I was contacted by Stories Untold on behalf of the author with a request that I read and review this book. I was happy to do so. However, the book was not for me and I did not finish it.

I think there are aspects of the world and the story that middle school readers would enjoy. It’s very whimsical. Unfortunately, this whole book is just a Harry Potter rip-off, right down to the gratuitous fatphobia. I also don’t think I’ve encountered this many shades of purple in any other book, and that’s not a good thing.

Overall, I try not to be too hard on indie books, but this one would have really benefitted from better editing and a little more sensitivity.

I have some mixed feelings about this book. Yes, I would definitely say this is more middle grade, so someone a lot younger than I am would probably enjoy this book a lot more.

First off, I had a really hard time getting into this book. Like it took me about 65% of the way through it to finally enjoy reading it. It wasn't that it was bad or anything, it was just hard for me to get into the world. During my normal times that I would typically be reading, I would try to come up with something else to do so I wouldn't be reading this book. That kind of tells you something. There are two reasons why I think this was the case. 1) I just wasn't interested in reading fantasy right now. 2) I thought the world building could have been a little better.

So, the world building... It took some time. This was a fairly fast paced book. It occurred over the course of a school year. There were A LOT of different creatures and new things that didn't really make sense. It definitely took some time to really understand the world and what it was about. I still don't fully understand what Ivy was going to school for. The whole prologue made no sense when I first read it, but as the book got closer to the end, it made WAY more sense to the point where I almost reread it just to make sure I understood it.

The characters were good. I enjoyed Ivy and Fin. This was told in third-person, but followed Ivy. Even though I wasn't really invested in this book, the plot was interesting. I think this would have been a great book to listen to instead of read, mainly because it is middle grade.

Overall, I feel like this first book was a good introduction into the series. I'm not sure if I will be continuing it or not at the moment. Maybe I will see if my library has a audiobook I can play. I would recommend this book to kids who enjoyed The Impossible Quest series or Narnia. Probably Harry Potter too, but I never read those books. It's definitely a lot of magic.

Before reading this book, I'd read a few spoiler free reviews, many of which had mixed feelings. But I still had high hopes, as I love fantasy novels.

Unfortunately, The Crowns of Croswald did not grasp me, at all, and left me with a frustrating feeling of being unable to be fully immersed in the story. This was worse in the beginning of the book, and did get a little better at the end. While the novel itself is expressive, it yoyoed between so much detail and information that to invision the world I'd have to reread sentences because they don't quite flow together well and it breaks that connection with the world, the words and the characters. 

On to the characters. Overall, I found the characters to be a bit flat, and I disliked a few so much. Woodley Butterlove. Yes, his last name really is Butterlove. Can you guess what he loves more than anything? That's right, butter. I love characters with their fair share of silliness, cravings, and the like. But I didn't like not one thing about this character, perhaps because I'm an adult and the idea of a teenager who's deepest love is butter, is just not appealing to me.

Overall, I think it was the writing style that most kept me from enjoying the book. If I were to recommend this to anyone, it would be to the younger crowd just getting into fantasy novels.

I cannot thank the author/publisher enough for the opportunity to review the book, I wish I could have given a much more positive review.

This book sounds like it would be right up my alley! Unfortunately, despite several attempts at getting into it, I am unable to complete it. I wasn’t hooked in by the story and had great difficulty getting past the prologue.

A big thank you to Daniela from Stories Untold for sharing this story with me on behalf of D.E Night.

I think it's a fantastic read that lots of people can enjoy. Thank you for letting me read this book. I really felt captivated by this plot and story. It's a great and completely interesting read.

*Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is the first book in The Crowns Of Croswald series and I want to read the next ones. Reading this story was a very fun and entertaining experience that immerses you in a fantastic magical world and I adored the beautiful illustrations at start of each chapter.

The construction of the world was amazing and complex. The author pays great attention to detail and has constructed a world that is easy to get lost in. The setting was what I liked the most, it's a combination of things that I love like castles, magic and dragons.

Ivy Lovely is a strong female lead, inspiring readers to stand up for what they believe in. I really liked this character and her evolution.

There were a lot of secondary characters. Rebeca is very funny and Fyn is cute, I'm glad that Ivy found friends to share adventures with. The Dark Queen is very mysterious I hope to get to know her better in the next books.

In conclusion, I've really enjoyed reading this book. I think middle grade readers will enjoy this book!

Thanks to the publisher and author for providing this book in exchange for an honest review.

Just wow!!! I was given the opportunity to read this amazing book and I have to say, I'm blown away! Not only did I love it, I had to order the next book cuz I want to read more. Very well written and the way it flows its just amazing.
"Let's start with the basics. You, Ivy Lovely, are magic."

This world is so magical it made me feels like Harry Potter vibes honestly. I definitely recommend it, and specially for kids! It's just so perfect.

This is the first book in a four part series that follows the story of Ivy Lovely. A sixteen year old that is thrown into a world of magic, where she not only needs to get to grips with her powers to pass her classes, but also had to fight to keep her freedom from the Dark Queen.

I was approached by the publicity team to take a look at D E Night's work. Initially, I was sceptical of reading this book. Being someone who grew up dreaming of receiving my Hogwarts letter, it’s hard not to draw comparisons when reading within any magical school setting.

However, I really enjoyed this book. The writing was so incredibly descriptive that it was very easy to imagine all the magical and mythical elements of the story.

Even though this is classed as a middle grade book, as a 32 year old I was hooked on the story and read most of the book in one sitting. I will certainly be reading the rest of the series to find out how Ivy’s story ends.

If you're a fan of fairy tales and Harry Potter, then this one is for you.

We have a 16 year old girl who suddenly finds out she has magic (and a mysterious heritage), a boarding school for magic, blooming friendships, a dark queen and a whole lot of questions. Of course, it wouldn't be much fun unless our heroine was also both inquisitive and a little bit of a trouble maker.

The world building was delightful - it took very little time to fall into the world of magic Night was creating. At first, I felt like there were too many questions but as the story evolved, tidbits were released. I would have liked to see a little bit more character development, especially a few of the secondary characters, and a little more depth to some of the friendships BUT there are three more books so I think there's room for it to develop.

Year one of our heroine's magical education is complete. She knows a little bit more of who she is. She has some faithful friends (aka sidekicks). Looking forward to the next one.

Audience:: For the middle grade reader.

Thank you to Net Galley and Untold Press for my e-copy in exchange for my honest review.

I enjoyed this fun, fantastical story! This one started off a little slow for me, and I worried that it was a little too similar to Harry Potter. As an avid, HP fan, I was making a lot of comparisons. Eventually, the story picked up, and I began to enjoy the unique, magical elements of this story. I was impressed by some of the witty details and connections woven throughout. I was hooked by the end and found the twists and turns fun and exciting. I am curious to know what happens next on Ivy’s journey and will probably have to find out!

This book will likely be added to my classroom library, and I would recommend it to kiddos who are a little young for Harry Potter or kids who have finished Harry and are looking for something similar. The fact that it’s a series is a plus for young readers (especially the ones I know)!

My initial thoughts of this book was that it was going to be an adaption of Harry Potter as they share many of the same elements. Once I got a couple chapters in, I realized that this book was something entirely it’s own.

This book follows Ivy Lovey, a young girl from the slurry, as she is invited to study at The Hall of Ivy - the school for all young princesses and scrivenists to learn their trade. During Ivy’s first year she makes new friends (and enemies) and, most importantly, learns that she is not who believed she was.

This story was truly such a comfort read for me. As much as I enjoyed this book as a college student, I know this would have been an absolute favorite of mine had I read it whilst in middle school. While yes this book did remind me of Harry Potter, there was something else about this book that felt tremendously nostalgic for me; like coming home in a sense.

This book is categorized as middle grade but I would recommend this one for anyone who enjoys a whimsical fantasy world to escape to for a while!

I had the publisher, Stories Untold Press, reach out to me via Instagram on behalf of the author, D.E. Night. They asked if I would be willing to read and review this book, and after reading the synopsis, I happily agreed.

I found this book reminiscent of Harry Potter, Sorcery of Thorns, and any story that has royal and academia vibes. It had heavy thematic elements, including creating a large and comprehensive magical world, complete with new creatures, magical tools and unique lore.

I found the writing to flow easily, for the most part. The way the author describes the atmosphere, environment or the physical representation of characters and situations provoked my internal-mind to conjure up exciting images. I did find that some scenes that included a lot of action sometimes became hard to follow. Some parts of the story jumped around a bit and I found myself re-orienting from time to time.

I will say the similarities to Harry Potter were uncanny, particularly the "chosen one" trope, the trio of friends in a magical school, the classes and tricks, the magicked portraits and even the eerie parallels of the side of evil: the Dark Lord and his death eaters mirrored by the Dark Queen and her Cloaked Brood. However, that being said, there were pieces that set it apart from these common themes that give this story the potential of becoming wholly original.

I really enjoyed the ample pieces of foreshadowing and connections. Things like the Halls of Ivy, and their ultimate link to the titular role. The play on words with D.E. Night (the author) and the ever-elusive scrivenist, Derwin Edgar Night. Also, the visualization of the after life for scrivenists is something notable: their souls essence entering a tome to be held in a limitless library.

As I expected in a middle-grade novel, romance wasn't the forefront - and that's okay! I truly believe stories that focus on friends and self-discovery are so important for young minds to devour. The story touches on friendships and companionships between Ivy and others, including Fyn, Rebecca and the incidental character of Humphrey, the scaldron she saved. I would've loved to see further development into these friendships, as well as expanding on the actual school setting, as the story jumped from her bedroom, the classroom and the library without much transition between.

I would've loved to dig deeper into the lore - to understand how the crown stones worked and how the royals and scrivenists worked together. I'm a bit of a history nerd, and this doesn't stop at fictional worlds. Give me ALL the worldbuilding and you would create a perfectly content bookworm. Maybe this is something we'll see in the next few books in this series?

All that being said, I am truly interested to see where the rest of Ivy's story goes. The end of this book set the scene for an epic quest of discovery, investigation and piecing together the past!

The Crowns of Crowswald by D.E. Night is an enjoyable, magical middle-grade romp. Our main character of Ivy is full of curiosity and an unknown past. We begin our story with Ivy being kicked out of the only place she’s ever known and stepping into a magical world. I always enjoy a magical school setting and this one was just unique enough to make it special. That and the magic system made this a very whimsical read. At times the plot was a little clunky but it smoothed out by the end. I expect the second book will be just as enjoyable and I can’t wait to read it to find out more about Ivy!

Thank you to Untold Stories Publishing for offering me a free copy of this’d work in exchange for an honest review (via NetGalley).

4 stars.

Summary:
Ivy is 16 years old and has no idea of her magical powers. She’s grown up as maid without any family. When she is fired and kicked out -she begins school at a magic boarding school. Ivy gets into all sorts of adventure and trouble as she discovers who she is. There’s so many mysteries and secrets at Croswald that Ivy is itching to explore. But as Ivy grows closer to discovering her heritage, she also discovers that there’s a Dark Queen in power ready to destroy everything Ivy has grown to love.


Review:
This was a middle grade fantasy which is a tad out of my bubble but I was instantly sucked into the story.
While reading it- I thought to myself how it felt like a combination of Narnia, Alice in Wonderland, and Harry Potter. There were a few action scenes that I was confused, trying to understand what was happening. But overall- a really good read.
I loved Ivy’s adventurous spirit. This felt very coming-of-age, and as this is a series, I can see there’s still so much to be explained and explored. I honestly see myself reading the remaining books in the series because I want to know what happens with Ivy, Fyn, and Rebecca. If you love magic and fantasy and adventure- I definitely think you would enjoy this book. As a kid- I know I would have loved this one.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, the publishers, and the author for this ARC.

I heard about this book from a friend and she could not have sung its praises any higher so I just had to read it for myself!
The story reminded me of Harry Potter which I have also really enjoyed so it was easy to get into. The magical elements were very creative and the way the author described it all made it easy to picture everything as if I was there.
I love this type of story and am looking forward to reading the next book in the series.

Very reminiscent of Harry Potter. I must admit I almost DNF’d this because the plot was very confusing and I couldn’t follow it for the life of me. But once we reach the Hollow Shaft scene, things really pick up and get interesting. I loved the magical elements in this and the world created (after Hollow Shaft) and wish things got more exciting sooner in this.

Rating 3/5

A magical school with a magical adventures. Wonderful characters and a well written story. I really enjoyed it and would recommend it for anyone that likes fantasy.

The Crowns of Croswald follows Ivy Lovely as she ventures outside her small world of kitchen work and into the Halls of Ivy. Who is Ivy and what makes her so important that she’s attracted the attention of the Dark Queen?

Armed with a porcupine allergic to ink and a kitchen dragon (scauldron), Ivy finds herself facing a mysterious and magical world where she herself possesses powers she never knew of.

Other reviewers have made the connection to Harry Potter and I definitely see it! I do feel that this book fell a little into the same trap HP did with ugly=bad. This isn’t something that was very overt in this book, but I first noted it with the character Helga.

As someone who has worked with animals, I also tend to dislike when animals (magical or not) are used as tools to the point of it being mistreatment. This is common, I think, in middle grade books. What is more magical than a dragon that cooks your meals? I’m probably being sensitive to this due to my background in animal welfare.

What I think this book got right was a sense of whimsy that is fun for younger readers (my kid called it ‘wild!’) and an adventure full of possibilities. The magic system is very reminiscent of Harry Potter, but with its own touch that sets it apart.

Still, you’ll find bottles that remind you of a pensive, quills, and interesting magical creatures!

Ivy is a kind hearted character with a bit of a backbone and the ability to roll with the punches and keep going. She’s curious and brave with a thirst for knowledge that catapults her through the story as she solves the mystery of who she really is.

However, I do feel that the plot needed some separation from Harry Potter as it felt so heavily influenced. The world building is great, but you may feel as though you’ve read this plot before.

I think that would mostly matter to adults reading this though. My daughter has not read Harry Potter and therefore obviously didn’t make any connections. She found the book to be a lot of fun and enjoyed all the different creatures in the book.

My kiddo and I discussed it and we are going with a 3.5 star rounded up to 4! We received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

It is super obvious that this book was inspired by HP, which isn’t an issue, but it has some very noticeable similarities.

The world building here is fun and really easy to picture whilst reading and the magic system is unique and intriguing.

This book definitely reads middle grade, which doesn’t detract from the enjoyment of the story, but it isn’t usually the type of book I read.

Parts of the story dragged a little bit for me, but overall I did enjoy the plot.

The Crowns of Croswald is the first in a four book Middle Grade/YA fantasy series. Overall, I really enjoyed the story and the magical elements of the book! There were so many unique and interesting magical creatures, and I love the concept of a written/drawn magic system.
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One of the pieces that missed the mark a little bit for me was in the pacing. It felt a little too fast paced throughout and there were areas that I felt could have been fleshed out/slowed down a little. Some side characters felt rather one dimensional, and a few of the mini conflicts felt rushed/easily resolved.
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Overall, the story did keep me interested and wanting to read more! I’ve heard that the series only gets better as it goes on, so I am looking forward to reading the next one :)