On a school field trip to the river, Sandy wanders away from her classmates and discovers an empty turtle shell. Peeking through the dark hole, she suddenly finds herself within a magical realm. Filled with sculptures, paintings and books, the turtle’s shell is a museum of the natural world. But one painting is incomplete, and the turtle needs Sandy’s help to finish it.
Rating:
This was in my wishlist and the gorgeous Lauren from Northern Plunder gifted it to me for Christmas (go give her a follow and a read, she’s awesome). And of course it was a great read.
The artwork is vibrant and full of colours that make me think of dreams and ideas (not in a sleepy way), and the story shifts between reality and imagination and it is one of my favourite things as you can see the interactions and how they affect Sandy and make it real to her rather than what an adult would say is just her imagination.
In this second book, Sandy is trying to work on a project for school where they travel to a forest and have to wrtie about the experience. She finds a turtle shell and this plunges her into a magical world where things are slowly falling apart and Sandy tries to help.
Same as with Nightlights, it has a scary component, and imagination goes rampant on the pages but it is a gorgoeusly odd tale that I enjoyed a lot. I cna only recommend this one and the previous one. However, you do not need to have read the previous book to understand this one. It is still recommended because it shows a bit more of Sandy and her imagination.
Another quick recap that I’ve been getitng Illumicrate for far too long, I think their fourth box back when they were quarterly (my first book was Nevenight). And this box sadly is not living up to what the boxes used to be and their usually good boxes.
So let’s unbox starting from the theme card on the right and going clockwise:
Theme card, it is more a booklet than anything.
The collectible magnetic coin. Not interested, feel like a waste of part of the budget and I’d rather get something else.
A patch. What is with book boxes and patches? I like the design but we’re not in the 80s or 90s and I have nothing to patch on or use it for. Give me stickers, bullet journal stuff, something more than patches!
Amazing Star Wars pins. These are utterly gorgeous.
Four Paths candle. The scent is very minimal and nobody seemed excited about it (a lot of my work colleagues are now invested in the unboxings and rate the items and choose and comment their favourites, this won no one).
Blood Heir. It has bloody sprayed edges which I liked, intrigued on the book.
A gorgeous mug, this is always a win item for me, specially with this type of super detailed designes and the type of mug it is. This one wins some of the points lost with the other items.
A calendar with some typography quotes and some artowkr. The quality of the calendar paper leaves much to say, and the whole images per month were relatively meh (there’s a few good ones) so it had nothing exciting for me in it.
That was all. Which felt underwhelming. The mug and pins were the good items and the rest felt like they had dropped the quality and caring about curating items so I am hoping it picks up for this month (January). I am reluctant to stopping my subscription but if the quality keeps dropping, it’ll be hard to justify keeping it.
The Shroud of Prophecy tests fate to discover what happens when the path of good and right, the triumph of light over darkness, the only path to salvation… fails.
Everyone loves Mathias. So naturally, when he discovers it’s his destiny to save the world, he dives in head first, pulling his best friend Aaslo along for the ride.
Mathias is thrilled for the adventure! There’s nothing better than a road beneath his feet and adventure in the air. Aaslo, on the other hand, has never cared for the world beyond the borders of his sleepy village and would be much happier alone and in the woods. But, someone has to keep the Chosen One’s head on his shoulders and his feet on the ground.
It turns out saving the world isn’t as easy, or exciting, as it sounds in the stories. Mathias is more than willing to place his life on the line, but Aaslo would love nothing more than to forget about all the talk of arcane bloodlines and magical fae creatures. When the going gets rough, folks start to believe their only chance for survival is to surrender to the forces of evil, which isn’t how the stories go. At all. To make matters worse Aaslo is beginning to fear that he may have lost his mind…
Rating:
This book was provided by the publisher in the hopes of an honest review (and they know they’ll get me hooked ad I’ll buy the next books). The fact that this is gifted doesn’t really affect my opinion on the book (and I don’t read the book thinking “it is a proof/review copy, you have to love it”).
Mathias and Aaslo are good friends. Best friends. Brothers (not biological). They train together, they study together (but Mathias studies more) but they have very different expectations of life. Aaslo is pragmatic, he is a forester and he’s happy with that, he’s reayd to settle and just likes his life as is. Mathias yearns for adventure in the great wide somewhere, and he likes playing around, not planning on settling.
So when we find out that there have been many prophecies and they all boil down to Mathias being the hero and saving the world from utter ruin, well, it is perfectly fitting and Mathias is ready. But somehow, fate is having a laugh and Mathias dies a little too soon. Aaslo then realises that someone has still to try to save things and he isn’t ready to give up the “simple” life he had planned, so he takes on a bit of being the hero (a lot against his wishes, but he has a good heart).
I enjoyed the world, the quest, and the whole “what if the bext friend, the not the hero but good support, had to step up and be the hero because there is no other choice?”, Sam takes over Frodo’s quest. And I was very skeptical of how this would be accomplished without me being angry for the whole Mathias thing, but Aaslo basically won my heart on the first few pages so I was rooting for him all along.
So much for fate, by the way. Not sure if the intent of the author was to point at how the whole “chosen one” trope could be undone by something relatively simple as it does here to Mathias and what would happen when it does. It is a good question, and one Aaslo is trying to figure out. He wasn’t trained, he just was ready for a life in the forest. But he still moves forward, gains a rag tag team of quest members and sets off.
There are a few characters that amde this very interesting (but I’d rather not spoil, a certain female character was my favourite of them) and there are parts of the “Gods” discussing things and negotiating and it is interesting to have this overall view and still be unsure what the final outcome may be.
Looking forward to the next one, because I need to know what is going to happen now after that revelation of Aaslo’s ability.
I fell for it, because of the proof to be included in the box. And I am giving them 6 months to convince me to stay or not. I am still unsure about liking the full box. But we shall see.
Starting on the theme card on the bottom left and going clockwise, we have:
Theme card and theme art bookmark.
Magnetic bookmarks inspired by Skyward, my fave is the middle one. It’s so cute. But I am not crazy about magnetic bookmarks so they may go unused.
Tarot cards. Not my thing (I have a deck, it is just this set isn’t my thing).
A Fire Breathing Queen pin, which did for interesting reading of what it says.
A pair of socks, they’re soft and cosy.
Microfiber cloth with a quote. Now, this was abit confusing, because it is super cheap quality and basically doesn’t clean much and the printing will wash out easily. I would’ve rather liked a glasses cleaning cloth or something that can be used more.
Proof copy of Wicked As You Wish, really excited about it!
Game of Thrones pencils. I don’t need many pencils (unless they were proper drawing pencils sets, that’d be nice) so this isn’t being kept either.
Tea, in eco friendly packaging, which is nice.
A nice pouch, with a quote from Red Rising.
The main event book, Eight Will Fall. I hand’t heard of the book before this but I am very curious!
All in all, I am still unsure. There is the books and maybe one item I like, but the rest isn’t too great and could be better. But let’s see how January goes and the next few months…
“What happens when the man of your dreams turns out to be a nightmare with sharp teeth and claws?”
Winner of the 2016 Goodreads Choice Award for Best Poetry, amanda lovelace presents her new illustrated duology, “things that h(a)unt.” In this first installment, to make monsters out of girls, lovelace explores the memory of being in an abusive relationship. She poses the eternal question: Can you heal once you’ve been marked by a monster, or will the sun always sting?
Rating:
I bought this one to complete the duology since I had enjoyed to drink coffee with a ghost more than I expected. And I have to say, compared to it, this isn’t as good. Or maybe it feels less powerful because it is not my first encounter with her poetry. Unsure.
It still is a powerful read. And as someone who had a terrible relationship that I am still healing from, this definitely resonated. One of the things that was interesting to see was how you adapt and sometimes become a monster yourself in self defense. I had become someone defensive and jumpy, someone who would tell you horrible things and be quite critical so you wouldn’t dish those things to me first. But before him I wasn’t as bitter or monstrous.
Still, some poems passed me by, but a lot of them where relevant, including the sun heart ones, as I found my own “sun” heart. The parts that didn’t click, at least I could feel or attempt to understand a little. Not all experiences are the same, but there are some similarities and it is that thread that ties this book together. The pain, the self loathing, the wanting to prove your love and that you are worth loving.
It is a tough book, so read with care, and it has a long list of content warnings at the beginning (something I am grateful for). If you can brave this book, it may be cathartic and helpful to read, like releasing some of the poison in your wounds. Still, do so with care and love and patience.
Since I did a mini summary about Owlcrate, and I am eagerly waiting to receive the January Book Box Club box soon, I shall do another mini summary about them.
I bought their last first box back in September 2016 (?) and haven’t looked bad. They were the first ones to do a proper author chat and it was the one thing I loved the most. Nowadays I don’t join the chat so much, but it is thanks to them I found some of my good friends and reading buddies.
But let’s see what was in the December box, which was all about being cozy with our reads, starting on the theme card on the bottom right and going clockwise:
Theme Card. Cute fits the theme.
A proof book, for me it was Are You Watching? which I already have a proof copy for, but still, extra book.
The main book, Dangerous Alliance which is very pink and apparently Jane Austen-ish… I am a bit unsure what to expect.
White chocolate and & Raspberry bar, which fits nicely with being cosy. Yum!
A Christmas wishes card from the girls and the new four paw addition.
A gorgeous beanie hat, it is a deep green that for some reason looks very black in videos and pictures. It is warm and comfortable and cute. win all around.
A pin to match the book.
The 2020 artwork calendar I’ve come to expect from them, and it is gorgeous! A great way of discovering new artists.
A woodmark, with the most gorgeous art ever that it put aside my woddmark dislike (plus it is a little more sturdy but not that much thicker than the usual ones in other boxes, so far better).
All in all, a very cosy box to be enjoyed and I am looking forward to the treat of two books in the January box too!
A friend I’ve known since we were 14 or so, was in Spain and made a small trip to come see me in the UK (we’re both from Mexico). On the last day she was here, she gifted us (husband and I) this book. I teared up a little.
For starters, this is about a fox “stealing” a chicken. We keep chickens and my logo is a fox. No need to say more, right? This book has no words in it, a language agnostic book. All of it is pictures and the pictures do their job amazingly well.
Our fox steals the chicken and runs away, when ehr friends find out they pursue them. And so goes th story as they are being pursued so the chicken can be rescued. But does the chicken need rescuing?
It is a gorgeous book, the artwork is brilliant, the story is very well doen and as mentioned, not even need for words. And well, it questions preconceptions and assumptions on others very well, plus choices and reactions to things.
I highly recommend it because it is a sweet one and charming.
Since it is almost the time when book boxes start shipping for January, let’s do some unboxings of the ones that came through in December. For today, it is Owlcrate. I’ve been getting them on and off. My first Owlcrate was I think their 4th box of them all, way back in 2015 (if I remember correctly), and I kept it going for quite a while until it was the same items with just a little difference. I stopped and then restarted it recently as the quality went up again.
So let’s unbox this one, starting with the book in the bottom left:
The Guinevere Deception by Kiersten White. It was highly hinted this would be the book for December, and I am glad. Even though blue is one of my favourite colours, the green cover version they gave us is stunning. Underneath it has emerald foiling and white hardcovers.
Mount Ruin candle. It smells delicious and warm and cosy (maybe not actually like doom, but I am okay with that).
A book sleeve with a quote from Sorcery of Thorns. It is a good size, which is something I like (my favourite so far was one that has a front pocket and a popper button on the top so it is extra secure plus can add other things up front.
Theme card.
A set of colouring pencils that are meant to accompany the next item…
A colouring book of all the yearly pin designs that have been included in Owlcrate. I thought this was an awesome idea and a way of making the most of the amazing designs. Not only as a pin but bonus colouring book!
A hand warmer, based on Sky in the Deep. This was great to receive because I had been raving about them in the office and when I unboxed it, I could show it to my colleagues easily.
Earmuffs. A win for me since they are relatively portable and cute and comfortable. And a unique item.
The pin of the month.
In general I liked this box, it is very well coordinated in colour and even though not all items feel like Tales of Trickery, they do give me a cooridnated vibe and I like it.
Wish is a story about the power of kindness and the magic of friendship.
Rabbit has never had a wish before but one day he gets not one, but three! He asks his friends what they would do if they had a wish to get ideas. He hears their ideas, but what does he want?
Rating:
I got this as a Christmas gift. It was on my wishlist for a while as I like having some children’s books to read sometimes when I want to read but don’t have the energy to fully commit to an older book. But with pictures it is easier and just nice.
Wish is about a bunny rabbit who gets three wishes and he isn’t sure what to wish for. So he goes around and asks his friends, and they each tell him their wishes and what they would like. Adventures, nice things, all of them very unique to each of the friends, but none of them seem to be exactly what the little rabbit wants to wish for.
So when he makes his wishes, he finds out sometimes wishes can be good and shared. It is a cute story with soft artwork, the kind that makes you believe in wishes and just makes you feel warm inside.
All in all, it was a lovely gift and it was a good book to cuddle with after being tired from all the festivities. Something to relax with and just enjoy and smile about.
The acclaimed graphic novel world of The Witch Boy and The Hidden Witch comes to a thrilling conclusion in this story of friendship, family, and finding your true power. Magic has a dark side . . .
Aster always looks forward to the Midwinter Festival, a reunion of the entire Vanissen family that includes competitions in witchery and shapeshifting. This year, he’s especially excited to compete in the annual Jolrun tournament-as a witch. He’s determined to show everyone that he’s proud of who he is and what he’s learned, but he knows it won’t be easy to defy tradition.
Ariel has darker things on her mind than the Festival-like the mysterious witch who’s been visiting her dreams, claiming to know the truth about Ariel’s past. She appreciates everything the Vanissens have done for her. But Ariel still craves a place where she truly belongs.
The Festival is a whirlwind of excitement and activity, but for Aster and Ariel, nothing goes according to plan. When a powerful and sinister force invades the reunion, threatening to destroy everything the young witches have fought for, can they find the courage to fight it together? Or will dark magic tear them apart?
Rating:
I was very excited to read this and had it on preorder. The two previous books had me hooked and I wondered where this one was going to take us and what interesting adventures were coming.
The focus of it is Ariel, and the internal fight she has on being a good with rather than just evil and ruining everything. I wanted to enjoy it as much as the other two, but there was a lot of making the adults do things that didn’t go very well with their characters for the sake of making the plot a bit more intense and more confusing. I didn’t want to try to rethink my whole view of a character that I thought was good for the last two books and is now giving bad vibes (worse part, the reason for the shifty behaviour is silly, something a child might do not an adult and not the character that does). So I guess, that made it less good to me.
I still liked seeing their friendship finding new spaces and figuring out what is best and how to go along with having a new witch that is adept next to Aster. Good competition. There is still a lot of Aster having to prove himself which detracted a little from Ariel’s story. I can see the reason behind wanting to explore that part, but it meant you split the story too much between Ariel and Aster and their conflicts and tried to pack it all one book. Maybe it would’ve been better to have it be a set of four books rather than a trilogy. That way there’ll be more space to explore both things, including Ariel’s past and family and all that.
The big reveal about Ariel’s family is too short and rushed, which felt like a shame. However, their friendship between the three of them is still strong and they’re a good team of friends.
The art is still good, the world was nice to go back to, I just wished it had been done a little better, as it left me feeling like “oh, it finished already? This is the end of this story/trilogy? Really? That’s it?” rather than with a bang or at the very least some internal satisfaction of seieng htem grow into themselves (which they kinda do, but it is rushed and it feels a little forced).
Still, the trilogy itself is fun, I enjoyed it and it was an interesting concept. Wish there were more to come.
