Subscription Boxes

Moon Hauls: What Lies Beneath Illumicrate

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Subscription box: Illumicrate

Theme/Month: What Lies Beneath, May 2023

Ownership: Subscribed on their 6 boxes option. If you are interested in purchasing an Illumicrate subscription, you can do it on their website.

Illumicrate is a book subscription box, it usually features fantasy and sci-fi but not exclusively young adult, sometimes it features adult fiction too. It usually contains a new release, a pin and several bookish goodies.

I love the ones that come with a book basket bag, they make me think that everything is just coming out of it and exploding with creativity, but let’s talk contents, starting from the bag and going clockwise:

  • Hope is Magic book organiser, with a quote from Laini Taylor, and a wonderful colour scheme. These organisers are a dream, I use them for tidying craft things or for moving items upstairs and downstairs. I just love them so much.
  • The featured book, Witch King by Martha Wells. I have no clue why I haven’t read it yet since it is one I really want to read and that is still on my least!
  • What Lies Beneath leaflet.
  • Shell Whale metal bookmarks. I like the metal bookmarks even if they are dainty and I am always worried I’ll break them.
  • Hiding just there is a Moth phone grip, which is very delicate and awesome.
  • And finally a planter (this was awesome I thought it was such a cool idea to include)

As I said above, this box was already winning with the contents, but overall the theme, the book and the contents won very well and I was happy with it.

Book Review

Moon Reads: Garlic & the Witch

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Garlic & the Witch by Bree Paulsen

Rating: MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px Grey

Nothing is perfect, and as such, the reviews in this blog are chaotic. My main aim is to share my thoughts, joy and opinions on a book, not make a publication perfect review. This blog endorses authenticity, showing up and joy over perfection.

I really enjoyed the first book, Garlic & the Vampire which was very cute, full of chaos and enjoyable. It was inevitable therefore that when seeing there was a second book, I would pre-order it.

I have no regrets.

Garlic is enjoying life with her vegetable friends, Carrot included, the Count (from the previous book) and the Witch Agnes. However, they are struggling to make a good substitute for the Count (he doesn’t want blood, but a vegetarian alternative).

Turns out to find the ingredients she has to go on a journey to the Magic Market for those ingredients to help Witch Agnes finally nail the substitute. But the other big thing looming for Garlic is that she is turning a little bit human and this feels a little too much and a big change even if it is gradual, what if Garlic doesn’t want to?

The story tackles many things and includes our cast in a more “mature” way having learnt and grown from the previous story. One of the big things is anxiety and how that can sometimes mix with fear of change and maybe hinder you a little.

It made me think a lot about how different and change aren’t bad words. It is important to work on that openness and that understanding that it will be different, it will change but that does not inherently mean it is good or bad, it could just be, or it could be good. And well, Garlic really has to work on this and on her anxiety, and trying to understand herself a little more, a bit more bravery and courage as she goes on a journey and as she looks inside herself and tries to define her own answers to who she is.

A very lovely sequel to the first book and left a warm fuzzy feeling, perfect as an autumn or winter read with a lovely cup of warm tea or hot chocolate.

Book Review

Moon Reads: How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying

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How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying by Django Wexler

Rating: MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px

Nothing is perfect, and as such, the reviews in this blog are chaotic. My main aim is to share my thoughts, joy and opinions on a book, not make a publication perfect review. This blog endorses authenticity, showing up and joy over perfection.

Disclaimer: Receiving a review copy from the publisher does not affect my opinion of the book. If you think I review it highly it is due to me knowing my taste well and therefore not requesting books I won’t enjoy. And I am not obligated to review the book if I do not like it, so you may not see bad reviews due to me preferring not to hype down a particular book. I only do reviews of books I disagreed with if I think it is worth bringing a topic or warning to light.

This is like the sister book for Long Live Evil, in that we are having our heroine decide to become the villain and embrace the evilness to win. And it made me laugh a lot too.

But that’s as close as they get. How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying follows Davi, who is basically relieving the same “life” over and over where she gets told she is the chosen one and the hero when she wakes up in this world, so she tries to be the hero and take down the all-powerful Dark Lord. But she’s so done with that. She just hasn’t managed to win yet and instead she has found so many ways to die, some come quick, some take much longer. But at least she gets to keep her memories of what she has done and how events transpired.

So, why not instead beat the whomever keeps becoming the Dark Lord, and od it herself, so this time she actually wins?

Honestly, this was really fun because Davi plays it lose and fast at first, he just wants to start winning and so dying a few times while “testing” things out and what works or doesn’t on her path to become the Dark Lord is fine, until things slowly start working out or maybe not always, but then the she would have to keep retrying and dying over and over to get to the newest point she has got.

Like being in a game with no respawn points once you go past certain check points, she keeps respawning always at the same point.

I enjoyed this way too much and it was such a good take at how things make you look evil, or rather how there are many faces to evil. The whole story including the way to become Dark Lord was full of surprises and lots of checkpoints to marvel at the chaos Davi is having and creating. But it is also incredibly fun and I look forward to the next one.

Chaotic evil groundhog day to become a villain, yes, sign me up for it!

Subscription Boxes

Moon Hauls: Be My Enemy Illumicrate

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Subscription box: Illumicrate

Theme/Month: Be My Enemy, April 2023

Ownership: Subscribed on their 6 boxes option. If you are interested in purchasing an Illumicrate subscription, you can do it on their website.

Illumicrate is a book subscription box, it usually features fantasy and sci-fi but not exclusively young adult, sometimes it features adult too. It usually contains a new release, a pin and several bookish goodies.

Be my Enemy is a very hard theme to imagine because our enemies will be different to each of us, though I guess there is something for it we can all coincide in? Let’s start on the bottom left with the leaflet and go clockwise:

  • Pardon the glare but I didn’t want to unwrap it as I keep the papercraft kits for moments of needing time for myself and I really love getting them in the boxes. The theme of this one was Blaze of Desire
  • A Stag pin banner which has found a new home with someone who LOVES stags (it is very pretty, I just don’t have too much wall space).
  • The Vermillion Birds tumbler. I already have a few of these so it wasn’t anything new, but I get having versions of it that you like more or less (this was not for me specifically but not an issue).
  • The featured book, Some Desperate Glory by Emily Tesh and yet another book I haven’t read.
  • And finally a dagger replica of the Sword of Truth.

One thing that I can see is that I really need to sit down and read my Illumicrate books because I am very much behind on them (I think particularly the 2023 ones), but maybe not my favourite box so far for the year.

Book Review

Moon Reads: The Night Marchers

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The Night Marchers

Rating: MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px Grey

Nothing is perfect, and as such, the reviews in this blog are chaotic. My main aim is to share my thoughts, joy and opinions on a book, not make a publication perfect review. This blog endorses authenticity, showing up and joy over perfection.

Another collection of stories, but this time in graphic novel form. This is a rich collection of “Cautionary Fables and Fairytales” from Oceania and around the area, so you get a lot of different stories than the usual fairytales we all know.

Forget Snow White or yet another greek mythology retelling, here you will get tales with a wide range of ideas, some from superstition (like consider what happens to the spirits and invisible beings, or they may be out to get you), to wider and more elaborate stories ranging Philippines, New Zealand, Hawaii, and beyond.

Some reminded me a little of the stories from Spirits Abroad but now in graphic novel form, and some felt new and interesting, and it was also an introduction to artists that may not be as well known or that you see less of their work on the Western side of the world, and boy the artwork was also stunning considering it was in black and white, there were many styles and stories.

I haven’t read the rest of the series of Cautionary Fables and Fairytales so I cannot compare it to the rest, but it was a decent number of stories and even though as usual some were not my style either in art, or story or both (I think only one didn’t hit both things for me) the overall feel of the book was good and interesting leaving me wanting to get some more books to read on fairy tales and fables from the regions.

Book Review

Moon Reads: The Anatomy of Fear

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The Anatomy of Fear

Rating: MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px Grey

Nothing is perfect, and as such, the reviews in this blog are chaotic. My main aim is to share my thoughts, joy and opinions on a book, not make a publication perfect review. This blog endorses authenticity, showing up and joy over perfection.

I found about this book because fo LL Macrae and decided to back it on Kickstarter. Now, I am not the biggest fan of horror, and so I was a bit nervous about it.

One of my favourite things is that it comes as an “anatomy” where each short story covers a body part, like liver or bone or eye, and therefore it goes into some horror for each part.

Overall, the stories are more the kind of horror that will creep under your skin and leave you feeling the chills rather than jump scares and film horror series. This is not a book of screams but rather of layers of horror that build a “body” of stories.

Some were easier to get into for me and despite the topics some were very enjoyable (obviously Bone by LL Macrae) and some were tragic, the tempo varies too and I will admit there were some that were just not for me, both by topic or just couldn’t get into the story as much as others (maybe I was spoilt by some really good ones that others that weren’t bad felt not as good).

So if you want horror short stories to layer a variety of authors and ideas, let the fear come and learn its anatomy with this book.

Subscription Boxes

Moon Hauls: Live Like Legends Illumicrate

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Subscription box: Illumicrate

Theme/Month: Live Like Legends, March 2023

Ownership: Subscribed on their 6 boxes option. If you are interested in purchasing an Illumicrate subscription, you can do it on their website.

Illumicrate is a book subscription box, it usually features fantasy and sci-fi but not exclusively young adult, sometimes it features adult too. It usually contains a new release, a pin and several bookish goodies.

As much as the previous box was incredibly visually cohesive this one is not and feels more just cohesive on theme, So let’s see what was inside, starting from the leaflet on the top right and going clockwise:

  • Content leaflet, as usual includes artists and photochallenge alongside book summary.
  • Journey to the underworld lunch bag, with a Persephone and Hades vibe, which looks cool and not too in your face for fandom specific.
  • Greek mythology stickers, and I always love good stickers!
  • The featured book, Lies We Sing To The Sea by Sarah Underwood, and another book I have yet to read (partly because I am burnt out on greek mythology inspired books, just stop please).
  • A Greek Myths book pot. One I didn’t keep as I only keep a few and this was not for me.
  • Realm of the gods mini teapot, this is adorable and I have yet to use it but hopefully soon.

Overall, a decent box with a few everyday use items (the teapot isn’t used because I already have a work horse type of teapot that gets used often, this one feels more delicate) and a few decorative items.

Book Review

Moon Reads: EchoStar

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EchoStar by Melinda Salisbury

Rating: MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px

Nothing is perfect, and as such, the reviews in this blog are chaotic. My main aim is to share my thoughts, joy and opinions on a book, not make a publication perfect review. This blog endorses authenticity, showing up and joy over perfection.

What would you do if you could get an app that helps you know the right answers all or most of the time?

When Ruby and her best friend Deva get told they cannot go to the Performing Arts camp they won places to for the summer unless they fix their grades, drastic measures come into place. Suddenly Deva is doing everything well and knows everything, getting high marks, but also being slightly cagey and different, which makes Ruby jealous and confused.

But finding that this is due to EchoStar, a new app in trial that is an “AI” to help you succeed, Ruby quickly tries to get in on the trial.

What she doesn’t know is the consequences and the dangers of having someone always watching and listening in.

This was a creepy thriller, with a root of truth, and pondering the consequences of relying too much on perfection, an AI to help you ut and what allowing access to this “app” to be able to listen and watch everything may involve. Because you never know who made the app and who is on the other side truly.

It was a quick read, I didn’t particularly like Ruby but it was fascinating to see her going through this, figuring out what her friendship meant, and who she really may be behind all the appearances and ideas she has made up of her own person. And having an AI, that can whisper to you solutions or befriend you, could be good, or maybe not so much when you can be influenced or coerced into making certain decisions.

An interesting exploration of technology for teenagers, on how much we share online and privacy and the meaning of this.

Book Review

Moon Reads: Meesh the Bad Demon

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Meesh the Bad Demon by Michelle Lam

Rating: MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px

Nothing is perfect, and as such, the reviews in this blog are chaotic. My main aim is to share my thoughts, joy and opinions on a book, not make a publication perfect review. This blog endorses authenticity, showing up and joy over perfection.

Disclaimer: Receiving a review copy from the publisher does not affect my opinion of the book. If you think I review it highly it is due to me knowing my taste well and therefore not requesting books I won’t enjoy. And I am not obligated to review the book if I do not like it, so you may not see bad reviews due to me preferring not to hype down a particular book. I only do reviews of books I disagreed with if I think it is worth bringing a topic or warning to light.

What makes a bad demon? Apparently Meesh is one, as she is better at seeing the good in everyone than the bad and doesn’t act like other demons. Therefore the other demons bully her because she dreams of being more like a fairy princess than the expectations of a demon.

But, as a big disaster strikes, Meesh ends up journeying to other worlds to try to find help. And why not start where she thinks she could get help, the fairy realm?

The artwork and the story were very cute and perfect for a middle grade graphic novel, the colour palette was also beautifully used to show the different worlds and the elements of what was happening so you could get an idea before you fully understood what was going in, which was done in a subtle interesting way and I liked that.

The story focuses on being brave, on being true to yourself and in some ways, challenging the expectations set on you from society and others and that what sometimes we are told is the way we ought to be, doesn’t make who we are less, and sometimes we have to do things for the better.

It is a very cute lovely story and I am looking forward to reading the second book.

And yes, I am trying to keep a relatively spooky/scary vibe or as close as can be for the posts of the month. Let’s see how well we can do.

Subscription Boxes

Moon Hauls: Into the Fire Illumicrate

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Subscription box: Illumicrate

Theme/Month: Into The Fire, February 2023

Ownership: Subscribed on their 6 boxes option. If you are interested in purchasing an Illumicrate subscription, you can do it on their website.

Illumicrate is a book subscription box, it usually features fantasy and sci-fi but not exclusively young adult, sometimes it features adult too. It usually contains a new release, a pin and several bookish goodies.

I think this was one of those boxes super on point for the theme with all the items looking very cohesive between them, but let’s see each in detail, starting from the leaflet and going clockwise:

  • Contents leaflet
  • Celestial Kingdom book light, which is more or less a “book” that opens into a lamp which is pretty cool!
  • The featured book which was Song Of Silver, Flame Like Light by Amelie Wen Zhao, which gorgeous design and printed edges.
  • Phoenix book jacket. I like these book jackets since they’re almost like a slip on cover and can be used for notebooks too and make them look nicer, very pretty design (my only downside is that it is a lot of white and can get dirty easily)
  • A zipper charm for Pendragon, which initially I was like “a zipper charm” but then remembered some annoying zippers that are always a pain to grab and pull, and decided this was a very useful little thing, and so far it has been.
  • Lighten the darkness water bottle with a sleeve. I like the glass bottles and it is very pretty, and I love a nice sleeve for it, but I am also always slightly scared of breaking it (the sleeve helps a little).

I admit that more than a year later and I have yet to read the book, woops, but the contents have bene used and enjoyed so it was overall a good box.