Owl Crate November 2017 Review + Unboxing

Castles, Courts and Kingdoms UNBOXED

I solemnly swear, Owl Crate boxes are MAGIC. 

Friends, I’m sure some of you remember that disastrous UpperCase Box review I wrote in November. My fun impulse buy turned into a whole lot of head shaking and me cursing out the weenie contents of the envelope (YES it didn’t come in a BOX despite the name) and channeling my inner Mushu and wishing dishonor on UpperCase and whoever the heck put it together. 

WELL anyone can be hoodwinked by pretty-sounding book boxes out there, and one bummer book subscription box isn’t going to turn me off from other companies altogether. But it did give me more appreciation for the beauty that is Owl Crate!!

November 2017's Owl Crate theme was Castles, Courts, and Kingdoms. It featured 5 bookish items from 5 fantastic fandoms and at the time it was sent out an unreleased young adult novel complete with a signed bookplate, a sheet of temporary tattoos inspired by the book and a note from the author! Now, let's get into unboxing this rad and regal box!

Expecto Patronum Beanie

Owl Crate has made good on their promise to include a Potter-themed item in every single one of their monthly book boxes! This time the featured item is a black beanie with a cute pom on top and Expecto Patronum knit around it with some fun fair isle turned Hogwarts vibes in the patterns! This is such a cozy hat especially for cold climates-- like where I am in New England where winter is BRUTAL-- and the Prisoner of Azkaban reference made me scream aloud! Way to celebrate the best Defense Against the Dark Arts professor EVER (Professor Lupin, 'natch) and Harry’s triumph over the Dementors!!! AzkaBAM. This Owl Crate exclusive is a knockout.

Winter is Here Lip Balm

Geek Fire Labs is a small business that specializes in creating fandom lip balms, lotions, and candles. Uncovering this Owl Crate exclusive House Stark themed balm was SO exciting. What can I say? I love the Starks! I’ve always been a sucker for the heroes, do-gooders, and hard workers! Is my Hufflepuff showing? Methinks yes. Beyond that, the formula of these balms is so smooth and moisturizing and the tubes last about a month. That is, IF you use them liberally. If you’ve got a lighter hand I’m sure you could eke out another few weeks.

A Court of Mist and Fury Notebook. 

Wow, is this one a stunner. That heart eye emoji? That was me when I first got a glimpse of this notebook designed by Stella Bookish Art. Purple is my favourite colour and I’m incredibly invested and involved in mindfulness and mental health, so this quote instantly resonated with me. I’m not a Sarah J Maas fan-- but I don’t have to be to appreciate this gorgeous illustration and typography. Insta friends and regular followers on my @thebadgerbabe Insta know how frequently I use uplifting and inspirational quotes in my captions. This might just be another place where I can scribble them down instead of just leaving them typed on my phone notes!

Lembas Soap  

In Lord of the Rings, while the Frodo and the rest of the Fellowship are journeying across Middle-Earth they’re gifted leaf-wrapped Elvish bread. The Hobbit makes his Elvish bread, or Lemas, last for nearly the whole duration of his travels to Mordor. This soap crafted by Fizzy Fairy Apothecary isn’t edible, but that doesn’t mean it can’t nourish our skin! The details really stand out-- and the soap is carved in such a way that it does have a leafy texture! I actually like the look of it so much I don’t want to actually use it! 

Six of Crows Brooch. 

Three different Grisha orders from Leigh Bardugo’s Grishaverse novels are featured in these brooches, created by Juniper and Ivy. These nifty engraved wooden trinkets have a magnetic strip on the back, so there’s no risk of making holes or sticking ourselves with the pointy end! Each subscriber randomly received a design for either Corporalki, Etherealki, or Materialki, all specialized types in said Order. I got sorted into the Squallers in the Etherealki-- I haven’t yet read the book but I LOVE the sound of it. 

Immediately after unwrapping this I fired up the Grisha Order quiz on Leigh’s website-- annnnnnd got Etherealki. I KID YOU NOT! 

Could it be that Owl Crate has employed a select few Legilimens? 

The Glass Spare by Lauren DeStefano is the hardcover young adult book featured in this box. 

According to the synopsis this book is about a Princess named Wil, the only daughter of a powerful King, who lives in a country obsessed with building an empire-- and by extension getting into wars. Wil discovers that she has a magic touch-- she can turn people into gemstones. Huh. So this is a kind of spin-off of the King Midas myth. 

Butttttttttt with an incoming forbidden romance. The synopsis teases that Wil encounters a “cursed prince” and I can’t help but be skeptical. Especially when it ends with “With a world on the brink of war and a power of ultimate destruction, can Wil find a way to help the kingdom that’s turned its back on her, or will she betray her past and her family forever?” 

 Ermmmm well. I’m not going to knock it before I try it…. But right now my instincts are telling me that this novel is going to try to be one of those “edgy” and “raw” and “profound” novels. Which are a bit pretentious and sooooo not my thing. 

I’ve also read three novels by Lauren and honestly two of them from The Chemical Garden trilogy were JUST OK, and the other from her second series Perfect Ruin I disliked. But I’ll give it a chance!

So I’m not exactly jonesing to get a start on this. 

But you know what? The book here really isn’t the main event in this crate! 

I gotta tell you, I am utterly in love with the Harry Potter beanie, Lord of the Rings soap, SJM Quote Notebook, Game of Thrones lip balm, and the Six of Crows wooden brooch. Owl Crate, you’ve done it again!!!!!

All photos arranged and taken by me 💗