I received this book to review through NetGalley.

As a HP Stan, I was excited to see what the new world of fantasy books has to offer. The author D.E. Night did not disappoint with her imagination and creativity, I believe the fantasy world is in good hands.

Her imagery and her world building is fantastic. The intended age range of middle grade will love it and anyone who is looking for fantasy read can gladly enjoy it.

The characters and creatures are very detailed. At first it’s a little confusing but by the end of the book you catch on to terms and types of magic. Ivy as a heroine and getting into good trouble is the perfect role model for young girls. If you want fairytale fantasy but not a romance this is the perfect story.

Thanks so much to the publisher and author for this e-book through Netgalley. I am happy to have had the opportunity to see what’s out there for middle age readers and in the fantasy genre.

Once you learn to push your fears aside, your powers will shine as brightly as mine do now!
•••••••••••
For Ivy Lovely, a 16 year old girl that worked as a mere scaldrony maid being free from the miserable place called The Castle Plum is a bliss. Little does she knows, a world of adventure awaits her when she crossed the border that been keeping her safe and hidden from the lurking darkness her whole life. As her power awakens, Ivy was admitted to The Hall of Ivy where she starts to unravel about the mystery of the man that keeps appearing in her dream. Thus, Ivy adventure begins.

The Crowns of Croswald is a wonderful middle grade fantasy that packed with adventure and a unique magic system. It is a real page turner and I really recommend this book to anyone that would love to enjoy an intriguing light and easy fantasy read. I can't stop thinking about the ending, as I feel like there's more to this book that I'm yet to understand. I'm looking forward for the second book in the series which is The Girl with the Whispering Shadow.

Title: The Crowns of Crosswald
Author: D. E
Score: ⭐⭐⭐. 5
English level: B1-B2
Recommended age: +13

First of all I want to thank Netgalley and the author for giving me the opportunity to read the book, I really wanted to read this story apart from the cover is beautiful !!! It tells us the story of Ivy, a normal girl who makes chores in a house together with her friend Rimbrick a goblin until one day she leaves and they offer her to study at the most prestigious school of magic in Crosswald. It made me a very original story and I loved the setting that the author managed to give it as well as Ivy the protagonist who made me a girl looking for her dream and a better life although sometimes she made decisions that made me nervous. The fantasy, romance and mystery behind Crosswald was very good. And the villain of the story brings me very intrigued with his past and what he can do. My favorite characters were Ivy, Fhn, Rebecca and Edwin Edgar Night who had me curious throughout the book. I recommend them to people who are beginning to read fantasy and those who read like Middle grade books as I do. And I want to read the second book since the end ufff was epic that last 20% left me surprised.

✨ Thank you to Stories Untold Press and NetGalley for my complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review✨

The Crowns of Croswald is a mesmerizing story about magic, mystery and betrayal. D.E. Night created a world so vivid, and enchanting that I was captivated from the very beginning.

Ivy Lovely is living dreadfully as a Scaldron maid in a hidden Castle. Scaldrons are dragons that are used to cook food in their mouths, so when they get sick, it is detrimental to the kitchen. Unfortunately, that's exactly what happens. Ivy tries to save the Scaldron from the wrath of Helga who is just an awful human but also in charge.

After being thrown out, Ivy meets a cabby who tells her she had been enrolled in an academy meant only for those who are scrivenerists with natural abilities or royals who have gems that aid in their abilities. This is where the magic begins. There's mythical creatures, a Dark Queen, danger at every corner and adventure after adventure.

This book was described to me as like Harry Potter but still being completely unique, and I have to agree. I loved everything about this story. I look forward to reading the rest of the series. 5⭐

I was hesitant at first when I was approached for this book since I don’t normally read a lot of middle grade. However, as soon as I started it I was immediately drawn in. Turned out to be a very enjoyable read.

Thank you to the Publisher and Netgalley for the advanced e-reader copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

The Crowns of Croswald by D E Night 2017
In Croswald, the only thing more powerful than dark magic is one secret…
For sixteen years, Ivy Lovely has been hidden behind an enchanted boundary that separates the mundane from the magical. When Ivy crosses the border, her powers awaken. Curiosity leads her to crash through a series of adventures at the Halls of Ivy, a school where students learn to master their magical blood and the power of Croswald's mysterious gems. When Ivy's magic—and her life—is threatened by the Dark Queen, she scrambles to unearth her history and save Croswald before the truth is swept away forever.
This story is entertaining and powerful, and I was picked up and swept into the City of Crosswald with its attractions and inhabitants.
The plot is very similar to Harry Potter's story, going to a magical school and being different. Still, I can honestly say that the author has done a great job constructing a unique whole new magical fantasy world with extraordinary characters but keeping fantasy favourites like fairies and dragons. In addition, there are some great twists and turns to keep you entertained.
An enjoyable read; I look forward to reading the next book in this four-part series.

i have been loving reading middle grade books recently and this was the perfect read. It has all the elements from a magical world, witches, wizards and spells. If you are a Harry Potter reader and loved that world , you need to pick this up! This was my first book from this author and i loved the writing and illustrations throughtout the book

I was fortunate enough to get this for free through netgalley!
I really enjoyed this book! a fantastic middlegrade with amazing characters and great world building!
it was pitched as having similarities to Harry Potter. I agree on that to some extent and did enjoy that part of the story. even with the similarities I found that the author succeeded in making the story her own.

I adored Ivy I thought she was a great main character with good attributes. She is someone I would have loved to see on the page when I was younger

Are you a Potter's head? If yes, then “D.E.Night brings a treat of magic, a mesmerizing fantasy world, dragons, and many more in her book “The crowns of Croswald”.
Let's jump into the fantasy world of 16-year-old orphan girl Ivy, who is unaware of her magical powers. One day her powers awaken, she wants to attend the “Hall of Ivy” a school for those who want to master their magic. As the story move, she finds out about the danger and challenges she has to face to save herself and Croswald.
Any reader who enjoys the epic adventures of Harry Potter will adore this fantasy read. The descriptions are terrific and from the beginning of the narrative, the reader is introduced to the unique magical and fantasy world. all characters are well-written into the story, adding depth to the already fascinating fantasy world the author has invented.
If you enjoy dark magic, and creative fantasy, do not hesitate to pick this book.

Thanks, Netgalley and D.E.Night for the review copy in exchange of an honest review

The Crowns of Croswald is enchanting book. There is a problem in Croswald a wandering family is still lost. Of course Derwin Edgar Night can’t be bothered with such news he is about to meet the royal family he will be serving as their scientist. Derwin arrives at the castle but then is never seen or remembered again.
Ivy Lovely as lived a mundane drudge filled life for the past 16 years she has only known a life of loneliness and isolation. She works at Castle Plum as a scaldrony maid her main job is to tend the scaldrons, a type of domesticated dragon, used for cooking meals. The only solace Ivy finds is spending time sketching on the hill of Plum with her friend Rimbrick, a dwarf, who she finds fascinating. Rimbrick spends the nights telling Ivy tales about magic and scrivenists, people who study and write magic and serve royal families. Ivy longs to be a scrivenist to study and learn about magic. Little does Ivy know that her dream is about to become a reality. Her life is about to change and in that change mystery and adventure await. She will make new friends, learn about who she really is and fight against an evil that will try to take over Croswald. Looking forward to reading the second part of this trilogy. Thank you NetGalley for this opportunity to read this thrilling book.

This book is absolutely magical, in more ways than one. It is about Ivy Lovely, a scaldrony maid at Castle Plum in the middle of the slurry fields. After some terrible mishaps in the kitchen with a scaldron, a type of dragon that cooks food in its mouth like an oven, she is kicked out of Castle Plum and is invited to go to a magical school, The Halls of Ivy and become a Scrivenist.
When she arrives, strange things begin to happen, like being chased by hundreds of quill pens, and over time they only get stranger. Throughout the course of the year, Ivy manages to get herself into scrape after scrape, but Fyn and Rebecca are always there to help her out, or get into even more trouble with her. In the end, Ivy realizes she is not who she thought she was and is stronger than she ever imagined. There are so many magical aspects in this book, from the lanterns lit by Hairies that are magical fairy like creatures, to the Glanagery bottles that suck you in and take you to imaginary places. I had a hard time putting this book down and didn’t want it to end. I can’t wait to read the second and third book in this series to find out where Ivy’s adventures take her next. I would highly recommend this book to any child, or adult, who enjoys fairytales and fantasy. If you are a fan of Disney’s Descendants, or Harry Potter, you will definitely like this book.

The Crowns of Croswald is filled with magic and adventure and I adored getting lost in the intricate fantasy world. I found the book to be a very enjoyable read and I think it is an excellent middle grade novel.

The book follows sixteen year old Ivy a girl who has been hidden behind an enchanted boundary away from magic until one day she crosses over and her powers are awakened. Leading her on a striking path, and ending up a student at Halls of Ivy a school for those who need to master their magic. After events unfold, Ivy has to delve into the mysteries of her past in order to save herself and Croswald before history is swept away.

The entire book was a fun read and I would definitely recommend it for younger readers just getting into reading. It's an ideal starting point and has so many interesting aspects. In a way it is very similar to other books out there but the whimsical feel of the tale and D.E. Night's writing made it more of an original read. I am a lover of books about magic schools so I knew going into this that I would most likely enjoy it but I was also wary because it's been done and it's been done extremely well. But the author managed to put her own spin on the trope and still create a thrilling plot.

This is a fantastic magical adventure with well developed characters and great world-building. Fans of Harry Potter will love this one.

I received a free copy of this book via Netgalley. My review is voluntary and my opinions are my own.

This is a middle grade fantasy novel. I do believe it is part of a series. Excellent character development and plot.
I think most middle grade readers would enjoy this book.

Thanks to netgalley for an ecopy of this book.

This was a charming story and perfect for Harry Potter fans! Ivy discovers she has magical powers and is sent to a school. But she soon learns not is as good as it seems and evil lurks nearby in the form of the Queen. A wonderful coming of age story. I really enjoyed it and believe Middle Grade aged kids would love it. I definitely recommend to them!

To find magic around you, you must carry magic inside you.

The Crowns of Croswald is about a town named Croswald, which is full of deception and wicked magic like any other magical land. However, the Queen has the upper hand, and the people have fallen into a rut, unaware that a savior may be on the way.
In this tale, we follow Ivy, a 16-year-old girl who has spent her whole life as a servant in a castle, oblivious of the power she has or who she truly is. Her sole companion is a dwarf who talks with her when she visits the gardens to sketch. She's been experiencing weird dreams recently in which she sees another palace and can sketch it precisely.
What she doesn't anticipate is for everything to change suddenly; one day, they appear and take her away to the Halls of Ivy, a magical school for "sqwinches" like her and "royals" who wield the magical stones on their crowns, each with a unique ability. They are extremely snobbish, but she makes a good friend named Rebecca, who doesn't want to be a royal at all.
The first thing I’m going to talk about is the characters in this book. I really liked reading about Ivy and her magical journey and felt that her personality was very well-rounded and sweet. Ivy is a fascinating character who enjoys sketching and has been looking for answers about her past and family. At first, she has difficulty with magic. The mystery hanging throughout the story that Ivy is attempting to put together is the recurring dream Ivy experiences, and as events develop, we learn the details of the magical world with her. However, I believe she was overly focused. I get that she was the main protagonist, but I would have wanted to see more growth of the other characters as well. The narrative included a number of characters, but none of them stood out. They merely appeared to be there, utilized as minor characters with no bearing on the storyline. Fyn is the love interest, and he's adorable, but we barely get to know him; he suddenly appears out of nowhere to save Ivy. The Dark Queen, the story's antagonist, was barely portrayed. I would have loved to know more about her history, rather than just reading about a power-hungry woman since that's how she was written.
I actually wished it would slow down a little, because I wanted more insights and world-building... the magic system was first rather perplexing. However, I do understand that being a middle grade has to be really entertaining in that way.
Furthermore, in many respects, the plot felt too similar to Harry Potter. Don't get me wrong, I like Harry Potter, but there were so many parallels that, while I adored the plot and everything about it, I felt it detracted from the uniqueness.
Everything from the names of the characters to mystical items like the Glanagerie bottle and the Compass Startus, the author's universe was mind-blowing to me. Night has clearly put a lot of passion and attention into the creation of Croswald, and it reflects.
However, I thought that several parts of the book were not adequately described. For instance, when the opening first presented the concept of quills (a kind of wand), I had no idea what they were. Although the name indicates that they are used to write, they are featured in this book for completely another purpose. I wish I had known about them earlier in the book so that I could have completely grasped the concept. However, the extensive vocabulary appealed to me.
Magical quills, flying cabs, charms, and enchantments all kept me hooked to this book.
Overall, I think The Crowns of Croswald is a wonderful and enjoyable novel for middle graders. The entire narrative is well-thought-out, and I personally loved D.E. Night's writing style! I adore it when authors can completely transport you to their magical realms through their writing, and hers accomplished just that for me!

In a tale as old as time we follow the coming of age of a young girl with vast and unique powers. The story of Ivy Lovely is a cute and sweet adventure for the middle grade reader full of self-discovery, friendship and found family. The magical world that D.E Night has created is perfect for her young readers, its adventurous, whimsical and certainly magical with all sorts of new characters and creatures to discover.
I will confess that I am well beyond the age range for the target audience which may produce some bias in my review. As a seasoned fantasy reader, I found that while the novel was a cute starter novel into the world of fantasy for a young reader, it did take a bit to get into. The complexity of the world building was a bit vague in the prologue and took a chapter or two to settle in. In fact, much of the book felt a bit as if the reveals were hurried when there could have been more of a build up to get that suspense and wow factor that the author would have intended. The only reason why I can’t give this book the extra two stars to make it a 5/5 read is mainly because of that but it is a novel that I would pass on to my younger cousins who are in the intended age range who will more likely be able to enjoy the whimsical writing of the author.

The story follows Ivy who is living in a castle and takes care of the Scaldrons (tiny dragons that heat up the fires) until things go awry and she is kick out and then whisked away to a magical school. Here she meets new friends and goes on plenty of adventures all while trying to figure out who she really is.
If you are a fan of Harry Potter or magical boarding schools this book is right up your alley especially for middle school aged kids. This book series would be wonderful to start with your child and discover a new world together. While the book did take me a little bit to get into, it really picked up about halfway through. I am excited to continue on in this series and follow more of Ivy’s adventures.

This is an extremely original and detailed magical world! I absolutely loved the complex magic and how it tied together with the plot- there are so many clever connections and such an intricate world!

It started a bit slow and I felt overwhelmed by all the world building which seemed to not be that related to the action, but the second half of the book made all of that pay off. Now I am so curious to read the next one, as it seems the adventure will only grow larger from here on!

Just a little heads up- the theme, characters and plot are indeed middle grade, but the writing seemed advanced to me for that classification! Great for ambitious middle grade readers and all adults who love this genre (like I do)!

I enjoyed it but I don't think Middle Grade Fantasy interests me anymore :'). Ivy was a really interesting character and I loved the mystery that surrounded her existence. I have a soft spot for boarding school type settings so that was great! I don't think it spoke to me but if I read this in Middle School I would have loved it. Highly recommend! <3