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Product Spotlight: Gifts from Westeros, Middle-earth and the Wizarding World
Photo: Map of Westeros, c. Tunghoe
Well, the final episode ever of Game of Thrones has arrived. But don’t worry - this post doesn't contain spoilers! Regardless of what you think of this season’s turn of events, it can’t be denied that the cultural impact of HBO’s fantasy series has been huge. Discussions about the Seven Kingdoms have dominated cafes and water coolers since the show’s first episode aired back in 2011, and even before then, George R.R. Martin’s books were widely beloved amongst fantasy fans.
There’s something about epic fantasy tales that has the capacity to captivate the world over. Perhaps it’s the fact that they’re often inspired by myths and legends that stretch way back in history—Celtic lore, Arthurian legend, Greek mythology, Arabian tales and more. Perhaps it’s the universal concepts they explore - good vs. evil, power and politics, romance and adventure. Whatever the reason, Game of Thrones certainly wasn’t the first fantasy franchise to bewitch the world, and nor will it be the last.
Here at Dragonspace, we love these pop cultural tales just as much as we love old mythology and ancient legend. From King's Landing to the Shire, here are some selected treasures we've got in store from our favourite fantasy worlds.
The Game of Thrones Collection
A Feast of Ice and Fire: The Official Companion Cookbook
You’ll probably be missing the world of Westeros, so why not throw a commiseration feast, using the Official Companion Cookbook from the series? This unique cookbook is endorsed by George R.R. Martin himself, and features recipes like the comfort foods of the frozen North and medieval delicacies of King’s Landing. Not only is this a wonderful way to connect with the worlds of the books, it’s an intriguing look into well-researched cultural fare from throughout history. Sounds delicious!
The Canterbury Goblet
This beautiful pewter goblet is the same make as as featured throughout Game of Thrones, clutched in the hands of some of your favourite characters. The A.E. Williams family have been making pewter since 1779, so you can be assured this is a well-crafted and unique piece. Perfect for a glass of mead or blood-red wine!
Hand of the King Wax Seal Kit
With no modern technology in Westeros, important messages must be sent via tightly-sealed scroll. Play the part of the all-important Hand of the King with your very own wax seal in the official design. Whether you’re sending fate-deciding secrets, or simply catching up with a friend overseas, this traditional seal-and-scroll kit will make you feel like you live in another world, if only for a little while!
The Harry Potter Collection
The Unofficial Guide to Crafting the World of Harry Potter
This is the perfect idea for the creative Harry Potter fan. From jewellry to homewares, this bewitching book contains 30 unique craft ideas inspired by the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Examples of crafts found in the book include Butterbeer lip balm, Golden Snitch necklaces and Pygmy Puff bath fizzies. Who needs a visit to Diagon Alley when you can make your own treasures?
Harry Potter Mini-Kits
These adorable mini-kits are the ideal gift idea for Potterheads that won’t break the bank. Whether it’s colouring, stickering or prop replicas, these compact kits are a lovely little token of the magic of the wizarding world - including the new world of the Fantastic Beasts film series! Golden Snitches, Bowtruckles, Hogwarts castles, wands and more - these are sure to delight.
Harry Potter: A History of Magic
Unless you've recently been to London, chances are you haven’t been able to visit the Harry Potter: A History of Magic exhibition at the British Library. But never fear - this beautiful book is the official companion to the exhibition, containing all the collection's wonders in paper form. The collection not only includes artefacts from the franchise - such as old manuscripts, sketches and more - but is a fascinating look at the real-life history and mythology that inspired J.K. Rowling. Whether you’re a die-hard Harry Potter fan or simply a mythology geek or bibliophile, you’ll find something to appreciate in this fascinating tome.
The Lord of The Rings Collection
Elven Ring of Power
Before the Iron Throne, there were the Rings of Power from Tolkien’s fantasy world of Middle-earth. This Elven version is a bit less sinister than the One Ring - it’s inscribed with the sentence "To encircle all without beginning or end" in Tolkien’s beautiful Elvish language. Made from sterling silver with a smooth thick set, this is a meaningful and lasting trinket for all Lord of the Rings fans.
Lord of the Rings Character Swords
Tolkien’s tales of Middle-earth are filled with danger and battle, so weapons are integral to the stories. Here’s your chance to wield the blades of Tolkien’s heros, from Arwen’s elegant sword Hadhafang to Legolas’s awesome fighting knives and Frodo's dainty but fierce Sting. With no orcs to fight in the real world, these decorative swords and daggers are sure to impress when displayed in pride of place on your walls.
David Day’s Tolkien Companion Books
David Day is a Tolkien scholar who has dedicated years to intricately understanding the world of Middle-earth. His Tolkien companion books - The Battles of Tolkien, The Heroes of Tolkien, An Atlas of Tolkien, and A Dictionary of Tolkien - explore different layers of Tolkien’s world, accompanied by insightful commentary by David. With vivid flexibound covers, these books are a beautiful addition to any Tolkien fan’s library.
The richness of well-imagined fantasy worlds means that we can spend years and years exploring them and never get bored! Hopefully some of these tomes and treasures help feed your appetite for more Westeros, Middle-earth and wizardry.
VIEW OUR POP CULTURE COLLECTION HERE
including Dungeons & Dragons and the Dark Crystal products!
Ten Magical Children's Books
Childhood is a time when fantasy worlds are at their brightest. Through a child's eye, dragons truly do soar across the skies, fairies hide in gardens, and mermaid tails flash in the sea. It's through stories that children's imaginations come alive and magic becomes reality.
We're constantly adding to our Children's Books collection here at Dragonspace, always excited by new titles and old classics to add to our shelves. While every one of the books in our collection is a delight, we're highlighting ten unique titles in this week's blog post that would be a wonderful addition to any young reader's library. From unicorns to yoga, there's something for every imagination.
Wizardology, Dragonology, Monsterology and Fairyopolis
The 'Ology' series of books are as beautiful as they are interesting. Suitable for older readers, these gorgeously illustrated books take a deep-dive into the history of their subjects, complete with maps, diagrams, collages...even dragon scale samples! Kids will feel like a true scholar, scientist or historian as they study these magical books...much better than school textbooks, right?
Thelma the Unicorn
Thelma the Unicorn has taken the world by glittery storm! This popular picture book tells the story of an ordinary horse who longs to be a unicorn. But when her dream finally comes true, is it really all it's cracked up to be? Kids will laugh throughout Thelma's fantastically entertaining journey, and finish the tale knowing how to stay true to themselves. One of life's most magical lessons.
Candlewick Classic Fairy Tales
Sometimes nothing beats the classics. An illustrated collection of fairy tales belongs in every library, and this vividly coloured anthology from Candlewick is a diverse and unique addition. Children of all backgrounds will relate to the characters in these illustrated stories, which include classics like CINDERELLA, BEAUTY AND THE BEAST and more, all told with a fresh voice.
Good Morning Yoga
This lovely little book introduces kids to the principles of yoga and mindfulness through storytelling. It intersperses gentle and creative yoga exercises with positive messages to help kids get ready for the day. Paired with vibrant illustrations, this book shows that picture books can be more than just books - they can help readers achieve peace and calm amongst all the excitement of the day.
Room on the Broom
This charming witchy tale comes from the creators of the beloved Gruffalo - Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler. The story follows a happy witch and her cat who offer a ride on their broom to a number of friendly animals. But can the broomstick take the load? Witty and entertaining, this board book is perfect for very young readers, and shows that witches don't have to be mean and ugly!
John Ronald's Dragons
Kids probably aren't quite ready to tackle the wonderful world of Lord of the Rings until they're a bit older, but this picture book is a perfect place to start. This is an illustrated biography of John Ronald Tolkien - aka J.R.R. Tolkien - an imaginative little boy who loved dragons and would grow up to become the one of history's most famous fantasy writers. Kids will love reading about Tolkien's life, accompanied by lovely storybook imagery - this will have them itching to read The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings once they're old enough.
The Secret History of Mermaids
Mermaids have long been a mystery, but here's a chance to finally learn all the secrets of these mystical sea-dwelling figures. Just like the Ology books, The Secret History of Mermaids takes the form of an entertaining "textbook", interspersed with beautiful illustrations and fascinating findings. Lovers of mermaids will be delighted by this compact little tome.
Flower Fairies Activity Books
Every fairy fan will recognise Cicely Mary Barker's beautiful Victorian fairy illustrations. These lovely fairies adorn the pages of these fun activity books, perfect for the child who might prefer getting a bit hands-on. Glittery stickers, puzzles, riddles, paper dolls, colouring in pages and more will keep young little minds entertained for hours, all with a generous touch of fairy magic.
Buddha at Bedtime
Bedtime stories are one of the most magical parts of childhood. This unique collection draws on tales of Buddhist wisdom to make bedtime even more enlightening. From the tale of The Kind and Wise Stag with its message of forgiveness to the story of Two Ducks and a Turtle which will teach your child to think before speaking, these stories aren't just entertaining—they're meaningful as well. A perfect way to enchant and calm the mind before your child dozes off into dreamland, with lessons they'll definitely remember in the morning.
The Dragon's Toothache
This is another great tale of fantastical friendship. Everyone knows dragons have big sharp teeth...but what happens when they get a toothache? And how are they meant to fix it? Told in a classic picture book style with quirky illustrations, this will make the kids laugh and go 'aww' in equal measures. And most importantly it will teach them that dragons aren't all fierce and scary—they have problems too, sometimes!
Funny, enchanting, enlightening, academic...there's definitely something to spark every kind of young imagination in this collection. And the best part is that you don't even have to be a kid to enjoy these tales! Click below to see our full collection available online, or come into store to see even more magical titles.
View All Our Children's Books
Product Spotlight: Magic Wands
Good news for all you wand-wielding witches and wizards out there - our popular magic wands are currently in stock.
These distinctive wands are hand-crafted by Albertan wand-maker Darlene Musser from sturdy pewter, and are embedded with gemstones carefully selected for their spiritual properties.
We wrote a little about the history and purpose of magic wands in a previous blog post - Wondering About Wands? In this, we talked about how to choose the right wand for your practice and how they might be used.
One of the most distinctive features of Darlene's wands are the gemstones that feature in the handles and points. Crystals and gemstones are widely known for their magical properties, whether healing, protective, psychic, creative or otherwise. The inclusion of gemstones in these wands amplifies their energy, and also helps to focus their purpose.
Here, we're featuring some of our favourite new wands from Darlene and what we find special about them. If you see one that calls to you, get in quick, as these never last long on the shelves.
“I specialize in creating items of purposeful beauty. My magical wands are of the finest craftsmanship and created with powerful intention. These quality metaphysical tools are a reminder of the magic within every one of us. The stones contained in any one magic wand may amplify certain characteristics within you, such as personal power or mental clarity.” - Darlene
Crystal Wand
This wand might look quite simple, but it holds a powerful energy. The crystal glass used in its creation is a powerful channel of transformation, clarity, communication and healing. White or clear-colored crystals are symbols of light and cleansing. The bold shapes of the crystals - the round grounding stone and the sharp pointing stone - are strong and assured, giving the bearer a clear sense of purpose.
Fertility Wand
As its name suggests, this delicate wand is ideal for rituals related to fertility. The grounding stone of this wand is a gorgeous green jade, which is known for restoring the balance in the reproductive and fertility cycle for both women and men.The tiger's eye in the wand's point is also known for stimulating fertility and attracting positive energy into the home. 'Fertility' can be related to the physical body, or it might be interpreted in a more abstract sense, in terms of creativity, wealth or vitality.
Transformational Empowerment Wand
The design of this wand is suited to big life changes and powerful creation, particularly within your own mind and spirit. A handle of yellow and red tiger's eye connects you with your psychic abilities and attracts positive energy into your life. A stunning obsidian point protects against blockers, obstacles or negative energy and cuts through the fray to help you achieve your goals. This is a wand of real courage and power.
Mother Earth Wand
Lovers of nature and the earth element will feel a strong pull towards this wand. Large and sturdy, it features colours that evoke the spirit of Mother Earth - deep oranges and greens. A handle of desert jasper helps to ground and stabilise, while the green adventurine in the point is a powerful heart stone. This is a wand of warmth, abundance, creativity and imagination. It could be used in nature spells, Wheel of Life celebrations and elemental magic.
Amethyst Wand
This would be a perfect wand for beginners to wand magic and ritual. Amethyst is a powerful stone that awakens psychic and spiritual abilities, and is also linked to creativity and the imagination. An amethyst both in the grounding stone and the pointer doubles the energy of this wand. It's also embedded with small chips of bright howlite, which is a stone of calm and positivity.
Intuitive Awareness Wand
This is a powerfully feminine wand, ideal for those who are wanting to harness the feminine energy in their life and open up their psychic and intuitive abilities. Amethyst opens up the intuitive faculties, while rose quartz embodies love on all levels, including self-love and self-confidence. This wand will help you to open yourself to your many possibilities and reach your fullest potential.
Angelic Loving Assistance Wand
If you want to welcome love, warmth and nurturing energy into your life, then this is the ideal wand for you. With a powerful point of rose quartz, this wand directs loving energy into your practice. The handle also features chips of chalcedony and selenite - powerful healers - as well as rainbow moonstone, often associated with goddess energy. This is a wand for generosity, kindness, charity, love and emotional balance.
These are just a few of the beautiful wands in the collection - you can view all of them here. Is there a wand that's calling to you? Perhaps you're drawn to the mystical energy of the amethyst, or the grounding nature of jasper. If you're in the Vancouver area, be sure to pop in to the store to have a look at the collection in person, or feel free to call or email to find out more. These gorgeous tools are a valuable asset to any magical collection, and are sure to inspire and empower.