Book Review: "The Crow Rider" by Kalyn Josephson

Title: The Crow Rider

Author: Kalyn Josephson
Series: "The Storm Crow" #2

Genre: YA Fantasy

Page Length: 368 pages

Publication Date: July 7, 2020

Rating: 4 // 5 stars

Goodreads
Book 1 Review

*I was provided a free e-arc from Sourcebooks in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own*

When I read The Storm Crow, I fell in love with the story and the characters. After the way the first book ended, I was really interested in seeing how things were dealt with in this novel. I do think that I liked the first book a little bit more, but I still really enjoyed this finale.

One of the things that I like most about these books is how easy it is to fall into them. Kalyn's writing is so wonderful and I've never had any issue with becoming engaged with her stories. One of the things I like about this duology is that we get an engaging high fantasy with wonderful characters but it's not dense, overly-complicated, or super long. While I do like dense fantasies some of the time, I also really love ones like these books. For me, this duology is the epitome of a good Young Adult Fantasy in that it's accessible for younger readers but engaging for those who like a bit of a grittier premise.

I adored the characters just as much this time around. There were a few side characters who were featured heavily in book one that didn't get as much page time in this one that I wished I'd seen more of. However, there were some new characters that were introduced that I really connected with.

Obviously, I love our main character more than the rest. Thia is just so strong and complex. Her bonds with the other characters as well as her internal struggles added such great depth to the story. Additionally, one of the things I liked most about the first book is that it included Thia's mental health journey. I was really glad to see that not only do we get the continuation of her growth and journey, but we also get to see other characters' also healing from trauma and pain.

As much as I loved this book, I'm also really left wanting more. I want more of these characters, more of the world and lore, and so much more of the crows and magic! I would love if the author revisited this world following a different character (or even a continuation of Thia's story) because I just am so intrigued by everything in it. I really wish I'd gotten to see even more of the different magic systems and history but I also feel that I was never confused due to lack of information. Overall, I wish there was more of everything because I just really liked this duology!

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Thanks for reading!

xoxo

Lauren

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June 2020 Wrap-Up

Hello everyone! Today I'm here to wrap up the month of June. I can't believe we're already halfway through the year, though I can't say that I'm not grateful for it. I think I'll be even more grateful when it's next year and the next six months are over. That being said, in June I took a remote summer class that I'm actually finishing up later today. Because of my class, I didn't get to read as many books as I'd hoped. I did get through 7 books this month and 3 of those were for my class specifically. Hopefully July will be filled with more reading!  

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BOOKS READ

1. 

Title: New Moon

Author: Stephenie Meyer

Rating: 5 // 5 stars
Review
-reread-

2.
Title: Eclipse
Author: Stephenie Meyer
Rating: 4.5 // 5 stars
Review
-reread-

3.
Title: The Girls
Author: Emma Cline
Rating: n/a--read for class
Review

4.
Title: The Storm Crow 
Author: Kalyn Josephson
Rating: 4.5 // 5 stars
Review

5.
Title: Dear Martin
Author: Nic Stone
Rating: 4.5 // 5 stars
Review TK

I've been wanting to read this for a while now and when it went on sale I figured that I would pick it up finally. It's a really short read but with a complete, in-depth story. I thought that this book did a really good job of addressing police brutality and racism in a way that will be accessible to younger readers. Additionally, I really liked how it addressed racism in school because a lot of people my age and younger only think of racism as something old white people do but that's not the case. While this book does cover these tough issues, the author doesn't sacrifice the plot, characters, or relationships for it. Overall, I really liked Justyce and thought that this was a powerful and well-rounded read. I look forward to the sequel coming later this year and to reading some of Nic Stone's other works while I wait. 

6.
Title: Girl, Interrupted
Author: Susanna Kaysen
Rating: n/a--read for school

This was an interesting memoir that followed a teenage girl in a mental hospital back in the late 1960's. I thought it was an interesting read told in a unique way. I don't think I'll read it again since I feel that I learned what I could from it already but I am interested in seeing the movie (starring Winona Ryder and Angelina Jolie) to see how they adapted it.

7.
Title: The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants
Author: Ann Brashares
Rating: n/a--read for class

This is a book that a lot of people my age read when they were a lot younger. It's also one that I struggled a bit with reading. I think I would have absolutely adored this in late-elementary into middle school. However, I did have a lot of moments while reading it where I was shaking my head or groaning at the characters and their actions. Maybe it's a signal that I'm a semi-adult now since I'm not approving of what the characters are doing half the time.  I'm somewhat interested in seeing what happens in the next book, so I might see if I can borrow it from my library. 

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BLOG POSTS

May 2020 Wrap-Up

Book Review: "The Empire of Gold" by S.A. Chakraborty
May 2020 Book Haul
Book Review: "New Moon" by Stephenie Meyer
Book Review: "Eclipse" by Stephenie Meyer
Book Review: "The Storm Crow" by Kalyn Josephson
Mid-Year Book Freakout Tag: 2020 Edition
Blog Tour: "The Crow Rider" by Kalyn Josephson + GIVEAWAY
Blog Tour: "Rebel Spy" by Veronica Rossi
Statement Regarding My Withdrawal of Support for The FFBC

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Thanks for reading!

xoxo

Lauren

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BLOG TOUR: "The Crow Rider" by Kalyn Josephson + Giveaway

Hello everyone! Today I am SO excited to be bringing you the blog tour centered around The Crow Rider, the sequel to The Storm Crow, by Kalyn Josephson. I absolutely adored these books and I'm so excited for everything that I've been able to bring to this post. A little run down of what you can expect: information about the book and author but also a specially curated playlist based on the series, how to get signed copies and bonus content, a giveaway, and an exclusive excerpt. 

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SYNOPSIS

*Spoilers for book 1*

Princess Thia, her allies, and her crow, Res, are planning a rebellion to defeat Queen Razel and Illucia once and for all. Thia must convince the neighboring kingdoms to come to her aid, and Res’s show of strength is the only thing that can help her.

But so many obstacles stand in her way. Res excels at his training, until he loses control of his magic, harming Thia in the process. She is also pursued by Prince Ericen, heir to the Illucian throne and the one person she can’t trust but can’t seem to stay away from.

As the rebel group prepares for war, Res’s magic grows more unstable. Thia has to decide if she can rely on herself and their bond enough to lead the rebellion and become the crow rider she was meant to be.

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

Release Date: July 7th 2020

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy

Goodreads

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PLAYLIST

Wings - Little Mix

Alive - Sia

Atlas: Touch - Sleeping at Last

Legendary - Welshy Arms

Foreigner's God - Hozier

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MEET THE AUTHOR

Kalyn Josephson currently works as a Technical Writer in the tech industry, which leaves room for too many bad puns about technically being a writer. Though she grew up in San Luis Obispo, California, she graduated from Santa Clara University with a degree in Biology and a degree in English (Creative Writing). Currently, she lives in the Bay Area with four awesome friends (because it’s the Bay Area and she’d like to be able to retire one day) and two black cats (who are more like a tiny dragon and an ever tinier owl). THE STORM CROW is her debut novel.

WEBSITE     |     TWITTER     |     GOODREADS

INSTAGRAM     |     FACEBOOK

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PURCHASE LINKS

AMAZON     |     BARNES & NOBLE     |     ITUNES     |     BOOK DEPOSITORY

KOBO     |     GOOGLE PLAY

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PREORDER CAMPAIGN & SIGNED COPIES

Pre-order The Crow Rider & submit your receipt at the link below to receive one of two exclusive bonus scenes! Everyone will be entered to win a The Storm Crow bookmarks & character cards. 

US & CAN only

Submit your receipt HERE

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Pre-order signed  copies from Kepler's Books before July 7 and you can get a signed, personalized copy of The Storm Crow (paperback or hardcover) and/or The Crow Rider (hardcover). 

Additionally, pre-order signed copies of either book from EdgedinStarlight on Etsy (in collaboration with Kepler's Books) to received signed & personalized copies with sprayed edges!

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EXCERPT

The ocean had always reminded me of the sky.

Both were vast, ancient domains that we could never hope to control, and each time we entered them, we placed our lives in the hands of something that could crush us.

Something about that thrilled me.

I stood at the bow of the Aizel dressed in my flying leathers and a thick green cloak the ship’s captain, Samra, had reluctantly lent me. Salt air nipped at my face, the wind running long fingers through my curls and lifting them to dance like ribbons.

A shadow rippled across the water ahead of the ship. I lifted a hand, feeling the brush of feathers a moment before Resyries landed on the railing before me. Wings outstretched against the wind, the crow balanced effortlessly, the gossamer shine of his dark feathers blending into the blue predawn light. The connection between us thrummed with quiet contentment, something neither of us had had much of in recent days.

After our flight from Illucia, we’d headed to the Ambriel Islands but had decided to skirt around them rather than make land, since the islands were likely full of Illucian soldiers searching for us. Their queen was not going to let me escape so easily. Not when I was the only one who could hatch the crow eggs she’d stolen from Rhodaire. Not to mention I was technically still betrothed to her son.

I winced at the thought of Ericen. Unexpectedly, we’d become friends during my time in Illucia. The fingerless leather gloves I wore each day had been a present from him, a symbol of strength when I’d needed it most. But the prince was loyal to his kingdom. Loyal to his mother.

“I have to let him go, Res,” I said into the wind. So why couldn’t I?

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Thanks for reading!

xoxo

Lauren

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You can follow my bookstagram here for more bookish content!

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Book Review: "The Storm Crow" by Kalyn Josephson

Title: The Storm Crow

Author: Kalyn Josephson

Series: "The Storm Crow" #1

Genre: YA Fantasy

Page Length: 352 pages

Publication Date: July 9, 2019

Rating: 4.5 // 5 stars

Goodreads

I'm honestly surprised that I didn't pick this up sooner because I ended up loving it! I got an ARC in my Fairyloot box all the way back in December of 2019 and just hadn't figured out when to read it. Then 2020 hit and I figured I would just wait until the sequel came out so that I didn't have to wait long between books. Well, I got an ARC of the second book and figured it was about time for me to read this one!

This, to me, is the epitome of a great YA fantasy book. I've read a lot of high fantasy YA novels that are super intricate in their world building and magic systems with lots of dense passages and lots of information thrown are way. And don't get me wrong, I do enjoy a dense high fantasy. But I also like a YA fantasy that doesn't throw too much information at you. It seemed to me that the author gave us exactly the right amount of information to understand the world, conflicts, and magic system as we needed.

That being said, I am fascinated by this world. I want to know more about each of the different kingdoms and I especially want to know more about the magic systems at play. I think the idea of the crows is so unique and there's so much room to learn more about them. I'm just overall so interested in exploring this world and the magic systems within it in book two!

This was also a pretty fast-paced book. It's not super long and that felt like a breath of fresh air as well. I do like long books but they can be exhausting at times. I felt that the story moved at a good pace and didn't drag at all. I also just really liked Kalyn's writing style and I found it easy to fall into. I ended up reading most of this book in one sitting and not even realizing the passage of time.

I will say that I've read so many fantasy stories centered around rebellion and "taking back the throne" trope so that didn't feel unique to me but what made me love this book was the characters, the plot, the world, etc. The author took a pretty common trope but has made everything else in the book enjoyable and unique.

Speaking of characters, I really enjoyed the ones in this book. We have our main character with the only POV, Anthia, but we also have multiple side characters who occupy a lot of page time. I loved our main character but I also really loved the side characters. Each one felt developed and unique from the rest--I am very interested to see everyone's development in the next book. We also just had a super strong female friendship at the forefront of the book instead of romance which I absolutely adored!

Additionally, I felt that the struggles Anthia went through with depression were realistic and didn't try to glamorize it. I could feel and relate to her issues. Not even that, but the way she addressed it and dealt with the stigmas from people around her--wonderful. I also liked that the character explicitly stated she had depression and it wasn't just assumed (because now no one can say that it wasn't in there).

Overall, while I know that this isn't the best or most unique book out there, I had an absolutely blast reading it and am so excited to dive into the second book later today. I highly recommend this one to fantasy lovers and I cannot wait to see what happens in the next!

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Thanks for reading!

xoxo

Lauren

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You can follow my bookstagram here for more bookish content!

To get more awesome posts like this post, click the follow button to the right!

Get free worldwide shipping with Book Depository using my affiliate link

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December 2018 Book Haul!

Hello everyone! It's that time of the month again and I cannot wait to share December's book haul with you all! I got a pretty good number of books this month but I didn't purchase all of them. With it being Christmas and being sent books for review, I didn't pay for a good portion of these books. Plus, the books I did buy were either very cheap or ones that I had been really looking forward to. In the end, I have 12 physical books and 13 ebooks to talk about this month. So, without further ado, here is my book haul for the final month of 2018.

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To start off with all the physical books I got, I actually didn't get any until about two and a half weeks into December. So I ended up getting most of them in the last week and a half of the year which made my book hoarding heart very happy. A good portion of these were Christmas gifts and there are a few others that were sent to me, either from winning a giveaway or from a publisher/author. I'm excited about all of these books so let's go ahead and jump straight in!

The first physical book I got this month was an advanced reader's copy of Internment by Samira Ahmed, which was sent to me by Novl to review. This is a dystopian near-future take of the United States if Muslims were forced into internment camps. Not only is this very relevant in how the country currently is, but I also thought this book was a very moving story. Review here. 

Then I got my signed and personalized copy of Queen of Air and Darkness by Cassandra Clare. This is the third and final book in The Dark Artifices trilogy and I cannot wait to binge these three books. I read Lady Midnight when it first came out and it was my favorite Cassie Clare book and I was dying for the sequel...which I still haven't read a year and a half after it released (don't judge me!). But I'm hoping to reread book one and finish the rest of the series very soon! 

I also had a Fairyloot box waiting for me when I got home from college. The box this month had two books in it and I was so excited to get it as the theme, Dragons, was one that I was stoked for. The first book that was included was an advanced reader's copy of The Storm Crow by Kayln Josephson. I'd actually been hearing about this book and was interested in it beforehand, so I'm pretty excited to have it in my hands right now since it doesn't come out until July. 

The second, and main, book that was included in the box was a signed copy of Fire and Heist by Sarah Beth Durst. I'd actually guessed that it was this book before I even got the box and I was excited to see that my hunch was right! I'm pretty excited to dive into this fantasy read, hopefully in 2019! For my full unboxing of this month's Fairyloot box, you can go here. 

One of my bookstagram buddies was hosting a giveaway this month and I entered on a whim since the book was one I'd seen her raving about and I'd been eyeing for a few months. Imagine my surprise and happiness when I ended up winning one of the copies she was giving away! The book is City of Brass by S.A. Chakraborty and I've heard nothing but good things about this. I believe it's an Cairo/Egyptian inspired adult fantasy that includes djinn and magic. I cannot wait to dive into this book in January!

I also picked up a special edition of Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer. This edition had red stained edges and I was pretty excited to get it. The listing for this book did list it in better condition that what arrived (a hole in the cover and dust strings stuck in the pages), but I paid next to nothing for it and the pages are beautiful when displayed on my shelf, so I'm not interested in complaining too much. 

Then came Christmas. I ended up getting # books for Christmas and I'm excited about all of them! The first book I got was from my grandma and it was a copy of Ink and Bone by Rachel Caine. I've had this one on my wishlist for over a year and I'm so excited to have it in my hands. I'm hopefully going to be able to get to it in 2019! 

Then I got The Invisible Library and The Burning Page by Genevieve Cogman, books one and three in The Invisible Library series. I've heard so many people raving about these books and I was sold from the moment I read the synopsis. I cannot wait to read this and I'm hoping to bump the first book up on my TBR so that I can possibly get to it in February. 

The next book I got was Pestilence by Laura Thalassa. This is a book about the four horsemen and a girl who shoots one of them and ends up dealing with the consequences. I was interested in this book a while back when I first heard about it and it was on my wish list, so I'm definitely going to try to read it in the spring! 

Next for Christmas, I got Dust and Shadow by Lyndsay Faye. This is a book about if Sherlock Holmes was investigating Jack the Ripper and it just sounds so interesting! I cannot wait to start this one!

The last physical book I got this month was Theft of Swords by Michael J. Sullivan. Somehow we ended up at Barnes & Noble where I was able to get a copy of this book. I've heard so many people rave about this book and the synopsis sounds right up my alley. I cannot wait to read it!

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I also got quite a few ebooks this month, # to be exact. They were all either cheap on Amazon deals or sent to me for free, so I'm pretty happy with this part of my book haul. I also can't wait to read all of them. They'll be perfect for when I'm traveling in the fall and studying abroad.

The first book I got this month was One Apocalypse by Kristy Cunning, the fourth and final book in The Dark Side series. I read the first book last year and really enjoyed it so I was excited to get more books with these characters. After a somewhat disappointing third book, I thought this finale was a lot better and really enjoyable! My non-spoiler review can be found here.

The next book I got was Charming by Jane Washington. I own all of Jane's books and I've read almost all of them. This is the first book in her newest series and I'm pretty excited for it. I believe these new books are about a school of magic and fairy tales, which just sounds awesome to me.

I was also approved for a blog tour (coming in March!) and was provided an e-arc of Wicked Saints by Emily A. Duncan. This is one of my most anticipated releases of the year and I cannot wait to be a part of this tour. I'm so excited to read this book in February!

The next ebook I got, in the first of my Amazon sale binge, was Hunting Prince Dracula by Kerri Maniscalco. I loved the first book in this series and for some reason haven't continued on despite book 3 having come out this past fall. However, now that I have the ebook, I am determined to continue on and catch up to this series!

Then the His Fair Assassin trilogy bind-up was on sale, so I was able to get the entire trilogy in one go. The books included were Grave Mercy, Dark Triumph, and Mortal Heart, all by Robin LaFevers. So many of my friends and fellow bookstagrammers have raved about this series for the longest time and I've been interested in reading it for years. I'm super excited to have all three of these books now.

Up next I got Windwitch by Susan Dennard, the second book in the Witchlands series. I read the first book at the end of December and absolutely loved it. It was such an amazing story and I was so excited to continue on with the next books. I decided that I wanted the ebook alongside the paperback because sometimes I can't bring a physical book with me but I always have my kindle app on my phone. Overall, I'm super excited to read this book!

Then I picked up Casquette Girls by Alys Arden. I've had my eye on this book for the longest time and when I saw it was on sale for really cheap, I couldn't pass up the opportunity. The only things I really know about this book are that there's magic, New Orleans, and more!

Then I got A Reaper at the Gates by Sabaa Tahir. This one was also on sale for a great price and, since I haven't read it yet, I decided that I would go ahead and snag it for when the time to read it is right. I'm probably going to reread the first two books before going into this one, though, so it'll be nice to have the ebook always accessible for when that time comes.

Up next, I got To Kill a Kingdom by Alexandra Christo. I've heard so many people raving about this book since it came out and I figured it's time for me to read it since the ebook was on sale. I believe this is a Little Mermaid retelling, but I could be wrong. All I know is that there's definitely sea-elements to it.

The next ebook I got was Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare. It was on sale and I decided to go ahead and pick it up, mostly so that I could read it in my bed while laying down in the dark. I recently reread this book and it was so good. I cannot wait to continue on with the second and third books!

Next, I got Honeymoon Blues by Nikki Bolvair. This is the sixth (?) book in the Faith series, one of the first RH series that I ever read. I have enjoyed this series for so long and it seems like new books keep coming out. I'm excited to see where this one takes the characters but I do feel like I need to reread at least the book before it in order to remember clearly who all the characters are.

Then I got The Darkness We Crave and The Light We Seek, both by Katie May. These are books one and two in a new dystopian RH that I started reading. I was drawn to them because of the incredibly funny main character and I've already read both of these. I'm excited to see where the story goes next.

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Thanks for reading!

xoxo

Lauren

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You can follow my bookstagram here. A brand new giveaway will be posted soon!

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Unboxing: Fairyloot's "Dragons"

Hello everyone! When I saw this announcement from Fairyloot for a dragon-themed box I knew I had to have it! Also, with all the cool items they hinted at in this box, I was so excited when my subscription renewed and even more excited when I got the shipping notification. I ended up guessing the book beforehand and was spoiled on two other items. Then a publishing company that included one of the books posted a full unboxing on Instagram before I'd even received my box, so I was mostly spoiled. However, when I got the box I was still unawares at to everything in it, so there were still some surprised that I'm excited to show you all now! Additionally, there was a mixup with packing and I ended up not getting one of the items so that will be coming later in January, so I might update this post when I get that! But without further ado, here's the Fairyloot "Dragons" box!

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So, the first item in this box was the spoiler card, obviously. It had this gorgeous artwork on it and it's honestly so beautiful. At the bottom of the box, we also got a bookmark with the same art and this month's Fairyscoop.

The next item I pulled out was this gorgeous glow-in-the-dark dragon necklace. It's so beautiful and I can't wait to test it out in the dark. My current WIP is about dragons, as well, and I'd love to wear this while I write it!

Then we got a pin banner. At first I was a bit confused as to what it was and then I figured it out. I'm not 100% if I'm going to use this for pins because I have a tin that I keep all my pins in and I know they won't all fit on the banner, but this is definitely an item I'd use before tea or whatnot.

I was really excited that they were including a dragon-themed reading journal this month. I am somewhat obsessed with planners and I can't wait to use this for my reading goals and whatnot. There's monthly overviews, places to list the books I read, weekly slots, and more! It's so beautiful and well made.

Then I pulled out the first two tarot-style cards in a continuing set inspired by A Court of Thorns and Roses, aka one of my favorite series. I was really excited when Fairyloot announced they were doing these and I can't wait to have a complete set, though I was thinking we'd get more than two in each box.

Then there was an advanced reader's copy of The Storm Crow by Kalyn Josephson. I'm super excited for this July 2019 release and I can't wait to dive into it sometime this spring. My friend and I were even gushing about it and wondering if this was going to be in the box.

There was this gorgeous Harry Potter themed booksleeve included as well. I love Fairyloot's booksleeves and they're the best quality sleeves in my entire collection. Plus, this design is absolutely stunning. I can't wait to use this one and add it to my collection.

Next was a double-sided art print. On one side we have art of Manon and Abraxos from Throne of Glass and on the other side we have Toothless from How to Train Your Dragon. Both of these artworks are stunning and I can't wait wait to take pictures with them.

And, lastly, we have the book of the month: Fire and Heist by Sarah Beth Durst. I actually guessed the book back when the theme was announced but I'm pretty excited to have this in my hands. I always have better luck with Fairyloot books than other subscription boxes so I'm excited to read this one! There was also an art print of one of the characters with an author letter on the opposite side.

As I stated above, there was a packing mishap that caused many subscribers to not receive one of the items: a set of bookmarks inspired by Game of Thrones. I haven't seen what they look like yet but I'm excited to get them when Fairyloot goes off holiday.

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Well, there you have it, my unboxing for Fairyloot's December 2018 box! This was one of my favorite boxes they've ever done full of items that I'll actually use. I'm excited to see what January will bring (and to add more tarot cards to the collection!).

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Thanks for reading!

xoxo

Lauren

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Follow my bookstagram here. New giveaway will be posted soon!

I am a "BookishTextDesign" Influencer! Use my code LAUREN10 for a discount off your bookmark purchases! Check out the shop here

Get free worldwide shipping with Book Depository using my affiliate link

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