Fantasy books can be hit or miss for me. I'm not a huge fan of world building and can get frustrated just wanting the story to get on with it. That said, I didn't have that issue at all with THE CROWNS OF CROSWALD by D.E. Night. This story pulled me in right away and held on tight until the end.

I have to admit that I was a little confused as to why a book about a fifteen/sixteen-year-old was being pitched as middle grade but once I was into the book it didn't matter. It's a magic story about a magic school that can be enjoyed by people of all ages. And, at it's heart, it is a book about how we must remember our past and grow from it, not hide it away from everyone to see, a lesson that I think we could all use right now.

If you are looking for a fun, adventurous escape from the real world, I definitely recommend escaping into THE CROWNS OF CROSWALD.

Thanks to @storiesuntoldpress and @author.denight for a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Crowns of Croswald was such a fun and magical coming of age story that I thoroughly enjoyed! ⁣
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Ivy was such a great character who is thrown into this new world of magic and it was impossible not to root for her! ⁣
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The pacing was perfect and I'm honestly looking forward to reading the rest in this series to watch Ivy develop! ⁣
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This is the perfect middle grade book for readers of all ages. With a unique magic system, I recommend this to anyone looking for whimsical read!

This book was a delight. There’s a lot to be said for the magical boarding school trope, and this one sits perfectly within the genre.

The world building is tremendous. Part magical, part mysterious, part quirky and part whimsical, DE Night trusts the reader and lands them in an unpredictable, critter-filled land of imagination. Ivy Lovely and her cast of friends and mentors were also sweet and complemented the mood and tone of the book. Like Ivy, I now have a little crush on Fyn and hope this relationship develops!

Is it perfect? No. The action climax builds the tension but then feels a little rushed. There’s also a touch too much explanation by way of dialogue in the final chapter, and certain elements were overly predictable. That said, I wish this had been published when I was a wee reader because I would have absolutely inhaled this. It makes me nostalgic in a way I don’t often feel - not to mention, the perfect escapism during a busy time of life.

I received a free copy from the publisher on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Wow. The world building was great. The plot was unique and gripping i really loved the way it was paced even though it might not be the masses favourite pacing. The characters were amazing but at times i was questioning them and myself too🤣

I enjoyed the author's lyrical writing style and the fantastical story line. Anyone who enjoys Harry Potter, Narnia, or Nevermoor will enjoy this book. We follow a teenage girl who discovers she is a scrivenist. A scrivenist is someone who can utilize magic by drawing or writing. The story is very enjoyable for me as an adult, but it is clean enough for me to share with my elementary and middle school age children. There were times in the story where I felt the very curious and bright protagonist was not asking enough of the right questions. However, other than that the character development and plot were great.

This was an interesting book to read. It's very similar to Harry Potter in many ways (magical orphan with mean caregiver gets whisked away to an unfamiliar land of magic, goes to a special school for magic, has special skills, is frequently in danger, has a close male and female friend and a cute pet). However, it flips the script by having the main character be a girl instead, and the world building is pretty unique.

I wish, though, that the world building had been deeper. You get introduced to a lot of different concepts without an explanation as to what they are, and the concept of queens and scrivenists is never fully explained. There's a lot of fantasy words that are introduced and require the reader to use context clues to realize they just mean things like "kitchen maid." While I realize a lot of it had to be withheld for the ending, I would have liked things to be a lot more fleshed out. So many things happen that Ivy just accepts without questioning at all (everyone assumes this character is dead but I'm not going to ask him why they think that!).

As it is, Ivy was a pretty interesting character, and I'm intrigued enough that I might check out the next book in the series. Hopefully that will expound more on the things I felt were lacking in this one. I'm grateful to NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC.

Nothing too unique about the story. Average middle grade. I think someone in the age range would enjoy.

"In Croswald, the only thing more powerful than dark magic is one secret…"

Synopsis:
For sixteen years Ivy Lovely has been hidden behind an enchanted boundary that separates the mundane from the magical. When Ivy crosses the border, her powers awaken. Curiosity leads her crashing through a series of adventures at the Halls of Ivy, a school where students learn to master their magical blood and the power of Croswald’s mysterious gems. When Ivy’s magic––and her life––is threatened by the Dark Queen, she scrambles to unearth her history and save Croswald before the truth is swept away forever.

This book follows the story of Ivy Lovely. She is a simple maid working in the kitchen of Castle Plum. Her books Helga is continuously breathing down her neck, to the point where she continuously hours for freedom. One day, she is taken away to a magical school for scrivenists (writers) and royals. Ivy quickly learns about this new line, and wonders why she is brought to this school in the first place. However, there is as a dark power looming over Croswald, and Ivy is on a mission to find a missing scrivenist before he disappears forever and his work is lost.

The author, D.E Night, creates a wonderful middle grade world. There are some very interesting creators and magical concepts that haven't been seen before!

Ivy Lovely is a well written young character who defies the stereotype of being an inferior young orphan destined for a better life and takes matters into her own hands. With her best friend and sidekick, she goes up against the royal bullies who think they are much better off.

Being a middle grade novel, it tackles several real-world issues without being overbearing for the younger audience, covering a wide range of themes such as grief, bullying, racism, prejudice, and abandonment . I really enjoyed the journey the author took us on in this world, and I'm sure I would have enjoyed it at a much younger age as well

This is the first novel in a fantasy series, I'm really looking forward to reading the rest of the books in this series.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a review copy.

I want to start off by thanking NetGalley and author D.E. Night for an ARC of The Crowns of Croswald in exchange for an honest review. When I received The Crowns of Croswald I was beyond excited to read since it was yet another Fantasy book and I was, at the time, utterly obsessed with reading Fantasy. I'm sad to say that it did disappoint me in the sense of not having a strong attention grabber and I just couldn't push myself to finish it.
I have not read Harry Potter (yes, I know, major shocker. haha) but all the other reviews I read seem to state that this book is almost an exact replica of HP. If you're a Harry Potter fan, you may like the book more than I did. The Crowns of Croswald wasn't horrible, it just wasn't for me.

I absolutely loved this book!! It was the perfect mixture beteween fantasy, magic and mystery. I truly emphatized with Ivy and was looking foward to know how the story will go. I liked that I didn't see coming the ending. It was such a surprise. I hope some characters would be evil and I just want to know more about this incredible world. I would love to know more about the friendship beteween Rimbrick and Ivy and also Rebecca and of curse know more about the love story with Fyn, hoping he isn´t the mole. I wish toknow more about the dark queen and discover how she become evil.

"**Thank you to the publisher and author for sending me a NetGalley copy in exchange for an honest review.**

A fun interesting magical world! It has all the coming of age, learning of magic, and royals not knowing your history or status.

Yes, this seems to have a lot of nuisances and comparisons to that of the Harry Potter world. Walking into this book without reading the synopsis, I can see how others choose to make that correlation. However, that can be said about any romance book with a ""chase scene"" or falling in love with the guy from the local failing coffee shop.

This was written as a detailed outside perspective and it was a wonderful way to learn about the magical world along with Ivy. It made me feel just as confused as I imagine she would be. The characters are great and constantly keep you guessing on who to trust - is it a friend or foe? However, I was left with some more questions and felt that it was left on a cliffhanger for the rest of the story to continue.

Oh my! The beauty and thoughtfulness of the artwork! From learning what the eye- catching book cover actually was and the sketches at the beginning of each chapter is absolutely amazing. There was so much thought put into it that I found myself trying to guess what the chapter was about... 5/5 for artwork! "A fun interesting magical world! It has all the coming of age, learning of magic, and royals not knowing your history or status.

Yes, this seems to have a lot of nuisances and comparisons to that of the Harry Potter world. Walking into this book without reading the synopsis, I can see how others choose to make that correlation. However, that can be said about any romance book with a ""chase scene"" or falling in love with the guy from the local failing coffee shop.

This was written as a detailed outside perspective and it was a wonderful way to learn about the magical world along with Ivy. It made me feel just as confused as I imagine she would be. The characters are great and constantly keep you guessing on who to trust - is it a friend or foe? However, I was left with some more questions and felt that it was left on a cliffhanger for the rest of the story to continue.

Oh my! The beauty and thoughtfulness of the artwork! From learning what the eye- catching book cover actually was and the sketches at the beginning of each chapter is absolutely amazing. There was so much thought put into it that I found myself trying to guess what the chapter was about... 5/5 for artwork! "

4.25/5 stars

Books like these are why I'm so happy my inner child never fully grew up. (That being said, I did not at all feel babied or condescended while reading like can happen with many books meant for younger audiences). First off, what a beautiful, beautiful cover! It matches Night's writing from the very beginning. A descriptive, *fairy-tale* town is built which is a wonderful and accurate basis for the rest of the book. Fascinating details are woven throughout to anchor your immersion and connection to the places and characters without taking up too much inappropriate space. There were a few instances where the situation seemed random or out of character or lacking in description, but these were brief and could've just been my understanding (or lack thereof). My immersion quickly returned. And honestly, this may speak to the great expectations Night set with her writing, that little instances stuck out. And in her *first* book, such little instances are about as little as they can get!

The main character, Ivy, is likeable and believable as a young and shy but friendly girl. She worked as a great proxy for my own wide-eyed wonder. Most of the fleeting side characters are rather stereotypical, but for good reason and they are still handled well. The secondary characters really grew on me once they were given some time in the spotlight, and I hope to see them shine brighter in the rest of the series. Some of the circumstances or overcoming of obstacles felt a bit like lazy writing, but as it led to bigger obstacles and bigger pictures, I didn't really mind!

A beautiful journey, written with the very passion and magic found within its pages. I received a free e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

I was so looking forward to this book but I struggled immensely to get through the first half. The story has much promise but the writing style was not for me.

3.5/5 stars

This book is a whimsical tale of magic and secrets. We get to follow our main character, Ivy, as she is torn from the only life she’s known and swept away into a mysterious palace she has only visited in her dreams. She learns to use her newfound magic alongside the friends she has made. You’ll surely be enchanted as Ivy works to uncover many secrets, forgotten things, and figure out her place in this world.

The world-building was excellent and the magic system is very unique. The plot kept me interested and invested in the characters. I would definitely recommend this book for advanced middle grade readers as well as YA readers looking for a first taste of fantasy.

Overall, it was a fun read and a good introduction to fantasy as well as the author’s magical realm of Croswald. It contains many good components and is with checking out if you enjoy magic schools, secret pasts, and cute pet dragons.

Thank you to Stories Untold and NetGalley for the ARC of this book.

I'd describe this as the perfect teen/young teen read, which means to say, if i were 10 years younger, I would most likely have rated it higher and been able to enjoy it slightly more. As it is, I'd consider this book almost Harry potter‐esque, fit with a beautiful magical world: a mysterious school for young people with magical gifts to partake in incredibly creative lessons; a world full of magical inventions and cures and potions; an evil woman of power with a familial grudge and a young orphan girl (one of many tropes employed within the book, although logical for a younger audience in mind, and enjoyably executed).
Everything was heavily described, which gives the reader a strong mental image of the world and the environmen, with fascinating lore and backstory to the place established throughout the book. At points it did seem the main purpose of some other characters to drop this lore upon the readers, and I think if i were to change one thing about the book, i would have liked some more character depth and development, perhaps a few more developed side characters or time building the relationships between the 'main 3' that we're introduced to.
Overall, the story was engaging, well written and did make me want to read the sequel. i enjoyed the inclusion of more female characters than typical teen/ young adult books than I'm used to seeing.
Personally i rated this 3 stars but if i was younger, i would most likely have rated it higher

📖 The Crowns of Croswald by D.E. Night
Page Count: 259
Publication Date: July 21st, 2017
Genre: Middle Grade Fantasy
Rating: 3.5/5 ⭐️

“Let’s start with the basic. You, Ivy Loving, are magic.”

In a world full of magic, dragons, and mythical creatures, 16-year-old Ivy Loving has no idea who or what she is. Spending her life as a Scaldron maid, Ivy’s life is flipped upside down when she crosses the magical boundaries and thrusted into an exciting, unknown world. Once Ivy begins her first year at a magical school, she starts to discover more about her own hidden past and the magical world’s dark history.

Recently I’ve been trying to get into Middle Grade novels and this was the perfect book to do just that!! From the start, Night throws readers into a truly magical world filled with wonder and whimsy! The magic system and world Night created was beautifully unique and utterly enchanting. Ivy was a perfect protagonist for this page-turning fantasy, one many young men and women would be able to relate and look up to.

While the novel wasn’t an absolute favorite for me, mostly since it was targeted to a younger audience, I still had so much fun entering this world and learning all about it’s mythical elements. This book is the first of a series, one I plan on continuing in the future! I’m excited to learn more about Ivy and the magic world her and her friends reside in.

I recommend this novel to Harry Potter lovers, middle grade and fantasy fans, anyone who enjoys whimsical magical worlds, or people who love young, female protagonist on journeys to learn more about their own past and their place in the world.

Great book for the YA section. It was a fun adventure. Thank you for the chance to read it. I'll recommend it to any younger readers who ask for recommendations.

This book should be your next read if you're looking for middle-grade fantasy and a light read. This book is full of magic and adventure–a great away to escape reality for a while!

I didn't realize this was the first book in a series, no wonder why the book ended that way, but still, it was a good read. I totally went in blind on this book, the start of the book had me struggling because there wasn't that much happening, but as I went on, things started to make sense and probably helped with the world building. The characters were lovable, especially the protagonist–Ivy Lovely– a strong-willed girl who just wants to know who she truly is and what she's capable of and is not afraid of the world.

Ivy Lovely is introduced as a servant in a royal family, but little did she know that she is royal herself. Her protectors kept her hidden in order for the antagonist–the Dark Queen–who has taken interest in her power as Ivy Lovely as she is the only one left in her bloodline who possesses a power in order to save Croswald. The Dark Queen has not been shown much in this book yet, only at the near end of the book but it has not been much important yet. This book focuses more on Ivy Lovely first as she is dragged back to Croswald as she explores around, goes to an adventure while she is at school and meets new friends.

With that, I'm excited to know what happens in the next book and how the characters would grow in the series. Thank you, D.E Night for creating a magical world!

This book was not for me, thank you for the opportunity to read it! The book itself was not horrible, it was just a book that flowed easily enough for me to read. Maybe I’ll pick it up and like it in the future.

Really enjoyable and magical story. I found this really easy and fun to read and once I'd finished it I gave it to my daughter to read who also devoured it. Lovely book and we'll definitely be continuing the series