LEGO Elves came about in 2015 as an off-shoot of the LEGO Friends theme and I originally thought it would be a marked improvement; not focusing on jobs in the service industry, veterinary practices or pop stardom. Then I saw Nadia’s Spa Secret and Azari and the Magical Bakery and sighed lamentably.

While much of the line focuses on magic and adventure, it can still be stymied by the trappings of being the ‘girl LEGO’ and that strikes me as wrong. This seems like a pretty cool world with magic and dragons and what seems to be a fish-out-of-water human character but is there even a villain for this line? Some kind of antagonist for these mages and their dragons to battle? There’s one, who only just received her first set, a year into the line (Ragana’s Magic Shadow Castle, which looks pretty awesome).

Anyway, today we’ll be looking at the 41173 Elvendale School of Dragons, which contains 230 pieces and sells for an RRP of £17.99. The box is eye-catching and really sells the mystic aesthetic and does a good job of showcasing the features of the set as well as the cross-sell for the LEGO Elves app (which I won’t be looking at like the NEXO Knights one)

The box contains two bags of bricks, a sticker sheet, a sheet with perforated banners and a long stick.

As usual, we’ll take a look at the figures included first and this time it’s of the mini-doll variety. This is Tidus Stormsurfer, a water elf who is a little bit like Hiccup from HTTYD and is in the process of training Miku, the baby dragon included in this set. He comes with an hourglass and can wield what is blatantly a Jammie Dodger crossbow. I… I don’t…

The majority of the build consists of the small hut and tree next to it. Unlike the Lord of The Rings sets, this magical world is alive with colour and the unusual hues and translucent bricks present in this set makes the build rather interesting.

The little nooks, crannies and details added in during the build gives the impression of a lived-in world despite being an isolated little island. There’s a removable desk, mail slot, storage box for Jammie Dodgers that can hold precisely TWO delicious biscuits and still be able to close the lid.

The long pole is rather malleable and acts a rail that bends around the entire set to create a launcher/swing for Miku, presumably to help the little dragon learn to fly if the included blackboard is any indication.

Overall, I think the Elvendale School of Dragons is a cute little set. It’s not as cool looking as the bigger dragon sets or that boat from last year but as an intro to the line, it’s not too shabby. I appreciate the colour scheme, the design aesthetic and the possibility of lore. Thank you to LEGO and Crescendo PR for the opportunity to review this set and I’ll catch you guys next time for another Mint in Box!

Back in the olden days of 2012, LEGO reinvigorated their dismal “For Girls” range (Anyone remember the dark days of Belville? BECAUSE I DO) and came up with the LEGO Friends theme and despite some initial wariness, the line launched to critical acclaim, being the 4th most popular LEGO theme that year; behind City, Star Wars and Ninjago. It was praised for appealing to the mainstream with horses and vet clinics to the more diverse hobbies of young girls, like science and magic! But enough waffling, let’s crack on!

Sharp-O: Today we’ll be looking at the LEGO Friends City Café that Aimee got for Christmas!

Aimee: Yaaaaay! I can’t wait to get going.

Sharp-O: Well the first thing to note is the piece count, which is 222 and split into three bags.

Aimee: And the bottoms! Blue bottoms and the book!

Sharp-O: Yup, and there’s a couple sticker sheets in there but looking at the box, I don’t think we’ll need more than one sheet.

Aimee: They are spare ones just in case we mess up.

Sharp-O: I’m not going to mess up! Let’s look at the mini-dolls.

Aimee: I really like them. I don’t think I’ve got these ones.

Sharp-O: The box says their names are Andrea and Marie.

Aimee: I like the one with the bumpy hair and the other one looks like she works at the Café.

Sharp-O: Yeah, I do like that they do Mini-Dolls instead of Minifigures, even if they don’t match up with your other sets as much.

Aimee: I’ve got lots of Friends figures though!

Sharp-O: The first thing to build is the table and chairs out front. It’s quick and simple but it’s got fun elements for the milkshakes and fencing.

Aimee: I’ve never seen the red round thingies before…

Sharp-O: The main Café is a more interesting build, even though it’s mostly two walls and some signage. I built the walls and windows up, adding the lower roof before I applied the stickers on the windows and inner walls.

Aimee: I made the awesome stripey roof but I really, really loved putting the sign on. I did it all by myself and only messed up on the lights but Richard helped me put the sticker on.

Sharp-O: She also managed to build the interior booth, tables, counters and some kitchen pieces without my help as I put together some flowers, a stand alone sign, the condiment table and a gumball machine out front.

Aimee: I liked making the sauces and burger! It was really cool. And I LOVED the milkshake maker.

Sharp-O: The complete model, while basic, has plenty of enjoyment to be had in it’s construction and as a playset. The pastel colour scheme, along with the constructable food items and large amount of accessories makes this a fun LEGO playset.

Aimee: I have 8 LEGO Friends now and they can all fit in the Café, and they call all have milkshakes and burgers and cupcakes. It’s lovely and really cool. I really enjoyed making the shop-front and helping Richard.

My little sister wanted to write a review for this set and I hope you guys enjoyed reading this little collaboration. She wrote a lot about how much she enjoyed the experience but I’ve straightened out the grammar and spelling for ease of reading. I highly recommend picking up many of the LEGO Friends sets for girls who like LEGO. They have a broad range of subjects to appeal to any hobby or interest so you should be able to find one that’s perfect. If you could leave a nice comment below for her to read, I would greatly appreciate it and I’ll catch you next time for another Mint in Box!