3.5 Stars - A whimsical and fun read

I received a copy of The Crowns of Croswald for free from the publisher (Stories Untold) in exchange for an honest review.

The atmosphere of this book was brilliant as it was beautifully whimsical and filled me with a comforting sense of nostalgia. The world building was unique and interesting and stands out against other books set in a magical school setting. One of the best things about this book was the cast of characters each with their own colourful personalities as well as the magical creatures. I especially loved the trio of ghostly chefs that serve meals to the students whilst spouting verses of poems.

Ivy herself was a good protagonist and you get to follow her as she progresses through her first year at the Halls of Ivy. She displayed great determination when tracking down a mysterious author that the whole school seems to have forgotten, whilst pursuing her magical studies and making friends along the way. I wish you got to see a few more of her classes (since the teachers were great!) and more interactions with her fellow classmates, as it was very fast paced once she reached the school.

Overall, I thought this was a very good introduction to the world and the characters and I would recommend this book to fans of middle grade fantasy, especially if you enjoyed other series such as Nevermoor or Harry Potter

Review for “The Crowns of Croswald”.

I really enjoyed the world building and the writing style! It’s and entertaining book, but I didn’t feel like I really connected to the characters and for me, characters are the most important. I liked Ivy, but I didn’t connected with her so I didn’t fall in love with the book like I wished I had.

Also I felt like the similarities to Harry Potter kinda put me a little bit off, and although it’s not a bad thing that the book is inspired by HP I think I would have enjoyed it more if I hadn’t kept comparing them.

“The Crowns of Croswald” is a nice introduction to this magical world and a good first book in the series. It’s a fun and entertaining read and I highly recommend it for younger readers looking for a nice middle grade fantasy!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Stories Untold for the sending me a e-book!

I received this book for free from the publisher Stories Untold in exchange for an honest review.
This story is about a girl Ivy Lovely she has no idea what her power could be. But one day she enters into a new magical world that is full of mystery. Ivy attends a magical school to learn more about her magical power. She also starts to discover more about her past…

What I loved about the book was the fantasy world. The worldbuilding is amazing, the description of the school seems to me like truly exists. I can imagine all these things and they make me feel like a student. It is one of the most interesting book's world I have ever read about.

I also appreciate the small illustrations at the beginning of each chapter. They were so stunning and added a magic spark to this story. The characters were very nice my favorite is Rebecca.

Only one thing I can reproach that was the slow beginning of the book. It took me a while to got through the first chapters, then everything got better and I couldn´t put the book down.
In closing, I want to recommend this book to everyone who likes Harry Potter, Nevermore: Morrigan Crow, or Keeper of Lost Cities.

The Crowns of Croswald is a middle grade fantasy novel that gave me Harry Potter vibes. The story follows Ivy who is 16 years old and is unsure of who she is and where she belongs. She is inquisitive, curious, stubborn, and finds herself getting into precarious situations, just like Harry. When Ivy accidentally finds herself in a world that seems out of her imagination she is on her greatest adventure yet. With pulse pounding action, magic, dragons, and a charming main character. Will Ivy be able to hone in on her new found magic and meet her destiny? Or will the history of evil and the evil Queen prevail and keep her reign of evil? I was brought into Ivy's magical world. The author does a great job building the story and characters, and has just enough mystery and suspense to keep you turning pages to find out what happens next. As a kid I really enjoyed Harry Potter and The Chronicles of Narnia series, and fans of those series will definitely love this debut as well.

I liked the book. It was a funny and entertaining middle-grade.
The mix of royal, magic powes and school of magic, blew my mind.
It was easy to empathize with the characters and like them. Even though I didn't feel it had a mindblowing ending or made me feel like jumping in the next book, I want to know what is going to happen in Croswald and to these characters. Specifically Ivy. We know the truth about her now and I'm so interested in knowing what she's going to do and how she's going to deal with the threat of the Dark Queen. And talking about the villain, I have to admit that I felt kind of poor when we met her, I was waiting a little more, fear her or hate her or something! I hope in the next book we know her a little more and finally have feelings with this villain.
The end made me feel quite the same. It was confusing, and fast in my opinion. Suddenly, Ivy went somewhere and when she was back, they finished school. It was quite confusing even that I appreciate that the autor didn't filled pages of boring class, it felt so abrupt.

In general, I enjoy reading the book, it was a nice story, with beautiful friendships, filled with courage and fun.
I completely recommed to those young adventurer hearts.

This book was good! I usually am not a huge fantasy fan, but did enjoy this one. The way the author was able to talk about the setting/creatures etc., really helped to build a picture in your mind. I also liked the pictures before each chapter to help reinforce your own imagination. It has similar vibes to Harry Potter, so if you are a fan of Harry Potter, this book would be a good one to choose! I will definitely recommend this book to middle grade readers.

Derwin is sent to a royal family and his excited for what he will find, he dreams of a gigantic library to organize and lose himself on reading. But something terribly wrong happened and he must find a way to save and change the history. I enjoyed the writing in the book I felt that the story is very compelling and fast pace.
This book evolves around Ivi lovely, she is alone works at the kitchens and draws on her free times, at her birthday she receives a letter that takes her to a magic school to become a scrivener. Ivi starts to see hope on her future, but strange things always happen to her and she must find a way to discover why.
This book gave me very warm and nostalgic feelings I loved ivi and her strength, between funny and dangerous situations she finds true friendships and fights to uncover her unknown past.

Ivy pulls us into her magical world from the first chapter. There is a good balance of world-building and action in the beginning of the book, and it does not take long for Ivy to be kicked out of her miserable life of servitude and taken to a magic school. Details and strange events give clues about her important powers and the important role she will play in the book.

The books seems unsure about whether it is middle grade or YA (the main character is 16, which means it is YA, but the tone, content, and readability are more appropriate for the middle grade crowd). However, for middle grade readers, it will be difficult to keep track of the world-specific vocabulary and characters. A few parts seemed rushed--why wouldn't Ivy rush to meet with Winsome after returning from her adventure in the Loch-and other, mundane parts drag (like the lunch scene with ghosts). That said, the story is fun and magical, with a great sense of adventure. Fans of Harry Potter will notice LOTS of similarities (from the plot to characters) but there is fresh, creative originality here too. I think the book will appeal to younger fans of magical fantasy fiction and there are others in the series for readers who wish to continue the adventure with Ivy.

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

Ivy Lovely works as a scaldrony maid managing the fire breathing cookers for the House of Plum. She day dreams of one day becoming a scrivenist and attending the Halls of Ivy, the renowned school of magic. Unfortunately, Ivy possesses no magical blood nor is she part of the royal family: the only two ways of which you are chosen to attend. Ivy's luck suddenly changes though during the Moonsday festivities when a sick squaldron gets her thrown out of the castle. Finally away from the magic shielding slurry fields Ivy is found by Lionel Lugg, who delivers Ivy an official invitation from The Selector of the Halls of Ivy. Once at the school, Ivy realizes there are many truths she doesn't yet know and she is more magic than she could have ever imagined. This is a story about the quest for truth, the use of magic, and the love of friendship and family.

I received this ARC from StoriesUntoldPress in exchange for an honest review. This is the first book in a four book series and I have to say it has quite a Harry Potter type of feel to it. The descriptions are unique and the world is very original. I enjoyed the descriptions and names of the places and people. The characters are likeable, and the action and language is appropriate for middle grade children. 3.5/4 🌟

#thecrownsofcroswald
#NetGalley

Thank you to NetGalley and Stories Untold Publishers for letting me read this middle grade fantasy novel in exchange for an honest review!

As a long-time Harry Potter fan, I immediately felt that this novel was heavily influenced by JK Rowling's Harry Potter series. Ivy Lovely, 16, not only discovers her own powers but also learns more about who she is. We follow her 1st year of school at the Halls of Ivy as she grows more into herself, learning to better control her magic.

The plot of this was enjoyable, especially for fans of Rowling's Harry Potter series. Ivy displays a determination typical of the heroine/main character. Once she has a goal set in her mind, Ivy pushed through whatever obstacles were in her way to achieve it. The intertwining storylines - Ivy's learning of her powers as well as of her identity - made this middle grade book more complex, which is an ambitious task. I think the author did a pretty good job with it, since they didn't always overlap.

What I didn't like was how inconsistent the pacing was, as well as the dialogue. While this book is marketed as a middle grade book, I can't help but picture a girl younger than Ivy's 16 years of age. Once in a while, I was reminded that she is 16, but her dialogue (as well as that of subsequent characters) constantly made me forget that fact. The pacing as well made certain unimportant events more important than they actually were, and vice versa.

Overall, I would give The Crowns of Croswald: Book 1 a 3.5/5 stars. As a teacher, this is something I would absolutely recommend to my middle school students.

Thank you to the author for letting me read and review your book!
This is a mesmerising story about a girl named Ivy Lovely, a scaldrony maid who gets summoned to a magical school which she’s only ever seen before in her dreams. There, she will learn more about who she is and why she is there.
I really enjoyed reading this book as it isn’t a genre I would normally choose!
Both the characters and the setting were described in so much detail that it made you imagine you were there, and the story telling was incredibly imaginative!
This book is perfect for anyone who wants to try reading fantasy for the first time!
Overall, I’d give this book 4 out of 5 stars!

I was contacted by an agent to read this and honestly was apprehensive as the book was described as middle grade.

I am so happy to have been proven wrong- I loved it!

This is a fantasy following Ivy as she discovers she is a  Scrivenist and starts at a magical school to learn to harness her powers. More mystery is revealed about Ivy and her background as the story goes on.

The magical world created was breath taking, there were so many elements squeezed in and the story was entirely captivating! I'm envious of the imagination it takes to write something like this.

I've seen some comparisons on GoodReads to Harry Potter, honestly having read both I wouldn't say they were that similar and I think any book written about a magical school would draw the same comparison!

Also I really want to shout out Humbolt- he's Ivy's little pet, a scaldron dragon. The Book explains these dragons are bred to be flightless and used as ovens to cook things. They sound adorable and I really want a Humbolt!

Really recommend this book, a joy to read.

This book was full of whimsical and magical elements, and I loved it! The magical beasts introduced were my favorite, and now Iw ant my own scaldron. Ivy was an interesting heroine, and I enjoyed learning about this fantasy world through her eyes.

While the writing and dialogue meets the needs of a middle school reader, I do think the intertwining plots would be hard for them to follow. Even Rowling’s Harry Potter series, a series I believe heavily influenced this one, didn’t expand into multiple arcs and plot points until book 4 when the targeted readers aged up with the characters. Starting with a more basic plot line would’ve more easily hooked readers for this book’s age group.

A good 5-star read! (I only give this if I really enjoy the book so much)

This is an enjoyable and enchanting read on a magical world. It felt the same vibe as Harry Potter but was still different. I think that I'd still pick up the next books on this trilogy when I have spare time.

So so soooo good. I feel in love with this book. Wow I really love everything thanks for the chance guys to read it

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Ivy Lovely is a sixteen years old scullery maid working at Castle Plum. Her days are filled with looking after the scaldrons and sketching at night, until one day she gets thrown out of the castle she works at and meets someone that has been waiting for her. Ivy can't believe that from the kitchens she gets to live and attend the most famous magical academy in Croswald, the Halls of Ivy. With new friends, she will have to face new secrets that will change everything.

I think the premise of this book got me very excited and then didn't deliver in my opinion. The magical worlds have always appealed to me, but I think that overall the pace was slow and at times events and things were not well explained. Ivy is a great character and promised to be great, as well as the secondary characters, but they then were not explored much.

On a positive note, the ending was packed with action, which I hoped I could find all through the book.

“Ivy Lovely is 16 and she has no idea who she is—or what her powers could be. When she crosses a magical boundary, she discovers a whole new world of enchantment and mystery. Making friends that will last a lifetime—and save her life—she steps into her own abilities and discovers more about her hidden past, magical blood, and the power of Croswald’s mystical stones. But all is not well: a dark history and an evil Queen threatens all that is good. Will Ivy’s bravery and wit be enough?”

I want to say a big thank you to @storiesuntoldpress for giving me a copy of this book! I liked it more than expected!

This book is full of magic and takes you to a whole other world. The writing style is whimsical but also very smooth. I liked that the chapters were quite short as I always dread long and too descriptive ones.

The character of Ivy is charming right from the start and it makes you want to follow her through her journey, one we know we’ll be full of adventures!
The friends she makes along the way all have an important and specific role and bring a new energy to this fantastic world.

This book took me back to this feeling I had when first reading the Harry Potter books. It made me crave for more and made me want to be a part of it✨

If you are a fan of books about magic, friendships, strong characters and wonderful creatures, I recommend you pick up The Crowns of Croswald✨
•

As a well known Potterhead, I'm always on the look out for a new magical, fantasy read and so was delighted to be invited to review this by Stories Untold Press through Netgalley.

I loved the first one that much that I immediately downloaded books 2 and 3 as I just had to read more!! I haven't even stopped to review each one as they are INCREDIBLY good!!! So much so that I've literally just finished reading book 3 tonight and I'm like 'Noooooo!! How can it end like THAT?!'

D. E. Night has skilfully created such an imaginative, magical world. I wanted to be right there inside the Halls with Ivy Lovely (the main character who is immediately likeable) and the rest of the QQC as they learnt how to wield a quill. There were so many new elements to magic introduced that I've never read anywhere else before and I so enjoyed building it all in my mind's eye.

I think what I liked the most was that D.E.Night herself was present in the story - albeit in the form of a royal scrivenest...it just added to the appeal of the world inside the book.

I would highly recommend this if you're looking for a new magical adventure!

The Crowns of Croswald is a fantastical and magical story that will keep you entrapped in hours of entertainment. I couldn't help but imagine that Harry Potter was an inspiration for this book, but that would be the normal thinking when you mix kids, magic, and a magic academy.

If you like magic, schools, and are looking for an alternative to the infamous HP, this is the perfect story. I love how the author used different elements to create a whimsical environment of light fairies in light lamps and scaldrons (dragons that work in kitchens), and magical quills that will take you to magical places. The world-building is incredible and grows as you keep reading!

The cover of the book is simply stunning and it is what captured me! Also, as with any book for middle graders or children, the illustrations in the book (at the beginning of the chapters) were really nice and helps you imagine the story. Nice Read and totally recommend it!

Wow! What a creative story. The story of a young girl that goes from basically living in the dungeons as a slave to living out a dream! I typically don’t read fantasy stories but I am so glad I picked this one up! It kept me on my toes throughout and now I’m just dying to read the rest of the series. As a teacher, I am adding this to my classroom library ASAP!