The Crowns of Croswold by D.E Night is a magical, middle grade read and fantastic start to a series.

Ivy Lovely is a scullery maid who dreams of magic and a world she’s never seen. When she crosses the boundary between her world and the dangerous world of magic, she faces ridicule, challenges and adventures beyond her imagination. In a school full of royals and magical powers Ivy discovers her true self and the secrets behind her haunting dreams.

I enjoyed the magic elements of this story, the characters were likable and once I got past making mental comparisons to a famous, magical middle grade series I was able to appreciate it. This book was fun to read and great alternative to anyone looking for a new series to love and embrace. I can’t wait to read the rest of the series and see what Ivy and her friends conquer next. Fans of HP will like this book.

I was 16 when I read Harry Potter, 8 years later this book make me feel magical again.

Unlike HP, it was too childish than what I expected. The book reminds me a lot about HP which is why I had to compare. Although the story is completely different and bewitching in its own way.

Hoping to get more of the history in the coming books of the series.

My Rating - 4/5

This is book one of The Croswald Trilogy and is a Magical Fantasy series that brings to life fairytales, enchanted worlds, and whimsical creatures and characters.

When I first started reading this, although the story is interesting and did have me wanting to find out more, I found some paragraphs in the first few chapters had a lot of detail that made it difficult to understand and absorb, so I ended up having to re-read some, just so I had a grasp on what was happening.
Also with the first few chapters, I compared things to the Harry Potter books. They are different, but you can get a sense of where some of the author's inspiration came from. However, D.E Night's story is absolutely enchanting, and once I got past some of the 'hurdles' I really enjoyed this book.

I loved being taken into such a beautiful and whimsical world. Following the main character, Ivy, and her journey as she begins to discover she isn't as ordinary as she'd been lead to believe. Of course, the friendships she makes. There is a wonderful array of funny, cute, chubby, and quirky characters as well as your typical "Mean Girls" and then there are the wacky, stern & mysterious professors that all play their part in this magical world.

There is so much to love about this book from the inventive and funny names created for creatures, spells & places to the magical powers of sketches and use of quills, not wands. The mixing of Royals with Scriveners, and each royals crown held a unique power/ability.
What I adored most is the Scaldron. I won't spoil the surprise, but when I was reading about the Scaldron, I couldn't help but think of Roald Dahl. It is such a bizarre and wonderfully wacky "thing" I immediately was taken to his fabulous creations and it is definitely a key reason I kept reading on.

I am looking forward to reading the next book in this delightful series.
Thank you so much to D.E Night & NetGalley for this ARC eBook in return for an honest review.

Magical middle grade adventure awaits! Inventive, fun, and very well written, join Ivy as she adventures to find her magic and her place in a battle that’s been waging for generations.

Synopsis: Ivy is an orphan and servant. Then, on her 16th birthday she’s kicked out of the kitchen where she’s been the poorly treated help and forced to find her way. Happily, her latent magic helps her be discovered and she’s enrolled in a magical school to hone her gifts. Unfortunately, the evil Dark Queen also senses and covets Ivy’s magic. Ivy must rely on her wits and newfound friends to discover who she is, unravel the mystery that revisits her in her dreams, and avoid detection by the Dark Queen.

Review: This story, the first in what’s soon to be a four-part series, reminds me of Harry Potter. In both stories an unknowingly magical child goes to a school for magic, adventures alongside friends, and must battle the villain antagonizing the land. So, this was a lot of fun. I read it with my 9yo son and 7yo daughter, who both really enjoyed the story. My son said it was “awesome!” and wants to immediately read the next books in the series. My daughter gave it two thumbs up. While they both really enjoyed the story, especially the adventures and battle, the writing introduced quite a bit of vocabulary for them, making me think this would be better for slightly older children and even early teens. Still, the adventures were all age appropriate while also being full of suspense. We’re already looking forward to reading the next books in the series!

Rating: 4.5/5

I reviewed this book a while ago over on Bookstagram @lifeisa_book, however completely neglected to review on netgalley so my apologies I'm new to all this!

The Crowns of Croswolds is a Young Adult Fiction/Fantasy book, we follow the story of a young girl called Ivy Lovely who has spent most her childhood as a scaldron maid longing to be able to learn the ways of scrivenry. We follow Ivy through her journey at magic school where she uncovers secrets about her past and forms strong friendships with Rebecca and Fyn.

I found the characters in this book loveable, although I found myself wanting to know a little more back story, quite often the characters do/know something new and quite out there without us ever being told that they can do this (although that does leave great mystery about the characters).

I loved the descriptions of the magical creatures and lands, I felt these were well thought out and I could picture them clearly.
I find E-Books generally hard to read although that's just me! I do really want to know what happens next in ther series and will be looking out for book 2 to read :)

I generally really loved this book, I have read a few reviews that say it is very similar to HP and I think maybe I'm lucky that I've never read any HP so went blissfully unaware of any similarities which could have helped me.

Overall a very enjoyable read.

Thank you to the Author for sharing with me to read!!

Thank you so much to Stories Untold for the free edition in return for an honest review! I started this book while I was at school and would read a few pages when I had free time. It was the perfect escape from a stressful school week into a new magical world. D.E. Night's writing was encapsulating and her characters are so lovable! A great read for all aged lovers of magic, fantasy, and adventure.

⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️


The Crowns of Croswald by D.E Night is a mysterious, magical and fun adventure. This book felt quite nostalgic and is perfect for any fan of epic adventures and I think is perfect for middle grade readers or any fans of Harry Potter.


Before I go deeper into the review, thank you NetGalley and Stories Untold (publisher) for this ARC in exchange for an independent and honest review.

Ivy had a very normal life and a talent to draw a mysterious castle and one day her life changes and she finds herself in a magical school with a certain talent to break rules and get into trouble.
The world presented in this book had a great world building and was very creative.
The illustrations that accompanied each chapter title were very cute and added an extra touch of magic to the whole reading experience.
Our trio of friends is great and I can't wait to see what the story holds for Ivy, Fyn and Rebecca. Each character brings different personalities but they all work really well together.
The villain, aka, the Dark Queen is very mysterious and we only have a face to face at the end of the book but I’m looking forward to know more about her.

If you are looking for:

⚜️Adventure
⚜️Magic, school and new friends
⚜️Epic destiny
⚜️Evil queen

Then you will enjoy this book 😉

📖Book Review📖

The Crowns of Croswald by D.E. Night

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/ 5

I was given the great opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

Middle Grade Fantasy Series, Book 1 of 4

Ivy Lovely who discover that she truly belongs in this magical world not the life of a scaldrony maid. I’m this world she finds great friends and discovers what she is truly capable of. Yet there is more going on and a mystery and darkness that threatens this new world she has come to be apart of.

The Crowns of Croswald is a great story of of self discovery, magic and mystery. A story that brought me back to my youth and fantasies of magic. This was a wonderful start to an amazing adventure and I can’t wait to continue the story.

#bookstagram

2.5 stars
This book...well, I didn't like it very much. This isn't to say others won't like it; it just wasn't for me.
The main reasons were:
- it was a very middle-grade book - all of the themes were quite childish as were the plot points.
- I found the main character, Ivy, quite unlikeable (she just annoyed me a bit, honestly)
- when things went wrong, they would resolve themselves very easily and without lasting consequences, which was not realistic at all (even in this fantasy world)
- I didn't like the writing; it didn't flow very well and in my opinion, it wasn't that good
Overall, this book just wasn't for me, and it's not a book i would recommend to other readers with similar views to mine, but there were some good parts - namely, the ending, the worldbuilding, and some parts of the plot.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with this ARC in exchange for a free and honest review.

I chose this book because it scores very well on goodreads, it is a reasonable length for a medium grade, and the cover is beautiful. However, although it has all the elements that I like, it did not convince me.
The plot is a bit boring, not because it is bad, but because it is very cliché and the plot twists are quite evident. If you are a child you can probably enjoy reading, but as an adult who likes middle grade I am not satisfied.
The narrative is fine, I liked that it was simple, but beautiful and above all, that it was very quickly, however, I would have preferred it to be a little more subtle, because sometimes all the facts were very “in your face”.
The characters were good, but I think they lacked a lot of development, because their personalities were very simple. Again, I don't think this affects the reading of a child with little experience as a reader too much, but as an adult it is evident.
The book takes too many elements from other famous literary sagas and although at a certain point the references can be funny, in the long run it will make reading tired. I don't think it's a terribly bad book, but it hasn't been the best read of the month either, in fact I finished it almost immediately and it has several elements that denote a great imagination, such as the creatures that actually seemed quite original to me and the world building, which is undoubtedly one of the most interesting details in the story, but I get the feeling that the author's lack of experience affected the book quite a bit. However, it is also a author with a lot of potential that is sure to improve with time.
My rating is a 3/5.

Escape into the pages of this high-flying adventure! Bits of magic and mystery were sprinkled throughout. Each character was written with depth and a richness that will leave a lasting impression. While reading, I was drawn into the imagery that was reminiscent of many fairy tales with a taste of Harry Potter. A well written fantasy indeed.

The Crowns of Croswald follows sweet Ivy Lovely as she runs away from the home she has always known to an unknown place where she meets new friends, unravels mysteries of her own past, and discover a new world full of magic and secrets.

This story really caught me by surprise! I was approached by the author’s publicist for a free copy to read in exchange for a review and at first, yes, I was very excited to go on a magical adventure~ But then as I went along with Ivy on her journey as she discovers a new magical place, learns about herself and her magic, and make lasting friendship along the way, I was blown away at the genuine, kindhearted, and tough girl that she is. Each character was such a delight to read about and I thought the story was a good pace where Ivy learned about her new school and the magic she holds as she discovers who she is.
I also enjoyed the illustrations at the beginning of every chapters and I would recommend this book to everyone! Every chapter was absolutely magical and such an easy read after a hard day’s work!
Thank you to the author, the publicist, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for a review!

I genuinely loved this book!

It’s a middle grade Fantasy Adventure that blew my mind. I loved the friendships that she formed. That was probably my favorite part. As an adult fantasy reader, I’ve never felt so blown away by a middle grade book.

Please pick this up. At least for your children. It’s amazing!

Magic, an evil queen, a lost orpan and a whimsical world come together in The Crowns of Croswald a fantasy novel. Ivy an orphan who is clueless of her birth, her parents or her talents is suddenly invited to a magical school and what follows is an adventure for her and the readers.
A middle grade juvenile fiction is a wonderful book though its comparison to Harry Potter series is unavoidable. Lot of similarities do crop up between both the books and I loved reading both of them equally. The thing I miss though in the book is a map and a little background of Croswald. That said I would definitely look forward to the other books in the series.
Thank you to the publisher for a copy of this book for my honest review!

Thank you Stories Untold Press and NetGalley for gifting me a digital copy of this book in exchange of an honest review.

A book so magical, colorful, full of adventure and mysteries, a completely different world with such fantastical creatures, powers, and wonderful royal settings!

The story of our dear Ivy Lovely, a girl so sweet and brave with such a kind heart. It was so interesting getting to know her as she discovers her destiny and the powers in her blood, getting to know her new friends and enemies, while also having to pass all her classes for her scrivenist studies. Her encounters with the Dark Queen while investigating all the mysteries of a person only she can seem to remember are so amusing that you’ll catch yourself holding your breath. I loved the world and was so intrigued by the characters dynamics that I had to keep on reading nonstop chapter after chapter.

The way the author describes the places, battles and the creatures is simply mesmerizing, as well as the illustrations at the beginning of every chapter which are beautiful and so helpful to get even more into the story, every adventure and challenge.

I really enjoyed reading this book, I think it’s one of my favorite reads of the year!
I recommend it to all fantasy lovers, to all of those who like magic, mystery, adventure and a touch of romance. It’s easy to read and it’ll get you filled with excitement. I promise you won’t regret reading this book!

this was such a nice journey, it was the perfect book. to read in the middle of busy and stressful university life.
I loved every part of it, the writing was nice and the plot was very interesting. The plot was the reason I accepted reading this book, I love reading about magical schools and the worlds they are in.

the author created such a rich world, and we get to explore so much of it without feeling suffocated with information. I loved the magic in it, the magical stones in the royals crowns, I mean it's so cool that each royal has their own power. And the scrivnist with their quills. and I also loved they both these kind of students were important and none is better than the other.

My favorite parts were definitely in the school, going to classes with them and THE FOOD HALLS, the description of food is always a win for me. Ivy our main character, was a perfect character to explore this new world with, because it's also new for her. Furthermore, I liked that even though Ivy didn't know much and was new, she didn't back down when she wanted answers.

Also, there was so many cute creatures that I've never heard of because the author probably created and creatures that are known but had a fun twist to their origin.

There was a fun mystery that was going on through out the whole book, and I was honestly shocked at the discovery of some of the information, I guessed a few but they were even better than imagined.

Overall, this was a whimsical magical read, that I cherished by reading slowly and then binging the end because I HAD TO KNOW. I highly recommend for anyone who is in the mood for a fun magical adventure.

The premise of this book was a great idea— those with magic in their blood and those who are given crowns (think the rich) study magic at a school called the Halls of Ivy. Ivy Lovely is whisked away to a school of magic after learning from a dwarf she has magic in her veins. Along the way Ivy learns not everything is as magically wonderful as it seems. An evil queen and a dark past threaten this new life of hers.

I felt as if the execution of this thought was lacking. There were a ton of info dumps and just really boring pages. I found myself skimming the book at times just to get to an interesting part. I also found the relationships between Ivy and her friends to be lacking. I didn’t feel immersed in this world and just wanted it to be over quite frankly.

I believe I wasn’t the right audience for this book.
Check it out if you:
•enjoy cute reads
•looking for a kids fantasy book (probably 8-12 range)
•want something to read with your kid
•looking for a story where the underdog thrives
•enjoy the chosen one trope

3.75/5. Thanks to @netgalley and the author for giving me this free copy in exchange of an honest review.
I feel that if i had read this book when i was 12 or 13 i would have loved it, but it did seem a little bit middle grade for me right now, however it was very fun to read. It gave me a lot of Harry Potter vibes but i was gladly surprised that it also had an authentic world building and plot. I liked all the magic involved and the mystery towards Ivy identity. It did take about 6 chapters to get settled in this universe but onwards it was really great.

However i would have love to see a little bit for backstory of Rebecca and Fyn, and maybe a better explanation of the magic system since I was a bit lost. Also i wasnt able to fully connect with the characters.

In overall it was a pleasant book to read and hopefully i will continue reading the series.

I received a free copy copy of this book in return for and honest Netgalley review, so here goes!

When I first started reading this book, I instantly got high HP vibes. The story is about Ivy Lovely who works as a kitchen maid for a magical family, where love is hard to come by.
When she gets thrown out, she finds out she has the chance to go to the magical school. She makes friends for the first time in her life, discovers the magic inside herself and learns about herself and her family's past.

This book is perfect for people who love books such as HP and Narnia, with an extensive word-building. The language is clear and there are no difficult passages so this book is perfect for teens or for reading with/to kids.
The only negative thing I can think to mention is that at times the settings were too confusing. There were parts where I had no idea where Ivy was or why.

But overall I really enjoyed reading it and I'm curious to see what lies in Ivy's future. I just hope the storyline won't be exactly as it is in HP where she'll fight some evil force a few times, before she gets to the final epic battle.

3.5 ⭐

2,5 stars
This took some time for me to get into, which is a shane when you consider the short lenght of the book. The writing style felt a bit off and just overall wasn’t for me. The plot however was interesting and I expect that if I were to read some of the authors later books I might like them more.

I felt that the plot was very speciel and the creatures that were created in the story were unique. I could have used more character development, but I suspect that more is to come in the later books in the series.
I enjoyed the main character even though some of plot and the other characters fell flat for me because of the narration style.
For me it just felt a bit superficial at times, but it was a cute story and I would definetly recommend it to younger readers who are just getting into fantasy