Lego Elves is an underrated theme.

Pros:

• Awesome steampunk vibe but with colourful palette
• Great use of multiple part types (Technics & Bionicles)

Cons:

• Minidolls instead of minifigures
• Short shelf life

I am a huge fan and booster of the Elves series -- they appeal to kids across many ages and genders (I have a daughter, 5; son, 7). The 2016 dragons sealed the deal with my kids and their friends, but this set at least matches the fun, and I would argue, then some.

A cynic might observe that this is a remix of the 2016 Ninjago Raid Zeppelin (which I don't own), but simply by shifting themes and color pallettes it's a whole different experience. Like many of the best Elves sets, it features beautiful curved lines that defy the rectangular brick, using really clever tricks and very pretty pieces. The lavender and gold color scheme gives the vehicle an elegant, graceful feel. It's incredibly attractive wherever you put it. (My son is still trying to rig a way to hang it by string - it's heavier than it looks!)

The play features are extensive - we particularly love the wings that fold up (there was a lot of conjecture as to how they worked while we were building - we thought perhaps they flapped, which you can sorta do), presumably when the boat is in water. The golden propellor spins when blown, which is really neat! Eminently swooshable. And yes, the goblin's flying machine shoots evil seed "missles" -- which are cuter than they are menacing.

The entire Elves series is overflowing in charm and creativity, and I encourage parents who haven't discovered them to try it out on their kids. This set, in particular, is attractive in so many ways that it makes a great introduction to the theme. It's rare to find toys that transcend gender nowadays, and - purple notwithstanding - this is one of the few. It's absolutely my favorite of this series.

This set feels like a "friendsified" raid zeplin from last year's ninjago.

The feature of the rudder being the way to manipulate the wings way well integrated and didn't detract from he build, I like how it doesn't stick out too much.

I enjoyed recieving the purple balloon pieces and I also enjoyed getting more white large dragon wing pieces.

I really was excited when I heard there was under floor storage but after building the air ship I was very underwhelmed by the very little amount of storage.

I loved the goblin glider which reminded me of the gliders from ninja.

Overall a good set but if more storage would me much more loved by me.