FairyLoot YA Box with Goodies Comparison 2024: Ongoing

FantasySci-Fi

May 24

Have you seen those stunning exclusive edition books with sprayed edges, redesigned dust jackets, and character artwork? If so, chances are you’re familiar with FairyLoot!

FairyLoot is a monthly book box with multiple subscription options, including a YA box with a book and 4-5 merchandise items. And that’s where this page comes in! As the year progress, I’ll post everything you need to know regarding this subscription right here. It’s a one-stop-shop for information!

Get ready for unboxing videos, book reviews, and my thoughts on whether the subscription is indeed worth its pretty penny. You can check back monthly to see updates, or sign up for the newsletter to be notified! Either way, we’re hoarding the love and reveling in the gems received. What more could a book dragon ask for?

THE BOXES SO FAR

Currently Reading: The Crimson Moth by Kristen Ciccarelli

I’m pretty behind in my reading thus far. I haven’t been able to sit down and take time with the physical copies, so I’m waiting on most of these in audiobook form. Unfortunately, the waits are long. With the two I have read, though, I enjoyed them! Nothing spectacular, but nothing I felt was a waste of money, either. The items have been a bit more disappointing than last year, and I may need to consider switching to book-only in 2025.

We did have some overlap with Owlcrate in January and February, which was simultaneously disappointing (because I don’t need repeat exclusive editions) and fun (because we got a true comparison of what these boxes create when it comes to the same novel). I believe we’re getting another duplicate with the July book.

I usually check The Story Eater for book box spoilers, and they have predicted The Darkness Within Us by Tricia Levenseller as the June release. It’s an interesting pick, since there is a prior book to this world and with these characters (The Shadows Between Us), so my assumption is that it can be read as a standalone but will make more sense if you’ve read the first release. By chance, I have read the other novel, and I wasn’t a fan of the author’s writing style. It makes me wary that we’re getting this one as a special edition.

DESIGN: Stunning! This subscription puts out some beautiful editions. In almost every redesign, I can count on character artwork endpapers, a reversible dust jacket, and digital edges that have a smooth visual transition when paired with either the dust jacket or the hardback. I truly think FairyLoot comes out on top when considering the aesthetic of their young adult books. They truly feel exclusive and have care put into the design.

CONTENT: Good! As I mentioned above, life has been busy so I’ve been limited to what I can read on the go. I do have a few books coming in soon, though, and hope to sit down to read the Crimson Moth during my 24-Hour Readathon Challenge at the end of June! I’ll be continuing the Blood and Tea series for certain. And really, that’s what it comes down to for me: with all of the reading options available, will I specifically pick up the sequel, or am I tapping out? I also love that we get bonus chapters that are exclusive to FairyLoot. It’s a nice addition that absolutely gets added into my price gauge for whether or not the subscription is worth the $$.

GOODIES: Meh, they’ve been alright. Has there been anything that I was ecstatic to receive and got giddy with joy over? No. Have there been some items I use? Sure. But like, 1-2 every box, tops. FairyLoot’s goodies, in comparison to other boxes I subscribe to, are decent. BUT, the books are soooooo pretty. And if I think back on 2023, we didn’t get as much redesign as we seem to do now. I don’t know for sure, but it seems like more money is going into the books, which leads to more subpar items. If that’s the case, I can’t fault it, because my, oh my, are these editions pretty! This does mean that at the end of 2024 I’ll need to sit back and really look at whether it’s prudent to switch to the book only subscription for YA.

PRICE: Depends. As I said, I’ll need to reevaluate my particular sub with the goodies, because it may be best to go book only (for my personal preferences—everyone is different). If you’re considering FairyLoot in general, though? The novels truly are stunning on a bookshelf, and the stories I’ve gotten to have been ones I’m glad to have read. (I’ve heard great things about The Crimson Moth and imagine I’ll probably like it.) Having a subscription also means you get first dibs at the exclusive editions that FairyLoot puts out in their shop and that don’t come in the boxes. Oftentimes, those sell out in subscribers and the general public doesn’t get to grab a copy. There is a waitlist for FairyLoot subscriptions, and they are long. Months and months long. My advice? If you think you want to subscribe, join the waitlist now. You still have plenty of time to make a final decision and can always decline the invitation email. But, if you’re still hesitant to jump on the subscription train and want to pick and choose specific books, many people resell the ones they aren’t interested in keeping. That’s a whole different ballgame. FairyLoot editions vary on the resell market. Depending on the specific book, you may get a deal and pay less than the subscriber, or you may have to gnaw off an arm and a leg to snag the copy you want. I prefer to buy and sell on Mercari, but there are tons of places to find your favorite novel being resold!

GET ALL THE DETAILS

Want to know more about a specific month? Check below for unboxings, book reviews, exclusive edition details, and sneak peeks at upcoming subscription picks!

January: Regency and Scandal

*A Fragile Enchantment* by Allison Saft
Our exclusive edition book features: Exclusive colourway cover, a full colour foiled design on the hardcover (by @bluelyboo), reversible dust jacket (by @sashac_art), character artwork endpapers (by @sashac_art), digitally sprayed edges, a bonus chapter exclusive to FairyLoot, a digital author signature, and an art print with an author letter.

Our goodies include: Ceramic Flower Pot (inspired by Heather Fawcett’s Emily Wilde’s Encyclopedia of Faeries; designed by @annguyenart), Brooch (inspired by Allison Saft’s A Fragile Enchantment; designed by @jezhawk and portrait by @niru.sky), Lunch Bag (inspired by India Holton’s The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels; designed by @bluelyboo), Apron (inspired by Olivia Atwater’s Half a Soul; designed by @forensicsandflowers), and our monthly Tarot Cards (designed by @_saintdri)

Interested in the book? Read my REVIEW

*No unboxing video—yet

Trying to choose between subscriptions? See a breakdown of all of my book boxes for the month of January here. Which one would you have been most excited to receive?

February: A Moth to the Flame

*The Crimson Moth* by Kristen Ciccarelli
Our exclusive edition book features: Redesigned cover (by @lenyan.art), reversible dust jacket featuring a colour-way change of the standard cover, digitally sprayed edges (by @lenyan.art and @blanca.design), foil design on the hardcover (by @blanca.design), foiled character art endpapers (by @lenyan.art), and an author letter bound into the book with a digital signature.

Corduroy Cap (inspired by Rebecca Yarros’s Fourth Wing; designed by @no0nedesigns), Friendship Keychain (inspired by Kristen Ciccarelli’s The Crimson Moth; designed by @layla_ashtar_shrine), Glass Mug (inspired by Sara Hashem’s The Jasad Heir; designed by @bluelyboo), Bookshelf Tote Bag (designed by @chattynora), and our monthly Tarot Cards (designed by @rosalynnarts)

*Book review to come

*No unboxing video—yet

Trying to choose between subscriptions? See a breakdown of all of my book boxes for the month of February here. Which one would you have been most excited to receive?

March: Heists and Hustles

*A Tempest of Tea* by Hafsah Faizal
Our exclusive edition book features: Redesigned cover (by @rosiethorns88), a digitally sprayed fore edge with art (by @rosiethorns88), solid sprayed top and bottom edges, a foil design on the hardcover (by @blanca.design), character artwork on the endpapers (by @rosiethorns88), a bonus chapter exclusive to FairyLoot, and a digitally signed author letter bound into the book.

Book Sleeve (inspired by Hafsah Faizal’s A Tempest of Tea; designed by @thelolloco), Shoe Charms (inspired by Travis Baldree’s Legends and Lattes; designed by @bluelyboo), Letter Opener (inspired by Tolkein’s The Hobbit; designed by @no0nedesigns), Ceramic Soap Dish (inspired by Jordan Ifueko’s Raybearer; designed by @julie.reinhart_), Tea Tin (inspired by Stephanie Garber’s Once Upon a Broken Heart), and our monthly Tarot Cards (designed by @bluelyboo)

Interested in the book? Read my REVIEW

*No unboxing video—yet

Trying to choose between subscriptions? See a breakdown of all of my book boxes for the month of March here. Which one would you have been most excited to receive?

April: Dark Domains

*Darker by Four* by June C.L. Tan
Our exclusive edition book features: Redesigned cover (by @afterblossom_art), reversible dust jacket featuring a colourway change of the standard cover, digitally sprayed edges (by @afterblossom_art), hardback with full-colour design and foiling (by @blanca.design), character artwork endpapers (by @_panprika), author-annotated chapter exclusive to FairyLoot, and a digitally signed author letter bound into the book.

Pin Banner (inspired by Lynette Noni’s The Prison Healer; designed by @bluelyboo), Embroidered Bag (inspired by C.L Tan’s Darker by Four; designed by @no0nedesigns), Ceramic Trivet (inspired by Adalyn Grace’s Belladonna; designed by @lettersbylila_), Reusable Cotton Pads (inspired by Rachel Gillig’s One Dark Window; designed by @julie.reinhart_), Art Overlay Set (inspired by Rebecca Yarros’s Fourth Wing; designed by @marybegletsova), and our monthly Tarot Cards (designed by @rosalynnarts)

*Book review to come

*No unboxing video—yet

Trying to choose between subscriptions? See a breakdown of all of my book boxes for the month of April here. Which one would you have been most excited to receive?

May: Scholarly Secrets

*The Temptation of Magic* by Megan Scott
Our exclusive edition book features: Redesigned cover, reversible dust jacket (by @polarts_), digitally sprayed edge, foil on the hardcover (by @no0nedesigns), foiled character art on endpapers (by @polarts_), BONUS CONTENT, and a digitally signed author letter bound into the book.

*Book review to come

*Unboxing to come

Trying to choose between subscriptions? See a breakdown of all of my book boxes for the month of April here. Which one would you have been most excited to receive?

June: Decadent Desires

*The Darkness Within Us* by Tricia Levenseller
Our exclusive edition book features: Colourway-change cover, foiling on the hardcover designed by @micaelaalcainodesign and @sashac_art), art on the reverse of the dust jacket (designed by @sashac_art), character art endpapers with foiling (designed by @sashac_art), digitally sprayed edge with block top and bottom, a bonus chapter exclusive to FairyLoot, and a bound-in author letter with a digital signature.

Scrunchie (inspired by Maria V. Snyder’s Poison Study; designed by @duckhymn), Water Bottle (inspired by Tricia Levenseller’s The Darkness Within Us; designed by @annguyenart), Bookends (inspired by Sarah J. Maas’s A Court of Thorns and Roses; designed by @jezhawk), Embroidery Kit (inspired by Kristen Ciccarelli’s The Crimson Moth; designed by @forensicsandflowers), Character Bookmarks (inspired by Tahereh Mafi’s Shatter Me; designed by @palinlineart), and our monthly Tarot Cards (designed by @rosalynnarts)

*Book review to come

Interested in more details? View the UNBOXING

Trying to choose between subscriptions? See a breakdown of all of my book boxes for the month of June here. Which one would you have been most excited to receive?