Synopsis: Ivy Lovely , a 16 year old works as a scauldrony maid. A series of events occur and she is forced to leave the secure slurry. Her magic awakens and she is invited to be taught at the magical school " HALLS OF IVY". Will she able to decipher the secrets of her being and the ancient scrivenist magic?

Review:
The good:
This is a lighthearted middle grade fantasy book with scrivenists , a magic school and the main character is a lovely lady squinch . This book gave me strong Harry Potter and coco( animated movie) vibes. The language used is quite simple and is a quick read.

What could have been better:
This book draws a lot of parallels with HP world and we've already seen that in a lot of fantasy books. What is to be appreciated is that despite having similar settings, the author has conjured up an interesting fantasy world. This can be enjoyed more by 8-12 year olds; but may not be as interesting for the young adults and adults.

I received an e-copy of this book from Stories Untold Press for free in exchange for an honest review.

This middle grade story is very fun and whimsical! Ivy is a fun main character to follow on her journey as she learns and grows. I don’t know if anyone else read Charlie Boone books as a kid like I did, but this book reminded me of a mix of those and Harry Potter, with the magic and the school. I think middle grade readers will love The Crowns of Croswald, and I enjoyed the read!

This was a delightful read! In it, we meet Ivy Lovely, a scaldrony maid at the House of Plum. She’s in charge of the scaldrons, small dragons who use their flames to cook the food. An unexpected turn of events sends her fleeing, with the smallest scaldron, beyond the magic-blocking border that she’s lived behind her entire life. And thus begins the new life of Ivy Lovely. Whisked off to a magical school, learning she’s got magical powers, training to be a Scrivenist, and learning she may be so much more than a scaldrony maid – it’s quite the adventure!

I liked the magical system Night created. Scrivenists have the ability to recall everything they see and record it through drawing and writing. Once trained, they are assigned to a royal family, to act as that family’s historian and record-keeper. Royals are able to use different types of magic by means of different stones. It was fascinating to see the different types of powers and how the scrivenists worked.

I also loved that she named one of the scrivenists Derwin Edgar Night. I see what you did there, D. E.! Derwin Edgar Night is a very important figure in the story. Ivy has been dreaming of a man, and she realizes it is Night. She needs to find him to learn more about who she is, what her family history is.

The characters are delightful. Ivy is a young lady thrust into a situation completely different from what she’s known. She handles it like you’d expect a teenager to do – sometimes she is grace and class, sometimes she’s just muddling through, but she never loses her sense of humor and she never gives up. I thought Rebecca was going to be a snot, but she turns out to be quite a good friend to Ivy. I hope to see more of their friendship in future books. And Finn – there’s a little spark there with Ivy, I think. Will something come of it? I’ll have to read more and see!

There’s a touch of Harry Potter to this – magical school, Ivy going shopping for her school supplies, magical creatures and transportation. But Ivy’s story is uniquely hers. It’s billed as YA fantasy, but I promise you that I’m nowhere near “young adult,” and I was absolutely captivated by the story. I recommend this for fantasy lovers from sixth grade to 60 and beyond! Five stars, and bring on book two!

Thanks to the author and publisher for a review copy. All opinions here are mine, and I don’t say nice things about books I don’t actually like.

4.5 stars
This story follows its main character Ivy. Ivy lives a mundane life as a scaldrony maid whose only joy comes from visits with her friend Rimbrick. One day Ivy's life drastically changes when she is swept aboard a beast taking her to the magical school called The Halls of Ivy. The Halls of Ivy are for those who possess magic and are either royals (princes and princesses) or scrivenists. Scrivenists are assigned to royals and are given the responsibility of recording events with a magical quill. Ivy is happy to begin her training as a scrivenist, or so she thinks. Once to the school she meets several new friends who help her on many adventures to discover who she really is.

Going into this book, it was hard not to compare it to Harry Potter. Although there are similarities, this story is completely its own. I love the setting D. E. Night creates as well as the characters and magical creatures. Although at the beginning it was a little difficult to see how everything would connect, it all ties together beautifully in the end. I found myself rooting for Ivy as she grew in both her confidence and inner strength. The ending left me wanting more and anxious to see what Ivy does with the information she gains at the end. This is truly a story of the journey of self discovery and the responsibilities you inherit once you arrive.

For full review as well as staged photo posted to our social media see link below:
https://theselyricsandlines.com/264/the-crowns-of-croswald/

*I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

I actually enjoyed this book a lot more than I originally thought I would. The first few chapters were harder to get into as I felt there was a lot of information, especially considering the book is classed as a middle grade/younger YA book, however the pace does pick up eventually.

One thing I adored was the Harry Potter like world building. I loved all the magic components and the small details that build this book up to be magical and mystical. I also liked all the characters we meet in the book, I particularly liked the friendship between our main character Ivy and Rebecca, plus I get the feeling we may get a small romance between Ivy and Fyn which I was rooting for!

Another thing I really liked was the front cover, usually I don't mention this in reviews but I really loved the cover and artwork in this book, the cover was most of the reason I agreed to read the book. Plus the chapter artwork is gorgeous, along with the perfectly fitted chapter titles.

I also loved the idea of Haries (I mean fairies with light up hair?! Where can I get one!)

I definitely recommend this book for people who may want a book filled with magic or are looking for a simple book for a bit of escapism.

The Crowns of Croswald (The Crowns of Croswald #1)
by D.E. Night

I received a copy and am voluntarily leaving a review.

The first book in The Crowns of Croswald series opens with a tantalising snippet surrounding the character we come to identify as Derwin Edgar Night. He is described as a “Scrivenist”, a type of magical scribe and as the tale unfolds, we discover fully what this entails. After his establishment, the tale proceeds with our encounter with the protagonist, Ivy Lovely, and suddenly we are swept away by the circumstances that promptly arise. She passes her mundane existence, serving as a scaldrony maid in the kitchen of Castle Plum. On one eventful day, Ivy discovers Humboldt, a “scaldron”, suffering from “flue flem” and everything seems to go wrong from that point. Little does she realise the path her life is about to take and the unbelievable occurrences to follow!

The Crowns of Croswald is an extraordinarily detailed story and is now securely on my favourite list. The entire world and underlying theme involved in the book, while equally entertaining, keeps the thrill and mystery presented to us at the start. A fascinating, wholesome style with a little of everything, D.E. Night has established a fantasy masterpiece; I would love to experience this in a film or a fantasy tv series!

Small sketches appear at the start of each chapter, a delightful extra detail that lends itself perfectly to the style of the book. It shows the added investment the author has taken, providing not only aesthetic appeal but still teases the reader with the incidents of the chapter we are about to begin.

The narrative is highly enjoyable. Reading the detail throughout, I could truly play out each part in my mind. Each scene reveals itself as if watching a film. One of my favourite parts is Ivy’s tour in the cabby, especially the goodies on offer, and I can only imagine the thoughts that went through her head. I felt somewhat envious that we don’t have the same privileges when we travel! If you are an admirer of all things mysterious and magical, illusion and fairies, The Crowns of Croswald is unquestionably for you. Added to this is the cover of the book which beautifully conveys the subject.

I didn’t want to stop reading, neither did I want the adventure to end, but what I can add is the ending is a satisfying conclusion. I appreciate how there is a resolution that still hints at many possibilities to come. Looking forward to the second novel in the series!
Thank you to NetGalley and Stories Untold.

I rate The Crowns of Croswald 5 out of 5 stars.

This was an overall fun witchy, coming-of-age story. Fun friendships, lovely characters. Despite Ivy being 16, the level of maturity is a bit too young as 16 year-olds can be childish but not completely. Overall a good book. I am not of course the target audience but this was a nice break from my regular, heavy world building fantasy novels. Would definitely recommend for those that want their kids to get into reading but aren't ready for something more intense such as Harry Potter.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for approving me for an eARC in exchange for an honest review. These opinions are my own.

I’m giving this book 3.7 stars so I am rounding up. I enjoyed this book. I personally felt that it did have a lot of similar parallels to Harry Potter but had its own fun magic systems. It is a whimsical and fun read. I really like the magic quills and the idea of the magical crowns. All of the animal creatures were really interesting. I always enjoy when the MC is kind to animals. I really liked Ivy’s story and the mystery surrounding her life. Ivy was kind even after having a tough beginning of her life. I also really appreciated that the author made the books that Ivy loved have the same author initials as herself. That was a really fun touch. The book dragged a little bit during the middle when ivy was at school. But then it picked up in the second half. The end chapters I flew through and by the end I wanted to know what would happen next. I think many younger readers will be able to connect with Ivy and will really enjoy this book.

As much as I love Harry Potter I have to say that was way better. The story follows Ivy who has no clue about her past or her family. At age 16 she gets invited to attend Hall Of Ivy school. I love that we’re was so much more action in this first book. I can’t wait to read the second book.

(A big thank you to StoriesUntold and NetGalley for supplying a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!)
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Do you love the Harry Potter stories? Are you intrigued by stories involving magic, fantasy, mystical creatures, and royal kingdoms? If so, you'll likely love "The Crowns of Croswald", an imaginative story about a 15-year-old girl named Ivy. Early in the novel, Ivy is invited to a magical boarding school, where she studies to become a "scrivenist" for a royal family.

Overall, "The Crowns of Croswald" tells an enchanting story based in a magical world. As other reviewers have mentioned, this book (especially the first few chapters) are quite reminiscent of the Harry Potter series. For example, Ivy, an orphan enduring a difficult home life, receives a formal invitation (with a quirky school supplies list) and spends an afternoon in magical shops searching for her school items. The school itself is in a castle filled with eccentric teachers.

However, the strongest parts of the book are the unique elements the author (D.E. Night) created, and these parts are what kept me reading. The story really begins to take root after the first couple chapters, with Ivy developing friendships with the characters of Fyn and Rebecca.

Some of my favorite bits included:

- The assortment of creatures (Scaldron dragons, animals which are used as sort of "castle oven." How creative! Also hairies, magical "lantern" creatures I wanted to learn more about.)
- The glanagerie (a sort of alternate world students can practice magic in)
- The Compass Individualis (a magical record of a student's actions)

The book is intended for younger readers, but the story's flow might be a bit difficult for middle-schoolers to follow. At times, I had trouble determining the character's goal. Another reviewer suggested an extra round of editing would have been helpful, and I agree. Perhaps additional developmental editing would have eliminated confusion about certain elements.

I do think this author clearly has a great imagination, evident through many details (like magical tea blends for student ailments). I'm sure Night's future books will really highlight those unique creative abilities, strengthening their writing voice and story structure techniques!

A thank you to the publishers and netgalley for an arc in exchange of an honest review.

This one just didn’t capture me. As soon as I started the book I found an error in tense switching and that really put me off immediately. The book was fairly simplistic and, in my opinion, lacked a consistent voice. I would have advised another round of edits before this stage.

The Crowns of Croswald is a middle-grade, high fantasy story which follows the protagonist Ivy Lovely, a scaldrony maid (a maid who looks after dragons which are required for cooking) who is selected to attend the Halls of Ivy, a prestigious school of magic. Throughout the year Ivy discovers who she truly is and that she possesses several unique abilities.

I really enjoyed reading this book. The first half of the story has strong parallels to Harry Potter however, the setting is a high fantasy world full of magic and the magic systems explored throughout the story are quite unique and beautiful. The story felt familiar and different enough for it to be a lovely comfortable read if you are a fan of Harry Potter, whilst also providing an intriguing new world of magic. I loved the political setting of the story and I am keen to see how this will be challenged in future installments.

This was a very whimsical story and I loved how we were introduced to Ivy, her friends, and the world in which they live. D. E. Night’s writing is beautiful and perfectly matches the whimsical magic of Croswald. I could clearly picture each scene through the descriptions provided and I felt the story was well paced to give the reader a solid introduction. The only issue I had with the writing was with some of the dialogue. In one instance (no spoilers), there is an exchange between an evil character and Ivy and I found it too convenient how the evil character goes on a tirade and explains Ivy’s past. I would have liked this information to have been discovered gradually throughout the story. Also, some of the dialogue between Ivy and her friends did seem forced at times.

The ending was great, I sense the next books will involve Ivy going on multiple quests and I adore when a first book in a series ends this way. However, even at the end of the book I did feel slightly emotionally detached. I am sure I would have been obsessed with this series when I was younger and even as an adult, I look forward to reading the rest of the books.

Overall, I would recommend the Crowns of Croswald to anyone who is interested in a middle grade, high fantasy read in a world full of whimsical magic, who needs a Harry Potter fix but in a new and unique way, or if you are a fan of school-based settings.

Thank you to Netgalley & D. E. Night for providing me with an eARC copy of The Crowns of Croswald in exchange for an honest review.

I was contacted on IG if I wanted an arc for my honest review of this book and my answer was why not

I didn’t know what to expect of this book tbh.
I have to say that I did like it quite a lot!

I’m very picky with fantasy books but this it had everything I could wish for in it 😃

I think everyone should give this book a try.
Be aware you have 3 more books after this 🙊

I recieved this Ebook in exchange for my honest review . And Im here to do that! (No spoilers)

This book was great. Being out of normal genre, however, I feel my review is automatically biased. I don't normally read fantasy . But it reminded me so much of harry potter! I liked it . I put myself in situations wishing I could be magical. Ha! .
I did read the whole book . Though, it wasnt my favorite. I enjoyed it enough to finish ! Great read. And I'd probably pick up another book in the future written by D.E Night. Great read.

Although a person of any age would like this book, I think it is perfect for ages 9-12 years. This will be a four book series and has a notably small semblance of the Harry Potter Series. Although I tend to think of more gloom & gray with Harry Potter, this book is the exact opposite since it is full of so much color.
Ivy is a teenage girl that lives in a fantasy world where dragons that cook food and horses that have fins (seahorses) actually exist. When she turns 16, she is surprisingly sent to The Halls of Ivy where she learns she is more than she thinks she is.
The author’s imagination pulls you into this fantastical, colorful story as you join Ivy in her magical and suspenseful adventure.

Thank you to @danielastoriesuntoldpress and @netgalley for my advanced reader’s kindle copy.

I have very mixed feelings about this book... The magical world created by the author is awesome. I appreciate the details, even though the school part is very much Harry Potter vibes. I like Ivy's history and the way to discover her heritage and abilities. That's cool and I enjoyed reading about that.

But! Many cons need to be mentioned. The storylines are chaotic. There is so much going on that it is hard to keep track and stay focus on it. In fantasy books that something that makes me struggle. Ivy is great, but sometimes a bit naive. Especially when it comes to magic and its consequences. Maybe cause she's still very young and making errors like we all did/do.

The last thing is that I do not feel the mystery and the dark atmosphere here. Some parts are emotionless and that was weird, especially when something dramatic is going on, you keep waiting for their actions and almost feel the fear in the air, and Ivy with friends... do nothing. I don't know, it's just an impression but catch my attention here.
The same with looking for clues and trying to find out the truth. There is no place for the reader to stop, to consider options, to ask the proper question cause the answer is already given.

The book is a good one, but it is not something special to discover. Maybe because it is the first book in the series or the author is still getting better and better, but It is not a heartbreaker and I'm not going to come back to it anytime soon.

The Crowns of Croswald is an adventurous middle-grade fantasy with an interesting magic system, and a plot that feels very reminiscent of Harry Potter.

Ivy Lovely is a 16-year-old working as a maid in a castle before she gets whisked away to the prestigious magic school called the Halls of Ivy. It is here where she tries to uncover the reasons why only she can remember Derwin Edgar Night, who comes to her in her dreams, while also learning the magic of becoming a Scrivenist. She also goes through the perils of bullying from the Royals, who are also learning the magic of their crowns at the school.

I thought that the book started off well, but the plot got lost somewhere in the middle, and I wasn't really sure what the point was anymore. It almost felt like a bunch of short stories were being strung together as chapters and there was an underlying plot trying to hold them all together.

The two different magic systems (the Royal's crowns and the quills of the Scrivenists) interacted really well with each other, and gave the story a unique take. Although, I felt that some of the details needed more explaining as it was hard to keep all the funky terms straight.

I also wasn't really connected to Ivy like I have been with other books, and this may just be because I felt a little old to be reading this story. I probably would have liked it a lot more when I was 10 with all the fantastical descriptions, but I am too mature for that now.

I would recommend this book to younger readers, and especially children who are fans of Harry Potter who are looking for something similar.

Thank you to Stories Untold Press and NetGalley for providing me with a free ARC to review.

I received this book to give my honest review by stories untold.

I really enjoyed this book right from the start. I really enjoyed the magic system. Once I started reading I found I didn't want to put the book back down. The crown of croswald remained me of Harry potter. I plan on continuing the series.

This is the first in a magical middle grade trilogy by D.E. Night, and certainly packs a punch when it comes to imagination, mystery and whimsy.

We follow the life of Ivy Lovely, a scaldrony maid who is in charge of caring for the scaldrony dragons in the kitchens of Castle Plum. This castle is unlike others, as it is devoid of magic. Ivy is very much a child who seems to always get into trouble, as we find out when she is thrown out of Castle Plum. As the story continues, Ivy has the chance for her lifelong dream to be realised, as she’s invited to study to be a scrivenist at the Halls of Ivy. Scrivenists in this world use their magical skills in drawing, writing and photographic memory to work for the royal families. Royal students study the magic present in the stones of their crowns and are far more powerful and each very different.

The plot is filled with magical lessons, strange creatures, and peculiar happenings. Each chapter builds upon the mystery in the last, encouraging the reader to work out what is going in with Ivy’s past and the missing scrivenist, Derwin Edgar Night. I will say that on the outset, I was quite confused by the preface, which introduces Derwin and this world before cutting to Ivy. The conclusion answered most questions but was also sometimes a bit hard to follow. Overall though, it was a solid plot and kept me engaged throughout. I especially loved the lessons, given that the setting for most of the novel was a magic school.

The characters were just lovely (excuse the pun). Ivy Lovely is an intriguing main character, with enough grit and spark to have me cheering for her. For the most part, I really enjoyed her perspective, however she reads as an eleven- or twelve-year-old character, but is actually older than this. Ultimately this meant that some of her thoughts and feelings felt disjointed. Side characters, Rebecca and Fyn were supportive and enabled both Ivy’s growth and plot development. Rebecca was particularly interesting to me, as a Royal who wanted to be a scrivenist. I didn’t like Fyn and Ivy’s evolving relationship – I do believe that could have been left out of the novel and they could have remained purely friends. It is because of this that I won’t be reading this book to my year 5/6 students but will be recommending it to my more advanced and mature readers on an individual basis. I would have appreciated some more on-the-page diversity as well.

If you are using this as a teacher, there is some really fabulous world-building and vocabulary use throughout, as well as the world’s own language and rule systems. We also have an interesting preface to start the book, setting us up to think about Derwin throughout, even when Ivy is unaware of his existence.

Overall, this was an enjoyable and fun read. I would recommend it to ages 12-14.

I was given a copy of this book to review! It has already been published, but they wanted to bring this story to people’s attention!
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This book was so magical. Reminded me of Harry Potter in the sense that they went away to school for the year to study magic.
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This book is about Ivy, a 16 year old girl who was a maid working in the kitchens. She loves to sketch, but has to hide it. She gets kicked out from her current job and ends up learning magic in school.
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This book is filled with all kinds of twists and turns and secrets. There’s a Dark Queen and surprises right to the end.
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I recommend this book if you love YA, brave female protagonists and magic.