First of all, thank you NetGalley for providing this arc!

Personally, I have always loved fantasy books. However, I always give additional points for fantasy books that succeeded to left me feeling magical. It can be derived from everything, like the writing, story plot, or other factors. For this case, I think I should appreciate the writing style. It has a storytelling like theme, which I prefer much in many books that I have read.

This is a pretty fast paced and enjoyable read. However, I am still looking for the X factor. It was okay and pretty exciting, but a bit overshadowed to some fantasy slash adventure book that I have read before. Somewhere in the middle, I kinda have to refresh my memory again plot wise and character wise. Again, this might vary to your personal taste so do check it at your own liking.

At the end, I just want to say that this is a pretty fun and fast read for me. If you are looking for adventure slash magical fantasy, I think you might enjoy this.

- 3.7 stars

I was gifted this book from the publisher, Stories Untold Press, in exchange for an honest review.

This is definitely a fast paced, weekend fantasy read that takes you to a magical world. I did like this book, but a lot of it reminded me of Harry Potter, especially at the beginning. Both stories deal with a magical boarding school, the main character not knowing they are magic, and a evil villain that I assume will show up through every book. However, there were some differences that will allow you to question what will happen next.

Be warned this book does end on a cliffhanger that will have you yearning for the next story. If you want an easy young adult fantasy book, I would recommend this story as a good jump into the genre with 3 other books by this author to keep you reading about Ivy Lovely and her journeys!

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this middle-grade book with my 9-year-old daughter. The characters (especially Ivy) and magical creatures were fantastic, the magic system brilliant and the world building fabulous. The story has such a whimsical/magical feel to it and definitely gave off those Harry Potter vibes. Would definitely recommend.

Ivy Lovely didn't expect her life to turn from being a maid from the slurry to a student at the Halls of Ivy to become a scrivenist, people who have magical blood that serves the Royals.

As her journey goes she grows more curious about her new world, but her vivid dreams leave her bothered about a certain room, and the secrets that lie within it.

This book is very detailed with a little explanation; it is complicated to understand at the first half, but as you go on with the story you won't be able to put it down (Once I hit the 50% mark I finished the book in a few hours🤭), it's full of mystery and magic, perfect for children and fantasy lovers.

I love the titles and the illustrations in each chapter.

I'll definitely follow through with this book until the end.

Thank you NetGalley and Stories Untold for the copy!

Marketed as the first book in a middle grade fantasy series, I think that this book holds up perfectly. I'm not the biggest reader of middle grade literature, but this book was very entertaining. The storyline follows Ivy, who recovers her past and her magical abilities, while trying to find the mysterious Derwin Edgar Night.

This book had a lot going on in it. The story unfolded with a very fast pace and I'm sure that this is exactly what younger people look for in fantasy books. For me personally this was a bit too fast, but regardless it was easy enough to follow along.

There were many details that I absolutely loved about this book and many ideas that were so unique and interesting. The characters were peculiar, but in the most charming way possible. The descriptions of scenes in the book was fabulous. I could imagine the castle, the fields, the sea with so much clarity, all thanks to the colourful imagination of the author. I was very impressed by this book and how it was written, especially with regards to the target audience.

(Also the whole Derwin Edgar Night and the author's name corresponding is super interesting and I can't wait to see how this unfolds in the next book.)

Thank you to Stories Untold Press and NetGalley for providing me with a copy for my honest review. I thoroughly enjoyed it and I can't wait to read more.

I was gifted this book from the publisher (Stories Untold) in return for an honest review:

‘In Croswald, the only thing more powerful than dark magic is one secret..’

This is definitely a page-turning fantasy read full of fairytales, magic and a whimsical world. It really reminded me of Harry Potter because of the magical boarding school and the classes but it’s still very much it’s own world with its own quirks. What’s not to like?

I loved how the author sneakily included herself in the book with using Derwin Edgar Night as one of the most mysterious characters.

The story ends on quite a cliffhanger as it’s almost as though the story is just beginning where it finishes off. I think the author definitely did this deliberately to keep you hooked enough to read the next book! (Which has worked for me because now I can’t wait to delve into the next one)

It’s a wonderful little YA book and something you can definitely try if you’re looking to start a fantasy genre as this is easy to follow and feels very nostalgic.

Ivy Lovely spent the first sixteen years of her life working in the kitchens of a castle. Her life was spent tending to the scaldrons (small dragon-like creatures that function as ovens) and meeting with her dwarven friend to listen to magical stories about the world outside of the castle. In one night, everything changes for Ivy when circumstances encourage her to finally take steps outside the castle borders. Ivy quickly finds herself on her way to the Halls of Ivy, where she will train as a scrivenist (a magic user) and learn where she fits in among other scrivenists and the royals. The scrivenists thrive on constant learning, while the royals are learning to harness powers that stem from the stones within their crowns. Ivy’s journey will not be easy as she starts to uncover more about the school and her own past.

Ivy Lovely’s adventure is filled with mystery, danger, and magic. It was interesting to watch as Ivy found out about her own past little by little throughout the book. Her history is given a little at a time so that it never felt as if the information was being dumped on the reader. Within the Halls of Ivy, the atmosphere was wondrous with undertones of mystery. As Ivy goes on about her day to day life, it is evident that a piece of her is missing, and it was fun trying to guess which piece of the puzzle of her life goes where. My biggest problem with the novel stems from the inconsistent pacing. At times, it felt as if the plot gets bogged down by little details and other times, it feels that big moments just fly by, leaving me to question if I truly understood what happened.

The world building was probably my favorite part of the book. The Halls of Ivy quickly became a place I felt I could visit, where I could take time and explore. It was filled with unique elements, like the Forgotten Room, where anything that is put in the room is forgotten by everyone. While the level of details made the Halls come to life, it was part of what bogged down the plot at times. The magical system had some unique elements, but it never felt fully fleshed out. This may be because this is just the beginning of a series, hopefully more details will emerge as the series goes on.

The side characters, Fyn and Rebecca, made this book so much better for me. I enjoyed Rebecca’s ability to shapeshift into different animals, and Fyn’s affinity for popping up at strange moments. Ivy was less interesting to me, her character was so wrapped into solving the mystery of her own past, that she didn’t get a chance to fully develop interests or personality.

Between the interesting elements within the Halls of Ivy, the wonderfully amusing side characters, and the engaging mystery, this book is definitely worth a read for anyone who loves a creative middle-grade work.

3/5 stars

Thank you to Netgalley and Stories Untold for a digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinions.

Thank you to Netgalley and Stories Untold Press for allowing me to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

4/5⭐️ I quite enjoyed this story and I’m excited to read more of it. It started a bit slow for me and I was nervous that I wouldn’t be able to fully dive into the story, but the main character, Ivy, made me want to know more.

I found the beginning to be a bit confusing because there was a lot that happened that you needed to keep up with that had very little explanation. Due to this book being advertised as middle grade fantasy, I was worried because I was even confused by the way the story jumped around a bit. The confusion was well worth it because as I kept reading, it was like uncovering a mystery.

The is a magical and whimsical story of an orphaned girl living as a maid dreaming of a better life through books and stories. Unexpectedly, she’s thrown into school where she gets to experience what she’s only really been able to read. Ivy Lovely find that she fits into this world in perfectly imperfect ways. She seems to keep finding herself in trouble while finding friends willing to help her out.

Although, there were moments where I predicted the what was to happen. I found that the author wrote a beautiful story that was filled with magic and fun that kept it lighthearted, but the darker parts found you wanting more. I can’t wait to see what comes of Ivy, Humboldt, Fyn, and Rebecca next. Where will the story take them and who cannot be trusted?

This was the perfect book to curl up to and read a few chapters before bed to unwind for the night!!

I liked the book, it was good but for me it was not great, I wish it had a more compelling story line but otherwise there were lots of good parts that I enjoyed

🌸 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

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!💖