FairyLoot - Chain of Gold Special Edition

Items: 

• Mortal Cup Replica by FairyLoot  
• James and Cordelia Tapestry by @monolimeart
• Wooden Bookmark by @niru.sky and @stellabookishart
• James Book Sleeve by @taratjah and @noverantale
• His Dark Materials Necklace by @hannahhitchmanart
• Art Print by @merwildandco
• Chain of Gold by Cassandra Clare

Review: 

Check out Sammie's first impressions in the video:

I am a huge fan of Cassandra Clare books, so when I seen that FairyLoot were releasing a special edition box for Chain of Gold, I had to instantly buy it. The perfect thing was that I had early access for being a monthly subscriber. I was excited for this box because there was a reveal that there was going to be Mortal Cup replica. I really wanted this item so I could display it on my Cassandra Clare bookshelf.

So the first item in the box was a tapestry with artwork of Cordelia and James. It looked like it was quite a romantic piece of art. I wasn't a huge fan of this artwork, it just wasn't what I was really wanting. I did find the size of the tapestry was good though, I also find that I was disappointed because I don't actually have anymore room to display it in my study. I'm not sure what art work or characters I would have liked on the tapestry, maybe a quote with a nice pattern or something. That's possibly because I like to imagine the characters in my own mind rather than being told what the characters look like. The quality of the tapestry was good though and I feel that it could be hung for a long time without any problems.

The next item in the box was a book sleeve. I did like this item because it had a quote on one side and it had artwork of James on the back, so you could hide the artwork of the character which I would do. I also liked that it actually had a zip on it, so you could put it in your bag and not have to worry that when you put other items in your bag they'd go in the book sleeve and damage the book. Also having the zip allows me not to worry that it would fall out if I accidentally tipped it in the wrong way when walking with just my book and book sleeve. The material was also waterproof which I liked to prevent the book from getting wet. Also it was quite well padded so that it prevented the book from actually getting damaged. The only thing that let this book sleeve down in my opinion was the colour. It was like an off-white pink colour which I really didn't think suited the quote or the artwork. I'm not too sure what colour would have been better but I just wasn't a fan of the really pale pink.

A wooden bookmark was also in this box and it contained a quote from the book again and it had artwork of Cordelia on the other side. You should know by now what my opinion of wooden bookmarks are, they are still a worry for me that the dye will stain onto my books in the heat. I do like the quote design side the most because it is just really pretty and the colours have been well thought of.

The mortal cup was the next item in this box, I was very careful when opening it and it wasn't damaged to start of with, unlike many other peoples. But within a few days of owning the mortal cup the glass had actually came away from the plastic bit. I felt like it was quite a cheap mortal cup especially for the price that I paid for the box. The paint work on it was also a bit rubbish and wasn't fully complete or painted very well, it sort of looked like a child had painted it at parts. Which is a shame really because this was the item I was looking forward to the most.

The last item before the book was a piece of art work of the 4 boys; James, Matthew, Christopher and Thomas. I actually found that this piece of artwork was something I liked and I loved how Cassie had imagined the others. Christopher was not how I imagined him, neither was Matthew but I can see where those key aspects are shown within them. I like how all 4 of the characters are lay out on the grass, more than likely talking to each other about fighting demons and what they now actually do when they are on watch. It just seems to be designed in a way that they'd actually do what was on the artwork. I'm still not a fan of it but I do appreciate this art work a lot more than other artwork that I have received in book boxes.

The Chain of Gold edition within the FairyLoot box was a black naked cover with Cortarna on the cover. The edges were sprayed black and Cortarna was left white on the main side edge which was stenciled. I wasn't a huge fan of this colour being used on the book because I found that it was quite dark when the rest of her books are quite nice colours. I found that the stenciled edge was a nice touch, but apart from that I felt like it was too similar to the Waterstones edition. That I'd already received. The reason I thought this was because the artwork on the bookends was the same and the colour, the bonus chapter story was also the same. I know that all 1st editions had the same bonus story but I feel that with FairyLoot being an exclusive copy it would have looked better if there was different art work on the bookends or at least a different colour.

Overall, I feel that this collectors edition box was slightly a let down because there wasn't many items or items that I liked. So I feel that my money was slightly wasted and it has since made me worry about future special edition boxes. Hopefully they will improve because I think this was actually there first time doing one so there's hope just yet as I would hope they'd listen to the feedback that people have gave them.

Written by Sammie

Check out Sammie's review of Chain of Gold or check out my review of Chain of Gold.

FairyLoot - Chain of Gold Special Edition

Items: 

• Mortal Cup Replica by FairyLoot  
• James and Cordelia Tapestry by @monolimeart
• Wooden Bookmark by @niru.sky and @stellabookishart
• James Book Sleeve by @taratjah and @noverantale
• His Dark Materials Necklace by @hannahhitchmanart
• Art Print by @merwildandco
• Chain of Gold by Cassandra Clare

Review: 

Check out Sammie's first impressions in the video:

I am a huge fan of Cassandra Clare books, so when I seen that FairyLoot were releasing a special edition box for Chain of Gold, I had to instantly buy it. The perfect thing was that I had early access for being a monthly subscriber. I was excited for this box because there was a reveal that there was going to be Mortal Cup replica. I really wanted this item so I could display it on my Cassandra Clare bookshelf.

So the first item in the box was a tapestry with artwork of Cordelia and James. It looked like it was quite a romantic piece of art. I wasn't a huge fan of this artwork, it just wasn't what I was really wanting. I did find the size of the tapestry was good though, I also find that I was disappointed because I don't actually have anymore room to display it in my study. I'm not sure what art work or characters I would have liked on the tapestry, maybe a quote with a nice pattern or something. That's possibly because I like to imagine the characters in my own mind rather than being told what the characters look like. The quality of the tapestry was good though and I feel that it could be hung for a long time without any problems.

The next item in the box was a book sleeve. I did like this item because it had a quote on one side and it had artwork of James on the back, so you could hide the artwork of the character which I would do. I also liked that it actually had a zip on it, so you could put it in your bag and not have to worry that when you put other items in your bag they'd go in the book sleeve and damage the book. Also having the zip allows me not to worry that it would fall out if I accidentally tipped it in the wrong way when walking with just my book and book sleeve. The material was also waterproof which I liked to prevent the book from getting wet. Also it was quite well padded so that it prevented the book from actually getting damaged. The only thing that let this book sleeve down in my opinion was the colour. It was like an off-white pink colour which I really didn't think suited the quote or the artwork. I'm not too sure what colour would have been better but I just wasn't a fan of the really pale pink.

A wooden bookmark was also in this box and it contained a quote from the book again and it had artwork of Cordelia on the other side. You should know by now what my opinion of wooden bookmarks are, they are still a worry for me that the dye will stain onto my books in the heat. I do like the quote design side the most because it is just really pretty and the colours have been well thought of.

The mortal cup was the next item in this box, I was very careful when opening it and it wasn't damaged to start of with, unlike many other peoples. But within a few days of owning the mortal cup the glass had actually came away from the plastic bit. I felt like it was quite a cheap mortal cup especially for the price that I paid for the box. The paint work on it was also a bit rubbish and wasn't fully complete or painted very well, it sort of looked like a child had painted it at parts. Which is a shame really because this was the item I was looking forward to the most.

The last item before the book was a piece of art work of the 4 boys; James, Matthew, Christopher and Thomas. I actually found that this piece of artwork was something I liked and I loved how Cassie had imagined the others. Christopher was not how I imagined him, neither was Matthew but I can see where those key aspects are shown within them. I like how all 4 of the characters are lay out on the grass, more than likely talking to each other about fighting demons and what they now actually do when they are on watch. It just seems to be designed in a way that they'd actually do what was on the artwork. I'm still not a fan of it but I do appreciate this art work a lot more than other artwork that I have received in book boxes.

The Chain of Gold edition within the FairyLoot box was a black naked cover with Cortarna on the cover. The edges were sprayed black and Cortarna was left white on the main side edge which was stenciled. I wasn't a huge fan of this colour being used on the book because I found that it was quite dark when the rest of her books are quite nice colours. I found that the stenciled edge was a nice touch, but apart from that I felt like it was too similar to the Waterstones edition. That I'd already received. The reason I thought this was because the artwork on the bookends was the same and the colour, the bonus chapter story was also the same. I know that all 1st editions had the same bonus story but I feel that with FairyLoot being an exclusive copy it would have looked better if there was different art work on the bookends or at least a different colour.

Overall, I feel that this collectors edition box was slightly a let down because there wasn't many items or items that I liked. So I feel that my money was slightly wasted and it has since made me worry about future special edition boxes. Hopefully they will improve because I think this was actually there first time doing one so there's hope just yet as I would hope they'd listen to the feedback that people have gave them.

Written by Sammie

Check out Sammie's review of Chain of Gold or check out my review of Chain of Gold.

Illumicrate - March 2020

Theme: Worlds Collide

Items: 

• Burning Crowns Mug by @rosiethorns88  
• Shrestha Candle by Amelia's Kitchen Candles
• City of Brass Foiled Print by Slaymate
• Drink Me Keyring by @itsbabypears
• His Dark Materials Necklace by @hannahhitchmanart
• Havenfall by Sara Holland
• Collectible Coins

Review: 

March theme was Worlds Collide. I chose to buy this box mainly for the His Dark Materials item. I was gutted when they said it was delayed and were giving it in the April box. But I understood and I didn’t mind waiting. 

I’ll start with that item first. I discovered when the box arrived that it was going to be a necklace. I was so happy, I love getting necklaces in boxes. I patiently waited until April to finally get it. It’s not like I could wear it anywhere at the moment anyway, with everything going on in the world. The necklace was a lovely simple design of a hot air balloon and her demon Pan. I haven’t actually read these books yet but I do plan to and I loved the BBC series. So I loved this item.

The next item was the Burning Crowns Mug. This item was another mug by Rosie Thorns to add to my growing collection. I liked the design but again I don’t really use mugs that often, I only drink hot chocolate every now and then. However, I do like receiving them as when I eventually move out I will have loads of mugs.

In the box was a candle. This item I used to get all the time and now I’m glad it's more of a rare item so I can appreciate them more. It was a pretty candle and smelt of library books. I will warn you though, don’t leave leggings next to it as they may catch fire as my sister soon discovered. 

Another item in this box was a foiled print. I loved the colours of this but I haven’t read the fandom and art isn’t my favourite item type. Saying that though, I will be moving house soon and I’m hoping to have an art wall in my new room so it can contribute to that.

The final item in the box was an Alice in Wonderland inspired keychain. It had a nice design, although not the biggest fan of the colouring. I’ll happily have any keychain though as I enjoy collecting them.

I also had the usual magnetic coins. This book included 2 surprisingly. I believe they might have been the end of the coins but I can’t remember. We soon will know when I get round to writing the April review.

The book in this box was Havenfall by Sara Holland. Holland is an author I’ve actually heard of, she wrote Everless. I still haven’t read it yet but it must have been good for her to have a new series. I loved the colouring of this book's sprayed edges. A lovely bluey green colour that I don’t already have on my bookcase. I also love the addition of the ribbon bookmark. I love it when a book comes with a bookmark of its own. The book itself sounds really interesting and I look forward to reading it.

Rating: 4 runes out of 5

Written by Lauren

Illumicrate - March 2020

Theme: Worlds Collide

Items: 

• Burning Crowns Mug by @rosiethorns88  
• Shrestha Candle by Amelia's Kitchen Candles
• City of Brass Foiled Print by Slaymate
• Drink Me Keyring by @itsbabypears
• His Dark Materials Necklace by @hannahhitchmanart
• Havenfall by Sara Holland
• Collectible Coins

Review: 

March theme was Worlds Collide. I chose to buy this box mainly for the His Dark Materials item. I was gutted when they said it was delayed and were giving it in the April box. But I understood and I didn’t mind waiting. 

I’ll start with that item first. I discovered when the box arrived that it was going to be a necklace. I was so happy, I love getting necklaces in boxes. I patiently waited until April to finally get it. It’s not like I could wear it anywhere at the moment anyway, with everything going on in the world. The necklace was a lovely simple design of a hot air balloon and her demon Pan. I haven’t actually read these books yet but I do plan to and I loved the BBC series. So I loved this item.

The next item was the Burning Crowns Mug. This item was another mug by Rosie Thorns to add to my growing collection. I liked the design but again I don’t really use mugs that often, I only drink hot chocolate every now and then. However, I do like receiving them as when I eventually move out I will have loads of mugs.

In the box was a candle. This item I used to get all the time and now I’m glad it's more of a rare item so I can appreciate them more. It was a pretty candle and smelt of library books. I will warn you though, don’t leave leggings next to it as they may catch fire as my sister soon discovered. 

Another item in this box was a foiled print. I loved the colours of this but I haven’t read the fandom and art isn’t my favourite item type. Saying that though, I will be moving house soon and I’m hoping to have an art wall in my new room so it can contribute to that.

The final item in the box was an Alice in Wonderland inspired keychain. It had a nice design, although not the biggest fan of the colouring. I’ll happily have any keychain though as I enjoy collecting them.

I also had the usual magnetic coins. This book included 2 surprisingly. I believe they might have been the end of the coins but I can’t remember. We soon will know when I get round to writing the April review.

The book in this box was Havenfall by Sara Holland. Holland is an author I’ve actually heard of, she wrote Everless. I still haven’t read it yet but it must have been good for her to have a new series. I loved the colouring of this book's sprayed edges. A lovely bluey green colour that I don’t already have on my bookcase. I also love the addition of the ribbon bookmark. I love it when a book comes with a bookmark of its own. The book itself sounds really interesting and I look forward to reading it.

Rating: 4 runes out of 5

Written by Lauren