I don't often read YA fantasy anymore, so when I was asked by the publisher to review this book I was a little hesitant. But The Crowns of Croswald was actually pretty good, definitely one of the better books in its genre I have read in a while.
Especially if you liked Harry Potter then this will be your kind of book! It has the same type of world building, a magical boarding school, and lots of adventure. It reminded me a lot of the kind of books I used to read as a kid and I think it would be perfect for the slightly younger YA or Middle Grade audience (at 24 I think I may be a bit too old to still identify with the characters).

The Crowns of Croswald by D.E. Night is a fantasy novel steeped in magic.

Ivy Lovely lives in a castle, but it isn’t as grand an experience as you might think. She actually spends most of her time in the dreary depths of an ex-dungeon. It is here that she has the gruelling job of overseeing the scaldron dragons and making sure they don’t ruin the food they are suppose to be cooking.

Ivy wishes her life was different, but her only friend insists that she is safest exactly where she is – although things are about to change and she needs to be ready for it.

When Ivy suddenly finds herself fired from her position, with nowhere to go, she is shocked to have a rather surprising opportunity dumped at her feet. Whisked away in a frightfully unsafe looking vehicle that is towed along by the most unusual flying creature she has ever encountered, Ivy’s life is about to become unrecognisable.

Enrolled in a special school to train as a Scrivenist, it seems like Ivy’s wildest dreams are starting to come true. Things are never as simple as they seem though, and Ivy is about to discover that she has an even bigger role to play in what is yet to come.

Marketed as middle grade, I believe there are many other readers that would also be enchanted by the magic between these pages.

The story explodes into chaotic activity as it nears its final pages and the ending is very abrupt, but it has left me curious to discover where Ivy’s next adventure takes her.

3.5/5 🌟

A heartfelt thank you to Stories Untold, NetGalley and D.E. Night for the opportunity to enjoy Ivy's story in exchange for an impartial review.

I loved being able to enter this magical world. The beginning of the book feels very reminiscent of the Harry Potter series. There were many interesting characters but at some points I did not feel that I had been properly introduced to some of the side characters and I was a little confused by some. I also found that Ivy acted a little young for 16 but she is a very endearing character. The creatures in this world are really fun. It is also fun that all the characters have different powers which makes them all unique. On a whole it is a fun middle school novel and I am intrigued to see what other adventures that Ivy has.

I grew up reading Harry Potter so I was so excited to give this one a try and I am NOT disappointed.
There used to be an interactive game in Myrtle Beach called MagiQuest and this book made me feel like I was back there playing it again. 🔮
Magic, spells, dragons, first crushes, and pie. What more could you want in a book?
This book reminds me of why I love to read.. you can let your imagination run free.
Ivy’s character is the perfect representation of never stop believing your dreams can come true.
And I’m ordering book #2 ASAP.

Thank you Netgalley and Stories Untold for this free copy in return for my honest review.

DNF @ 43%

When the publisher approached me to review this book I was so excited! From the synopsis it sounded right up my alley because lots of reviews said it was similar to Harry Potter and that sold me. Unfortunately, this was just a disappointment and I couldn't continue to read it. I couldn't connect with the characters and the plot was way to close to Harry Potter.

Another reason I couldn't get into it was the pacing was too slow for me and there also wasn't any kind of backstory for Ivy. She works in a castle, gets kicked out, and then she's off to school. I also found the plot messy and confusing, the over description of some areas caused me to get lost. Also there are a lot of made up words, which is cool, but also led to me being confused part of the time.

I personally think if Harry Potter wasn't one of my favorite series and I had never read it I might of enjoyed this a bit more. I do think it is perfectly suited for middle schoolers, I just don't feel like I was the right person to read it.

This is perfect for those who love a middle grade fantasy. While the first half of the book is slower paced than the remaining half, that's to be expected as the characters are introduced and the world is built. This is highly reminiscent of Harry Potter and while I thought I would enjoy that factor, it bugged me more than made me fall in love with it...simply because it's TOO much like Harry Potter so (in my eyes at least) it's not very original.

The MC is also supposed to be 16 but her mannerisms and thoughts are those of someone younger, which does fit I suppose, since this is a middle grade book, but if her age wasn't stated I would have figured she was a lot younger. Overall it's a fun & magical journey, but I am not interested in continuing the series. However, I would recommend for those who aren't huge Harry Potter fans as you may really enjoy it.

I appreciate receiving this E-Book from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed herein are mine and mine alone.

I would like to thank the publishers and Netgalley for sending my a copy of this e-book in exchange for an honest review.

The Crowns of Crosswald by D.E.Night follows Ivy Lovely, a 16 year old orphan that grows up as a maid then discovers she has magical ability and gets an invitation to the ‘Halls of Ivy’ to learn how to become a Scrivenist. Ivy is a very curious character that has a sense of adventure and this book follows her adventures in the halls of Ivy as she discovers her magic, makes new friends and learns the history of her past.

I found this quite difficult to get into at first. It is very reminiscent of Harry Potter which I found difficult to get past during the first half of the book. D.E.Night has some excellent ideas with regards to magic and world building. In particular I enjoyed the different magical creatures and the way in which the crowns and scrivenists worked. I felt it had a lot of potential and would have been better served embracing it’s own originality. Ivy as a character, I felt was difficult to identify with, she was quite adventurous but also naieve and did not always treat others well. She also felt younger than 16 years old. The lore seemed interesting and I would have liked to read into more depth about that which the author may explore in later books.

This book is aimed at middle grade and I think most children would enjoy it. It was whimsical and full of action with a good pace. Overall this book had great potential and I look forward to seeing how the author develops in the future.

A lovely and quick-paced fantasy-world with themes of heritage and light vs. dark.

This was a very quick read and very entertaining even for me as an adult reader. A good chunk of the format is clearly very inspired by the Harry Potter series, but there are also some very fresh and unique elements as well and, of course, a scrappy girl as the protagonist.

I did find some of the dialogue a bit young for my taste - but this is a middle grade series! Some of the exposition and timing felt rushed; the middle of the book had a bit of a quick fast-forward quality to it. However, the backstory and bit of mystery was nicely done. It wasn't blatantly obvious or easy to figure out, so I enjoyed trying to puzzle through Ivy's true story and what may have happened.

Overall, would be a great, quick and imaginative read for middle grade readers!

This is a fantastic fantasy! I loved the magic and creatures in this story. I highly recommend this middle grade book.

The Crowns of Croswald tells the story of Ivy Lovely, who quickly finds out she is much more than just a scaldrony maid. This book is filled with new friendships, magic, adventure and a life changing family secret. D.E. Night does an extraordinary job writing and giving descriptions of people and places.
I do wish the book had a part in it that shows how to pronounce some words.

I highly recommend this book for families looking for a magical adventure.

Thank you to the author and publicist for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

CROWNS OF CROSWALD
Ivy, a curious orphan girl serving in a castle as a maid is suddenly going to school for the prestigious royals and talented scrivenists. And as soon as she starts, she realizes the magic powers hidden deep with her, so astoundingly powerful that she’s said to be literally magic herself. Strange things start happening to her. Gloomy dreams have plagued her as long as she can remember, of a mysterious castle and suddenly she’s there going to said school, much to her surprise. At school, she finally gets the schooling for scrivenists like she’s always dreamed of, and along the way she goes on thrilling adventure with her friends, breaks the rules and is always constantly too curious for her own good
Reading this gave me such a nostalgic feeling of being a kid again and coming across a wonderful book with a world written so vividly with a myriad of strange magic and mythical creatures, you felt you were almost a part of it, experiencing it all. I loved the school setting with tittering professors, forgotten rooms, wonderful friends and the typical snobby, utterly spoiled, and narcissistic nemesis.
The world of Croswald has an amazing magic system where spells are performed with quills and magic is passed on through magical crowns, and one thing I absolutely loved was the whole idea of The Hallow Shaft where scrivenists content with their life and all they have achieved are able to pass on, by having their entire life, successes and soul printed into books. Like a library of past lives. Their life achievement available for observing. And the scrivenists themselves dictate it all to you (if they’re in the mood that is). So fascinating
There was so many adorable scenes between her and Fyn and I am absolutely rooting for them. Her friendship with Rebecca was everything and Ivy being best buddies with a little dragon. So cute.
Throughout the book is the slow unravelling of the plot, of a mystery man that the world seems to have forgotten about except her, repeatedly being shown in her unusual dreams, and she’s determined to solve the case of the missing scrivenist. There’s the forshadowing of the evil magic of the Dark Queen, whom no one has ever seen, but live in fear of.
The reveal at the ending, when Ivy discovers who she really is, is fabulous and really sets the story moving into the next book where hopefully we’ll be met with more action, magic and learning more about Ivy’s family, and the Wandering Curse set upon them.
I would absolutely recommend this to anyone, middle grader or not, who loves reading about schools, long lost royalty and exciting magic. If youre a HP fan, you might just like this better.

[[RECEIVED FROM THE PUBLISHER IN EXCHANGE OF AN HONEST REVIEW]]

🌟 Book review 🌟⁠
⁠
♥️ I liked:⁠
⚗️ The Magic system. Croswald is a world made of Scrivenerist and Royals. The first are magic-wielders who sketch everything they see thanks to their photographic memory. When they graduate, they are assigned to a Royal who owns a crown with a magic gem. At the Halls of Ivy, they learn how to handle their magic powers. Head of this world is the Dark Queen.⁠
🏮 The creatures. Scaldrons are cute dragons that provide the fire for cooking. Hairies sit in lanterns to light up the magicians' way. Porcupels are porcupines for practice quills. How amazing is this?⁠
👧 The characters. Ivy is amazing: full of life and expectations, she doesn't want to be a maid forever and often dreams about the Halls of Ivy. She is also brave and curious, you know she'll soon get in trouble at school! Rebecca is a Royal, Ivy's roommate and best friend. You would think she is a bit snob, but, getting to know her, you'll find out that she is loyal and full of love.⁠
✍️ The style. The book is easy to read. The beginning is a bit slow, but when Ivy arrives at school, the pacing becomes very fast and full of action.⁠
⁠
🤔 I wasn't so sure about:⁠
👦 Fyn. He's Ivy's companion, he's always looking after her and following her everywhere to avoid her being in trouble. The only thing I didn't understand is how he is always very conveniently in the right place at the right moment.⁠
⁠
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5/5
You may think this is another Harry Potter, well, I promise you, it's not true! This is a very original and brilliantly put together book, the story is amazing and it's so easy to read that I finished it in only 3 days. If you love fantasy, you have to give it a try! ⁠

I will start by saying that I loved the cover of this book as it is very magical and it stands out from similar books.

This book has a lot of fantasy elements that are handled in a very light-hearted way such as a fire breathing creature in the kitchen been woken up by a tickle feather to serve as an oven. In this story we can find so many fantastical things and we couldn’t miss the quills, magical creatures and dwarfs in a world that is ruled by magic.
The book was easy to read and has lots of funny comic parts while still being very engaging and entertaining. Although Ivy is a sixteen-year-old girl sometimes I feel like her character felt more like a younger child but this didn’t stop me of enjoying the book as the story is very intriguing and descriptive. It transports you to its magical world and the pace of the story is well balanced and makes you wanted to continue reading. The characters all have depth and are well portrayed each bringing something unique to the story.
Each chapter is introduced with a drawing which represents the chapter and this is a really cute way to create the layout. I liked this design especially for younger readers as it allows children to have some expectations of what they will be reading. This book can be read by older children on their own although they might find some archaic language such as ‘quill’ and ‘scrivener’ new to them. This is also a book that could be read to a younger audience and would be enjoyed by all but the most sensitive souls who might find the finale a little scary.
Overall a book full of magic which was fun to read and that made me feel nostalgic remembering similar book series from when I was younger.

This Middle Grade fantasy book follows the adventures of Ivy Lovely, an independent, intelligent, and curious sixteen year old. After spending her whole life behind a magical boundary where her magic was hidden even from herself, she discovers her powers and begins her first year at the magical school, the Halls of Ivy. The students are either royals, whose source of magic are from stones in their crowns, or scrivenists, who have magic in their blood and use their photographic memories and sketching skills to serve the royal family to which they are eventually assigned. Ivy searches for answers to her past while trying to keep up with her studies, and her path eventually crosses with the Dark Queen and her evil Brood.

Although the idea of a magical boarding school is not new, D.E. Night has crafted a unique universe with creative magical subjects, items, and power sources. I absolutely loved that a scrivenist's magic basically stems from and manifests in the form of a love of learning, education, and insatiable curiosity.

Ivy is an endearing character and I rooted for her right from the start. She's empathetic, kind, brave, and quick-witted. Although I think her relationships with her two friends at school, Rebecca and Fyn, and the characters themselves could have been a bit more developed, they proved to be good foils and guides for Ivy in her new world.

This book had me engrossed from the start, as I was invested in Ivy's journey to discover her past and true self. It also kept me guessing as to whether some of the characters had Ivy's interests at heart or whether they were in league with the Dark Queen.

I recommend this book to anyone who loves magic, fantasy, strong female leads, and the idea of learning you're destined for so much more than originally thought.

The Croswald world was an absolutely captivating one. I can see fans of Harry Potter, The Medoran Chronicles, and other magical worlds being fans of this one.

Ivy was such a fun character to read about, and I especially loved reading about the magical world she is in. I was eager to find out what Ivy’s ties to the school were, and knew there had to be something else going on.

I certainly recommend this to anyone looking for a new fun, magical read.

2/5 Stars

Synopsis: Ivy Lovely discovers a magical world where she enters a school for magicians and scrivenists, who are people who write about magic. She soon realizes that something has been forgotten. The whole magical world depends on her going on a quest to solve the mystery of what is being forgotten.

I loved the author’s imagination. I am always in awe of writers who can create entire magical worlds that feel whimsical and adventurous. I appreciate the world building detailing everything down to the most simple of items. I enjoyed the concept of going on a quest to uncover what is being forgotten, and that there is an actual place where items and people alike can go that makes them forgotten to the outside. I thought it was so unique. I haven't read anything quite like that previously.

Truthfully this book wasn’t my cup of tea. I found the sheer volume of detailing to be excessive. I understand that the author wanted to create the world and set up the scene which I appreciate, but it left me feeling overwhelmed and lost. I found myself skipping ahead hoping that it was just the beginning portion of the book. I love magic, however the magic system is all over the place. I wasn’t sure how the magic affected the world overall, and if there were any consequences for using magic. It left me wanting more.
Ivy despite being 16 felt more like 8-9. Which there is nothing wrong with. As for many of the other characters they all blended together for me with no distinct personalities. Overall, this book felt too young for me, and although the premise is very interesting i found the overwhelming amount of details for unimportant things excessive, and not enough detail to make distinct characters, or a detailed magic system.


***Special thank you to the publisher giving me access to the e-book in exchange for an honest review.

This book is a delight! The world building is intricate and detailed, and vivid tapestries wete created in my mind over the words. Love that in a story.

There are a lot of characters but the key ones to keep track of are well highlighted so I didn't get too confused (key when I am doing most of my reading after a 12 hour shift and my brain is mush...)

Ivy is a likeable heroine who very rarely bemoans her hardships and almost never whines - and when she does dip into some self pity it is very brief. I like that in a heroine - characters who feel sorry for themselves are tiresome!

I do wish the sculdron didn't essentially disappear for half the book... but I always want more dragons ;)

A lot of the questions built up throughout the book are handily answered in the final chapter, so you get a satisfying ending but are left ready to see what happens next as Ivy gets ready for the next adventure! I would definitely pick up the next book in the series.

3.5 stars. ✨

This was a fun, middle grade fantasy book! Ivy’s character was an enjoyable MC and the world building was fantastical and reminded me of some of the feelings I got when being introduced to Hogwarts for the first time! The magical characters such as Hairies and the Notical were fun and I loved the idea of the scrivenists and the magic system.

However, there were some pieces that I felt were a bit underdeveloped, and seemed off because of the pacing. That left me a little confused in places but that is to be expected when the world building is so focused on! I’m assuming as the series goes on, some of these things will make more sense to me! Overall this was definitely a fun read and I will be recommending it to students who want to dive into a fun middle grade fantasy and are looking for just some good old magic! I’m looking forward to reading the next book in the series.

Thanks to the publisher and author for providing me a free copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Crowns of Croswald is one of those books that remind you how amazing books are. I loved how the world was described and it really helped create a picture in my head. I was so into reading the book, I didn’t even notice the time passing. AMAZING WRITING. It’s a fun book to read even if I’m not so young, and it would be MORE fun to read if you are younger. GOSH I feel old.

Just like any other “magical” book I’ve read, I thought this book was pretty predictable at first. The plot was very familiar, especially if you’ve read a lot of magical books, and I was again convinced that I figured out the ending, but I was wrong, of course. Even until the very end, the book made me curious! The only thing I think I wanted from this book is to get to know the side characters more. I hope I could get that in the next books!

I'd like to thank the author and publisher for providing me with a copy of the book. Middle-grade literature is not the usual genre I read in, but I really liked the book, and that didn't affect my judgment.

The Crowns of Croswald is book #1 in D.E. Night's series by the same name. It's feels heavily influenced by Harry Potter, it's impossible not to make parallels. But the book is imaginative, it has its own world and worldbuilding, its own lore, magical creatures, and magic system in general.

Ivy Lovely comes from nothing when destiny finally catches up to her and sets her on a path toward mastering her own magic. While getting the unwanted attention of the Dark Queen, she has to unravel the mystery of a man no one remembers, but her. The books is a page-turner, a very quick read, despite the info dump in the final third of it. I'm dissatisfied only with the supporting characters that felt mainly sketched and not properly fleshed-out.

Other than that, The Crowns of Croswald was beautifully written, very imaginative, and could easily transfer you to the world of Ivy. Returning to the Halls of Ivy is something I'll be doing rather sooner than later. 3.5/5*