{Bookish Box} The Wicked King Book Hangover Crate by FaeCrate

Hey, guys!

2019 is the year of splurging for book boxes. I'm so excessive! However, when I finally received my Wicked King Hangover Crate, it was sooo worth the hefty price. This is probably my favorite book box that I've ever gotten. I've already ordered a few more boxes for myself, so that might change, but I freaking loved this box! It was so much fun. I have an unboxing on my stories where I gush and gush and gush about the items in the box. If you're interested in that unboxing, it's in my save story highlights!

Here is what was in The Wicked King Hangover Crate!

Here is the lovely little print by Gabriella Bujdoso that is on the other side of the spoiler card. I love her sketch style so much!

#1: Thorn socks from FaeCrate!

These socks are so gorgeous and so soft. I love wearing them!

#2: Leaf Tea Infuser from FaeCrate

This infuser is so freaking nice. I used it the day after I got the box and I've used it consistently since then. It's currently being used, so enjoy a picture from my first use on my IG stories!

#3: The Fae Prince Plushie from FaeCrate

Ugh! This Cardan plushie is so freaking cute! So soft! The details are absolutely perfect!

#4: Rowan Berry Protection Necklace from FaeCrate

#5: "Spill the Tea" loose leaf tea from @acourtofcandles

This tea is so delicious! I absolutely adore drinking it. I'm currently rationing it out. I could drink it for days. 

#5: Elfhame Tea Towel from @blissfullybookish

I absolutely love this towel. I'm currently just storing it in my box, but I'm definitely going to make it a wall hanging in the future. 

#6: Double Sided Pillow Case by @gabriella.bujdoso

 

This pillow case is so gorgeous! I'm so excited to get an insert for it. Gabriella is such a beautiful artist and I love her work so much.

#7: Underwater Oaths Candle from @burningbrightlibrary

This lovely candle smells of sea kelp, untamed waves, and filtered sunlight. It's so fresh and bright. I can't wait to burn this candle this summer. 

#8: The General's Crest Iron-On Patch designed by @lkdesign.studio

This patch is so lovely. I'm planning on buying a leather jacket and when I do, I'm going to be artsy and iron this patch on there. I'm so in love with the design.

#9: Court of Shadows Trading Cards by @rachelhanke27

    

#10: Wicked Golden Acorn Tea Cup & Saucer Set designed by @ekatearcher

I love this set! It's so beautiful and it fits perfectly in my hand. 

#11: Double Sided Sturdy Print 

Fae Prince & the Human by @faeriereverie

Sea Princess by @Eklixio

I'm obsessed with this art! I can't decide which I love more.

#12 Double-sided bookmark with author letter

  This is just too cute! I love this bookmark so much. The concept art for the plushie is just so beautiful!

This box was just so perfect for me. I absolutely adore every item. I cannot wait to get my Defy Me Hangover Crate and my March BaeCrate (their sister company that fully focuses on adult and new adult romance). 

What is your favorite book box? Let's talk about them in the comments!

Happy reading!

Olivia

                                         ~Liv the Book Nerd~

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{Review} The Wicked King by Holly Black

Page Count: 322

Published On: January 8, 2019

Published By: Little Brown & Company

Genre(s): Fantasy, YA

Source: hardback - personally purchased 3 times!

Age Rating: 15+

Where To Find It: Amazon // Book Depository

My Rating: 5 stars 

Goodreads synopsis:

You must be strong enough to strike and strike and strike again without tiring.

The first lesson is to make yourself that strong.

Jude has bound the wicked king, Cardan, to her, and made herself the power behind the throne. Navigating the constantly shifting political alliances of Faerie would be difficult enough if Cardan were biddable. But he does everything in his power to humiliate and undermine her, even as his fascination with her remains undiminished.

When it becomes all too clear that someone close to Jude means to betray her, threatening her life and the lives of everyone she loves, Jude must uncover the traitor and fight her own complicated feelings for Cardan to maintain control as a mortal in a faerie world.

~~~

Hey, guys!

     As you guys have known, I'm a massive fan of Holly Black's Folk of the Air series. Back in January 2018, I read The Cruel Prince and absolutely fell in love with everything about it. I've been eagerly and impatiently waiting for The Wicked King to come out. In December, I traded with someone on Twitter for an ARC, but I didn't get to reading it until the day after TWK was published....I got caught up in finishing a series, okay? I didn't mean for it to take so long. Anyway, this book was even better than I could have hoped. I absolutely adore this series and I NEED The Queen of Nothing! I need it! I highly doubt that there will be ARCs for TQON, but if anyone gets one and wants to hook me up.... I'm definitely down to work out a trade or something. 

Anyway, let's discuss this FANTASTIC book!

This book was everything I could have wished for. I wish it had been longer, but that is only because I'm greedy for this series. I was honestly so upset that it ended so quickly. There were so many twists and turns that I did not expect. There were also some twists that I hoped would not happen, but they did. RIP my sanity.

The main character, Jude, is just such a compelling and intriguing main character. I absolutley love her voice throughout this book and I think she's such a dingdong sometimes, but I relate. It's obvious that Cardan (my man!) flirts with her SO MUCH during this book, but she's so focused on not being tricked that she doesn't even realize his love for her! Some don't think he loves her, but I AM CONVINCED! HE'S JUST A LITTLE BIT EMOTIONALLY BROKEN, OKAY? He's secretly a soft boy and I love him. Holly Black is a freaking goddess of a writer who writes the BEST slow burn romance. Ugh. I love her. I wish I could have gone to one of her tour stops. 

The character development in this book was so fantastic. In The Cruel Prince, we weren't given as much about our main character because it was a lot of world building and introductions to the magic and the characters. However, this book! Holly Black really brought her A-game when writing this book. I cannot wait for the finale. I need it. 

This series is already becoming one of the series that I buy multiples of each book and desperately try to find the ARCS for. I'm so blessed to have traded for an ARC of The Wicked King. 

I highly recommend this book. It's dark, it's whimsical, it's twisty, it has the best parts of fae-fiction and the YA genre. I cannot wait for more Holly Black! 

If you'd like to see me geek out about The Wicked King and The Cruel Prince, I'm sure I will not stop and will continue to gush about these books on my Instagram. If you'd like to join the conversation feel free to DM me or comment below! Let's talk about this fantastical book!


Other Reviews of Holly Black's Work:

• The Cruel Prince {click here}
• The Field Guide {click here}
• The Spiderwick Chronicles #2-5 {click here}
• The Nixie's Song {click here}
• The Iron Trial {click here}
• The Lost Sisters {click here}
• The Darkest Part of the Forest {click here}

Happy reading!

Olivia

~LivTheBookNerd~

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{Short Stories/Novella Reviews} January-July 2018

Hey, guys!

     Short stories are always kind of awkward to review. Because they are so short and they aren't complete novels, I find it hard to write more than 100 words about my general thoughts. Typically, the novellas or short stories that I read are a part of other series. Because of this, the stories usually follow some aspect of the series that would spoil someone or something. This is why I won't go into too much detail when it comes to summarizing the synopsis and reviewing it. 

What I'll Be Reviewing:

• A Visit to the Impossible Lands by Holly Black (included in the Barnes and Noble edition) 
• The Demon in the Wood (The Grisha Trilogy #0.1) by Leigh Bardugo
• The Mirror and the Maze (The Wrath & the Dawn #1.5) by Renee Ahdieh

~~~

Mini Review #1: A Visit to the Impossible Lands by Holly Black 

I really really enjoyed this little short story. This story focuses on the Roiben and Kaye Fierch. This story takes place both in the mortal world and the fae world. It follows the relationship of Roiben and Kaye and further develops the world that Holly has created. It also shows one of the final scenes of The Cruel Prince from their perspective. 

It was so much fun to get to know Roiben and Kaye in this little story. I absolutely fell in love with their relationship and I really really enjoyed how Holly has further developed her world. I'm so excited to read more about this world. I've had The Wicked King pre-ordered since early-April. I'm just too freaking excited to read it. I'm dying inside. I'm so impatient. 

My Rating: 5 stars

Other Holly Black Reviews:

The Cruel Prince {review}

The Darkest Part of the Forest {review}

Spiderwick Chronicles #1 {review}

Spiderwick Chronicles #2-5 {review}

Bailey's Series Review: The Spiderwick Chronicles #1-5 {review}

The Nixie's Song (Beyond the Spiderwick Chronicles #1) {review}

Mini Review #2: The Demon in the Wood (The Grisha Trilogy #0.1) by Leigh Bardugo

Goodreads synopsis:

Before he became the Darkling, he was just a lonely boy of extraordinary power. Get a look into the past that forged a brutal and brilliant leader.

~~~

Oh, my goodness. This was so wild. I absolutely loved being in The Darkling's head when he was a young child. He's honestly so wonderful and I still really love him. I just really want more from him. I'd love to just read all of The Darkling's history. I just loved this novella. I highly recommend that you read this if you adore the Grisha world. 

My Rating: 4.75 stars

Other Leigh Bardugo Reviews:

~ Shadow & Bone {review}

~ Siege and Storm {review}

~ The Tailor {review}

~ Six of Crows {review}

~ Crooked Kingdom {review coming soon!}

~ Language of Thorns {review}

Mini Review #3: The Mirror & the Maze (The Wrath & the Dawn #1.5) by Renee Ahdieh

Goodreads synopsis: 

The city of Rey is burning. With smoke billowing, fires blazing and his people fleeing, Khalid races back to defend his city, and protect his queen. But Khalid is too late to do either. He and his men arrive to find the city in ruins, nothing but a maze of destruction, and Shahrzad is gone. But who could have wrought such devastation? Khalid fears he may already know the answer, the price of choosing love over the people of Rey all too evident.

~~~

Okay, this was free on Kindle, so of course, I had to pick it up. I absolutely adored The Wrath and the Dawn, but I really was disappointed by The Rose and the Dagger. I also wasn't too impressed with The Mirror and the Maze. I was kind of bored and unimpressed. Though the writing was gorgeous, the story was just too short to completely impress me. I absolutely adore Khalid. I love him so much, but I was just bored. It probably doesn't help that it's been a hot minute since I read TW&TD and TRATD. 

My Rating: 3 stars

Other Renee Ahdieh Reviews:

The Wrath and the Dawn {review}

The Rose & the Dagger {review}

Flame in the Mist {review}

I hope you enjoyed this blog post! If you'd like me to write more reviews like this, let me know! 

Happy reading!

Olivia 

~Liv the Book Nerd~

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{Review} The Darkest Part of the Forest by Holly Black

Page Count: 336

Published on: January 13, 2015

Published by: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Genre(s): Young Adult, Fantasy, Science Fiction Fantasy
Source: Paperback - personally purchased

Age Rating: YA

Where To Find It: Goodreads // Amazon

Book Depository: {click here}

My Rating: 4 stars

Goodreads synopsis:

Children can have a cruel, absolute sense of justice. Children can kill a monster and feel quite proud of themselves. A girl can look at her brother and believe they’re destined to be a knight and a bard who battle evil. She can believe she’s found the thing she’s been made for.

Hazel lives with her brother, Ben, in the strange town of Fairfold where humans and fae exist side by side. The faeries’ seemingly harmless magic attracts tourists, but Hazel knows how dangerous they can be, and she knows how to stop them. Or she did, once.

At the center of it all, there is a glass coffin in the woods. It rests right on the ground and in it sleeps a boy with horns on his head and ears as pointed as knives. Hazel and Ben were both in love with him as children. The boy has slept there for generations, never waking.

Until one day, he does…

As the world turns upside down, Hazel tries to remember her years pretending to be a knight. But swept up in new love, shifting loyalties, and the fresh sting of betrayal, will it be enough?

~~~

Hey, guys!

      After reading The Cruel Prince, I just had to pick up another faerie book from Holly Black. Once again, I'm impressed with her books. I think her YA books are what I love the best. The Darkest Part of the Forest follows Hazel and her twin brother Ben in the town of Fairfold. In the town of Fairfold, humans and fae live and exist together. The townspeople have an agreement, the faeries do not play their cruel tricks on the townspeople and the fae may play tricks on the tourists that wander into danger. Seniors in high school, Ben and Hazel have lived in Fairfold for almost all of their lives and they know of the dangers that the fae can unleash.

     However, The Darkest Part of the Forest wasn't as good as The Cruel Prince in my opinion. This was an excellent standalone. I loved it, but there was just something missing for me. I feel like there was something missing from the overall book and I felt like there was something lacking in Hazel's character. I also felt like the ending was rather rushed and the characters didn't seem to develop as much as one would hope over the course of a novel. The relationships that developed throughout the novel were also initiated quite quickly. I really hoped that they would have developed over more time, but it just seemed very instantaneous.

      Although it wasn't my favorite, I still really enjoyed the book. The writing style was awesome. I basically devoured this book; the story was so addicting and I didn't want it to end. I really enjoyed the dark and mystifying plot and world. Holly Black managed to develop a mysterious and intriguing world that I wanted to visit within the first fifty pages. The characters and their stories were so riveting that I didn't want the book to just be a standalone. However, they also did not really develop like I would have hoped they would. During the first half of the book, I became really interested in the characters; but, during the later half, it didn't seem like they were showing the kind of growth that is usually found in a standalone. I got somewhat bored with them, but not enough to hate the story. During the last few pages, the story really picked up and I really enjoyed it. Even if the ending wrapped up too quickly. 

     Overall, this was a really good book. I really enjoyed the characters, the plot, the world, and the writing. However, the characters were missing a sort of depth that I was hoping for and the book was wrapped up too quickly. Though this isn't my favorite of Holly Black's work, I'm really excited to dive back into her other YA work. 

My Previous Holly Black Reviews:

• The Field Guide (Spiderwick #1) 
• Spiderwick #2-#5 
• The Iron Trial (Magisterium #1)
• Bailey's Spiderwick series review
• The Cruel Prince (The Folk of the Air #1) 

Happy reading!

Olivia

~LivTheBookNerd~

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{Review} The Cruel Prince (The Folk of the Air #1) by Holly Black

Page Count: 370

Published on: January 2, 2018

Published by: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Genre(s): YA, Fantasy (Fae/Fairy/Fairies/Faeries), High Fantasy, Romance
Source: Hardback- personally purchased

Age Rating: YA

Where To Find It: Goodreads // Amazon

Book Depository: {click here}

My Rating: 5 stars

Goodreads synopsis:

Of course I want to be like them. They’re beautiful as blades forged in some divine fire. They will live forever.

And Cardan is even more beautiful than the rest. I hate him more than all the others. I hate him so much that sometimes when I look at him, I can hardly breathe.

Jude was seven when her parents were murdered and she and her two sisters were stolen away to live in the treacherous High Court of Faerie. Ten years later, Jude wants nothing more than to belong there, despite her mortality. But many of the fey despise humans. Especially Prince Cardan, the youngest and wickedest son of the High King.

To win a place at the Court, she must defy him–and face the consequences.

As Jude becomes more deeply embroiled in palace intrigues and deceptions, she discovers her own capacity for trickery and bloodshed. But as betrayal threatens to drown the Courts of Faerie in violence, Jude will need to risk her life in a dangerous alliance to save her sisters, and Faerie itself.

~~~

Hey, guys!

     The Cruel Prince was one of the first books that I purchased in 2018. Unfortunately, I put off reading it until March. Man was that a dumb idea! Oh my gosh this book was so stunning! I'm obsessed! The world building, the characters, the conflict, the Faerie court, the whole plot, the political intrigue!!! Everything was done so fantastically! This book has become one of my new favorite books. I love love loved this book! I'm going to try to write a review that you all can understand, but it is going to be so hard not to gush in this review because I loved it so much

     The Cruel Prince follows Jude. When Jude was seven, her parents were murdered and she and her sisters were stolen away to live in the High Court of Faerie. Ten years later, Jude just wants to belong in the Faerie Court, however; she is basically treated like a glorified pet and is rebuked because of her mortality. Jude becomes deeply engrossed in her desires to fit in and begins to become embroiled in the political schemes and intrigue that is frequent in the Faerie Court. Jude has to make the choice to risk her life to save the people that mean the most and the least to her. 

     Before reading The Cruel Prince, I really was not a fan of Holly Black. Her work just did not impress me. A few years ago, I read her Spiderwick Chronicles and I wasn't overly impressed. I then I tried to get into her Magisterium series that she writes with Cassandra Clare and I really wasn't impressed. However, this book has introduced me to her YA writing and I'm in love! I love her fae worlds so much! In my opinion, her YA writing style is so much more compelling than her middle grade. I cannot wait to dive into her other work and I definitely cannot wait to read The Wicked King. The Cruel Prince has definitely become one of my favorite books of 2018 and probably one of my new favorite books of all time. Yeah. It's that good.

     Let's dive into the characters in this book because... spoiler alert! I loved them all. They were just so incredibly complex and interesting. I absolutely adore Jude. She's very flawed and almost annoying at times, but I honestly loved reading from her perspective. She's sarcastic, she's fierce, she's strong. I just loved her character overall. I just loved how she rose above her tragedy and worked to make her life more fulfilling. Her goals for her life were so interesting and her story was so addicting. I cannot wait to see what she does next. Her relationships with her family and adopted family were so fascinating. I can't help but wonder what she'll do next in book two. Her relationship with Cardan was also so strange. I'm not sure how I feel about what happened at the end of the book. I just desperately need the story to continue so I can see what happens next. 

     I'm just going to flat out admit that I loved Cardan. I think he's just as complex and intriguing as Jude. I think that his character is one of my favorites. His history and personality are just so thought provoking. He is a complete d-bag, but wow...he has a story to tell. I cannot wait to continue read more about him in The Wicked King. He has so many LAYERS! Call him Shrek, because the dude is just wow. I have no words. I just cannot wait to continue his story.

     Holly Black has a talent to write whimsical yet dark magical worlds with dark and mysterious fey people. The world was so twisted and her world was so fabulously written that I did not want the book to end. The book was just so immersive and addicting. I loved how there was a larger focus on the political intrigue rather than the potential romance. The romance is somewhat woven throughout the story, but it definitely is not the focus. I adored that. Her faerie world that she has created is so different from the whimsical fae that I'm familiar with. I'm so excited to read more of Holly Black's work. 

    Overall, I just adored this book. I cannot wait for the sequel or the finale. I need it in my life and I will continue to impatiently wait for January. I'm just honestly hoping that my pre-order will come at least a day in advance from Amazon, but I doubt it will happen. I'm just so in love with this book. I recommend it to everyone. It's just wonderfully done. I'm so impatient for more! 

My Previous Holly Black Reviews:

• The Field Guide (Spiderwick #1) 
• Spiderwick #2-#5 
• The Iron Trial (Magisterium #1)
• Bailey's Spiderwick series review

Happy reading!

Olivia

~LivTheBookNerd~

Twitter // Instagram // Tumblr // Goodreads // YouTube // Bloglovin // Book Depository Affiliate Code