What a nice nostalgic feel this fantasy had. I think some of the characters could use more development but overall it's a perfect book for young readers. You can't go wrong with this imaginative, creative magical world. Thank you so much for allowing me to review it. I liked it.

Have you ever wished someone would whisk you away from your current life? In the first installment of this middle grade fantasy series, Ivy Lovely is an orphaned teenage scaldrony maid working in the dark recesses of Castle Plum, her only friend an elderly dwarf. When she is unexpectedly expelled from the castle, she begins a journey of a lifetime as she is swept away to a new adventure in self-discovery in the Halls of Ivy.

This tale has it all: magic, mystery, and adventure! Why has Ivy been chosen to start a completely new life? Who is trying to contact her and why? What is behind the door in the Selector’s office? Ivy’s new friends Rebecca and Fyn join her on her quest for answers to these questions and more.

Overall, this is a fun read! There is lots of magical action throughout the book to move the story forward. There are some very creative elements, and I enjoyed visualizing what was going, which was so easy thanks to the vivid descriptions.

I did find the prologue to be a bit tedious and must admit that it almost turned me off the book, but the first actual chapter reeled me into the story. Honestly, though, I ‘m not sure how many middle graders would persevere. The plot at times did remind me of some more well-known magical tales, so in terms of originality, the basic story arc is a familiar one. As far as the details of the book, however, it is highly imaginative and entertaining!

If you enjoy magic, adventure, and mystery, this read is for you! When you finish it wishing for more of Ivy’s adventures, there are currently three books in the series with the fourth installment on the way soon!

2.5/5. Unfortunately, this book was just not for me. I usually like fantasy books, but this was just a little too magical for my taste. The story packed a lot into a short 250 pages, and it almost seemed a little cluttered. I found myself trying to remember who certain characters were and their relevance to Ivy. The last 20 pages or so really caught my interest, so I was disappointed that it was at the end of the book! This seems like a really great YA series, and I think if these would have come out when I was in middle school I would have eaten them up.

All reviews are my own unbiased opinion. Thank you to D. E. Night, Stories Untold Press, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a copy of this book. I will be posting my review on NetGalley, as well as my Good Reads, Instagram @volabookclub, blog, and Amazon.

I really enjoyed this book! There was definitely HUGE Harry Potter influence that was made obvious in several elements of the world the author crafted here, but the storyline itself was still unique.

The book follows the character of Ivy, a teenager who has lived her life so far as a scullery maid, always yearning for something more. Her life is forever changed when she crosses the border of an enchanted boundary to attend the Halls of Ivy and awaken the magical powers she never knew she had. She makes new friends, learns about her family history, and is threatened by the Dark Queen, in a story full of adventure and whimsy.

I have read other stories set in a magical boarding school and (apart from Harry Potter, of course), this one is probably my favorite. I found the characters to be loveable and interesting, and the plotline was also creative and fun to explore. The relationship between Ivy and Fynn went at an appropriate pace, and I am excited to see it flourish even more throughout the rest of the series.

I will say I was a bit confused with some of the plotline and what was actually going on, specifically toward the end of the story, but perhaps it could be cleared up with a reread - or in future books of the series. There were a lot of details crammed into a relatively short book and I think it was overall well done.

Thank you to the publisher for gifting me a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I want to thank the author and her publisher for allowing me the opportunity to read this book! This is a great first book in a new middle grade series! The book is about a young girl who is an orphan and not a very happy life! However, one day when she least expected it she receives an opportunity that allows her to attend a magical boarding school to improve her magical abilities! While attending the school she makes friends and becomes more brave along the way. But there is an evil Queen who has some malicious plans! Will Ivy be brave enough to stop the evil Queen? This book was so much fun! This book reminded me very much of Harry Potter but in the best way possible I always did resent the fact that the main character should have been Hermione! Ivy is a great main character and she was very likable. She is a good person through and through! The book was not boring whatsoever and I couldn’t get enough of it and I just wanted to keep reading! My only complaint is that I wanted more world building! But I’m hoping in the next book there is more explained! I look forward to reading the next book!

Thank you to the author for sending me this digital copy in exchange of an honest review. I found this book to be a really magical read, that I believe young readers and adults alike will enjoy. Reminiscent of Harry Potter and yet unique enough in its own right.

This book brought back all the feels from the first time I read Harry Potter! It was so much fun to discover a new, magical world. I enjoyed meeting each of the characters and seeing their story progress. The first book has me hooked and I will definitely be reading the rest of the series soon! The plot was interesting and captivating with so many cool details about the world the author created. Such a fun read, can’t wait to see what happens next!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! It was a slow start but the world building was well done. I could see the setting so clearly. The magic system is unique and I hope book 2 explains the scrivener/royal pairing more. I’m excited to start book 2!

DISCLAIMER: I received this book free from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I'm a little on the fence for this one because I went in willingly but blind and I did not expect it to be a Harry Potter-esque kind of book, which for me didn't work quite well enough. I really liked the first 2 chapters although I was a bit confused with the universe of the book. The story is well written but the level of the language is far too complicated as it is sold for a middle grade audience... so that was confusing too. After those two aforementioned chapters, I admit it was difficult for me to keep being engaged and I really struggled to finish it. I'm sure the glorious reviews speak some truth but I don't share the sentiment. As I said, it is well written enough and you may or may not like this one but my expectations were not met. Also, the constant similitudes to Harry Potter were a diservice and the intrigue ended up falling flat. Too bad.

I was kindly sent a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review! (Thanks to @danielastoriesuntoldpress !)

In this book we follow Ivy, a 16 year old girl who gets whisked away to a magical school, and learns all about magic and how to use her powers. I loved the whole concept and whilst in some points it gave me major Harry Potter vibes (something I’m not complaining about), Night managed to make the story and its plot her own, and I applaud the sheer amount of effort is clearly visible in developing the world and history etc!!

This is the kind of book 14 year old me would have made my entire personality, however reading it now at 21 I think it just didn’t leave the same impression on me! I think for me, I just didn’t click in particular with any of the characters (there was nothing wrong with any of them and as well written as they were I just found them a bit bleh) and I think this is the reason I didn’t absolutely LOVE the book, it left me more just feeling average about the full experience.

Overall, I would recommend if you are looking for a light fantasy that is easily digestible, and definitely if you are on the younger side!!

Ivy, a lover of books and drawing, worked in the kitchen of a castle in the slurry where she befriended a scaldron named Humboldt.
After she was cast out of the castle, she meets many characters and discovers she is so much more than she thought. Her adventures to discover her true calling take the reader on a descriptive journey through a magical world where Ivy discovers who she really is.

This book was a mixture of Harry Potter and fairy tales for me. It took me a bit to get into the story, but once I was hooked...I was hooked. I enjoyed the fantasy-fairy tale story which showed that your true self guides you to your greatness. People in your life help you along the way. Trust in the journey.

Thank you to the publisher for sending me a E copy of the book on NetGalley!

The story is about a young girl Ivy— she grew up in what they call the slurry, which supresses and hides magic. One day, she gets invited to the Halls of Ivy, a school that teaches all things magic and helps the students uncover their powers. She has many adventures at the school, exploring her new found abilities and creating strong friendships, but weird things keep happening and she's sure they're hiding something from her. If only she knew what...

I absolutely LOVE anything fantasy, so this book was a good choice for me. It's aimed at younger children (think Harry Potter mixed with Eragon mixed with Narnia), but it didn't feel condescending or too simple for someone a bit older. I think this book has a lot of positive influences, which I feel is one of the most important things in children's fiction. The friendships Ivy forms are wholesome and far from toxic, which is another tick off my list of things I was looking to get out of this book. The entire atmosphere of the book was so magical and I absolutely adored how writing and drawing is seen as magic, a beautiful metaphor for how it feels to do these things in the real world.

The ending for me unfortunately felt a bit rushed and fell a bit flat after the massive build up that started the first few chapters. However, I think this was done to keep a younger audience engaged, so it's hard to fault this too much. I hope in the next books Ivy has more interaction with her new friends, because although they seemed solid friends, she seemed like a lone wolf most of the time.

All in all, I did really like this book, and I'm looking forward to finding out what happens next in books 2 and 3!!

** I was kindly sent this book in exchange for an honest review. **

Rating: 3.75 / 5 stars

If you like Harry Potter, Cinderella and Snow White then you will definitely love this book.

The story follows a scullery maid called Ivy that, when she leaves the place where she works, is swept away to a magical boarding school where she not only learns magic, but also the secrets of her past and why she’s so special.

Every young reader that loves magical, whimsical stories will love this book and it’s characters. It’s full of mysteries, magical creatures, a Dark Queen and secret rooms that make the reader want to be a part of this world.

The cover, the blurb, the world that this story is based on all sounds like a fantasy dream come true and the initial visuals do not disappoint. A refreshingly unique and engaging imaginative story which takes you into the new world Night builds through her flowing writing vivid imagination put to page. Although a little slow at first and the book taking a little while to get into; there was no need to fret as wow did this story grip me after this and totally envelop me in the shadows and stars it creates. Spiderwick Chronicles meets Harry Potter in a realm full of magic, shadows, mystery, and charm to produce a story that you will get so caught up in you will battle to put the book down until you release you need to order book 2 straight away.
The characters themselves are brilliantly written, relatable, and easy to connect with after the first several chapters of getting to know them. The centre of my book character love going to the amazing Ivy. I cannot quite believe I am about to type this, but I had the same connection with her as with characters from ‘Harry Potter’ when I was a child, the pure joy and love for Ivy is one that must be shared. This not only is directed at Ivy though; every character whether they only appear for a chapter, a scene or are reoccurring, have a spark that take from 2D words on a page to full life beings in your mind and on the world itself.
This book age group is listed as 10-15 but although the writing style does slightly cater to this age, the story and realm itself is for all ages and loved of fantasy from 10 years of age upwards.
There are only slight woes I have with the book, which I may add do not affect me now that I have finished the book and fallen in love with the series as a whole. The earliest being there being a character at the beginning who is then not mentioned for a long while yet, being oddly confusing. The second being the word ‘scrivenist’ which is a fantastic word now that I know the meaning and fully enjoy, but when first mentioned was not explained, so therefore took a while to connect the dots and wholly appreciate.
Crowns of Croswald will always have pride of place on my bookshelf and in my book heart, so much so that I even designed an enamel pin based on it to share the love of the Croswald world.
Many thanks to D.E Night, her lovely publisher for sending me a copy of this amazing book to fall in love with.

This book is aimed for middle school age, and for that I really enjoyed it. The majority of it set in a magic school, the world building was good and gave me a very clear image. For once, I actually kept picturing the character younger than they are due to who its aimed it, and the way they spoken didn't line up with the ages given. It did give some similarities to Harry Potter but I think any 'children's ' book set in a school will do that now. Overall I did enjoy it and will probably give the next book a try

I absolutely loved the magic of this story! It was easy to feel transported into the world and as a reader I felt the magical experience. The one thing I was not fond of was how confusing the first few chapters were. It seems to jump around a bit and I wasn't sure which POV I was in or what timeline. I understand the intention but as a reader it was a little hard to get into the story originally due to that confusion. Overall a wonderful story full of adventure, mystery, and magic!

I must say, whatever I expected - I absolutely got that and even more. This is very classic magic kind of world which is absolutely unique and fantastic!

It gave me Harry Potter and Cinderella vibe, with a sprinkle of Snow White here and there. It was in no way copy of those stories, just had similar feeling to it, which I enjoyed quite a lot.

Storyline kept me interested as it was really hard to predict what will happen next. And even though I did guessed couple things, there was so many twists that I couldn't even imagine! And the world building is truly beautiful, author obviously gave much thought even to the smallest details. Magical things are happening in the D.E. Night head for sure!

What I didn't realised, it's a middle grade book, so it was a tad too light for my taste. At some points I just wanted things to be more dramatic. But if you like to dive into a magical, creative fantasy world - give this book a try!

Also, the little initials thing author did in the book - I loved it! 🖤

The Crowns of Croswald is a super fun, magical read that's sure to enthral younger readers from the get-go.

In this delightful MG fantasy, we follow the story of Ivy Lovely, a Scaldrony Maid whose life is a lot less mundane than she's been brought up to know. Ivy's path takes an unexpected turn when she discovers that she has magic in her blood and she receives an invitation to attend and study at the Halls of Ivy - a school where students learn to master their magical blood and the power of Croswald’s mysterious gems. As the story progresses, we meet and learn of the Dark Queen's ill-intent towards Ivy, following her journey as she learns more about her own blood & history, and attempts to thwart the Queen's plans.

Night crafts Ivy's story expertly, using beautifully colourful , whimsical writing to bring the magic systems and characters in this fantastical world to life. I feel that some elements of the story are quite reminiscent of Harry Potter, but The Crowns of Croswald certainly has its own uniqueness and allure that stand to the book in its own right. There were some issues with pacing throughout and unfortunately I found my attention wandering from the pages on occasion.

Despite the few shortcomings, this was definitely an enjoyable read overall and would be perfect for young readers who love magic and adventure!

When the publisher reached out to me to ask if I would like to read this book, I almost immediately said yes! I had seen this book around a bit, and the synopsis really spoke to me! Crowns of Croswald is a middle grade fantasy book, and it truly reads like one, with all the whimsicality that comes with that genre! I loved exploring this world, so if you want a simple fantasy novel that offers a great escape: read this one!

I thought it had a very interesting plot and mystery that had me hooked at every page. The whole vibe of the book did remind me a bit of Harry Potter, which I wasn't mad about; it reminded me of the books I would dream away with as a child and devour in a single day, so it was very fun to read that kind of book again. The mystery definitley gave it a fun twist, and I think this book is great for younger readers!

I also found the descriptions were very brilliantly done, and it was very easy to picture the world! Everything was whimsical, which overall made for a really pleasant experience. I thought the magic system was very interesting, and very well built, though I'd loved to learn out more about the different stones and families. The writing was really easy to follow, and I thought the book was well-written overall! It was also a fast-paced book, with a lot of action, which I really appreciated.

The book was also a good set-up for a series; it had a lot of important worldbuilding to get you a feel for the surroundings, and how the world was put together, without solely focussing on world-building and still leaving enough room to set up the plot.

However, I did I find the story to be a bit unrealistic at times; the characters seemed to get into impossible-to-get-out situations, that were all resolved incredibly easily; it seems like Ivy's luck never seemed to run out. This led to there being a lot of superficial drama and events that didn't have any major or lingering consequences, and was moved on from fairly quickly. Though some events were definitely necessary to move the story along and were vital to the plot, I don't think this was the case to everything which sometimes cluttered the book.

Ivy could be very stubborn and selfish at times; she only did whatever she wanted to do and dragged others with her into her misfortunes, not really caring too much. What also confused me was Ivy's age; she was supposed to be 17, but sometimes she seemed no older than 14.

Overall, I did really enjoy the book! It was a solid start of a series, that did a great job setting up the story and the rest of the series, but on its own was also very enjoyable! Definitely will be checking out the next book!

If you’re like me and wanted to be whisked away to Hogwarts when you were a kid but were sorely disappointed when you weren’t, “The Crowns of Croswald” is the balm to that disappointment. A magical boarding school, a spunky main character, and plenty of adventures make “The Crown of Croswald” a delightful read for all ages, even if it’s a middle-grade novel.
“The Crowns of Croswald” follows Ivy, the spunky misfit who dreams of magic, which she unwittingly stumbles upon and is whisked away to a magic boarding school. As Ivy traverses class, mean girls, and her own magic, she’s drawn into the mysteries of her school and home through a Forgotten Room, secret tower, and mystical lake that leads her toward the answers she’s been searching for–and her destiny.
Night effortlessly creates a character so relatable, it hurts at times. Ivy’s misfit tendencies and attitude jump off the page and narrate the story. The other characters–Winsome, Rebecca, and Fyn–are also well-crafted, but lack a story arc, although it might be a bit premature to say that given “The Crowns of Croswald” is the first novel in “The Croswald” series.
If you’re expecting a similar magical world to Harry Potter, you might be disappointed, but fear not! This world is just as mystical and fantastical as Harry Potter’s magical realism.
“The Crowns of Croswald” delightfully lays the foundation for what I expect to be a fantastic and adventurous series into Ivy’s experiences and world. A refreshing read, no matter what the age.