DNF at 53%.

In my opinion D.E. Night has a lot of potential as an author! This Middle Grade novel is chock full of whimsical scenarios, wonderful characters and elaborate explanations intended to help a younger reader feel immersed. Sadly, I often found myself confused and struggling to follow the plot lines as world building was overwhelming and tended to take up pages without adding to the plot. I found myself skipping over pieces to just read the dialogue and in the end, it just wasn’t holding my attention.

Overall, I think this book could appeal to a younger audience as the premise of the story is truly magical. The Crowns of Croswald holds unique components (the creatures were very creative!), but unfortunately this book was not for me. I do however look forward to seeing what <i>D.E.</i> creates in the future.


A huge thank you to NetGalley and Stories Untold Press for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is a cute middle grade fantasy story. While the idea of a kid finding out she has magical powers and going to a school of magic is far from unique, the magical world from Croswald has quite unique features and I love the idea of scrivenists. And anyone who like me is a bit obsessed with dragons would love to have a scaldron!

*My copy of The Crowns of Croswald was gifted to me by the publisher (Stories Untold) in exchange for an honest review*

This book was such a charming read that puts you into a magical world that is both familiar and completely new. D. E. Night has crafted a magical world unique to the genre, expanding outside of the typical “witch and wizard school” trope. It took me a few chapters to feel like I knew the world that the story was taking place in, but that didn’t take away from the story that was unfolding. I read faster and faster as the book continued. This book is simultaneously a fantasy book and a mystery book, and the ending leaves you wanting more.

Reading this book made me feel like I was a middle schooler again, tucking away into my room to read fantasy novels and escape to somewhere else. I know that 13 year old Brooke would have LOVED this book, and the nostalgia of that made me love it as an adult too. I recommend this book for any middle reader fantasy lover and any adult who loves escaping into young fantasy.

Magic and whimsy galore! A pure delight for lovers of middle grade fantasy.

Ivy Lovely lives as a scaldrony maid to the House of Plum. Thrown out of her home after a kitchen fiasco, she finds herself swept up in a magical adventure at the Halls of Ivy, a school for royals with magical crowns and sqwinches with a pinch of magic in their blood. Studying to be a Scrivenist, a dream come true for Ivy, she hopes to finally feel like she belongs somewhere. However, strange things keep happening and trouble follows her around like her own shadow. As Ivy finds herself on a quest to find out who and what’s been purposely forgotten, she discovers the baffling mystery of who Ivy Lovely really is and why she was hidden away for the past sixteen years.

While the story is certainly original, The Crowns of Croswald reminds me of Harry Potter with a sprinkle of Disney. Lots of fanciful, made-up magical words that are super fun to read or say out loud. It’s a plot-driven novel with just enough description to make the reader feel like part of the make-believe world.

I never had trouble imagining the magical setting, but there were a couple of times I had to reread a page or section to clear up any confusion when there was a lot going on or a lot of information to absorb.

Even though the main characters are sixteen, the book still reads as a middle grade. I don’t remember any language or romantic scenes or anything like that. An immodestly dressed woman enters a strange ballroom scene toward the end, but, overall, it’s a clean fantasy read. I LOVED the concept and am looking forward to seeing the characters develop even more in the next book.

Thank you to Netgalley, Stories Untold Press and the author DE Night for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
This is a middle-grade fantasy book and as a child I would've loved this book so much. It made me SO nostalgic!
I loved the details the. author went into about the Croswald world and the characters, school and animals. It was fantastic!
I also love how the author, DE Night, named a character 'Derwin Edgar Night", I think this is super iconic.
Everything in the series is wholly fantasy and that quality reminded me of Harry Potter ,which I have heard other book reviewers mention that view too. However, this series is completely unique and magical in its own way.
Anyone with a child should encourage them to read this book! Its amazing, to be honest, even if you don't have a child you should totally read it!

Firstly, I loved the magic in this book. The setting and the atmosphere the author has created is magical and nostalgic. It reminded me a little of Harry Potter. Readers both young and old would enjoy it.

Secondly, I adored the characters. I loved the MC, Ivy. She has some ups and downs, but it made her so relatable.

The writing style was refreshing. I found that I couldn’t put this story down. I read it on one sitting.

I can’t wait to go on the next adventure with Ivy. I’m looking forward to reading the next book in this series.

Often I think books need to be shorter, less detail and pointless events however this book I felt should and could have been longer. A lot happen in a short amount of time and it could feel a bit disjointed in places. That saying I throughly enjoyed my ride through Ivy’s adventures at her first year at school.

Gone were the days of being a maid with her little dragons (I now want a dragon that cooks my food in their mouths, thank you in advance), her world is now full of adventure, the forgotten room and a dark queen who seems to have an unusual interest in Ivy.

I understand why every review seems to reference Harry Potter due to the boarding school and magic, but there are differences and a lot more magical elements.

If your a fan of YA and after a nice light read then I would certainly give this book ago!

Roll on book 2!

I received this book from netgalley in return for an honest review

I really enjoyed how this book took so many classic tropes that we know and love but turned them on their head and made them fresh and new and original.
I enjoyed how we ended up guessing plot points at similar times to our main character, as appose to her being slower which was a really nice surprise.
It was beautifully written and whimsical too.
I would recommend this for more advanced middle-grade readers or young adult readers because although the content itself is perfectly family-friendly the language used and mystery elements were sometimes overwhelming and slightly confusing.
Rated:3.5 Stars

Fans of Harry Potter and Pennyroyal Academy get ready because I have found your new favorite read!

The Crowns of Croswald is the magical story of Ivy, a young girl, who has felt trapped her entire life. When she leaves the castle that’s been her home since she can remember, Ivy is swept away to a school for teens with magic. While at the school, Ivy’s days will be filled with adventure, mystery, and romance.

I thought this book was okay until the last few chapters. That’s when the book got really exciting and made me want to read more! I want to see all my questions answered and I’m hoping for more of Fyn in the next book.

I felt that the beginning of the book was a bit odd, and many conflicts had underwhelming resolutions. I’m hoping that if I read the next books, they’ll be like the exciting end chapters of this first book.

I hope this review was helpful and makes you want to read this book!

I want to first thank the publisher for sending me an e-copy of The Crowns of Croswald in exchange for an honest review.

Overall, I will start by saying sci-fi and fantasy are not genres I typically read, therefore I struggled with that throughout this whole book. I will say, I think the right audience would like this story, as there are some really well done elements.

Pacing was the biggest issue I had throughout the whole book. There were times the plot line felt choppy and disconnected, which prevented me from truly getting into the story. I will also say that there are a lot of characters and magic terms introduced quickly, with little to no explanation and that can be confusing to the reading and off-putting at the very beginning of the story.

I think a young middle school esc audience with a love for books and stories such as Harry Potter would find a lot of enjoyment in this book. Ivy the main character is likable and her story arc is well written.

First I want to thank the publisher for reaching out to me and sending me the ebook via NetGalley!

This book was a fun read! It reminded me of so many books I read when I was younger. It was such a magical book with so many unique creatures, and whimsical magic in it. I thought a lot of Diana Wynne Jones books while I was reading this with the comedy, and wonderful heroine, and of course the magic!

Ivy was fantastic! So spunky and I love that she never backed down! When she wanted answers, she went for it! She got those answers! Nothing and no one, not even cute boys, could stop her. I admired her from the beginning. She never let her rough life get her down. And then when she was suddenly thrust into this magical world, she sought out answers. And I’m glad she did because putting myself in her shoes, I would have wanted answers too!

This book was such a whirlwind of adventure! I wish there was a bit more character building and maybe a little less world building, or maybe school building. I think there was a little too much focus on the school, rather than the story at times, and sometimes I got a bit confused as to what was happening or why, especially at the end.

The end is a nice segway into the next book which I’m sure will be just as magical 😊

This is a creative and interesting book full of magic, secrets, creatures and fun.

I really enjoyed this book. The story kept me guessing with where it was going. The storyline is well paced and very well thought out. Ivy is a wonderful character who is curious, mischievous, and very intelligent.

I really enjoyed Ivy's character development and growth, I think this was well done and well written. Little clues were scattered throughout the book which helped the reader to build up their own ideas.

Ivy has spent her life working as a maid for Plum Castle. There are plants around this castle which blocks magic. The day Ivy leaves and crosses its boundaries, her magic awakens and she is invited to attend the Hall of Ivy school of magic. Things don’t always go as expected, and Ivy finds herself struggling to fit in and stay out of trouble. Not only that, but there is the mystery of Derwin Edgar Night, a person no one but Ivy says existed, to solve.

This book was a lot of fun to read. I can see both younger and older readers enjoying this one. It was very magical, and the school setting helps give it kind of a Harry Potter vibe.

Thank you Stories Untold Press and Netgalley for providing me with a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Stories Untold, D E Night, and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!

Crowns of Croswald is a young middle grade version of Harry Potter, though I'm sure the author tires of hearing that. Chosen One, Secret Heir, Spoiled Bully, Quirky Friend tropes are all present. We follow the unlikely heroine, Ivy Lovely, as she is found and installed at a magical school then must unravel the mysteries that call to her.

When I put it that way, it almost sounds boring. But it's not! This story caught me by surprise by its ingenuity, imagination, and heart! Though the story is full of tropes, the characters, places, names, events, and twists are wholly original! Every bit of magic and every creature was a delight to my imagination. The magical system and spells are so fun!

The writing is excellent. It was pleasant to read, easy to follow, and the settings were immersive. The fonts in my e-version were beautiful and fitting; I loved the little illustrations and clever chapter title names. The dialogue is lively, charming, and well written. The ending ties up very well with a great cliff hanger. I had guessed some of the answers and plot twists early on but was still surprised by how things turned out and how we got there! Love that!

I definitely recommend this book! Though it's middle grade and I'm an adult, I look forward to reading the rest of the series.

I did not finish this book. I made it to page 175 before I had to stop. It felt choppy, disconnected and very confusing. The first 50 pages had too many “magical” terms with inadequate explanation. I didn’t feel like I was joining in their adventure. I was struggling with “what is that? Who is that? What are they talking about?” Ivy felt more like 13 than 16.

My advice, skip the prologue and just start with chapter one. I think it was a bit too fast paced with too many things happening all at once. It mostly left me confused and didn’t give me that curious feeling a prologue is meant to give you about the story ahead.

Overall, I really enjoyed the story. You can tell the author was inspired by different fandoms, and I don’t think that’s a bad thing. You’ve got friendship, you’ve got magic and for good measure, a little bit of mystery thrown in with the action. Although I would’ve liked a bit more backstory and deeper explanations here and there, I didn’t feel like I was missing anything crucial to the main plot.

As the book is aimed at middle grade/young adult readers, it’s an easy read and one I’d chose to pick up if I were in a reading slump and wanted to ease myself back into reading. And as an added bonus, there are some gorgeous graphics on the chapter pages as well.

I am very curious to see where the story unfolds in future books, so shall be reading on.

All opinions are my own. However, I was very kindly gifted The Crowns Of Croswald as and e-book for the purpose of an honest review. But shall be purchasing a physical copy for my home library.

This is a great middle-grade book. It left me with such a sense of nostalgia, reminding me of some of my childhood favourites, and I know that I would have been obsessed with this when I was younger!

This story follows Ivy, who after being thrown out from everything she knows, crosses the border into the magical world and a whole new life. It starts off a little slow but soon picks up when Ivy settles into her new life & her new school. I love how many different elements to this story there are with magic, mystery, and a bit of romance. Ivy finds some great friends in Rebecca and Fyn and it was fun reading about their adventures and seeing how the story unfolds.

Obviously I am not the target audience for this book as I would definitely say it is a children's novel instead of a YA but it was still very enjoyable, I love the magic system in this story, the world-building was amazing, and I am interested to see where this story goes.

This book was just adorable! The story, the characters, the illustration even down to the font used for each chapters title.

Ivy Lovely has lived for 16 years as a Scaldrony Maid sleeping in a room with no windows and enduring the horrible Helga with only her love of sketching and her friendship with a dwarf called Rimbrick making it bearable. When the Moonsday feast preparations go wrong and Ivy finds herself and her sickly Scaldron Humboldt thrown out of Plum Castle she crosses the slurry border and is transported to Croswald and the Halls of Ivy a school of magic for Royals and scrivenists.

Once there Ivy has a series of adventures, with her friends Rebecca and Fyn, and learns more about herself and the magic within her. Throw in a dark Queen and a fight to save Croswald.

I couldn’t put this book down it gave me Once Upon A Time meets Harry Potter vibes but was unique in it’s own right and beautifully written. It’s imaginative and descriptive and a joy to read. A book for any lover of fantasy and magic whatever age you are.

This is the first book in a series and I am excited to read the rest.

Without reading the book you’re not going to ever find out what a Scaldron, or a scrivenist, or a hairie, or a glanagerie is …. so just read it!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC.

The fans of Harry Potter and Princess stories will love this book. It is not a rip off, in fact it is an altogether different approach to magic. There are dwarves, dragons, magical stones, potions class and rare magical creatures. It is an enchanting story of self discovery, friendship and love.

I'd like to start off by thanking the publisher for my e-ARC.

I was drawn to the premise and comparison to Harry Potter, but unfortunately, it didn't quite pan out the way I hoped it would.
I'm sure many will love this, but it just wasn't for me. Maybe it's just bad timing or my mood. I don't know. But I couldn't get into the story. Sorry..