Owl Crate is a monthly subscription of books and bookish items. Each OwlCrate contains one new Young Adult novel, as well as 3-5 other bookish items all matched to the monthly theme. OwlCrate always sends the best items to go along with their theme with the hottest new books out there.
DEAL: Use coupon code HELLO15 to save 15% on your first subscription!
July’s theme is TOURNAMENTS & TRIALS. The boxes always come packed full with the info cards right on top so you get them as soon as you open the box.
OwlCrate always has the best info card prints. One side is a print representing the theme and the other side is the information for the box contents.
The information card tells a little bit about all the items in this month’s box along with little comments on why they were selected or other fun tidbits. The theme follows through even with the info. It is always decorated to go along with that month.
Aside from the card, there’s a booklet included in every box. It includes a comparison of the OwlCrate cover to the Regular cover!
It also features an interview with the author. This month, it’s Elizabeth Lim!
There are even fun on-page activities and other interesting features!
Another insightful feature is an interview with illustrator Cara Kozik. If you want to join the Photo Challenge, the mechanics are also included in the booklet.
They also provided the theme for next month’s box.
Everything in my July OwlCrate box.
Art Print. The art print features a black and white pattern and contains the phrase…
People see what they wish to see.
There’s an included promotional card for the book Kingdom of Souls by Rena Barron.
When you flip the card, there are further details about the book like its release date, which is on September 3, 2019, and where else you can get exclusive content.
The exclusive book for this month is a masterpiece by Elizabeth Lim.
Here’s the matching bookmark, which is not in your usual square or rectangular shape, but looks like an irregular pinwheel.
And when you turn on the other side, it says:
I’m tired of being told I’m not worthy.
Also, the card that came with the book has the same design as the book’s front cover.
At the back is a note from the author.
Spin The Dawn by Elizabeth Lim ($9.49)
Project Runway meets Mulan in this sweeping YA fantasy about a young girl who poses as a boy to compete for the role of imperial tailor and embarks on an impossible journey to sew three magic dresses, from the sun, the moon, and the stars.
Maia Tamarin dreams of becoming the greatest tailor in the land, but as a girl, the best she can hope for is to marry well. When a royal messenger summons her ailing father, once a tailor of renown, to court, Maia poses as a boy and takes his place. She knows her life is forfeit if her secret is discovered, but she’ll take that risk to achieve her dream and save her family from ruin. There’s just one catch: Maia is one of twelve tailors vying for the job.
Backstabbing and lies run rampant as the tailors compete in challenges to prove their artistry and skill. Maia’s task is further complicated when she draws the attention of the court enchanter, Edan, whose piercing eyes seem to see straight through her disguise.
And nothing could have prepared her for the final challenge: to sew three magic gowns for the emperor’s reluctant bride-to-be, from the laughter of the sun, the tears of the moon, and the blood of stars. With this impossible task before her, she embarks on a journey to the far reaches of the kingdom, seeking the sun, the moon, and the stars, and finding more than she ever could have imagined.
Steeped in Chinese culture, sizzling with forbidden romance, and shimmering with magic, this young adult fantasy is pitch-perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas or Renée Ahdieh.
The back of the book immediately sparked our interest. Some known authors have some good things to say about the book.
The story is definitely a mix of Mulan and Project Runway, as the kingdom where Maia lives only recognizes male tailors, and the best thing that women can do is to get married.
The book has the author’s signature inside, instead of a bookplate.
We’re really curious on how Maia will end up, if she’ll make her dreams of becoming the greatest tailor and save her family, or she’ll end up somewhere else, far from what she’s longing and hoping for.
The true climax of the story is when they, the tailors vying for the title of the greatest, are tasked to make three magic dresses for the emperor’s bride-to-be, made from the sun, moon, and the stars. It started Maia’s journey on finding not just those three that’ll make up the dresses, but more! It’s really an exciting adventure!
Lanyard. This white lanyard is inspired by the young adult novel written by Kiera Cass, The Selection.
The lanyard came with a trigger snap that can hold your identification card, nameplate, or even your keys together.
There are different adorable cactus prints around the lanyard.
It also has the phrase “Bravery hides in amazing places” printed on both sides.
Coin Purse. KitCronk Studio designed this pretty coin purse that features the popular catchphrase from the Hunger Games series…
May the odds be ever in your favor.
The other side of the purse features several arrow designs. The zipper’s slider puller has the same material as the whole purse, and it also came with a tiny metal charm.
Dust & Pages Pin. Dust & Pages are really good at making these enamel pins. They nailed it again this time. Also based on this month’s featured YA novel, the enamel pin shows the sun, moon, and star that’ll be used to make the magical dresses!
It’s quite large in size so it needs two posts to fully support its weight, plus butterfly clutches to hold it in place.
To make the dresses, Maia needs to search for the laughter of the sun, the tears of the moon, and the blood of stars, which seems like an impossible task to accomplish.
It’s pin #53, as you can see printed on its back.
Ceramic Mug. The exclusive mug was packed inside a colorful and cute box. It has some iconic symbols from Wizarding World!
The mug is also designed bu Cara Kozik. The back of the box even talks about the Wizarding Tournament!
The bottom of the ceramic mug has the Owlcrate branding on it, plus it also indicates its exclusivity.
It features the Triwizard Tournament where Viktor Krum, Fleur Delacour, Cedric Diggory, and Harry played as each of the Wizarding Schools’ Champions. On one side, we can see Harry doing his stint for the tournament’s first task, where each champion gets a golden egg from the nest of the dragons.
The other side of the mug features the maze from the tournament’s third task. Looking at the left, you can also see a scene from the second task, where there are a ship and some merpeople under the water.
300-Piece Puzzle. Puzzles make such a fun pastime. We got a 300-piece puzzle in the box and they were packed in a blue Owl Crate drawstring bag.
Well, I don’t mind solving this especially when all I have to do is kill time. It can also be a good bonding activity with the whole family. The puzzle’s design is made by Holly Dunn Design and it has tiny and fun details from The Night Circus. I’m REALLY pumped to put this together, as it’s one of my very favorite books, and I’m just falling over myself in anticipation of Erin Morgenstern’s next novel, The Starless Sea!
Deck of Playing Cards. This deck of cards is a product of the collaboration of four great artists: Nicole Deal, Gina Hilton, Marianne Martin, Diana Dworak, and Michelle Gray.
The cards and its designs are all inspired by A Gathering of Shadows.
It’s a complete deck of cards that can be used to play The Essen Tasch!
The numbered cards and packaging are all made by Michelle Gray, while the other 4 artists made the character cards.
The card’s packaging also indicates all the artists, who put so much effort into making the deck as beautiful! My husband has unboxed quite a few decks of cards, and he also said this was amongst his faves (he dislikes them when they don’t have anything special on the face).
They also included a card that tells us about August’s box’s theme, which is Storms and Seas!
As you flip the card, it’ll tease you about an exclusive item from Riddle’s Tea Shoppe!
On many great novels, tournaments and trials play a vital part in making the stories interesting and thrilling, like what this box has proven. The featured book this month definitely reminded me of Mulan, where the female main character posed as a boy just to follow her dreams and save her family. It has a nice story and it’s really intriguing too. The items that featured some great novels are cool as well, especially the Triwizard Tournament ceramic mug and The Hunger Games-themed coin purse. Seeing next month’s theme, we’re really excited not just for the fun items, but also about the book they’ll include. We’re hoping it’s another potential favorite read!
What did you think of this month’s Owl Crate theme? Are you excited for next month’s theme?
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