If you saw my Chain of Gold Fairyloot box review, then you will know that I was interested in their Blood and Honey box. Well, the time has come for me to unbox it. Be warned, there are detailed spoilers for what is inside this box.
What Is A Fairyloot Box?
Fairyloot is a UK YA book box that sends out monthly boxes with a new release and a bunch of bookish goodies. In the past year, they have branched out into collectors boxes for certain releases. For more information, click here.
How Much Did this box cost?
This box cost £35 plus postage and taxes. Normal boxes cost £26 plus postage and taxes. These boxes are much bigger than the normal ones.
The Controversy
If you, like me, have been following this box for a while, then we have to address the controversy surrounding this box and Fairyloot at the moment. This box was supposed to go on sale to both active subscribers and members of the public in July. However it was revealed that Fairyloot were having problems with their website and with fraud allegations. The fraud allegations were quite serious, with a number of customers having their online banking details stolen. I believe I was a victim of this myself as I experienced this issue. This resulted in them pushing back the sale for the public and them having a second subscriber sale. This didn't occur until September, after the book had been published. I feel that Fairyloot handled the situation very badly and have left a lot of people disappointed with them. It has certainly made me think about if I want to buy from them again. The boxes then weren't shipped until the end of October, with people finally receiving them almost two months after the book was released. Compared to other companies in similar positions, Fairyloot has been struggling and attitudes towards them have changed. I hope they improve their communication with their audience and fix these issues going forward. Enough about that, let's get on with reviewing the box!
The Box
This box was designed by Team Fairyloot and in collaboration with Shelby Mahurin herself, who approved each item for this box.
The first item is quite possibly my favourite and that is the cosy blanket they included. This was one of the items they announced that they would be including. I have been using this every day since I got my box and it is amazing. It keeps me warm and it looks pretty. I couldn't get a photo with the whole design in, which was a shame as I wanted to do it justice. It has a quote from the series and the outlines of the two central characters, Lou and Reid. It also has the iconic serpent and dove on it. It was designed by @noverantale.
The next item in the box was a favourite of mine to get and one I have gotten many times from Fairyloot, and that was a candle. Inspired by La Foret Des Yeux from Blood and Honey, it smells divine. The scents are wild patchouli, distressed leather and fruits. For the first time ever, I have a candle with a wooden wick, which is meant to crackle as it burns. It smells so nice I'm not sure I'll ever burn it. The label was designed by @blanca.designs and the candle was made by @bookishburns.
I had been looking at items very similar to this one, so I was so happy when they included a enamel pin set. Designed by @jezhawk, it features key elements from the series, alongside the iconic quote "love makes fools of us all, darling". I plan on getting some display for my pin badges at some point as I have some very pretty ones. I had never received a double pin set before so this was extra special.
Fairyloot then included a very unique item and that was a storage tin. I will say with these collectors boxes you get items you are unlikely to get in an average subscription box. It was designed by @chattynora. My one complaint with this item is that I think there is a typo on the tin as I cannot read one of the words as it says "hre". Aside from that, this is a stunning item and I'm going to have to find something to put in it.
Another item Fairyloot announced they would be included was a 22 gilded tarot deck. I have to admit I know nothing about tarot cards, let alone what an arcana deck is. There are 22 cards, each with a different portrait from the series. This made me realise that I don't know who half the characters are so I probably need to reread this series again. They are stunning and it has made me want to learn more about tarot cards. Fairyloot will be explaining each card on their community section of their website at some point. They were designed by @oblivionsdream.
The final item, similar to the Chain of Gold box, is an art print. I have received some very stunning art prints over the years from Fairyloot. It features our four main characters, Lou, Reid, Coco and Ansel. I have been dying to get my hands on some Serpent and Dove character art. It goes without saying that I adore this and will be finding a very special place to display this. The illustration is by Katherine Britt.
Lastly, there is the book itself. From the exterior, it looks like an average copy of Blood and Honey. But it isn't! It has shimmery metallic edges. If you got the add on of Serpent and Dove, then you will have a matching edition. Inside, it has exclusive end pages that have been signed by Shelby. Finally, under the dust jacket is some stunning art. I am seriously considering getting this framed as it is absolutely gorgeous.
Despite the set backs this box faced, I was thoroughly pleased with it. I hope they release a matching edition for Gods and Monsters, the final book in the serious. Fairyloot do make their boxes worth it, with every item being hight quality. I would give this box 4/5 stars.
Carenza :) x
