Tag: young adult fantasy

Bookish, Unboxings

April 2019 Owlcrate Box, The Dark Side

India

It May, so that means that it’s time for me to do the box from the previous month because I can never do these on time!! So without anymore procrastination or delay or talking about absolutely nothing before getting to the items, let’s get to the items. You can also find my unboxing video of the items here, or down below!

The theme for April was The Dark Side and featured some of the same books that other boxes have featured before, so nothing new, but some different items.

First off we got a pair of socks all about Six of Crows featuring artwork by Out of Print from the special edition of the book,  I do love their stuff, and these socks look great!

If we’re doing one Leigh Bardugo series, we’ll do the other and so we have a scarf representing the Darkling from the Grishaverse and designed by Bookmar’d Tattoos

Up next there was a hardcover notebook designed by Stella Bookish Art, and we all know that I love her designs, this time her artwork features a quote inspired by Throne of Glass

We also got a pin banner, so that you can show off all of your enamel pins, or any bookish pins that you might have acquired and designed by Michelle Gray

For the selfie lovers like myself a Vicious inspired phone holder – pop socket- was included in the box and was designed by Hey AtlasCreative

This months enamel pin was inspired by a beaded necklace the main character in The Wicked Saints, Nadya, wears to help her communicate with the gods. It is absolutely beautiful and designed by Hey AtlasCreative. We also got a fabric book map that goes with the book for the month!

Finally for the book! Of course it is an exclusive cover and it’s also signed. It seems like a world wind of a book featuring magic, princes, blood mage, and assassination plans. The Wicked Saints by Emily A Duncan sounds like it is going to be filled with a fast paced adventure filled with magic.

 

It was a fun box that highlighted some dark characters. I wish that we could get some different series represented in some of these boxes because we get the same fandoms all the time and there are plenty of series out there that people would love to see items for, but these were still fantastic. Did anyone else notice that the art prints have disappeared?! I did! What did you think of the box? What was your favorite item? Let me know down in the comments, but until next time,

Keep turning the Pages

India

 

Book Reviews

Three Dark Crowns, Kendare Blake

India
There is only room for one Queen in the isle of Fennbirn, but there are three queens who are trying to be the strongest they can to take the throne. When the time comes it is going to be up to the all three queens to try and defeat the other in order to be called the true Queen. Each generation there are triplets that are born in the hopes that one of them will become the next true Queen. They grow up together for a few years and then are separated to go to their prospective part of the kingdom where they can learn how to grow the unique gifts that they were born with. Mirabella is an elementalist who can control the weather with a fierce energy and bring flames and lightening down on whomever gets in her way. Arsinoe is a naturalist who is said to be able to bloom flowers and help trees to grow, as well as have a familiar, or an animal, who she is said to be able to communicate with. Finally there is Katharine who is a poisoner, which makes her immune to all of the deadliest poisons to where she can even eat a whole feast of them.
I genuinely enjoyed this book. Once I finally got into it I could not put it down. There is a lot of world building in the beginning and with the fact that there are three queens, you have to see each of their worlds. There are a lot of characters in the book, which sometimes gets confusing, but as you keep reading they start to really set themselves apart. I love the different ways these queens grew up, and I was also glad to know that they all knew what happened for them to become the queen instead of the finding out on their 16th birthday. I would definitely recommend this book. It’s kind of in the dark fantasy realm. It’s not a typical princess book by any means, and that’s what I loved about it. Until next time,
Keep Turning the Pages
India
Bookish, Unboxings

UNBOXING BOOKTUBE | March 2019 Owlcrate

India

Here comes another Owlcrate Unboxing! Last month’s box included items from books like Game of Thrones and Nevernight to go with their Murder and Mayhem theme for March. Instead of talking too much about it let’s list out some of the items that are in the box! If you would like to watch me unbox it you can either click here, or you can find it down below!

First up! We’ve got Owlcrate’s first travel mug inspired by Nevernight and designed by Catarina Book Designs.

There an exclusive Owlcrate canvas drawstring backpack designed by Michelle Gray. It has a nifty zipper pouch on the inside, which makes it different than a lot of other “dump” drawstring backpacks

We’ve got a wooden bookmark by the royal wooden bookmark makers themselves Ink and Wonder Designs featuring a Game of Thrones quote paying homage to the Stark Family.

The illustrious candle makers at In the Wick of Time created three different candles inspired by This Savage Song. I got Corsai, which one did you get.

Next up we got a sticker designed by Jamila Mehio inspired by Three Dark Crowns.

The pin was created by Iron and Ink Designs and is an incredible compass pin that helps to represent the book for the month and its four quadrants.

The book of the month was Four Dead Queens by Astrid Scholte. Four Dead Queens brings total opposites together in a tale filled with twists and turns to figure out who has been murdering the four queens. This definitely seems like a book if you like Three Dark Queens.

 

For more pictures and to always stay up to date, make sure to follow me on Instagram!

 

Murder and Mayhem Box by Owlcrate
Book Reviews

Strange the Dreamer, Laini Taylor

India
Lazlo Strange  has always been a no body. A person of insignificance. An orphan, a boy who helps monks, a librarian, a dreamer. Even with his low social status and overall menial existence to the world around him Lazlo has always found a way to dream and to have the wildest imagination fueled with stories from an old monk whom no one ever wanted to go see or talk to. From this monk Lazlo started to hear stories about Weep. A city that had long since been forgotten except for in legend. When Lazlo serendipitously becomes a librarian he has all of the information he could ever want laid out in front of him and sets his sights on finding out the mysteries of Weep. When he one day stumbles into the path of a spoiled alchemist who cannot turn items into gold and decided that he needs to help in someone way out of the goodness of his heart. When they get unexpected visitors in the city Lazlo finds that this is his chance to make a difference and to be someone greater than who he is,  but does he have the courage to do it?
I truly did love Strange the Dreamer. It was something different than I had ever read before for a fantasy novel and so it was very refreshing. I felt like it was somewhat relatable to a lot of people who believe that that they can be more than what they are. I also enjoyed the two perspectives that were given during the novel because it forms a more complete picture of all sides. I did feel like the characters could have used a little bit more development, but I didn’t feel like it was lacking. The only thing I was missing was a true antagonist to the book to get a little bit more conflict. A lot of it was about searching for a purpose and trying to find our purpose and where we fit in life. It was definitely worth the read and I can’t wait to read Muse of Nightmares for the rest of the story. I do have a review of the Strange the Dreamer up now on my Booktube channel that you can watch here! Or check it out down below. What did you think of Strange the Dreamer? Have you read any other books by Laini Taylor? The Darker Shades of Magic Series is on my list to read as well! Let me know, until next time,
Keep Turning the Pages
India
Book Reviews

Illuminae Files, Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

India
Kady thought that her life could not get any worse. She had just broke up with her boyfriend, Ezra, and she thought that she was going to be able to move on and go off planet somewhere after graduation. Little did she know that going off planet was happening a lot faster than she expected. All of a sudden while sitting in class, all of the warning bells go off alerting the planet to an invasion. It is then that all chaos breaks loose and the everything that Kady knows and loves comes crumbling down around her. Kady is forced to try and find a way off the planet and to stay close to the ones she loves, and who love her. She is forced to flee the home that she knows and grow and learn more than she ever thought imaginable. Kady has to overcome her fears and reservations and become  a leader and warrior in her own right. The system is in the hands of a 16 year old girl and a palm pad.
I absolutely loved this book! I listened to it solely on audible. I did not buy the kindle version or the paper version of the book. They did such an amazing job on the audible version with a full cast and everything that I didn’t feel the need for either of those things.  I heard that if you try and read the actual copy it might be a little difficult to do. I enjoyed the story and the twists and turns that were associated with our main character Kady. I also loved the role that Ezra had to play as kind of her humanity and her voice of reason, and of course her anchor. AIDAN was his own character who also had his own role to play, which turned out to be a giant one. Who knew a computer program system could have so much personality when they are not supposed to. If you haven’t picked up the Illuminae Files by Amie Kauffman and Jay Kristoff I definitely recommend it and do it on Audible! You’ll enjoy it even more, I promise. I can’t wait to read Gemina and Obsidio when I get through some of my TBR. I have a review up on my channel now if you want to listen to it as well. You can check it out here. If you’ve read it what do you think? Any other sci-fi fantasy novels that you can recommend? Until next time,
Keep turning the Pages
India