I loved this book!!
AND it got me out of my slump!!
Basically it follows a girl Ivy on a magical journey and trouble is always following her, with the help of friends and mysterious notes, this book is perfect for Harry Potter fans!
My rating 4.5 stars

The Crowns of Croswald is a fun fantasy series for middle grade readers. It is quite similar to Harry Potter in many aspects, yet it has its own unique world and brand of magic. Like Harry Potter, Ivy is a young woman who has grown up in humble circumstances. She is treated poorly at the Castle Plum where she works as a scaldrony maid who cares for the dragons that heat the ovens of the castle. When she receives a mysterious invitation to attend a magical school, the Halls of Ivy, she begins a fantastical journey of discovering more about her true origins, meeting loyal friends, and encountering bullies, as well as a nasty villain.

Though the general story arc has similarities to Harry Potter, there are also differences that make it unique. First, the magical system is different. Royalty uses stones in crowns to make magic. Then, there are the scriveners who work for the royal families and use their quills to create magic. There are all sorts of magical creatures who live in this world, like haries (fairy like creatures who basically live in lanterns and provide the light). There are also some unusual locations like the Hollow Shaft that appears out of the water and disappears almost as quickly, as well as worlds within bottles called glanageries. There is a school master called the Selector who is a sort of Dumbledore figure, but is much more mysterious and it’s unclear whose side she is on. There is also an evil Queen who is followed around by her evil minions called the Cloaked Brood.

As a reader, this magical world was somewhat confusing. I felt like I was plunged into the world without much explanation. I think including a map of the world and also a glossary at the back containing information on the magic, money system, food, characters, etc. would have been extremely helpful.

There was plenty of action in this story and uses of magic. The one problem that I kept having was seeing a connection between events. It seemed a little disjointed and I wanted a bit more of an explanation for what was happening before being plunged into something else. It was because of this that it took me awhile to get into the book. I feel like if I read it a second time, I would find it more enjoyable because then I would better understand the world and see the connections knowing what’s coming.

I really enjoyed the side characters. I liked Fyn and Rebecca especially and I wished that they were explored more than they were. Unfortunately, I had a difficult time liking the main character Ivy. She seemed too self absorbed and cared little about how her actions affected her friends and other people. For instance, her friend Rebecca gets stuck in this forgotten room. Ivy knows where she is, but does little to try to rescue her from the situation. She involves Fyn in a scheme when leaving the school only to put him in grave danger with little thought to him. Hopefully, she becomes more likable and her character develops more in the next books.

All in all, I liked this book. I think Harry Potter fans who love the story and enjoy characters with a somewhat similar arc will enjoy this book. I recognize that I’m not the target audience for this book, but I think middle grade readers will like the magical world. This would be a good adventure to introduce them to the fantasy genre. I wavered between 3 and 4 stars, but ultimately went with three because of the issues previously discussed. I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author and NetGalley for my honest review. All opinions are my own and I was not required to give a positive review.

Besides being adventurous this book is so different. At last, a new world, a new meaning for magic and fantasy. Most importantly, it keeps between its lines the values we all are craving for this, our real world, that is solidarity, loyalty, and kindness.

I really really wanted to like this book. I was given a free copy of the ebook from the author in exchange for an honest review. Every time I tried to get into this book I just couldn’t get into it. I kept losing interest. Maybe because it was a middle grade book.
Hopefully I’ll try it again in a few months and love it but it just didn’t stick for me.

This is the first book in The Croswald series.  A story of magical fairyland, fantastic beasts and enchanted characters.  The main character, Ivy Lovely, is 16 and she is an ordinary maid in the castle.  She just discovered she will be going to study to become a Scrivenist, a magical story recorder.  As she leaves the only world she knows, she finds herself in a new realm, where her magical powers are awaken.  Ivy begins to discover some secrets that somehow are all connected to her.

it's been quite some time since I read a good YA or Middle grade fantasy novel.  I realized how much I missed whimsical characters, magical creatures and a colorful fairy tale world.  This is a perfect escape into the magical universe so masterfully created by the author.  Although it took me a little while to get into the writing style, I enjoyed following the story, and the setting, which was my favorite part, ran my imagination wild.  Each character was so unique and well-written.  Just look at the Hairies on the cover of the book! How adorable they are. And I do now want my own scaldron (a small dragon that cooks your food).

All and all this is a great middle grade read, full adventure, valuable lessons and MAGIC! I would recommend it to anyone who is a fantasy fan or just needs an escape from the reality into the world of magic.

I'd like to thank the author, publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I enjoyed this book. I understand why people compare it to Harry Potter. It has the same feel to it which also made the book have a nostalgic feel. It also felt similar to traditional fairytales, which added to this feeling of nostalgia. I do feel like this book is more suited to middle-grade readers rather than YA due to the characters, settings and writing style. Despite this, it was still enjoyable and made for an easy read.
The story was original and written well. Although the characters were likeable, it felt like they didn't have much depth to them but I understand if this is due to the target audience being younger. I would have also liked to see the main character, Ivy, interact with secondary characters such as Rebecca and Fyn more.
The magic system was a little hard to understand and there was some assumed knowledge. It was easy enough to figure out, though and it didn't take away from the book.
Overall, it was a good book. It did take me a while to get through, but that has more to do with reading on my phone rather than a hard copy of the book, which I usually prefer. I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a quick and easy read or wants to read something similar to books such as Harry Potter, Narnia or Alice in Wonderland.

The author has created a wonderful, magical world. From the moment I picked up this book, I knew I was going to like it. But I didn't know that I would fall in love with the character Ivy Lovely, ha see that coming😅

This book gave me some Harry Potter vibes. The main character was sent to the halls of Ivy after finding out she wasn't just a sluddery girl. I had a feeling at the beging from this book and it always makes me happy if it is true.

The author has an easy writing style. And I have to say it but the chapter dividers are so gorgeous and original!

Okay a quick summary: This book is amazing! People who loved Harry Potter will also fall in love with this book! It is set in an amazing world and you just can't put the book down!

The Crowns of Croswald is a middle grades fantasy book that is perfect for anyone who is a fan of Harry Potter, magical adventures, and fairy tales. The main character Ivy finds herself thrown into a world of magic where she finds out things about herself that she never thought were possible. This novel has all of my favorite tropes: a strong independent heroine, a magical school with the usual bullies, unlikely friends and allies, and secret identities!

Ivy is an orphan living in a secluded castle where she is surrounded by magic but has none herself. When she is dismissed and leaves the property of Castle Plum she is retrieved by a magical cabby and taken to the Halls of Ivy. Here she learns all about magic alongside friends and foes. Unusual things start happening to Ivy during her classes and it becomes clear that she is more than she seems. The Selector is keeping secrets from everyone and Ivy remembers things that no one else does. When Ivy and Fyn end up learning secrets hidden away from everyone, then Ivy begins to put some of the puzzle pieces together. The ending of the story finds some of the mysteries of the Halls of Ivy solved, but so many of Ivy's personal history is yet to be revealed.

This book was easy to read. Most of the characters and subtle humor were very well-written into the story. I think there were some definite jumps in the action and character development that left me with some questions about whether I could actually trust some characters, like Fyn. His role in the story was so varied and I wanted to like him but I'm still not sure if he was actually a good guy or not.

If you are looking for a great magical read, this is definitely a good place to start!

My rating is 3.90

I felt like the first few chapters were quite similar to Harry Potter. I can see a lot of people agreeing to it. But yes yes the stories are not same at all. They're different. I liked the story, I couldn't put the book down when mysterious things started to happen. I wouldn't have put the book down if it was not a soft copy which caused me headache. The plotting of scenes was so unique and amazing. Author brought different kinds of animal here for different purposes.

A young girl started to reveal her mysteries when she didn't know she had some inner magic. This book is full of mysteries. I hope you'll like it

Fantasy is not my usual go-to genre but I found myself excited and loving this from start to finish! This was all my childhood fairytales mixed together and I’d say it was heavily a mix of Harry Potter and Cinderella meets Alice- with its own twist. One let down for me was the too similar alikeness in the scar above the eye. But everything else had me intrigued and most surprised. Ivy, a young 16yr old maid has her mundane life turned upside down when she discovers she is actually full of magic and not a mere maid at all. All these doors begin to open for her and it is equally overwhelming as it is wonderful. She makes a new best friend, has her first crush and she is learning to ignore the rules and push the boundaries driven by her inquisitive nature and magic touch. She leaves no stone unturned and you will find yourself entranced in this magical packed treat. Ivy tackles everything head-on and I love this hidden message to all ages to never shy away from your true self. It’s a reminder to be brave. From hairies to scrivinists and all inbetween, this is one for those who love a fairytale and an adventure with a twist. It was very easy to read and I am pleased to admit the princess in me can’t wait to continue onto book 2 of this 4 part series!

I realized how heavily Harry Potter influenced this book as soon as I started reading it. Harry Potter is still very much its own world with its own quirks, but there are a lot of similarities. So, if you like Harry Potter, you might like this.

It has a very different and unique world-building and magic. It was interesting to read about certain aspects. It was good to see how the universe and world were drawn, as well as the whimsical and fun elements of the story. Exploring concepts such as the Hollow Shaft & Glanagaries was fascinating and fun. As well as the travel method of the cabbies, I was intrigued by this.

As a 16-year-old orphan named Ivy, she is cast away from everything she knows and must begin a life she could never imagine (sound familiar... Harry Potter??). It seems that everything is going according to plan, and she gets to where she needs to be. I disliked the fact that she often endangers her friends Rebecca and Fyn on the way. It seemed inconsistent with everything else we know about her. Due to this, I found it difficult to connect with her as a character, but I kept reading because of the world-building and intrigue, hoping that as she matures, she will become more likable.

My biggest issue with the book was its plot. It was poorly paced and chunky. It's a fast-paced book, especially once Ivy finds herself in school, and I found myself speeding through it. I understood it, but I didn't find it particularly entertaining or impactful. I had no idea where the story was going halfway through. Although the action was good, it seemed like isolated incidents and events unrelated to the plot. It was very disjointed to me. Overall, I thought it was a pleasant read, and despite a few shortcomings, I think it fits its intended audience quite well. This book would be a great read for any middle-schooler.

** Thank you NetGalley and Stories Untold for this ARC in exchange for an honest opinion. **

The Crowns of Croswald was a fantastic read and I was hooked from the very first page! A lot of the scenarios reminded me of Harry Potter situations but with a different twist. The author still puts her own spin on things and creates this beautiful magical world and interesting characters and story line! I feel that you can read this no matter what age group you are in. I really enjoyed read it!

Curious and whimsical, both shy and brave, Ivy is a hero that connects with readers of all ages. For those who wished that Narnia, Harry Potter, and Alice in Wonderland could go on forever, Croswald opens a whole new world of magic. Recommended as a read-aloud for families and a first middle-grade fantasy read, The Crowns of Croswald is a four-part series that will carry readers to a whimsical world that they won’t want to leave.

This story from the very start is, full of magic and mystery, and plays with themes of belonging, self-discovery, and good and evil. It gave me all of the Harry Potter vibes (which I was so excited about) while still being unique enough to stand apart. If you are looking for a middle-grade fantasy, I highly recommend this one.

I received a copy through NetGalley from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an E-ARC in exchange for a review.

I knew from the first chapter that Ivy was going to be special. I don't usually read middle grade, but I really enjoyed this book. I thought the magic system was so fun and I loved all the learning, the characters and way Ivy is really starting to find herself. I can't say no to a good magic school setting and I definitely want to read books two and three in the series. There were so many elements that made this world so good and I thought the details were thought out well. It was fast paced and I didn't feel like it was too much of an info dump either. The first book did a great job of setting up the plot of what's to come in the next installments. I thought it was really fun, the ghostly food trio was hilarious, and I enjoyed the nod to words and writing.

So, teen fiction isn’t really my cup of tea nowadays, BUT since I loved the Harry Potter series I decided to give ’The Crowns of Croswald’ a try.

And it delivered!

The spelling style was a little bit bumpy in the beginning and I had to read a few chapters to get used to it. But with each page I learned to appreciate the style of the author more and more.

She paints wonderful, bright and colourful pictures in your mind and takes the reader on a fast-paced, humorous and emotional journey. The settings are thoroughly described and give the reader the opportunity to dive into this magical world. The narration of any magical creature or item is fantastic and would have been exactly like I would have pictured it as a 12 year old.

I followed the story with great interest and was positively surprised by the funny and unique characters and their relationships.

However, there were a few parts, where Ivy’s behaviour seemed kind of naive and juvenile, given the fact that she is 16 years old. But she had to be that way for the story to make sense, I guess.

Even when the plot gets kind of dark, I never had the feeling, that kids would be frightened or intimidated by it. I thought the darkness was an instrument, to keep the reader occupied and to help the tension to develop.

I’m currently reading the second book of the series ’The Girl with the Whispering Shadow’ (there are four books in this series) and the beginning is promising.

First of all, I want to say that I was able to read this book thanks to the author and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I just finished this book and I liked it very much. At first, I couldn’t move forward because I thought it was a little slow, but then I got to about 30% and I couldn’t stop reading. I loved the world that the author created; it was so much fun to imagine everything in my head. I haven’t really read too much fantasy, but I think this was a good one. The only thing I didn’t like was that I felt that the supporting characters weren’t as important as I thought they should have been or they appeared in a piece of the story and then they weren’t mentioned again until later in the reading. I would really like characters like Rebecca or Fyn to have more depth and I hope that will be the case in the next books.

In conclusion, it was a very entertaining and ideal read if you’re starting to read fantasy books, but I didn’t love it, so I give it a 3. 5 star rating.

I am writing on behalf of my daughter, who is 11 years old. She has an IG account (@paige.s.reading), and thanks to Stories Untold Press, she received a free e-book in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5, she loved it and wants to keep reading the whole series.

Plot: Ivy Lovely is an orphan living in Castle Plum as a Scauldron dragon maid. One day she is kicked out of the castle with her Scauldron. They wind up in the Halls of Ivy, a magic school. Ivy is curious about an empty journal that she found at the school, but she is forbidden to read it. Will she find out the truth behind the journal?

Feelings: I was curious and Anxious at the end of the book because I am afraid that Ivy might get in trouble, and I want to know what happens next! It is written with magic and mystery; that’s what kept me reading the book. It also reminds me of Harry Potter.

Fun Facts: This is my second book on kindle (on my Ipad). I enjoyed reading an ebook for a change. It also has an electronic bookmark.

Recommendations: I highly recommend this book if you like fantasy or magical worlds or Harry potter.

First thank you to the publisher Stories Untold Press for offering me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

I so badly wanted to love this book. With boasts of Harry Potter meets Alice in Wonderland, I couldn't say yes to this book fast enough. I was fully anticipating a quirky storyline filled with magic...which don't get me wrong, readers get that, but it just fell short for me and I just saw too many crossovers for my personal liking.

As an avid lover of Harry Potter, I struggled to not compare the characters and atmosphere of CoC to HP. There were direct lines to a majority of our main HP characters and toss that in with some of the funky Alice creatures and the "Queen of Hearts/Evil Queen" I just struggled to give this book its own voice.

Now on the other hand, if you were the target readers (middle grade) and have not read as much fantasy as I have, this would most likely be a fantastic read for you. It would have a better opportunity to stand out on its own and allow younger readers the chance to experience a beautiful world of magic. The author did do a wonderful job with the description/world building and it had a great storyline to it. This wasn't a "bad" book, it just fell short of the mark for me personally.

*Overall, it would be a great choice for a new fantasy/magical world reader and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this series to a middle grade reader.

I am unsure if I will continue on with the series or not. Maybe if I am looking for a simple cleansing read after one of my heavy fantasy books???

3,5/5 🌟

Firstly, I'd like to thank the author and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review, I'm so so thankful.

Before starting with the actual review, let me just say just how beautiful this book is!! The cover is cute, yes, but the inside??? Gorgeous!!!!!

Regarding the book itself - before starting it I browsed through some of its reviews and found some pretty mixed feelings about it. Normally when I do that, I get a pretty good sense of what I'm about to get myself into but in this case, I didn't have a clue.

One of the most recurrent opinions stated that it was really similar to Harry Potter. Well, it is, but I don't actually mind that. I've read pretty good HP knock-offs in the past and I loved them.
TCOC is similar in its core, but it does have some of its own interesting bits, namely its world-building and magic (I loved loved that the author gave the mysterious character - Derwin Edgar Night a twist with her name, so clever).
I did find it a bit confusing, in the beginning, tho because I wasn´t really getting any answers so that made the reading process a bit difficult. I did get them in the end so I'm curious to see what's next for Ivy.

The writing style is also really enjoyable, so if you're a HP fan, then this is the book for you :)

Ivy is an orphan girl that works as a maid until she is invited to come to a school for magical children who are called sqwinches and royals. The discover that she is a sqwinches only leaves Ivy with more questions and mysteries surrounding her heritage and magic.

This book had a lot of crazy cool ideas and elements to it! I loved the magical ideas of the sqwinches and royals and creatures like the scaldrons and shorehorses. With that being said, this book could have been a lot better. The series of events felt very sporadic and not transitioned well. I also felt like there was too much of pattern of describing larger sized characters as mean, dumb, or as only caring about food. For example, one character was described in the book in this way, “She lived above and to the right of Mr. Munson’s shop. However, her size would suggest she lived next to the town baker instead”...Or another was described in this way, “The ticket booth was filled almost entirely with a corpulent woman, the ticketing agent...Derwin could smell her breath, sickly sweet from too much pie.” Maybe I’m being over sensitive about this, but there are multiple other similar descriptions throughout the book. I’m just not sure if I would want to expose my child to that type of viewpoint/attitude.