I have some exciting news for you all regarding this box! Myself and Casey @ Adoptabookaus are officially going to be hosting a read-along for the books that come in this box each month! Yay! Each month, we will be reading the previous month’s book and flailing about it on Twitter and Instagram. So make sure you head over (@ozbooksnail @adoptabookaus) and say hi if you want to read with us! At the moment we’re making our way through August’s book, The Just City. It’s going to be awesome fun.

September’s Theme:

The Ties that Bind Us

The Dragon’s Hoard is an Australian based subscription company that is absolutely fabulous. They send out boxes monthly on an auto-renewing system. The box costs $30AUD per month (excluding shipping) and is a sci-fi/fantasy specialist (occasionally with some YA). The boxes include one book, not necessarily a new release and usually under 3K ratings (on Goodreads I presume), and 3-5 bookish goodies, with each box curated to a particular theme. The idea is to bring you something you probably haven’t seen before.

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A Quick Overview

This box was amazing. I didn’t think it could get better than last month’s but HERE WE ARE. I am going to buy this box forever and always I have decided. It’s so much fun and everything that comes in the boxes is amazing.

// THE DRAGON’S HOARD //

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The Book

Strings
by David Estes

Genre: Sci-Fi, Retelling [Pinocchio]
Author: David Estes
Published: February 2016
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
Pages:  {paperback}

Sometimes the strings that tie us down are the same strings that set us free.

Sixteen-year-old Pia has always lived in a mysterious facility where mechanical strings control her existence. She plays apprentice to her father, Gio, in performing nanotech designs for the Company, and she soon suspects there are diabolical human forces behind the manufactured reality of her world. 

Though her childhood memories and the origins of the strings remain strangely elusive, she begins to find solace with the introduction of two unlikely friends: daring, irrational Sofia, and calm, tender Marco. 

As the truths of the past and present unravel together, Pia must find a way to free herself from her strings and escape the facility before facing the wrath of the unstable head of security, Mr. Davis. But to gain her freedom, she must navigate the dangers posed by Davis and by her suspicious new friends to find the real identity of the puppeteer. 

If Pia can succeed in revealing the secrets of the Company, she may very well find the independence she so desperately seeks. But in her controlled world nothing is as it seems, and the closer she gets to the truth, the graver the consequences.

*sings* I got no strings, to hold me down, to make me fret, to make me frown! I had strings, but now I’m free, there are no strings on me! – well, that’s going to be stuck in our heads for the rest of the day now.

I actually don’t think you understand just how excited about this book I am. Firstly, it sounds almost Steampunk (but I know it’s not) but PINOCCHIO RETELLING, GUYS, *screams*. I’m so ready for this – I need this in my life. It’s times like these when I’m so glad that I get subscription boxes because there’s probably no way I would have found this otherwise. I hope I love this (I’m sure I will) but just AHH *runs in circles*

I am the biggest Disney fanatic, I swear. I’ve never read anything that comes close to a Pinocchio retelling – and not only is it a retelling, but it’s a gender swapped retelling. Somebody pass me my inhaler before I pass out. When we opened this box, we were also provided a link to a video message the author put together for subscribers and it was very sweet!

// GOODREADS // BUY //

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A Signed Bookmark!

I do love signed bookmarks. They’re the next best thing after a signed book. That way you can subtly waft it around, on the train, say, until somebody notices and then waggle your eyebrows a bit to make sure they understand that you’re special and that’s way you have a signed bookmark, *nods*.

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An Inspirational Zip Pull

A zip pull! What an ingenious idea to include in this box! I get frustrated sometimes with the beautiful things that are included in boxes when I have no practical use for them. But one can literally never have too many zip pulls. Now I when I put my purse away after making sure everyone’s taken note of my Deathly Hallows and “Too Many Books Not Enough Time” keychains, they can continue to be amazed as I dramatically zip up my bag with this “Book Are What Unite Us” pin.

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A Beautiful Magnet

AGAIN, with the usefulness! Magnets! Who’d’ve thought?! I love this. I want more magnets in subscription boxes, thank you very much. This is proudly and smugly sitting on my little white board in my room holding up all my important things – like books I should read and buy in the next month, whilst simultaneously giving the stink eye to my uni timetable. Glorious, I say.

// CREATE EXPLORE READ //

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The Best Candle EVER

ARE YOU FLAILING, TOO? JUST LOOK AT THE PRETTY.

The day before this came, I had been tossing up whether it was worth buying a Night Court/Rhysand candle online because of those silly shipping costs. You can only imagine how delighted I was when I received this one. My obsession with Rhysand and the Night Court is borderline terrifying and I take great pleasure in feeling like a Fire Breathing Bitch Queen when I light this (because always cross-reference when you can).

I have totally also IMMEDIATELY then ordered myself another candle from this store because it is Australian! Woo! I’ve now got Night Court and The Darkling *shivers* Which means my life is as glorious as it sounds. Excuse me whilst I spend all my money on the rest of their candles.

// BURNNG PAGES CANDLES //

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A Snazzy Spoon

And a spoon! This box just keeps getting better. I chuckle to myself overtime I use this. “Stir Crazy”, I mean, snappity-snap-snap. It’s fantastic and perfect for my tea-obsessed self. I think we all need more novelty spoons in our lives.

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October’s theme is:

Worlds Apart

I AM VERY EXTREMELY EXCITED. Full stop.

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Missed out on the fun last month? Take a look!

Want to join in on the fun in September? Visit their website . . .

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~~ Kirstie ~~

 Follow @ozbooksnail