Thank you very much to D.E Night, Stories Untold and Netgalley for providing me with a gifted copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Unfortunately, I made the choice to DNF this book at the 31% mark.

This book is about 16 year old orphan Ivy, who discovers her magical family and powers, and is invited to attend the ‘Halls of Ivy’ magical school.

At the start of the book, we are thrown into an extremely complicated magical world, however, the book’s world building in the book was far too vague and over-complex, meaning I was left very confused throughout most of the book. This was not helped by the overly simplistic writing.

I found Ivy’s character very bland with no discernible traits, which meant I found it impossible to root for her. Her dialogue felt unnatural, and she spoke and acted more like a 12 year old than a 16 year old - throughout reading the book, I was surprised at reminders of how she was my age! Since this was a middle grade book, it was probably more suitable to have the protagonist be roughly the same age as the target audience (the general rule of thumb for middle-grade, YA and NA books). I speculate that Izy was made 16 to avoid too many comparisons to Harry Potter.

As a writer and artist myself, I understand that all pieces of art are in some way or another inspired by others, which is perfectly fine. However, the inspiration this book draws from the Harry Potter universe does show very heavily in this book, so bare that in mind before reading. I think this book is a definite example of how Harry Potter influenced the middle-grade fiction scene - whether the influence was ultimately for better or for worse is debatable.

Some of the plot points and twists were very spoon-feed - although this book is aimed at youngish audiences, I think a lot of middle grade books don’t give their audience enough credit, and the plot is told in unnatural explanation dialogue, rather than shown in the story.

Although this book is written in 3rd person, scattered throughout the book are random, unnecessary and harmful comments negative comments about how people’s bodies look, including a ‘comedic’ line about how one character’s face was as “unfortunate looking as a [dragon’s] back end” because it was full of scars. These horrible and negative views aren’t the sort of views we want to teach children. Scars are not ever something to be ashamed of. I have a lot because of my physical disability, and that’s fine!!! They are my battle scars.

If this line as a one-off occurrence, I would have been happier to overlook it as an error in wording, but it is accompanied by a range of overtly fatphobic comments, disguised as ‘comedy’. I’ll include some hear, as I cannot describe them myself. “Helga was the type who considered eating the best sort of bodybuilding.”

To conclude, I had to DNF this book for a variety of reasons. I mean no disrespect towards the author or publisher, these are criticisms combined with my personal taste in books.

Just finished this middle grade book by D. E. Night called The Crowns of Croswald. I was really excited to read this book when the author’s team reached out to me to read and review this first book in the series. I have middle schoolers and older elementary kiddos so I am always open to new books they may love.

This book is about Ivy Lovely who was found as an orphan and raised as a scaldrony maid. But when she comes of age and crosses out of the Slurry she discovers a world she didn’t know existed. Full of magic and awe Ivy attends a magical school, making friends, learning about the Queen, her past, and abilities she didn’t know she possessed.

Unfortunately, this book was not a good match for me. I was excited to read this book, though I felt it was too similar to another well known magical series turned movies. The similarities at times were too much for my liking. Additionally, I felt that there were some inconsistencies that were bothersome while reading.

The parts of the story that were original in nature were magical and fun! The creatures that were in the story were described well and were unique in nature. The main characters Ivy, Fyn, and Rebecca were a great dynamic as well!

I am rating this book 2.5 ⭐️s.

The story does give off those Harry Potter vibes. . My favorite part is the little dragon creature. Not to give away any spoilers. I read the second book recently and realized I never made a review on the first one. The world building is my favorite and just the imagery of the scenes with the ship really capture my imagination.
I love that the story does focus on the friendship between the main character and her friend Rebecca.

*I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review* Let me start by saying the cover art is beautiful and gives a peek in to the world between the pages. The Crowns of Croswald is the first book in a four-part middle grade fantasy series. Book 4 looks to be released soon. It follows the journey of 16-year-old scullery maid, Ivy, who unbeknownst to her, has been hidden in a castle behind a magical boundary which suppresses magic. A boundary which has kept her past and her destiny a secret. When Ivy breaks free of the castle, a magical world awaits for her on the other side. The story is fast-paced, delightful and imaginative. Some reviews have said it is a cross between Harry Potter, Cinderella and Alice in Wonderland. The imagery the author creates in this world is vivid and enchanting. It does not end on a cliff hanger but does leave you excited to see what happens next. Even though the MC is 15-16, it is definitely geared towards middle schools readers, not high school or YA. This review was written with the intended middle school demographic in mind.

The Crowns of Croswald was a magical, whimsical tale that made me nostalgic for the types of books I read as a child. I felt the reminiscent feelings of the Tamora Pierce and Deltora Quest vibes that capivated me in my youth, coupled with more sophisticated writing that helped me to feel like this was a book worthy of my current age.

I would love to continue this series, it has left a few things hanging open which I would love to read more on!

I received a complimentary copy of this book via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

"The Crowns of Croswald" is the beginning of Ivy's adventure written by D. E. Night. Her story is full of magic, fantasy creatures and cuteness!
I really enjoyed learning things about the world our hero lives in and Scrivenist.
School of magic? Yes, please! It really brought me back to my childhood and reminded me of "Harry Potter" - but not too much, luckily. I loved how Ivy had to gain friends and study about her powers.
I enjoyed this book, but I would say it's for people in younger age than YA, because it was a little bit childish for me, but I would absolutely have no issues few years ago. It's just the beginning of the serie, so things will probably become even more interesting later.

An absolutely magical book, the children loved it with its great magical details and touches. A super book to read to children. The second book in the series is just as good !

I received a copy of this book from the publisher/NetGalley, for which I am grateful.

Ivy is 16 and works as a maid, until one day she gets fired and is forced to leave. When she leaves, she learns there’s a lot to her that she didn’t know about. She also gets to go to magic school. The mysteries keep growing and Ivy is the only one who can figure it out.

The plot was good, and I liked the pacing. Ivy was a fun character and easy to root for. The mystery was set up pretty obviously, which I think is good for the intended audience. The world building was pretty good, I would have liked more personally but I think it works for this book.

The school setting was not my jam. But truthfully my least favorite part was how everything that could go wrong for Ivy, did. Slept in? Fired? Rained on? Unhelpful introduction to school? Evil queen after her? Spilled ink on the first day? The chosen victim of a nasty bully? No adult willing to believe the bullying? Adults keeping secrets about Ivy? It was exhausting. Give the girl a break.

There is a hint at romance in a very sweet crush. And the ending is a little cliffhanger but more a set up for the next book.

Book: The Crowns of Croswalds
Author: D.E. Night
Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult
Publisher: Untold Stories Pres
Publication Date: July 21, 2017
Date Read: 2/7
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Ivy Lovely is 16 and has no idea who she is. She is magic. This is a super cute story of a young woman finding her place and getting to know who she really is with the help of some really good friends.

Humans and Ghosts alike. The concept is interesting and made for a very enjoyable read. Well written and easy to read.

Middle Grade kids would love this book. The magic is very interesting and the Scrivenist and their world is intriguing. This was the my first time reading D.E. Night and it. Am be safely said that I’d love to read more from her.

I was given a free copy through NetGalley by the author in exchange for an honest review.


#NetGalley #TheCrownsofCroswald

Thank you so much to NetGalley, D.E. Night, and her publicist Daniela for a free copy of this book to review.

I can’t judge this too harshly simply because it’s not my usual read. While this isn’t something I would normally pick up the similarities to HP were nostalgic and appreciated.

I enjoyed the world building and the fun names for all the creatures/characters! I couldn’t quite relate to the characters but maybe I’m just aging out haha.

I think this a good read for a younger audience and especially children of massive HP fans who are already familiar with the story.

I think that middle grades readers would enjoy reading this book.
Positives:
This book has a magical atmosphere that kids will enjoy. It also has a school environment to which they can relate. They will be familiar with the boarding school-style system from other popular magical-world books.
For children who tend to stress when reading books with a lot of tension, this is fairly light with only one scene that I would consider tense.
Things that could be better:
I feel like the main character is too old for a middle grades book, but the content and style is appropriate for middle grades reader. I wish Ivy were younger so that middle grades readers could relate to her in that aspect as well.
There were some plot holes, but kids may not notice that.
It does have several similar elements to a popular wizarding-world series, but the overall plot is different enough that it is a different story. Kids may enjoy that if they are looking for books with familiar elements.

A thrilling middle grade novel, The Crowns of Croswald opens an exciting world of magic and fantasy to its readers. I can see this book being read as a read aloud with families and students and being quite captivating. Ivy is an interesting, lovable, and curious character and we do see some character development throughout the novel. My only criticism is that the cast of students was not very diverse (aside from magical powers) and that some of the language I found was a bit too advanced the middle grade age group. This could just be my own limited vocabulary but there were some words I was not familiar with! The other side to this is that young people with adults can look up these words and find out what they mean. However, I think less common and challenging language takes away from the story when you are immersed in the plot. Overall not a bad novel, 3.5 stars.

Rating: 3.5/5

First fantasy read in a long while. It's not my usual genre of choice, but when the opportunity came by I was curioius and decided to give it a go. Having only read HP and GoT prior to this, I couldn't help but make some comparisons.

As a story about a young protagonist's coming-of-age and her realisation about her past and her powers would no doubt share some similarities with HP. However, the author spends time on world-building to create a very distinct realm on her own. How fantasy writers do that is always baffling to me. I was quite intrigued by the Halls of Ivy and how those who study there are either Royals or Scrivenists, each with a unique brand of magic.

The plot was a bit dragged out for the first half. The third-quarter of it had a pacing that I felt was just nice — action-packed, but not too much of a blur. In the last quarter, I felt like the author might have rushed through with some details, especially regarding the Dark Queen and the revelation of Ivy's history.

Nonetheless, this remains a rather interesting and easy read.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this digital copy!

*Preface I received an ARC from the Publisher and this is my unbiased opinion.

*Spoilers-

I found the story and its concept very interesting, I always love magical academia, growing up - I read a lot of books like this and was excited to try this. The lore was very interesting and a bit overwhelming at times but as is the genre. The descriptions for the school and magical items were impeccable. Ivy, as the mc, was very likable and I enjoyed her progress though the story. The other students, like Rebecca were enjoyable as well. And the tropes of school academia , like the mean girl and cliques was great to see in this setting.

But I did have some issues- I didn’t really see the passage of time, at a certain point, it had been months and I didn’t even realize that. Or that the end of the book was coming to the end of the school year. And the last few chapters, particularly the masquerade scene (I did very much enjoy the aesthetic and the gowns. I am always a sucker for school balls) was confusing. The Dark Queen appearing all of a sudden and her motive for attacking Ivy was …confusing.

But other than that- I enjoyed the story and the overall vibes of it.

The Crowns of Croswald by D.E. Night.

3.5/5 stars.

A fantasy world where Ivy Lovely, who's been living in the Castle Plum for sixteen years, is called upon to attend the Halls of Ivy as a sqwinch (scrivenists in the making). Although the plot of the book somehow parallels that of the Harry Potter universe, it was interesting to read.

The ending of this book was a bit rushed whereas the other chapters were a bit leisurely.

There are sequels to this book, but I'm not sure if I want to read them.

Thank you to the publisher, author D.E. Night, and Netgalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and Stories Untold Press for the gifted copy of this book, in exchange for my review.

The Crowns of Croswald is unlike anything I usually read. Fantastical. Sweet. Aimed at the young. And yet, I really enjoyed the experience of reading it. I sat down one morning in the midst of a slump and read it straight through. The magical, adventurous and enchanting world was a sweet escape. I highly recommend it.

Croswald is a charming place filled with palaces and quaint shops, but The Halls of Ivy (a magical school) is the real draw. What child wouldn't want to study there? Our main character is Ivy Lovely, a sixteen year old orphan girl who works as a maid. She has only one friend who is a dwarf. But one day she discovers her destiny to attend the House of Ivy alongside the royal and wealthy kids who are there. Ivy is thrilled!

What follows is danger, magic, adventure, silly antics, and mysteries. Of course there are similarities to Harry Potter, but the story is still wonderful and unique. The characters are relatable, and likable.

The book would be a wonderful gift for any child in your life, but especially for girls.

I literally finished this in one day!!! SO GOOD! I need the second book ASAP, The world building, the characters, everything was done tastefully. The magic in the author's words made me feel like I was in the her world physically. It was a much needed escape from everyday life, (even for a day). I really need to go buy the sequel. Alas it is not in the budget for this month. But I will be annoyingly recommending this book to allllll my friends and book club friends! Also a great read for the younger crowd! All around very well written and beautifully done. My Fae and Fantasy heart is very happy after reading this book! :)

I had trouble getting through this book, but since it was an opportunity for a review I made myself push to the end. It just wasn't my personal cup of tea. I accepted this book through my Bookstagram and should've said no, honestly. It's just not a genre I am comfortable in, I rarely rave over books such as this. I gave it three stars to try and be fare and take into account the fact that I do not typically enjoy reading in this specific genre.

Unfortunately no matter how hard I tried I could not bring myself to like this book. I was not entertained and found it hard to stay focused

I was gifted a copy of this e-book from the publisher in return for an honest review via Netgalley. That being said, I did enjoy this book even though it is written towards a younger reading audience. The only other fantasty book series I’ve read have been the Harry Potter series, and there were many similarities. I loved Harry Potter, though, so it’s not a bad thing …just hard to not make obvious comparisons while reading! I did enjoy the descriptive writing even when it was a little choppy and hard to follow at times. Ivy was also a very likable character and I enjoyed following her journey. For a non-fantasy reader, I enjoyed the book and would be open to read the continuing books in the series. Thank you again for the opportunity to read and review this book.