I really enjoyed writing my thoughts on my book boxes last month, so I figured I would carry on for this month! Yesterday I came home to the September Fairyloot box, the theme ‘Farewell my love’. I had guessed what the book was from the teaser after getting excited about it at YALC in the summer, so I have been looking forward to its arrival as a perfect autumn/winter read.
Firstly on a less positive note, I wish Fairyloot would stop using Evri/Hermes to deliver, all of my recent deliveries have been left outside my flat on a main road without the bell even being rung- it does not feel safe at all. But moving on, the first item I picked out was the tea tin (designed by @chattynora) inspired by the book of the month featuring the quote “Death was her poison and all she wanted was to consume more”. It is covered in green leaves and purple flowers, and a kind of green vine design. And I was disappointed, I really don’t care for the tea tins. Since I have been subscribed they have done a few and I think I’ve sold almost all of them. I just don’t drink enough tea to use them, and personally I find them so difficult to pry open. I also think there is potentially too much green on the lid of this one, so another going straight into the sell pile.
Then I pulled out the Six Crimson Cranes inspired blanket (designed by @afterbloss om_art), which is so soft! I have a real love hate relationship with book box blankets, partly because while pretty I just never seem to use them, the designs are just sometimes too much that I don’t want them on display in my house. But this one seems relatively subtle in comparison to others they have done, a kind of ombre black to white featuring the cranes and the dragon. I never carried on with the series, but the blanket is pretty - even if it is discarding lots of fluff at the moment!
Then I found the botanic coasters (designed by @stellabookishart), featuring various poisonous flowers. I think they’re really cute and definitely something that I can see myself having around my house (though maybe not for guests who may get nervous I have actually added poison). I really like the gentle script behind the flowers giving them an antique / dark academia style, so I do like these!
Then I found the Cardan trinket dish (designed by @arz28), featuring the surly Prince Cardan from The Folk of the Air series, which I have just finished so this is very good timing! I find Cardan quite an interesting character, so I’m glad to have him feature on a trinket dish. I love the black and gold design, which matches the other dishes in the series, though I don’t know what to do with so many!
Finally, we get to the book. I pulled out the tarot cards and artwork inspired by the book first, and the artwork on the author letter is just stunning. I’m not sure who designed it but it is just beautiful, and the author’s handwriting is also so neat I love it! Taking out the book, Belladonna by Adalyn Grace, I loved the darker purple cover - I wasn’t too keen on the lighter cover, but the Fairyloot version definitely feels more gothic and dark! The edges are a lighter bluish lilac colour, and the long edge features purple leaves and flowers, not the prettiest edges Fairyloot have ever done but I do like them. The naked hardback features more of the flowers which I like, but my favourite bit of the design is definitely the endpapers. The endpapers feature gorgeous artwork of the main characters, and is making me really want to read the book!
Belladonna is a gothic romantic fantasy, and we follow as our main character Signa tries to uncover the secrets behind her mother’s murder she realises she must team up with Death himself. The mysterious shadow that has always been by her side, slowly becoming more powerful and irresistible to her…
It sounds incredible and like a perfect late autumn/early winter read for me to try out so I’m really excited for the winter months to come, as I feel the dark evenings are probably the perfect time to read it! Overall, the box wasn’t my favourite - though I do think it would’ve been hard to follow on from last month’s box which I did love. The items were mainly nice but I’m not absolutely loving any of them, I wouldn’t necessarily go out of my way to purchase them. The book is pretty though, although I love the endpapers more than anything else about it, and I am really excited to read it! Did you get the box? Let me know what you think over on my bookstagram @fictionalmusings!
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