This September’s OwlCrate theme was Mythical Creatures, and they successfully proved that everyone loves mythical creatures when the box completely sold out! I was lucky enough to receive this box for free after winning a free box in OwlCrate’s July Photo Challenge on Instagram!
They do it every month and it’s a lot of fun. If you’re not already participating, it’s definitely worth checking out. Even if you don’t win a prize (which everyone has a chance to!), it’s still fun to take themed pictures to meet the prompts and see the creativity of your fellow OwlCrate fans!
Let’s jump into the goodies that arrived inside the box!
Dragon Coin Purse
This cute little canvas coin purse is dotted with little red dragons floating through the clouds and features a zipper closure. Much like the gorgeous Lord of the Rings themed drawstring backpack from the July box, this goodie was designed by the OwlCrate team themselves! It’s adorable and I like it because for some reason I’m a big fan of small bags of any sort. Pencil pouches, makeup bags, coin purses—I’m a sucker for any kind of small zippered bag! I have a whole collection of them that I love to use for organizing things when traveling.
Son of Poseidon Bath Salts by The Soap Librarian
These bright blue eucalyptus tea bath salts are inspired by Percy Jackson, and they definitely successfully bring the ocean to mind. I mean, really, you have to admit these are beautiful! I’m not so sure if I’m going to use them, as I never take baths (they kind of gross me out), but I plan to keep them on hand just in case. They smell very nice and fresh—exactly the kind of fresh, clean scent you would want from a bath product.
Wood Bookmark from Ink and Wonder Designs
This. Bookmark. Is. Beautiful. There’s no denying it. Painted wood bookmarks like these are gorgeous and never fail to catch my eye, and I’ve been contemplating an Ink and Wonder bookmark for a while now as they are always so gorgeous when I see them on Instagram. This one is Game of Thrones themed, and though I’ve never read a single word of GoT or watched a second of the show, I know enough to be pretty sure this is Daenerys.
Hagrid Die-Cut Sticker by Susanne Draws
This is by far my favorite thing in the entire box. I know, there are much bigger items, but sometimes I am a simple girl, and I mean, look at this sticker. It’s Hagrid and Buckbeak. What is not to love?!?! And on top of that, it’s so well drawn and beautiful. I suppose it bears mentioning, as well, that I’m bit of a sticker fanatic, so a cute sticker is the perfect way to win me over. <3
Book Sleeve from Book Beau
This book sleeve was designed by Book Beau exclusively for OwlCrate with mythical creatures in mind! When they teased an exclusive book sleeve leading up to the September crate, I suspected perhaps it would have mermaids or unicorns, but I didn’t guess it would have both! This fabric, featuring a repeating pattern of a blue-haired mermaid and her adorable pet unicorn, is perfect for the theme at hand! I’ve never had a book sleeve before, and in fact, when I first heard about them I wasn’t sure if they’d really come in handy that often for me—but then I received this one! After testing it out on some of my books (it fits most paperbacks and smaller hardcovers), I realized this could really come in handy when I’m traveling or camping. I have more than a few books whose covers or edges have been worn down from being shoved into a backpack repeatedly throughout a trip, so I’m excited to have a sleeve to help preserve my precious bebes!
And now for the mythical creatures themed book featured in this month’s crate!
Before She Ignites by Jodi Meadows
Before She Ignites is a high fantasy novel about a beautiful girl named Mira who has always symbolized peace and everything good to the people of her community. Their peace agreement, The Mira Treaty, is named after her, after all. But Mira is less than perfect, which is perhaps the most compelling aspect of this novel, to be honest. She suffers from anxiety and is also constantly counting, so perhaps also from sort of compulsive behavior. When Mira uncovers a dangerous secret, those closest to her turn on her and she is sentenced to a deadly prison. Mira must learn to fight back and to survive, as she uncovers the dark secrets of her home, The Fallen Isles.
I don’t generally read a lot of high fantasy (urban fantasy is my jam), but I do enjoy it from time to time. For me, though, the most compelling aspect of this novel is getting a fantasy heroine who struggles with her own mental health issues. It’s so great to see that sort of representation, and I know so many people will be able to relate and be happy to see Mira kicking some butt despite her problems.
This book is apparently the first book in Fallen Isles trilogy, and it features another OwlCrate exlusive cover. The original cover features the title in silver, whereas on this cover it is done in gold, bringing an additional warmth and richness to the image.
Book Related Extras
Like every OwlCrate book, this book came with a signed bookplate and a letter from the author herself, but this one went a step beyond (as OwlCrate always does!) and also included an exclusive dragon guidebook so that readers can get to know all the types of dragons featured in Before She Ignites.
OwlCrate Materials
Every OwlCrate features a spoiler card detailing the items contained within the box as well as an OwlCrate pin featuring a snippet of the art from the card. This month’s card and pin were absolutely beautiful, in my opinion. They feature constellations of three mythical creatures—a dragon, a griffin, and—my personal favorite—a jackalope, silhouetted against a background of the deep navy blue sky.
In addition to the usual card and pin, OwlCrate also included a little booklet this month which I really loved! I’m always a sucker for little extras like this, and they did a really great job on it. It features an interview with the author, Jodi Meadows, as well as an interview with Benita Botello, the owner and creator of Book Beau, who made the book sleeve in this box. There was also a Before She Ignites-themed word search, a sneak peek at an item that will be in the October box, and a preview of the OwlCrate September Box Photo Challenge (which you bet I’ll be participating in!).
Next Month
If you think this month was pretty cool, hold onto your butts.
Because the theme for next month is Find Me in the Forest.
I’m totally dying of excitement. That theme sounds perfect for me and it honestly just seems like everything I love. But if your butt hasn’t fallen off already, wait until you hear the teasers they’ve shared so far!
So far we know that they are—for the first time ever—including a mug! I love mugs, and to be honest, I don’t know any bookworms who don’t. As if that’s not awesome enough IT’S A HARRY POTTER THEMED MUG. Dying. DYING of excitement.
In addition, they will be including an OwlCrate exclusive candle from In the Wick of Time.
Forests? Mugs? Candles? I mean what more can a girl ask for. Oh, yeah, books. The book for October is a magical realism novel about families, curses, and gardens. Color me intrigued!
So what did everyone else think of the September Mythical Creatures OwlCrate? What was your favorite item? Do you plan on getting the October box? Let me know in the comments! You know I’d love to talk. <3