Six OwlCrate Books In Which Fantasy and Our World Collide

The Warm Hands of Ghosts is a historical fiction fantasy that takes place during The Great War (also known as World War I). Using dual points of view, we follow two siblings (Laura Iven, a combat nurse, and her brother Freddie Iven, a soldier) through the horrors of warfare.

While everything is set during the late 1910s, you suddenly find yourself seeing things that might be out of this world. Ghosts begin to feel very real to these characters, as Laura fights to find her brother and as Freddie partners with a German soldier to escape death and trauma.

This eerie story is made all the more haunting with the introduction of the devious and calculating fiddler, who wishes to steal souls and memories. The fantasy element brings on a new kind of fear as you read the story and hope for the siblings to reunite and survive.

This book stole my heart! Not only is the OwlCrate edition just to die for, but the story is also mesmerizing . June Farrow is born into a line of women under a centuries-old family curse that drove June’s mother to madness and ultimately led to her disappearance.

Now June is beginning to feel the symptoms of that same sickness—seeing and hearing things that may or may not really be there, specifically a red door that leads to another time. As the mystery and love story unravels, you watch as magic and reality blend and merge to create an ethereal reading experience, leaving you wanting to step into this version of our world.

This story takes place in the fictitious town of Jasper, North Carolina, where Young weaves her modern setting with magic, mystery, and time travel. She embodies the literary concept of “magical realism” as she drops her readers not only in modern-day North Carolina but then also sends us back to this same mountain town in the 50s to meet the other women in June’s family.

In this Regency romantasy book , we’re drawn into the fantastical country of Avaland with the Machlish main character known as Niamh (pronounced neev). Saft remade England into Avaland and Machland from Ireland, and she uses her storytelling to show the contention the two countries have held in our history.

As a magically gifted seamstress, Niamh is invited to Avaland to fashion the wedding attire for the second prince’s upcoming wedding. Sweet and hardworking Niamh soon finds herself not only dealing with discrimination against her background but also her growing friendship with the engaged prince being publicized by a scandal sheet writer. Shenanigans quickly ensue in this lovely comedic story. 

In my eyes, A Study in Drowning is a blend of  Divine Rivals  by Rebecca Ross and  A Fragile Enchantment  by Allison Saft . Set in a dark, fairytale-esque version of England, Reid tells the story of Effy Sayre, a young student who wishes to study literature for her love of stories and the written word. Yet Effy is cut off at every turn for being a woman. When she is given the chance to visit her favorite author’s crumbling home, she takes the opportunity and soon finds herself working with a fellow rival who seems intent on undoing all her work.

This story gives off major Dracula vibes and places you in a trance-like state as Effy unearths the secrets of Hiraeth Manor alongside Preston. The story allows the fantasy setting to portray England’s historical discrimination of their Welsh neighbors through the cultural differentiation presented in Preston, which juxtaposes the obstacles Effy faces for her gender. It’s a tale that communicates the power of one’s voice and what is right for all people.

The instant sensation that is Divine Rivals, to me, is an older, young adult mirror to  The Warm Hands of Ghosts,  mainly because of how Ross recreates a World War I, English landscape for this fantasy novel.

In this story, two rivaling newspaper journalists, Iris Winnow and Roman Kit, find themselves caught writing about the frontlines of the battle, waged for the gods, and steadily falling in love as they send messages between their magical typewriters.

If Ghosts is the historical setting that brings fantasy into it, Divine Rivals is the fantasy setting that uses our understanding of a historical war to tell her story.

Next time you find yourself stepping into a new version of our reality, please let me know because I want to read that book! If any of these books have piqued your interest, I highly suggest you snag a few of the OwlCrate editions. Each of these has been beautifully redesigned in collaboration with many talented artists and will look amazing in your collection. Happy reading, friends!