UNBOXING ¦ Illumicrate: Your Majesty - April 2019

Royalty and kings is a theme I really enjoy in books, especially fantasy novels, so I knew this Illumicrate box would have some intriguing items for me and I think it certainly lived up to my expectations! Your Majesty is a great theme idea for a box and I really liked every item even if I have not read the book or series it is based on yet. The book that came in the box also sounds very fascinating and I am looking forward to reading it! I have listed each item that came in the box below, along with the shop or designer that created it.

Game of Thrones Iron Throne phone ring designed by Fable and Black.

Rhysand from A Court of Thorns and Roses magnetic coin necklace designed by Monolime.

The Wicked King mug designed by rosiethorns88.

Crown of Power raspberry-scented candle created by Flickerink.

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

Three Dark Crowns travel posters designed by Alicia Pinapal.

A Good Girl's Guide to Murder and We Are Blood and Thunder book samplers.

Descendant of the Crane by Joan He, with author letter, signed book plate and character cards.

I really enjoyed unboxing this and I was happy with every item. I think my favourites were the candle, since it smells amazing, and the mug, since I loved The Cruel Prince and it's such a beautiful design! I also think the sprayed edges make this special edition of Descendant of the Crane really gorgeous and I am really pleased to put it on my shelves.
If you got the box, let me know in the comments below which items you like the best, and if you have already read the book tell me what your thoughts were! If you would like to know more about Illumicrate you can find their website here.

BOOKS ¦ Review: A Curse So Dark And Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer

Name: A Curse So Dark And Lonely
Author: Brigid Kemmerer
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Date published: 2019
Rating: 4/5

Fall in love, break the curse.

It once seemed so easy to Prince Rhen, the heir to Emberfall. Cursed by a powerful enchantress to repeat the autumn of his eighteenth year over and over, he knew he could be saved if a girl fell for him. But that was before he learned that at the end of each autumn, he would turn into a vicious beast hell-bent on destruction. That was before he destroyed his castle, his family, and every last shred of hope.

Nothing has ever been easy for Harper Lacy. With her father long gone, her mother dying, and her brother barely holding their family together while constantly underestimating her because of her cerebral palsy, she learned to be tough enough to survive. But when she tries to save someone else on the streets of Washington, DC, she’s instead somehow sucked into Rhen’s cursed world.

Break the curse, save the kingdom.

A prince? A monster? A curse? Harper doesn’t know where she is or what to believe. But as she spends time with Rhen in this enchanted land, she begins to understand what’s at stake. And as Rhen realizes Harper is not just another girl to charm, his hope comes flooding back. But powerful forces are standing against Emberfall . . . and it will take more than a broken curse to save Harper, Rhen, and his people from utter ruin.Fall in love, break the curse.

It once seemed so easy to Prince Rhen, the heir to Emberfall. Cursed by a powerful enchantress to repeat the autumn of his eighteenth year over and over, he knew he could be saved if a girl fell for him. But that was before he learned that at the end of each autumn, he would turn into a vicious beast hell-bent on destruction. That was before he destroyed his castle, his family, and every last shred of hope.

Nothing has ever been easy for Harper Lacy. With her father long gone, her mother dying, and her brother barely holding their family together while constantly underestimating her because of her cerebral palsy, she learned to be tough enough to survive. But when she tries to save someone else on the streets of Washington, DC, she’s instead somehow sucked into Rhen’s cursed world.

Break the curse, save the kingdom.

A prince? A monster? A curse? Harper doesn’t know where she is or what to believe. But as she spends time with Rhen in this enchanted land, she begins to understand what’s at stake. And as Rhen realizes Harper is not just another girl to charm, his hope comes flooding back. But powerful forces are standing against Emberfall . . . and it will take more than a broken curse to save Harper, Rhen, and his people from utter ruin.Fall in love, break the curse.

It once seemed so easy to Prince Rhen, the heir to Emberfall. Cursed by a powerful enchantress to repeat the autumn of his eighteenth year over and over, he knew he could be saved if a girl fell for him. But that was before he learned that at the end of each autumn, he would turn into a vicious beast hell-bent on destruction. That was before he destroyed his castle, his family, and every last shred of hope.

Nothing has ever been easy for Harper Lacy. With her father long gone, her mother dying, and her brother barely holding their family together while constantly underestimating her because of her cerebral palsy, she learned to be tough enough to survive. But when she tries to save someone else on the streets of Washington, DC, she’s instead somehow sucked into Rhen’s cursed world.

Break the curse, save the kingdom.

A prince? A monster? A curse? Harper doesn’t know where she is or what to believe. But as she spends time with Rhen in this enchanted land, she begins to understand what’s at stake. And as Rhen realizes Harper is not just another girl to charm, his hope comes flooding back. But powerful forces are standing against Emberfall . . . and it will take more than a broken curse to save Harper, Rhen, and his people from utter ruin.Fall in love, break the curse.
It once seemed so easy to Prince Rhen, the heir to Emberfall. Cursed by a powerful enchantress to repeat the autumn of his eighteenth year over and over, he knew he could be saved if a girl fell for him. But that was before he learned that at the end of each autumn, he would turn into a vicious beast hell-bent on destruction. That was before he destroyed his castle, his family, and every last shred of hope.
Nothing has ever been easy for Harper Lacy. With her father long gone, her mother dying, and her brother barely holding their family together while constantly underestimating her because of her cerebral palsy, she learned to be tough enough to survive. But when she tries to save someone else on the streets of Washington, DC, she’s instead somehow sucked into Rhen’s cursed world.
Break the curse, save the kingdom.
A prince? A monster? A curse? Harper doesn’t know where she is or what to believe. But as she spends time with Rhen in this enchanted land, she begins to understand what’s at stake. And as Rhen realizes Harper is not just another girl to charm, his hope comes flooding back. But powerful forces are standing against Emberfall . . . and it will take more than a broken curse to save Harper, Rhen, and his people from utter ruin.

- From Goodreads. 

A Curse So Dark And Lonely was a really fantastic retelling of Beauty and the Beast. It managed to use the basic foundations of the fairy tale to create a unique story of its own where the characters felt new and the plot felt unpredictable. I was always eager to find out what happened next and to see more of the characters.
The world building was fascinating and it was interesting to see them venture beyond the isolated castle and interact with minor characters such as the subjects of the kingdom. It felt like a realistic world and I will be excited to learn and see more of it.
The slow build up of affection between Harper and Rhen felt believable and I was definitely rooting for their relationship and for the two of them to be together by the end. They were both likeable and understandable characters and I enjoyed both of their perspectives as I cared about them both. I also thought it was great to see the inclusion of a character with cerebral palsy, as I do not think it is something I have read before, and I think reading about how Harper lived with her condition helped me to learn more about a disability I was not so educated on, and I also think it added more depth and realism to the story. Grey was also a brilliant character who felt like an excellent addition to the story.
As well as that, the writing was also wonderful to read, it was very good at evoking emotion and there were also a lot of humorous moments that genuinely made me laugh out loud as I was reading.
The only part of the book that I did not love so much was the ending. It left me feeling slightly unsatisfied as I was hoping for something more wrapped up. I understand that there is a sequel, and there was somewhat happy ending that was certainly hopeful, but I felt like the characters had worked so hard for a completely happy ending and I felt let down when they did not definitely get one. However I did love the book overall and I will be looking forward to reading the next one.

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!