🌸 𝘼𝙍𝘾 𝙍𝙚𝙫𝙞𝙚𝙬 🌸

Review: 5/5⭐

"𝙏𝙧𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙖𝙜𝙞𝙘 𝙞𝙣 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙄 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙗𝙚 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙝𝙖𝙙𝙤𝙬 𝙤𝙛 𝙞𝙩'𝙨 𝙡𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩."

**Huge thank you to Stories Untold Press and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.**

Picture in your mind a Harry Potter story, but with a female main character and a mixture of many different magical creatures and royals. This book will have you hooked from the start.

The Crowns of Croswald is a nostalgic yet new spin on magic, mysteries, and chosen-ones. What I loved the most about this story, besides all the amazing characters and the magic, is that in this story a young woman is in the center of it all and I couldn't love that more. From the first page I was enchanted with the story and I couldn't put the book down. This book has everything I personaly want, and love, in a story. A lead female character that is badass, holds her ground and doesn't let anyone tell her what to do and amazing friends that support her along the way, along with the exciting storyline.

The Crowns of Croswald is perfect for all of us who love Harry Potter. Trust me you will love this one just as much, if not even more. I adored the nostalgia and magical feeling of finding a world to escape in. This novel brought me back to my childhood and to all of my dreams of me being a magical creature and I couldn't love it more. I can't wait to read all the books in this series.

After this first book I read and me having to love it so much, I am excited to have all 4 of the books in printed form in my personal library.

Fun, quick middle grade school. Magical school, dragons, Dark Queens, with twists and turns leaving you wanting the questions answered to what is in store for Ivy's future will have you wanting and waiting for the next book!

The Crowns of Croswald had some very unique ideas and was enchanting in it's own way. The problem I had with the book was that the writing style leapt around a lot, making it confusing for me to read at some points. I had to keep stopping, going back, and rereading because I was convinced that I had missed something. I loved the idea of the book, but the execution was a bit hard to follow.

This is such a fun story about a young girl with magical abilities. I really enjoyed the magic system and the characters. The writing is whimsical which I thoroughly loved. It reminded me a lot of fantasy books I read as a kid. I would recommend this if you loved Harry Potter!

This book was fantastic. I loved the characters the magical creatures the magic system the development of the story the protagonist and everything about the story.
Kudos to the author for a job well done. I look forward to reading the rest of the books in the series

An enjoyable whimsical tale.

It’s packed with magic: magic wielders in a way I hadn’t seen before (quill); magical crowns (which I adored because barbie princess charm school); dragons (fricking dragons!); unicorns; and more

It also uses a rags to riches Cinderella esque tale of normal life to magical destiny that is perfect escapism.

On Instagram (@disneycrossings), on goodreads (Niamh Austin) and Amazon (Naome).

The Crowns of Croswald is the first book in a fantasy series by D.E. Night. The story follows Ivy Lovely, who after being banished from her home, discovers she has magic. She is then taken to a magical school where she can learn to grow and master her powers. Unfortunately due to her powers, the dark queen takes notice of her and Ivy must figure out her history in order to save herself and Croswald.

Although this book is perfect for middle grade readers, I would have liked to see a little bit more exploration of the main character, but this is my preference and we may get to see more of Ivy and her growth in the next books.

The world building and descriptions in this book were lovely. I loved how the school, country, and magical creatures were described, it really felt like you were in the book. I also enjoyed the magic system, and how brave Ivy is as a character, but also naive which makes for great character development in the future books.

If you like fearless main characters, unique creatures and world-building, descriptive and imaginative writing, a creative magic system, and a world full of fun magic, then this book may be for you!

Overall, this was a good read and great start to a magical series.

Rating:
4/5

3.5 Stars

This is a good start, it has potential. The characters and the unique qualities of the school (I won't say more to avoid spoilers) are well developed and have the potential to be exciting aspects to be explored. It did take me some time to read this story, there was nothing wrong with it but it was just not quite exciting enough to keep me reading for any length of time. I will read the second book because I know the first book in a series sometimes needs to set the stage well before getting to a lot of the exciting things that can then be explored.

Thank you, NetGalley for the chance to read this book!

I was not a fan of this book. The writing felt like it was written straight for tv/movie and not for a book. What I mean by this is it was telling me everything that was happening as if it was being directed. It didn’t read like a book trying to suck me in. It was for too descriptive and repetitive and yet despite all the descriptions, I still didn’t understand how the world worked. The magic system regarding the stones wasn’t fully explained and it would throw at names at me of students using certain stones and I had no clue what they were doing in the scene. The main character also read like a child and then I found out she’s 16.

I haven't read this good of a book about magic in ages! Not since Harry Potter! To put it in fewer words : this book is a genius amalgam of Harry Potter, Enid Blyton's Faraway Tree series, and for quite a few reasons, made me nostalgic in remembrance of a movie I watched as a kid called Arthur and the Invisibles. What extraordinary world building and character framing! Every single one of Ivy's adventures felt like my own, and every moment she spent in the Halls of Ivy made me envious of her. I'd love to have a pet dragon and what I'd give to be taken away on a cabby flown by beasts. I would not be exaggerating when I say that I've had dreams of being able to experience whatever Ivy had in this magical book. I can't wait to read the parts that follow. Great big thanks to NetGalley and the author fot providing me with the chance to read the first book of this series that I will faithfully follow through.

Thank you @netgalley and @denight for an eARC of this book.

I started out reading this book and not enjoying it, so I ended up procrastinating for quite a bit. The prologue did not seem like it was written for children in middle school, but for adults, it felt stilted and to be honest, I still think it is quite unnecessary for the overall story.
Continuing from this, the book switches protagonists to Ivy Lovely, a scullery maid, who gets kicked out of the castle she grew up in and suddenly finds herself at a school for magic. Of course she did not know she possessed magic beforehand and keeps on being afraid of being kicked out, nevertheless getting into all kinds of trouble, because people can’t seem to remember a scrivenist that she remembers, all the while wondering who she really is.

The book overall is clearly influenced by Harry Potter, for example when Ivy needs to buy her school supplies and does so in a town adjacent to the castle she will ultimately study in that reminds a lot of Diagon Alley in HP. This is not a bad thing, but sometimes while reading you’re thinking “Hm, I think I’ve read that before”, but I’m hoping that this will be an unproblematic series for children (and adults) of all ages to enjoy, it definitely has the potential.

I loved having a female hero of the story, Ivy is nosey, brave and willing to stands up for what she believes in and so are her friends. I can’t wait to see them develop over the course of the series. As always, the main character is not my favorite character, but her best friend Rebecca is, even though I felt like at the beginning of the book (and maybe even at the end) the author did not quite know where to go with her, what to do with her character.
The Dark Queen is an interesting character, I am hoping to dive deeper into that history in the next book as well.

The plot itself was appropriate for the age the book is recommended for, it does not move to fast, but instead gives the reader time to get used to the setting and the characters, delivering funny anecdotes and still not straying too far from the main plot.
But, as I have previously stated, I had a hard time getting into the book. Now, that might be the fault of the prologue, but I also felt a little lost in the world of Croswald, I felt like I did not have enough information about the political system with the royals, who seem to be entitled to magic, the magic system itself and the history of this world. The protagonist of course knows all these things, but it would have been better if it was explained a little more for the readers to really grasp the concepts. I am hoping book two will also rectify that.
The ending of book one felt a little rushed, I simply do not think it is believable that the fight would be over this quickly and seemingly easily, not even for a children’s book.

All in all a very interesting read with a lot of potential.

4.5 Stars!
I was completely absorbed in this quick read from D.E. Night. Ivy Lovely takes the chance to break out of her surroundings and crosses a magical barrier where she discovers a whole new life. She finds herself being helped into a school of scriveners and Royals, with specific powers and roles, all as she begins to learn more about who she really is.

There are more than one similar theme in this to another magical school series, but there are plenty of differences and I was all in for more magical moments! Specifically, I enjoyed all the strong women in this story. There were strong male roles, but it felt much more a boost to female representation. I enjoyed the mysterious undertones throughout the adventures that all came together in the end. As the first in the 4-part series, there was a well-crafted world building here that included all the fun magical creatures and potions.

I am excited to keep reading this fun series and hold on to the magic! There is definitely more adventures for Ivy and her friends against the Dark Queen.

Thank you to @NetGalley, & D.E. Night for sharing this story! I can't wait to share it with friends who love all the magic!💖

This book is perfect for young readers wanting to get into the fantasy genre. I loved the magical aspects, world building, and the adventures that Ivy went on. I will definitely be reading this one aloud when my daughter gets a little older!

Thank you to NetGalley, Stories Untold Press, and D.E. Night for the free review copy of this book.

This middle grade novel is great if you enjoy the magical aspects from Harry Potter and some of the characters from the Lunar Chronicles (though no sci fi here). I also kind of got some House in the Cerulean Sea vibes.

Overall, I really enjoyed the main character and her friends throughout this book, and I thought the magic system was really interesting. Though a bit predictable, I think this story is great for nostalgia or someone entering into a magical story for a first or second time. Super cute read!!

For me this was more like a 3.5 🌟 book, but just not quite in a way I could give it the full 4🌟s.

The story is very reminiscent of Harry Potter, which I absolutely LOVE, so I was very excited to read this book. The details, including the magical system, are all very well thought out and imaginative and the setting is very fantastical. For me the biggest issue was that the writing was definitely not very cohesive or easy to follow for most of the book. It made it hard for me to get really attached to the characters and what was happening to them and I just wasn’t very invested in their story for most of it which really made the first 3/4 of the book drag for me. I think, especially as a mom of children in varying ages that I can’t picture my kids having an easy time following along with the progression of the plot, though the magical details are absolutely wonderful to get lost in.

Even though it was fairly easy to predict what was coming, the end was definitely a turn of pace and I was hooked for the last 1/4 of the book. It was enough that I would definitely come back for more and give the next book a shot to see where the series can go.

This story was very whimsical, magical, and fantastical. The storyline wasn’t completely unique, however, that doesn’t stop it from being incredibly fun to read. Ivy is a girl who gets kicked out of the castle and is sent to a magical school to learn and practice this worlds magic system. Any fan of Harry Potter or any boarding school stories will instantly fall in love with this book! It will be especially fun for younger readers who are interested in magic schools, exotic creatures, and interesting characters. If I were a kid again, I know this would’ve have been a favorite that I would read again and again. It had a very nostalgic and similar feel to other fantasy books that I read when I was in middle school, which made this book so much more fun to read and re-visit those feelings. If you haven’t bought or read The Crowns of Croswald yet, what are you waiting for?! This book will captivate you within the very first sentence.

It takes guts to write pure-play fantasy about a disadvantaged youngster who brushes off early adversity, matriculates into an ancient school of magic and discovers their singular place in an enchanted universe.

The invitations for comparison to a certain magical Franchise-That-Must-Not-Be-Named are loud and sometimes defensible, but also unfair to the writer of “The Crowns of Croswald” and the lovely world she’s created. The first installment of this five-part YA fantasy saga distinguishes itself with originality and oodles of adventure.

Endearingly, the spells of teenage heroine Ivy Lovely are cast from a tool of the written word. In lieu of a wand, the power of a “Scrivenist” is wielded through the use of a quill.

The words cast by author D.E. Night get better and better as Lovely encounters new friends, repulsive rivals and ultimately the shock of a lifetime. Middle grade readers are certain to fall in love with Lovely.

Her growth from a halting adolescent into a self-assured young lady is all the more relatable given her innate gifts: for even the most magical among us, the price of maturity is paid in experience.

As the “Dark Queen” consolidates power from a distance, the cost of Lovely’s emotional growth is sure to be high. Is this unlikely hero ready for the mysterious challenges to come? After a few chapters of “Croswald,” you’ll be dying to find out.

“To the One to Whom This Box is Entrusted … The Hand That Left Her”
“Clearly it’s not what’s on the outside that counts … but on the inside”
“Magic … that’s who you are”
When I was first asked to read and reviewed this book ( a middle grade book with magic and mystery ) I thought : “Yes, this is exactly what I need now”
I had no clue I would have turned out absolutely loving it !!!!
For fans of Harry Potter … you’re gonna love this !!!
The magic, the world building, the characters and the mystery surrounding the identity of this amazing protagonist, Ivy, was beautiful !!!!
It completely captivated me… meaning that I couldn’t stop reading it.
Once you’re in, you’re in and you’re there through the corridors of the Halls of Ivy trying and figure out what magic means and why dreams can be so vivid.
Plus D.E. Night ??? Saying this I honestly would like to know if I’m taking about the author or a character … I guess I’ll have to read the other books to know !!!
All I know is that this adventure is not over for me and I couldn’t be happier about it !!!
For a story where magic, family, power, knowledge and friendship intertwined, where twists and turns happen when maybe you’re expecting it maybe not …
Read it because you won’t regret it !!!
“With memories, especially those affected by a decades-long Wandering Curse … well, you win some, you lose some, right?”
“Forgotten by all expect me”
“The story that you seek is dangerous, Ivy. For you and for others”

I read this book to my daughters ages 8 and 10 who love the fantasy genre. The age range in this book should be for older kids in middle school ages 12-15. I found the vocabulary to be too advanced for my girls. The prologue was a little confusing to us but once we got into the story we really enjoyed the book. We loved the main heroine Ivy and really liked her curiosity that sometimes got her into trouble. The supporting characters were well developed. We found ourselves enjoying Ivy's friend Isabelle's character.

Things we loved: Whimsical characters, the magical setting and the main character Ivy.
Things we did not love: The book started off a bit confusing and it took us some time to get into the story.

I gave this book three and a half stars because I do believe it is better intended for older kids. I had to stop and explain things along the way because it was a little confusing to us. I think in the right hands this book is a great fantasy series and can be thoroughly enjoyed by many. Its hard not to love a world full of magic!

*thank you to the publisher for giving me a free e-copy in exchange for an honest review*
I was really excited to receive this one because I haven't read fantasy in a while. I am also a huge potter head and seeing the multitudes of comparisons of this book with the harry potter books, got me really pumped to read this.
But all of that went downhill very fast. I really wanted to like it. I really did. Maybe I am not into the genre anymore or because I have outgrown middle-grade books, I did not like it one bit. however far I did read, I came across a lot of info dumping about the world, certain parts of it felt like obvious rip-offs and some straight out off harry potter, and the writing felt like reading a thesaurus - it makes sense but it doesn't. maybe this series could be for the current growing generation but it is definitely not for me.
dnf @ idk where
(also, did the author really name a character after herself? i was so confused)