It was good, but unfortunately it doesn’t stand out of the pile. Thank you #NetGalley, publisher and the author for letting me read the book in exchange of an honest review.

If you're looking for an alternative for HP, then look no further.

Anyone who know me, will know that I love my middle grades, but I can also be rather critical when it comes to the stories. I enjoyed The Crowns of Croswald immensely and was pleasantly surprised by it.

we follow Ivy, who is a 16 year old girl who just want to be able to do magic, she is then accepted to the school of magic The Halls of Ivy and she learns oh so much about herself during her time there.

I thought this book was phenomenally written and there were so many unique things about this story that makes me wanna continue with the series and explore the world that D.E. Night has created, something as simple as the baking method with the scaldrons grasped my attention even more cause there are so many detail to this world that you wouldn't normally see in a story like this.

I'm gonna need that Olerium stone so I can read the next books in a heartbeat

I didn’t enjoy this book, I think the writing style just didn’t sit well with me. I couldn’t seem to find any flow to it.

This was such a fun, whimsical, magical, mysterious first book in a middle grade series. I had never heard of this series before and I think more people should read this book .I was hooked from the first chapter as D.E Night's writing is easy to get lost in. This isn't a very long book and I was able to finish it in one sitting, I just had to know what happened. This book takes place in a magical world where magic is used by both Scrivenists (wizards) with their quills (wands) who serve royal families and royalty with magic endowed jewels in their crowns. Our main character Ivy has grown up as a scaldrony maid in the slurries that nullify magic, until one day she is kicked out and picked up by Lionel Lugg who claims she is a scrivenist and must go to the magical school Halls of Ivy to learn about her abilities and herself. I really enjoyed the magical school setting with lots of magical creatures, and learning more about Ivy and who she is in this world. I highly recommend this book to other readers who enjoy middle grade and magical school settings. Ig you are hesitant to pick this up because middle grade can seem too young, I found Nights writing to be more mature than other middle grades with the tone and choice of words.

Fantasy is not my ‘go-to’ genre, but this was kindly gifted to me by the author’s publicist through NetGalley in return for an honest review. I thought it was worth a read as I have started to branch into the world of fantasy. As I am a primary school teacher, I thought this could be a book I share with my class as I know it is aimed at the younger reader.

The story follows a young girl named Ivy who doesn’t know who she is - or what her powers are. As she steps into a new, magical world, she discovers her abilities and more about her hidden past.

Unfortunately, I wasn’t invested in this story and struggled to find the motivation to read it. Whilst this book wasn’t for me, I could see it being a huge hit with fans of books such as Harry Potter. I felt that there were moments I didn’t understand the story. There was a lot going on and I sometimes struggled to to keep track of everything. I sometimes felt it was assumed that the reader would have some background knowledge or understanding of Ivy’s world. For example, I had no idea what a ‘scrivenist’ was and I don’t feel this was fully explained early enough in the story. Maybe this is because fantasy isn’t my favourite genre, or maybe it’s just aimed at a younger audience. Having said that, some of the language and names in the book are very ambitious for the younger reader.

I can appreciate the book is well written and that it would be a big hit with fantasy fans of the right age. Maybe it will be a book I read to my class in the future. Personally, I don’t think I will be exploring Ivy’s magical world again.

An imaginative middle grade read well-suited for fantasy lovers, this story takes place in a whimsical world full of original magical concepts and mysteries alike.

I enjoyed the characters and world of this story, however I found the story and world a bit confusing at first. With so many different magical terms, the vocabulary and pacing seemed a bit advanced at times for a middle grade novel - however, I became more engaged by the plot by the middle of the story and enjoyed the ending.

Though I wish the discoveries at the end of the book came a bit earlier and had more time to play out, overall this book reminded me of a Septimus Heap-like tale of magic, lost royalty, and magical places.

First of all, I would like to thank Stories Untold Press and the author, D.E. Night for providing me with a free copy of Crowns of Croswald via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. :)

DNF at 25%

I was so excited to read this. First to be approached to read and review is always amazing, as I'm just starting out on a journey of taking this more seriously. I had it downloaded and began reading within 48 hours! I'd never heard of this series or the author, which I'm surprised at because she is followed by a few people within the Disney community I'm a part of on Instagram! But I digress. I went in blind, seeing that it was kind of middle grade/young adult fantasy and it had been compared to Harry Potter. I should have loved it.

But it was VERY hard to read. I felt like I had been dropped into a story world where I was supposed to already know things, but they were never explained. I kept checking to see if I was in fact reading the first book, and if there was a prequel of sorts where the world was explained. Like the term "scrivenists" which isn't a real word, it's made up. When I googled it, because I thought I just hadn't heard of it, there is no definition. You get a lot of word processor results, called Scrivens. Everything else is related to this series. Which is totally fine, but you have to TELL me what this is if it's exclusive to your world. It's what magical people are called, and I guess it's clever because they use quills instead of wands. I did like that aspect, but I don't think I even got to the part where they explained how that worked. Or maybe they didn't, I don't know. As well as "hairies" which were sources of light? I pictured them as glowing spiders but I truly have no idea.

The comparisons to Harry Potter make a lot of sense, some of them are blatant. The magical vehicle Ivy gets picked up on reminded me so much of the Knight Bus from Prisoner of Azkaban, I'm shocked I haven't seen anyone else make that connection. Just in the way it appeared to her right when she needed it. I thought the way it was executed was really different, in that they are always hidden from view and have a cozy room on top of them. I pictured flying hippos like the Disney Parks ride! There was the Diagon Alley area of shops, and when Ivy was dropped off in a back alley I fully expected her to have to go through a wall like at the Leaky Cauldron. She didn't, but that was the way it was set up. There was also a character who loved dragons? Not that that is an exclusive storyline to Harry Potter, but... as well as the "orphan didn't know she was magical" and "rescued to go to a magical school" and "living in darkness/cupboard under the kitchen" plot points.

I also FULLY did not understand what was going on with "The Town?" It had to be protected from the flying transportation? They didn't know about it? Does that mean they didn't know about magic? Or was it like Hogsmeade where it IS a magical town? Because they knew about the Dark Queen, everyone was afraid of her. Also, every student who goes to the school is sent to a castle afterwards? How many castles and royal families are there? I was very confused.

On top of all of that, the writing was very clunky. Ivy is at one point described as having "chocolate brown hair" and my boyfriend said that's a 14 year old writing fanfiction way of describing something. I think I actually said "really?" out loud when I read it. Some of the sentences really did nothing for the story and just took up space, like this one in the middle of explaining what Mr. Munson looks like: "These eyes had exploring to do." That is a full sentence, after we are told about his askew goggles and sharp blue eyes (both which are fine). And in the same paragraph, "he smoothed his clothing down with his hands to no avail." I assume he used his hands unless you explicitly state otherwise, I don't need to be told. The editor for this needed to do some severe work, and you can painfully tell that this book did not go through a vigorous enough chopping block of editing. I have seen other reviews say there is too much telling and not enough showing, which I can understand and agree with.

I feel like there was a kernel of a good story here, buried underneath a lot of problems. At the moment, a lot of "magical school" stories are going to be compared to Harry Potter, and there is no way around that. But if you make a story your own, it won't matter. There are too many Harry Potter comparisons for it to not be a problem, in my opinion. This has potential, and I wish it was better. I'm curious to know what the rest of the series is like, so I'll read some of those reviews. I wish the author the best of luck, we really can only learn and do better when presented with constructive criticism/feedback.

This review will also be posted on my personal book blog the strange juniper in late April or May (depends on my launch schedule!).

I want to say thank you to netgalley and the author for giving me a copy of this book.

Where to start. This book was awesome. I have heard that it is a lot like Harry Potter and that is 100% true. I tried to read this with my 4th grader that liked Harry Potter but some of the names that the author uses (like harry potter) are almost made up? So it was hard to read out loud for that reason. I ended up switching to just reading it by myself and reading it in my own head, made me like this book even more.

This book has everything I love- Magic, boarding school, mystery and good friends. I really liked this book and I cant wait to read the next ones!

The first in the series follows the main character Ivy as she is swept away from her current life to a school of magic. She learns about her new life, makes friends, and gets into a series of mishaps that eventual lead to her learning about her past.

Readers of fantasy, magical worlds, and mischief will enjoy this.

Overall, a decent fantasy read for middle school aged readers. I likely would have enjoyed more if I were younger. I really enjoyed the female lead and the world the author created. The main thing I didn't like was how similar it seems to the Harry Potter world. The writing is also sometimes confusing or goes from different peoples points of view quickly. I am interested in how the series continues.

This was a truly magical read. If this was around when I was younger, I would have been OBSESSED with it. It follows Ivy, who has always wanted to study magic at the prestigious Ivy school. One day her dream comes true. If you enjoyed Percy Jackson, Harry Potter, and Cinderella, then this is the read for you!

We follow Ivy Lovely who doesn’t know her background and works as a scaldron maid. She wishes daily for a different life for herself. She is then thrust into enrolling in a school and learns of a world of magic and enchantment. Through her journey there is mystery, adventure and a touch of romance. She learns about herself, making friends and finally discovers her past. While doing all this the evil Queen threatens the world of Croswald and everyone in it!

I highly enjoyed this book!! The story is magical in a way that touches my heart. It’s similar to Harry Potter in some ways but has a female leading character. The story was a bit predictable but I am unsure if it’s because I’m in the older age range. Regardless the writing style is easy to follow, the plot is well written, and the creativity and intrigue of the book was great! I highly recommend this book for those that are fans of Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, Narnia and The School for Good and Evil.

Trolls meets Harry Potter is how I would describe The Crowns of Croswald. It starts with 16-year-old Ivy living as a "scaldrony" maid (think Bridget the scullery maid from Trolls). She cooks food in the mouths of miniature dragons and never has any fun. One day she is whisked away to magic school where she will hone her drawing and writing skills to become a scrivenist. As in Harry Potter, Ivy encounters her own versions of Draco Malfoy and Voldemort. but with the help of her friends and her newly discovered talents, she just might be able to come out on top. Despite the similarities to these other stories, The Crowns of Croswald is a pretty unique tale. I liked the main character a lot, but there were times when the story seemed to be missing key details. It jumped around a bit and was hard to follow at times. I would still recommend it to my students, but probably wouldn't use it as a read-aloud. "

Thanks to the publisher (Stories Untold) and NetGalley for an advanced reading copy of this book.

The Crownss of Croswald is the first book in a middle grade fantasy series by D.E. Night and I have to say I loved it! If a world filled with magic beasts, a magic academy, a heroine who comes into her power, a wicked queen and a lot of adventures doesn't do it for you, then I don't know what else would!
Ivy has lived and worked in a castle for 16 years and her magic has been dampened by the slurry that surrounded it. When she leaves it behind after being kicked out, her powers come to her in a rush and it works as a beacon to all supernatural creatures! She finds herself recruited as a student to a famous magic academy, where she will learn how to properly control her magic while trying to find out more about her past, her parents and the weird things that always seem to happen around her!
Obviously, Ivy isn't alone in her adventures, because she is quick to make new friends (and enemies) and, personally, I loved Rimbrick the dwarf! He was so kind to Ivy, like a father in a way, to a girl who grew up with no family or friends.
I really liked the story and all the characters, so I would definetly recommend this book, especially to all Harry Potter fans.
Many thanks to Netgalley and Stories untold for this ARC 💚

Wow!! This book was brilliant!!! Although it’s aimed at a middle grade audience, the writing style is just as suitable for adults too.
Ivy is an absolutely brilliant lead character and I loved watching her enter a world that she had spent so much time dreaming about.
I’m a huge fan of fantasy fiction and I loved the whole vibe of this book. You can’t go wrong with stories about magic and castles can you?? I can’t wait to read the rest of the books in the series

I wasn’t sure about this book in the beginning, since there were a lot of similarities to Harry Potter. I’m glad I hung in there tho, this turned into a really entertaining read. I really enjoyed the main character and her bestie, Rebecca. Positive, strong girls who are good roll models for young girls today. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book, which I voluntarily chose to review.

Synopsis: When Ivy is banned from her home she discovers she has magical powers. Attending a boarding school for studying magic she slowly unravels secrets and mysteries surrounding her identity. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
What I liked⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
- Ivy, Rebecca, Fyn and the other characters are very like-able.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
- Although definitely not a Harry Potter rip off The Crowns of Croswald is similar enough to be instantly loved. ⠀⠀⠀
- The royal aspect to the story made me enjoy it even more. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
- Left me wanting to read the next book!⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
What I didn’t like ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
- It took a little while before the puzzle pieces fell into place and the story became truly interesting to me.

I received a complimentary digital copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in return for my honest review.

A young girl finds out that she has magical powers and can join the Halls of Ivy. There, she makes friends, learns magic, and finds her way. She discovers that something terrible happened to her family and that she is in grave danger.

The world in this book is very unique with critters and magical ideas that will make you smile. There are some sections that were a little rushed and disjointed, however the quick plot kept my interest going.

This is a great book for middle schoolers, full of imagination and adventure. This is the first book in a series.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, Stories Untold, for providing me with an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

I had a great time reading this book! Such a fun middle grade novel. The magic system is so unique and I loved reading about the spells, potions and creatures. Ivy’s friendship with Fyn and Rebecca was a great part, especially Fyn, I just love him.
Definitely would love to continue with this series.

I received a copy of The Crowns of Croswald in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book! This was such a fun read. I felt like I was stepping into another world. If you like magical places and characters, then this is the book for you.

I think this would be a perfect midgrade to teen book. I wish this was around when I was that age!

Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for allowing me to review this book.

The story itself had a solid concept with lots of elements that did blossom into an enjoyable narrative. The mix of royalty, magic and school was novel; alongside the exploration of forgetting / forced forgetting of events and people. That element of the book was probably the most unique; and it was an interesting concept that was well executed. I find myself wanting to know more about the history behind this book after finishing – which is a large part of the draw to read the next one.
I feel like this was a slow burn sort of read. It began a bit jolty, and too focussed on providing you with information about the world. I like fantasy where I just end up knowing things about how the world works, but in this book it was very clear I was being told; and I’m not a fan of that.
I felt like some plot points were rough i.e. characters and fears being introduced from nowhere, when they could have been hinted at or mentioned earlier, which would have made the introductions a bit less jarring. I am a person who has read Harry Potter – and this isn’t that. However, what it is, is a magical story about a school that centres women and girls. Every main character in this book (give or take a couple) is female and they are powerful young / middle-aged women who are self-possessed and skilled, and you do not always know their motives.
I feel Ivy could have been 12 / 13 and this book would have worked a bit better (sans hints of love interest, which didn’t really add much in my opinion). This book seems to be very much setting the groundwork for the rest of the series – which is likely to get better as it goes on.