Can you believe it’s time for another OwlCrate unboxing??? January’s theme was Fearsome Fairytales, focusing on items inspired less by specific YA books and more on items inspired by classic fairytales we all know and love, like Rapunzel and Little Red Riding Hood. As more evidence that basically everyone loves fairytales, this box sold out pretty much immediately. I was sooo glad I was already subscribed for this one, because every item included was pretty amazing.  Let’s take a closer look, shall we?

Hansel & Gretel Wax Melts

These purple wax melts are inspired by the tale of the brother and sister who wander into that infamous house made of treats in the woods, where the witch spends her time fattening them up so she can make a snack of the two children. (Hard to believe we read this when we were little kids, right?) Listen, I know what it’s like to be desperate for some sweets (trust me, I do), but Hansel and Gretel’s judgement in this scenario always seemed pretty questionable. Then I smelled these wax melts, made by Spireside Candles, and suddenly it all made sense. If that house in the woods smelled anything like these melts—which are gingerbread scented, but basically just smell like everything sweet and good being baked up in a kitchen full of love—then I can totally see why Hansel and Gretel wandered in there. It’s way too tempting.

Moon & Star Ceramic Burner

This was an amazing idea to include, because wax melts are definitely a unique inclusion and a cool alternative to candles (especially because you can keep reusing them), but not everyone has a wax burner (except for everyone in Texas. I swear when I moved here it seemed like every single person I met had a minimum of three wax burners per household. I’m still a bit confused.) This one is especially cute and perfect for my taste, because a.) it’s black, one of my favorite colors and b.) it’s got little moons and stars cut out of it! I’m always attracted to everything moon-and-stars, and it fits pretty well with the theme of the box (and is something I think a lot of people would like). This burner was designed by OwlCrate themselves and was exclusive to this box!

Little Red Riding Hood Art Print

This art print by Anne Lambelet is inspired by Little Red Riding Hood and a features a really cool twist on the classic motif of Red making her way through the woods. While the art itself is so well done, what I really love is that as you look closer you realize that the wolf is in everything and kind of is everything, which really increases that sense of doom and makes it feel like Red has no chance of getting away. I mean, hell yes to this awesome interpretation.

Once Upon a Dream Pillowcase

This pillowcase from Stella’s Bookish Art was the biggest item in the crate and I was so impressed! I think it’s especially awesome that this Sleeping Beauty inspired piece is a full size pillowcase, rather than just a little square one for a throw pillow. I love the color choices because my bedroom theme is blue, as well, so it already matches my décor perfectly. And those black branches against the moon….so pretty!

Rapunzel Inspired Bracelet

This bracelet from Authored Adornments features a snippet from the classic tale Rapunzel, bearing the words “Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair”, as if clipped from a book page, inside the charm. This is really cute and I love that it’s simple and lets the charm do the talking for itself. And I always loved Rapunzel, because trust me Punz, I know the long hair struggles.

And as always, they included their Crate-specific materials:

Including the spoiler card, mini magazine/pamphlet, and pin, all featuring the Fearsome Fairytales themed artwork.

And then, the book everyone in the book world has been totally flipping out about (I mean seriously losing it):

The Cruel Prince by Holly Black

This was a pretty highly hyped release, so it was definitely cool to see it included in an OwlCrate box. This is, as usual, an OwlCrate exclusive cover, and this one is particularly beautiful with the shades of black and deep purple (anyone else hear the opening notes of Smoke on the Water when I said deep purple? No? Just me? Okay then.) OwlCrate really hit all my favorite colors with this box, with almost everything being in shades of purple, black, and blue. A lot of really pretty items! But I digress…

In addition to the OwlCrate exclusive cover, this book is also signed by the author! While OwlCrate generally includes signed bookplates, this is the first time the actual book itself has been signed by the author, so this is really awesome and definitely an exciting step for both them and their subscribers. They still featured a sticker that was adorned with a snippet of the artwork from the original version of the cover, and, as always, a letter from the author (and to be honest, in this case, what the author wrote in the letter and how she spoke about the book made me want to read it more than the synopsis of the book).

I have a full review of The Cruel Prince coming in the next couple of days (I read it pretty quickly after receiving it), so for now I’ll just give you a brief synopsis (in case you’re one of the like, five people on the planet who hasn’t been seeing this book everywhere): The Cruel Prince follows Jude, who, along with her two sisters, was kidnapped and brought to live in the land of faerie when they were little kids. Jude and her twin sister, Taryn, are mortals, whereas Vivi is part faerie. They were kidnapped by Vivi’s biological father, who came looking for Vivi’s mother after she fled faerie.

Once in faerie, Jude, who is looked down upon by the faerie gentry and sometimes the population in general due to being mortal, wishes to fight for her place in the faerie court and become a knight so that the fey will respect her and she will have power and not be treated badly while there. But it won’t be easy with all the hatred from the young faerie royals, particularly their ringleader, Prince Cardan. As the book goes on, Jude becomes more and more wrapped up in the drama, violence, secrets, and espionage of the royal court, and she has to make some huge decisions that will not only affect her, but will also impact her family and more people than she could’ve thought possible.

This book was a really good fit for the Fearsome Fairy Tales box and was also probably an exciting thing for a lot of readers to receive. Stay tuned for my full review coming in the next few days!

And finally, of course, they included the sneak peek of next month’s box:

The theme is Hidden Worlds and will feature items inspired by The Chronicles of Narnia (can’t have a Hidden Worlds box without that one), Coraline, Alice in Wonderland, and Daughter of Smoke and Bone. The sneak peek on the card reveals that there will be a large item in the box from Evie Bookish! Definitely curious to see what that is.

So, you know the drill…what did everyone else think? Did you get this box? What was your favorite item? Will you be getting the Hidden Worlds box? Let me know in the comments! You know I’d love to talk. <3