Velouria

Yes, the bigfigs, had those too. They were very creative because they were part buildable. I liked those. Scala and Belville were disasters. And the minidoll- it would sure be nice if they were more posable, but I like the way they look just fine.

The thing here is, as far as I'm concerned, the assumption that minifigs are inherently superior. They are not, we just think they are because they are familiar and nostalgic. I'm actually old enough to have seen the first- the faceless, unmovable torso and leg part ones, and later the ones with movable legs and arms and printed yellow faces. Hated them. Just so blocky, poorly proportioned, stupid vapid expression, no personality, and the simple fact that the first ones were by default male. A lot has changed since then, there is a lot of diversity now, but I'm still no fan of the minifig design. I actually think minidolls are an improvement, because they are more humanoid, and have more personality, and the fact that they are by default female. These were made for me. It's probably my XX chromosome at work?

I've actually built a modern camper van for my elves. Like, they would probably like to have a vacation away from all that unspoiled nature and magic every once in a while, and do so in a nice air-conditioned camper on Emily's side of reality :D Should take some pics...

I've looked up the definition, and you are right. I haven't actually watched the animations much- so I don't know how they are portrayed. But I find the Emily and Sophie minidolls very generic, up to their names. They are self-insertion characters, a girl who plays with them can insert herself in a mythical fantasy world and make up her own personality for them. So that is what I meant- I find them too generic, but they perform a certain function.

Sorry for the double post- I'm obviously hoping this theme will continue, but I'm also looking back on it, and looking at its strengths and weaknesses. I loved the first season and bought every set. Loved the nature colors, the fantasy builds, the variation, and the characters. Then there was the second season, which was a dragon in every set. I bought some, loved Ragana and her castle, the starlight inn. But too many similar creatures- too many dragons; and that made me less interested. After that, I had some personal issues, I had to sell my home, and to make it nice and presentable, I packed all my lego away and stopped buying. It was the whole goblin king and his goblins. I thought this was the weakest season. The goblin king was cool (Bowie association yay!) but the goblins were a disappointment, and I hated the sickly green used in their buildings. I did not buy any sets and got the Goblin King character off bricklink because he was in two sets that I really did not like (another dragon! And that sickly green castle). And then in the most recent lot, it was back to the roots with the elvenstar tree and Lumia and Nocturna. Like these sets a lot, and plan to buy some more. One major problem I have with the whole range is that sets have the same minidolls with minor changes again and again. I'm not so tempted to buy another set that has an Naida minidoll in it when I already have 3. (you can, IMHO, never have enough Azaris and Farrans though) Also- I tend not to buy sets with Emily or her sister- they are human characters (and the very essence of "Mary-Sue"), and I'm really in this because I like fantasy creatures. That's my two cents. what do you think?

I'm not angry, just grateful for a theme I really love. I hope it will continue, but i realize these things have a shelf life. And I'm always interested to see what Lego will come up with next. But I'm actually a fan of minidolls, and I know not many people are. So I wonder if they will come up with something that will fit me.

So nice! I must do something like that for myself some time!

Yes, noticed that at my local LEGO store too. No fantasy theme- ah well. I'm still sore over the end of LOTR, so I guess it's back into the dark ages for me unless they come up with something really AMAZING.

Let's not read the eulogy before the theme is officially demised. But it would be sad, and a missed opportunity, as there are so many creative possibilities that have not been explored. A lower body mermaid part for minidolls exists, and that would be a great sub-theme. And with the new Sweet Mayhem figure, winged Elves are a now a possibility. I hope the upcoming movie gives the whole minidoll section a deserved impulse. As they are consistently good sets- I don't think there are official numbers on sales, but we have to keep in mind that LEGO reaches a part of the market with these that they otherwise would not have access to. And yes, a minidolls in space theme! Would love that!

Got the Elvenstar tree, it is the bomb. Man I hope this theme continues in 2019...It is just so good!

I'm beginning to wonder if these will ever appear on the market here in Belgium. And I agree that the marketing is really letting these sets down. How disappointing....

That one is still my favourite too. Also, loved Ragana's castle. It was fabulous! I like architecture builds- and animals and vehicles less. What they have been doing in many sets of the last two years- include a dragon or other animal, and a small building does not work for me. Also I loved the colors in the first wave, but hated that sickly lime green they used in the goblin sets.

Love the buildings in that last photo. I've resisted buying any new lego in the last year, but I think I'll have to come out of AFOL retirement for this!

I hope so. A few dragons are nice to have, but a dragon in every larger set got very tiresome. Time for something else! But I love this theme, and I can't wait for confirmation that it will continue!

Ah, Sira. Kind of interesting isn't she? An earth Elf who just decided to do her own thing and take to the skies. She seems like a no-nonsense kind of gal who dances to her own drum. But, somehow she earns her keep down on earth running an inn. Did some kind of tragedy befell her that robbed her of her Sky Ship dreams? I sense a story here! I imagined what her ship would look like. It would have earth and sky colors, and a little bit of living space. You can click the images for a larger version! The ship has a mechanism that moves the wings back and forth. The sails come from the LOTR pirate ship- unfortunately only printed on one side. As for the style- "Steampunk" is the go-to style for this type of subject- but I wanted something a bit more magical. In the end I was inspired by the "Vardo" wagons Gypsies used. Baroque and a bit over the top, but very warm and homely as well.

Okay, as promised- welcome back to my old wood floor with lots of pics of this huge set! I plan to do the first half today, and the second half tomorrow. This is a big set that comes in 7 different bags. Here are the sticker sheets included. The first bag has Aira and Naida, with hoods, capes and hair pieces. Also, another one of those nifty hourglasses, and the new book piece. The bricks turn into a neat little catapult that works well. These Elves are so done with being nice! Are those blocks of ice? And the rest of the bricks turn into the foundations of the castle. This has a sliding mechanism that serves as a drawbridge and also opens and closes a set of dark pink doors. on to bag 2. Couple of lavender LURPs in here. The closing mechanism runs nice and smooth. And then we come to Ragana's couch. Just look at it! It's an evil couch! It comes with a bar of chocolate! It is also designed to be removable. And now we can see Ragana's living room. After long hard day of doing evil and dancing with dragons she strides trough the door, lights the fire and then sobs on the couch while scoffing down chocolate- looking slightly less glorious than the huge portrait of her behind her. Nobody understands her! The roof of the living room should be removable, but it is attached with rather many studs, so it does not come off easy. The book cases are a nice touch. Ragana herself. The poor gal has not been making the best life choices lately. And then there is bag number 3. Or 4. I think I'm losing count. Anyway, here's Ragana's bed of Eeeeevil. Thank goodness it comes with a night light as her nights are lonely and restless. Also a drawer underneath hiding a map and a letter. Ragana's potion making station. I think there are some new part colors in here? And her detachable bed in the castle along with a little nightstand. That's all for now folks! I hope to have the rest up tomorrow!

Did not expect the hoods to fit on minifigs, but they actually fit perfectly. Much better than the other way around.

I think you are right. Strange that the number they gave it in the booklet does not yield any results in google searches. Anyway, it is a very promising piece.

Ragana and Maleficent definitely share some family ties...

Oh, I looked it up- the little grey arm with hands on both sides in the middle here is a new part. It's 6146061 and it is not on bricklink yet. It looks like a very useful part. Also, the two large roof ornaments (6153482) seem new. Also, the hoods of course.

I can remember that there was much resistance against the first Friends sets when they came out. Because the boxes were pink, and we associate that with insultingly dumbed down toys for girls. But since then, I have found that Friends sets tend to be very good builds, but the Elves sets are a step above that. These are consistently creative and colorful sets that push the limits of what is possible with Lego. It's a shame that these are marketed and perceived as girl's toys- it means that a lot of boys will be missing out on some brilliant sets. I think they are actually very gender neutral.

Second half of the castle review is up :) I had a good long look at the queen dragon and I like it very much, but I will not be buying it. I have reached dragon saturation. But, it is a great looking set make no mistake!

Time for more questionable photography! This is bag 4 I think...Note the large ornaments which are made in two colors of plastic. Also, dragon and egg! This turns into Ragana's well appointed rest room. Complete with two mirrors and a line of self-branded cosmetics. I'm definitely almost pretty sure this is bag 5. So there's the facade of the main building all built up. I really like the dragon head ornament- it's an interesting little build, and very multidimensional. The light coming trough the stained glass is really nice. On to bag 6. Now with this many dragons, there has to be a dungeon hiding somewhere and this is it. It looks slightly flat from the back- I like the stepping stones on the side that have the lime green tiles suggesting that they are slimy and slippery. Getting up there is going to be a tough little journey. There are two features; a small technic assembly in the bottom right pops out the dungeon's wall, and pulling out the lime ball makes a trap door fall inwards. My only real complaint with this whole set is that it is kind of hard to line up the trap door with the surrounding frame. It's not perfectly even. This is the assembly from the front. I really like what they did with the part on the right- with a few bricks, a whole landscape is suggested, with a river, stalagmites, crystals...It's like they are switching to a different scale here, and suggest something that is maybe further away and much larger. There is a proper ravine under this bridge! And now, at last, bag number 7. So here is the Dungeon part finished. Ragana has a fabulous spinning chair and a Chrystal ball. So apparently she feeds her cat sushi and ice cream. Which makes her an irresponsible pet owner, but also kind of awesome. "Oh hello there Aira, would you come over and share some chocolate with me? Muahahaha!" "Oh and Naira...Mind that bridge....Oh #sorrynotsorry!" The bridge actually has a lot of friction and will stay in any which position you turn it. Now of course, you know, this means war. The extra bitsies I was left with! Yay! And some of the newer and more unusual bits, don't know if any are exclusive to this set though. Note the prints on the hoods, and the not so great white print on the cat. So here's the whole thing. One last look at the living quarters. So what do I make of this set? I think it is excellent progression of the Elves theme. It fits with the existing sets, but it adds a whole new dimension of darkness and evil to the universe. The main building introduces Ragana as a flamboyant character with over the top tastes. But it is also a very complete and playable doll house. It has a lot of personality, and it is tremendous fun to play with. The smaller part of the set tries to do a lot. It tells a story- you climb up the mountain over slippery steps, and there Ravana sits on her throne, ready to drop you into her dungeon! Should you escape that a treacherous bridge tries to drop you in a ravine full of nasty pointy stones and a fast flowing river! There is a whole quest suggested here, and I think it works. It's a step up from last year's castle, I think, which I found a little one-dimensional and only really had the portal as a playfeature (impressive as it was) Expensive, but highly recommended!

Just got Ragana's Castle! Hope to be able to show you some pics soon!

Well somebody had to do the first to do an Elves MOC! So here it goes...This is where Aira moors her adventure ship, and where she and her pointy eared friends spend all day swimming and fishing and grooming. it's probably the girliest thing ever posted here. Waters are blue, vegetation is tropical, and crystals magically grow out of the ground and in trees. The Elves have a little lighthouse to signal their friends...And warn passing pirates not to go near! They are quite ready for them The lighthouse goes right round like a record baby When the evening comes they roast fish and bake cookies over an open fire And then they all take Naira's fabulous ship back home again! So there it is- What do you think? Sorry for the photo's, took me 4 attempts to get them somewhat acceptable....