Dreamer umbrella by Hodderscape.

Exclusive signed edition of The Orphanage of Gods by Helena Coggan with blue sprayed edges and letter from the author (not pictured).

This was an amazing box that I am really happy to have bought and I think my favourite item is the umbrella. Given that it is now Spring here in England, I have already had the chance to use it and it is really great! If you want to find out more about Illumicrate, you can find their website here. If you got the box too, comment below to let me know what your favourite item was, or if you have already read the book, let me know what your thoughts were!

BOOKS ¦ Review: The Storm Crow by Kalyn Josephson

Name: The Storm Crow
Author: Kalyn Josephson
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Date Published: July 2019
Rating: 4/5
Note: This book has a trigger warning for depression.

In the tropical kingdom of Rhodaire, magical, elemental Crows are part of every aspect of life...until the Illucian empire invades, destroying everything.
That terrible night has thrown Princess Anthia into a deep depression. Her sister Caliza is busy running the kingdom after their mother's death, but all Thia can do is think of all she has lost.
But when Caliza is forced to agree to a marriage between Thia and the crown prince of Illucia, Thia is finally spurred into action. And after stumbling upon a hidden Crow egg in the rubble of a rookery, she and her sister devise a dangerous plan to hatch the egg in secret and get back what was taken from them.

- From Goodreads.

The Storm Crow was a very exciting story, I read it in two days because I kept saying to myself, "just one more chapter, just one more chapter" every time I considered putting it down. I felt very invested in the book and I really cared about what was happening to the characters.
The setting and world of the story was very fascinating, there was a lot of depth and backstory for each kingdom mentioned and that made the world feel real and intriguing. The idea of the magical crows and the magic system in general was amazing and was something I do not think I have read anything similar to. It was really heart-warming to read about how much the main character, Anthia, loved the crows and their magic and how passionate she was about them.
Anthia was a wonderful main character, I really loved her and understood the pain that she went through. I liked that it was explicitly stated in the book that she suffered from depression, and I liked that the friends and family that truly loved her did not blame her for feeling the way that she did, or at least came to understand that it was not her fault, and helped her to learn that there was no shame in her emotions.
I think one thing I was disappointed by in the book was the romance. There was something like a love triangle and I am afraid I never really enjoy reading those. I felt most interested in her developing relationship with the person she did not end up with, and I did not find myself wanting her to have anything more than friendship with the person she did end up with, and unfortunately that did mean that I enjoyed the story a little less.
Hopefully the problems I did have with this book will work themselves out in the sequel and I will find that an improvement on this book, because I did enjoy most of this story and I am looking forward to finding out what happens next to the characters.

Disclaimer: I received an Advanced Readers Copy of this book in Fairyloot's December 2018 box, which I bought for myself. There are no gifted or sponsored items in this post.

BOOKS ¦ Review: The Cruel Prince by Holly Black

Name: The Cruel Prince
Author: Holly Black
Publisher: Hot Key Books
Date Published: 2018
Rating: 5/5

Of course I want to be like them. They’re beautiful as blades forged in some divine fire. They will live forever.
And Cardan is even more beautiful than the rest. I hate him more than all the others. I hate him so much that sometimes when I look at him, I can hardly breathe.Jude was seven years old when her parents were murdered and she and her two sisters were stolen away to live in the treacherous High Court of Faerie. Ten years later, Jude wants nothing more than to belong there, despite her mortality. But many of the fey despise humans. Especially Prince Cardan, the youngest and wickedest son of the High King.
To win a place at the Court, she must defy him–and face the consequences.
In doing so, she becomes embroiled in palace intrigues and deceptions, discovering her own capacity for bloodshed. But as civil war threatens to drown the Courts of Faerie in violence, Jude will need to risk her life in a dangerous alliance to save her sisters, and Faerie itself.

- From Goodreads.

When I started The Cruel Prince I felt a little uncertain about how much I would like it, but by the time I finished it I really loved it, and the ending definitely made me eager to pick up the next book in the series, The Wicked King.
The setting was really interesting and made the story intriguing to read. Before I started the book I was not sure how I would feel about the combination of the modern world and the world of faerie, but despite how different the worlds were, the way they were put together in the story made sense and made the story feel quite unique and refreshing. I have not read so many stories where the faerie world is put next to the modern one as most books that I have read with faeries involve a historical setting rather than a modern one, and I do love fantasy stories set in a historical world, but it felt new to read one with a modern world and I liked that.
I also really liked the main character, Jude. Some people say she is an unlikeable character and that she is meant to be that way, but I found I genuinely liked her. I enjoyed that she took action rather than remaining passive, and even if she made mistakes, I understood why she had made the choices she had. It was some of the other characters, in fact, that I did not like and that annoyed me. But I felt satisfied because Jude would be annoyed and angry with them too and addressed it and expressed why and how they had made her feel that way. It felt enjoyable to read a character who wouldn't let people just get away with it when they hurt or affected her in some way.
From the beginning of the book, and in fact from the description of the book, we know that Jude and her sisters live with and were raised by the man who murdered their parents, and at first that did feel a little strange and I was not sure if I would like how they mostly accepted it. But I think Jude felt conflicted by it too and she was not always certain that her reaction to it was normal, so I think that helped make it feel like a less unrealistic plot point in the novel.
I enjoyed the development of the relationship between Cardan and Jude. It was very fascinating to slowly learn more about him and see Jude's changing perspective on him as he gradually became a more three-dimensional character. I definitely want to read more of the two of them and their dynamic which makes me really excited to read The Wicked King.