K-Squared Book Reviews

Unboxing: Fairyloot July 2020

“We are so excited to reveal the July theme for our monthly box and it is… RESILIENT ROYALS!

Prepare your crown, and don’t forget to sharpen your sword − you might need it! This month is all about royals that always hold their ground and are willing to do whatever it takes to protect their kingdom and the ones that they love.

You can expect items inspired by Crescent City, The Lunar Chronicles, Ash Princess, The Queen’s Rising, Woven in Moonlight and The Bear and the Nightingale. We are thrilled to announce that this box will include a hand poured candle by @inthewickoftime, a beautiful cushion cover plus many other goodies that we have never featured in a previous box!

Our featured book of the month is an epic story of a kingdom ravaged by war, and a princess that may be the key to saving it. Something about this book gave us classic fantasy vibes − you can expect magic, resilient royals and romance! This FairyLoot edition of Shielded by KayLynn Flanders will have an EXCLUSIVE COVER, SPRAYED EDGES and will be SIGNED BY THE AUTHOR.

Crescent City Cushion Cover – designed by @chattynora
Shielded by KayLynn Flanders – Fairyloot Exclusive Cover, Sprayed Edges, Author’s Note, Signed
Ash Princess Candle – poured by @inthewickoftime
Shielded Print – designed by @faeriereverie
The Bear & the Nightingale Print – illustrated by @dominiquewesson
The Queen’s Rising Royal Card Holder – designed by @jezhawk
Woven in Moonlight Magnetic Bookmarks – designed by @isabelwriter09
Winter Quote Bookish Food Tray – designed by @eviebookish
Shades of Magic Tarot Cards – Designed by Katherine Britt

“The kingdom of Hálendi is in trouble. It’s losing the war at its borders, and rumors of a new, deadlier threat on the horizon have surfaced. Princess Jennesara knows her skills on the battlefield would make her an asset and wants to help, but her father has other plans.
As the second-born heir to the throne, Jenna lacks the firstborn’s–her brother’s–magical abilities, so the king promises her hand in marriage to the prince of neighboring Turia in exchange for resources Hálendi needs. Jenna must leave behind everything she has ever known if she is to give her people a chance at peace.
Only, on the journey to reach her betrothed and new home, the royal caravan is ambushed, and Jenna realizes the rumors were wrong–the new threat is worse than anyone imagined. Now Jenna must decide if revealing a dangerous secret is worth the cost before it’s too late–for her and for her entire kingdom.”

I was really excited for this box because I’ve been so excited for this edition of Shielded…. but I ended up underwhelmed with the green cover. I’ll keep it becaue I love the book, but I may have to get a regular blue edition with black sprayed edges.

~Kinzie

Foreign Editions of Books!

Pile of Foreign Editions of Stephanie Garber’s Caraval Trilogy – Photo by Stephanie Garber

Good afternoon everyone! I’m so sorry that our posts have been so erratic! I have been dealing with running the store that I work at by myself because my manager is on a 2 week medical leave & Kelsey has been training at her new job and working both jobs 7 day a week. We’ve been kinda stressed & busy.

I am here today though to talk about & show off some of the foreign editions of books that I own, that I’m waiting for to come in, and that I’m hopefully going to order soon. I understand that UK editions of books are technically considered foreign, but they’re more common than other countries. Also, I could go on and on with UK editions, so I am excluding them *for now*. Recently, Polish editions of books have been on my radar the most and they’re SO pretty! Without further adieu:

Polish Editions:

(Owned) Polish Daughter of the Pirate King

French Editions:

Taiwanese Editions:

Bulgarian Editions:

Russian/Serbian Editions:

So, if it’s not obvious, I’m collecting the foreign editions of Caraval. They’re so beautiful, but my Caraval shelf really can’t hold much more….. or I can make a 2nd Carval shelf….. Ideas & thoughts.

~Kinzie

Unboxing: Owlcrate July 2020!

“We are thrilled to reveal that the theme for our upcoming July box is… DATE WITH DESTINY!

💫 Our July book is a futuristic sci-fi novel about a girl escaping from a dying Earth in cryogenic sleep…only she wakes up 1000 years later than she was supposed to. She finds herself on a new planet, and everyone she ever knew is gone. To survive, she’ll have to quickly learn the ways of this new society as she tries to find a way back home.

💫 We are including an out of this world edition of Goddess in the Machine by Lora Beth Johnson! It will have a gorgeous exclusive cover, gilded foil edges, exclusive stamp on the hardcover, and the book will be signed by the author!

💫 Items included will be inspired by The Raven Boys, Star Wars, Carry On, The Hunger Games and Harry Potter. This box will contain the next mug in our series with artist @carakozik, and this will be the final Harry Potter inspired item we’ll be sending out this year.”

So this box came with a beautiful book & some fun goodies! The only problem is, I meant to skip it. It just didn’t interest me because Syfy just isn’t my genre. I’ve seen mixed reviews on this box, so it’s you opinion to make on it.

“When Andra wakes up, she’s drowning.

Not only that, but she’s in a hot, dirty cave, it’s the year 3102, and everyone keeps calling her Goddess. When Andra went into a cryonic sleep for a trip across the galaxy, she expected to wake up in a hundred years, not a thousand. Worst of all, the rest of the colonists—including her family and friends—are dead. They died centuries ago, and for some reason, their descendants think Andra’s a deity. She knows she’s nothing special, but she’ll play along if it means she can figure out why she was left in stasis and how to get back to Earth.

Zhade, the exiled bastard prince of Eerensed, has other plans. Four years ago, the sleeping Goddess’s glass coffin disappeared from the palace, and Zhade devoted himself to finding it. Now he’s hoping the Goddess will be the key to taking his rightful place on the throne—if he can get her to play her part, that is. Because if his people realize she doesn’t actually have the power to save their dying planet, they’ll kill her.

With a vicious monarch on the throne and a city tearing apart at the seams, Zhade and Andra might never be able to unlock the mystery of her fate, let alone find a way to unseat the king, especially since Zhade hasn’t exactly been forthcoming with Andra. And a thousand years from home, is there any way of knowing that Earth is better than the planet she’s woken to?”

Photos not labeled are by Heather Roth on Facebook

~Kinzie Marie Sydnor

WWW Wednesday – July 15

Hi everyone! 😊

I know it’s a little late but before the day is over I wanted to post my WWW Wednesday!

This is hosted by Taking on a World of Words where we share the 3 Ws with each other every week.

What are you currently reading?

What did you recently finish reading?

What do you think you’ll read next?

What are you currently reading?

So I haven’t started on this yet because I’m waiting for my Fairyloot edition to come in. But as soon as it does I’m gonna jump right on it I’m curious about a few things that happened at the end and must see how they play out in this next one.

What did you recently finish reading?

This book was good and I’ll have plenty more to say about it soon in another post. But the only thing though I will say is that I think I am just too in love with the movie. It is still my favorite by far and dont think that will ever change!

What do you think you’ll read next?

It’s probably going to be between these two anime series. I’m in the mood for a good reread and these are soooo amazing. The only thing with it though is that the Yona of the Dawn seris is not finished yet. They are still coming out with new volumes as we speak. But I have 24 volumes I could always do a catch up. 🤷‍♀️

Well that’s my WWW Wednesday post for tonight. I appreciate you all for reading!

I also hope to talk to see you all for the next post!

Bye for now!

~Kelsey🥰📚

New and Anticipated Books! Pre Release Spoilers

Good evening everyone! Today I just wanted to share my most anticipated new releases or editions of books that I’m very patiently (but definitely not patiently) wait for to come out!

**SPOILER WARNING** Just a warning! There will be 2 spoilers from different book boxes at the bottom of this post, one from a June box and one for an upcoming July box! I’ll designate where spoilers will be though!

👻First on my list is my signed preordered copy of Ghost Wood Song by Erica Waters! Who doesn’t love the secret ability to call ghosts from the grave with a fiddle?

“Sawkill Girls meets Beautiful Creatures in this lush and eerie debut, where the boundary between reality and nightmares is as thin as the veil between the living and the dead.
If I could have a fiddle made of Daddy’s bones, I’d play it. I’d learn all the secrets he kept. …”

👸🏼Next up is The Princess Will Save You by Sarah Henning! Because everyone love a badass Princess on a mission!

“A PRINCESS
A STABLE BOY
A QUEST
When her father dies, Princess Amarande is given an ultimatum: Marry the leader of one of the four neighboring kingdoms, or lose her crown—and possibly her life. And to force her hand, her beloved, the stable boy Luca, is kidnapped.
But Amarande was raised to be a warrior, not a sacrifice.
And nothing will stop her from saving her true love and rescuing her kingdom.”

Continuing on! These next 2 books are part of the same series: The Lost City and The Morning Flower by Amanda Hocking! In this series Hocking is taking her readers back to the world of Trylle:

“Nestled along the bluffs of the forested coast lays the secret kingdom of the Omte—a realm filled with wonder…and as many secrets.”

I need to reread her other series before I dive into these, but I’m really excited to! (And yes, I’m 1000% getting the UK covers!!)

NOW FOR THE SPOILERS!

☆

YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!!

☆

Where Dreams Descend by Janella Angeles is my next anticipated read! For this one: I recieved the Owlcrate Exclusive edition of it in Owlcrate’s June Box, but it doesn’t come out now until August 25th! The publication date was pushed back but Owlcrate recieved special permission to release their editions per their original scheduled date! I’m so excited for this book!

“In a city covered in ice and ruin, a group of magicians face off in a daring game of magical feats to find the next headliner of the Conquering Circus, only to find themselves under the threat of an unseen danger striking behind the scenes.
As each act becomes more and more risky and the number of missing magicians piles up, three are forced to reckon with their secrets before the darkness comes for them next.
The Star: Kallia, a powerful showgirl out to prove she’s the best no matter the cost
The Master: Jack, the enigmatic keeper of the club, and more than one lie told
The Magician: Demarco, the brooding judge with a dark past he can no longer hide”

Lastly is Fairyloot’s book pick for their Resilient Royals box for the month July: Shielded by KayLynn Flanders! I read this via an e-ARC from NetGalley a few months ago and LOVED it! Fairyloot is making an exclusive edition of it with an exclusive cover, sprayed edges, and will be signed by the author! I am so excited to receive this edition of the book plus any other exclusive editions I can find. I am still actively searching for a physical ARC of it as well!

~Kinzie

“The kingdom of Hálendi is in trouble. It’s losing the war at its borders, and rumors of a new, deadlier threat on the horizon have surfaced. Princess Jennesara knows her skills on the battlefield would make her an asset and wants to help, but her father has other plans.
As the second-born heir to the throne, Jenna lacks the firstborn’s–her brother’s–magical abilities, so the king promises her hand in marriage to the prince of neighboring Turia in exchange for resources Hálendi needs. Jenna must leave behind everything she has ever known if she is to give her people a chance at peace.
Only, on the journey to reach her betrothed and new home, the royal caravan is ambushed, and Jenna realizes the rumors were wrong–the new threat is worse than anyone imagined. Now Jenna must decide if revealing a dangerous secret is worth the cost before it’s too late–for her and for her entire kingdom.”

Unboxing: Fairyloot June 2020

Fairyloot’s theme for June is A DIFFERENT KIND OF MAGIC:

“We all love magic and this month we wanted to celebrate unique magic systems − magic that is a little out of the ordinary, or not quite what you have come to expect. The types of magic that make you think, that make you wonder, that make you wish!

You can expect items inspired by The Bone Season, Avatar The Last Airbender, The Starless Sea, The Shadows Between Us, Alice in Wonderland and Blood Heir! We are thrilled to reveal that this box will have TWO books! The second book in this box is a YA release that won’t be released until spring 2021… and this beautiful paperback edition of The Gilded Ones by Namina Forna will have an EXCLUSIVE FOIL-FILLED COVER and SPRAYED EDGES!

Please Note: They received the wrong tarot cards for the month My tarot cards are being shipped in my July box

Our featured book of the month is a tale of destiny and sisterhood, filled with shaman magic. In this epic story, newly awakened abilities are tested as darkness looms and the kingdom is on the brink of war. This FairyLoot exclusive edition of Forest of Souls by Lori M. Lee will have an EXCLUSIVE COVER, ARTWORK ON THE REVERSE OF THE DUST JACKET and will be SIGNED BY THE AUTHOR!”

Avatar Elemental Coasters – Designed by @noverantale
Forest of Souls by Lori M. Lee – Exclusive Cover, Artwork on Reverse Dust Jacket by @arz28, Signed
Blood Heir Print – Illustrated by @arz28
The Gilded Ones by Namina Forna – Foil Filled Paperback Cover, Sprayed Mint Edges
Bone Season Socks
Wonderland Tea Strainer
The Starless Sea Patch – Designed by @dustandpages
The Shadows Between Us Pin – Designed by @jezhawk

Sirscha Ashwyn comes from nothing, but she’s intent on becoming something. After years of training to become the queen’s next royal spy, her plans are derailed when shamans attack and kill her best friend Saengo.
And then Sirscha, somehow, restores Saengo to life.
Unveiled as the first soulguide in living memory, Sirscha is summoned to the domain of the Spider King. For centuries, he has used his influence over the Dead Wood—an ancient forest possessed by souls—to enforce peace between the kingdoms. Now, with the trees growing wild and untamed, only a soulguide can restrain them. As war looms, Sirscha must master her newly awakened abilities before the trees shatter the brittle peace, or worse, claim Saengo, the friend she would die for.
Danger lurks within the roots of Forest of Souls, an epic, unrelenting tale of destiny and sisterhood.”

“Sixteen-year-old Deka lives in fear and anticipation of the blood ceremony that will determine whether she will become a member of her village. Already different from everyone else because of her unnatural intuition, Deka prays for red blood so she can finally feel like she belongs.
But on the day of the ceremony, her blood runs gold, the color of impurity–and Deka knows she will face a consequence worse than death.
Then a mysterious woman comes to her with a choice: stay in the village and submit to her fate, or leave to fight for the emperor in an army of girls just like her. They are called alaki–near-immortals with rare gifts. And they are the only ones who can stop the empire’s greatest threat.
Knowing the dangers that lie ahead yet yearning for acceptance, Deka decides to leave the only life she’s ever known. But as she journeys to the capital to train for the biggest battle of her life, she will discover that the great walled city holds many surprises. Nothing and no one are quite what they seem to be–not even Deka herself.”

It was a miracle, this box! I actually wanted everything in it except for the book The Gilded Ones (which was super pretty, I just wasn’t interested in the plot) and the Starless Sea Patch. My boyfriend will forever wear socks from books that he knows nothing about. Lol. I’m very happy with Fairyloot this box!

Photos are not mine, photos without IG Tags are from Manahil Nisaron Facebook or Goodreads.

~Kinzie

Media Update

Hi everyone! 😊

I’m back! Sorry I’ve been gone for a little bit, I’ve been dealing with some changes and making decisions with my career. But I’m back now and just wanted to update you all with what media I have been consuming lately!

Movie: Emma

I have been wanting to watch this movie for awhile now but just got the chance to recently and let me tell you I was not disappointed. It was a great story and had a good arc for the main character. You see her learn from her mistakes and watch her as she sees how she effected the people around her and change. It was a great movie I really enjoyed watching this.

Show: Yona of the Dawn

This is a rewatch I have been binging that I LOVE soooooo much! Definitely a go to when I need a break from things. I love the characters, the story, the art it’s just…..gorgeous! Not to mention a certain main male character that is in this is one of my favorites and I will always love him. 😉 But the fantasy is amazing, you follow a chased out princess and her protector as they go in search of the great dragons of legend and they get to learn more about the kingdom and meet some great friends along the way.

Webcomic: Freaking Romance

This webcomic has gone through a lot and now the latest episodes have me going crazy! I’m loving it with the cuteness but also on my seat with the situations they are stuck in. This cross dimensional love has so much going for it and I need to see it to it’s end. I seriously can’t wait each week as they come out I need MORE!

Well that’s all for my media catch up! Let me know what you all have been into lately!

Thank you all for reading and being patient with my return. I can’t wait to get back into things and see what everybody else has been up to.

So until next time bye for now and I’ll see you all in the next post!

~Kelsey🥰📚

Unboxing: The Bookish Box June 2020

Our June YA box theme is :⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
🌷🌞A COURT OF SEASONS!🍁❄

“Exciting news, ACOTAR fans: this box is entirely curated around the A Court of Thorns & Roses series & its items are inspired by the seasonal courts of Prythian! (And, because we couldn’t resist, of course, there’ll be some love for everyone’s favorite Night Court.🌚)

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Our June YA book is SEASONS OF THE STORM by Elle Cosimano! Four teens who have been turned into immortal Seasons must escape the cycle of violence they’re trapped in when Winter & Spring fall in love in this high-stakes fantasy duology opener!
↳ Our edition will feature an exclusive dust jacket & signed bookplate!⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

We’re thrilled to announce that this box will feature a gorgeous enamel pin created by @dustandpages! It will also include new tarot cards from our collection designed by @darkandbeautifulart as well as the next in our new monthly woodmark series designed by @alchemyandink!”

Prythian Tapestry – Created by In the Reads
Seasons of the Storm by Elle Cosimano – Signed w/ an Alternate Dust Jacket Designed by Katja Perez
Summer Court Wood Wick Candle
Cauldron Blessed Pin – Created by Dust and Pages
Pressed Flower Pendant
Velaris Iridescent Mug
ACoMaF Print – Illustrated by Diana D Worak
Bookmark – Designed by Alchemy and Ink
Lucien, Rhysand, & Tamlin Tarot Cards – Designed by Dark and Beautiful Art

“One cold, crisp night, Jack Sommers was faced with a choice—live forever according to the ancient, magical rules of Gaia, or die.
Jack chose to live, and in exchange, he became a Winter—an immortal physical embodiment of the season on Earth. Every year, he must hunt the Season who comes before him. Summer kills Spring. Autumn kills Summer. Winter kills Autumn. And Spring kills Winter.
Jack and Fleur, a Winter and a Spring, fall for each other against all odds. To be together, they’ll have to escape the cycle that’s been forcing them apart. But their creator won’t let them go without a fight.”

So first off, bookmark was not a woodmark. Secondly, my mug came in all broken because it was loose in the box. Thirdly, my candle melted and leaked all inside of the box! Last but not least, I got the wrong necklace!! I clearly didn’t have a whole lot of luck with this box. I’m not mad really. I sent an email and as long as everything is replaced, I’ll be happy! I did like this box a lot, in pictures for the time being though. Stuff happens, just packing boxes isn’t The Bookish Box’s strong suit, clearly.

~Kinzie

Unboxing: Owlcrate June 2020

June’s theme is “ALL THE WORLD’S A STAGE”:

“ The June box is all about grand performances and magical stages, whether they be at carnivals, the circus or a Shakespeare play! Our June book is all about a fierce female magician abandoning everything she’s ever known for a shot at greatness. This enchanting book is an August release that we’ve been given permission to send out early!

We are including a truly spectacular edition of Where Dreams Descend by Janella Angeles, and will be doing something we’ve never done before! It will not include a dust jacket – instead, it will feature a stunning exclusive foil cover printed directly on the hardcover. The book will also have exclusive endpapers and will be signed by the author!

Items included will be inspired by The Night Circus, The Greatest Showman, Ace of Shades, Shakespeare and more! The items are a wonderful mix of useful, delicious and selfcare goodies.”

Cirque du Freak Mini Doughnut Coffee – Made by Bones Coffee Company
Where Dreams Descend by Janella Angeles – Owlcrate Exclusive Naked Cover with Gold & Red Foiling, Signed
The Night Circus Coin Bank – Designed by Forensics and Flowers
Owlcrate Exclusive Shakespearean Quote Pencil Set
Glorian Destination Stamp – Made by Blissfully Bookish Co.
Author Letter Written by Janella Angeles
Ace of Shades Inspired Orange Coffee Shower Steamer – Made by Whipped Up Wonderful
The Greatest Showman Habit Tracker Pad – Designed by @paperbackbones

“In a city covered in ice and ruin, a group of magicians face off in a daring game of magical feats to find the next headliner of the Conquering Circus, only to find themselves under the threat of an unseen danger striking behind the scenes.
As each act becomes more and more risky and the number of missing magicians piles up, three are forced to reckon with their secrets before the darkness comes for them next.
The Star: Kallia, a powerful showgirl out to prove she’s the best no matter the cost
The Master: Jack, the enigmatic keeper of the club, and more than one lie told
The Magician: Demarco, the brooding judge with a dark past he can no longer hide
Where Dreams Descend is the startling and romantic first book in Janella Angeles’ debut Kingdom of Cards fantasy duology where magic is both celebrated and feared, and no heart is left unscathed.”

I know I really enjoyed this box! I took a break from Owlcrate for a while because I felt like I either didn’t like their book selections, the merch included wasn’t useful to me, or it just didn’t seem worth it to me. This box has renewed my faith in Owlcrate and I will continue the subscription for now!

~Kinzie

Unboxing: Illumicrate June 2020

Illumicrate’s theme for June is IN THE SHADOWS:

“Our featured book for June is set in an alternative Paris where the dark underworld is divided into criminal guilds and one girl fights to keep her sister from their clutches. We totally fell in love with the captivating writing and incredible world-building, and we know you will too!

Our edition of The Court of Miracles features an exclusive cover AND an exclusive hidden cover under the dust jacket. There’s also exclusive sprayed edges and endpapers. This is truly one of the most stunning books we’ve ever included and we are so in love with it! We’re also incredibly excited to announce that from June onwards we’ll be including a collectible pin inspired by our book choice each month! These will all be created by our friend and collaborator @fableandblack and will be included in both the box and book only subscriptions.

The items in this box are inspired by Nevernight, the Villains series by V.E Schwab (Vicious and Vengeful), Game of Thrones, Crescent City and more! We’re excited to announce that the next in our @rosiethorns88 mug series will be in this box.”

Crescent City Foiled Print – Artwork by Elithien
The Court of Miracles by Kester Grant – Illumicrate Exclusive Cover, Hidden Cover, Sprayed Black Edges, & Autopen Signed Endpapers
Wrought & Ruin Mug – Artwork by Rosie Thorns
Serpent & Dove Metal Bookmark – Character Artwork by Viktoria Ridzel, Quote Design by Her Paper World
Court of Miracles Pin – Designed by Fable & Black
I Am The War Fan (Nevernight) – Artwork by Ashley Diers
Kill List Tea Towel (Game of Thrones) – Artwork by Fiona Gacki

“In the violent urban jungle of an alternate 1828 Paris, the French Revolution has failed and the city is divided between merciless royalty and nine underworld criminal guilds, known as the Court of Miracles. Eponine (Nina) Thénardier is a talented cat burglar and member of the Thieves Guild.
Nina’s life is midnight robberies, avoiding her father’s fists, and watching over her naïve adopted sister, Cosette (Ettie). When Ettie attracts the eye of the Tiger–the ruthless lord of the Guild of Flesh–Nina is caught in a desperate race to keep the younger girl safe. Her vow takes her from the city’s dark underbelly to the glittering court of Louis XVII. And it also forces Nina to make a terrible choice–protect Ettie and set off a brutal war between the guilds, or forever lose her sister to the Tiger.”

So Illumicrate, what will I do with you? I’m not interested in your future book choices so far and I have the book only subscription… Do I just keep skipping months or do I end up just cancelling the sub? The full box really isn’t worth $50 for the little bit I get, even though I do admit that shipping is part of why it’s so much. I did end up keeping some of the merch from this box, which I’m pretty happy about, but overall I’m only subscribed to Illumicrate for their special edition books. Not overwhelmingly happy with them right now. Oh well….

~Kinzie