Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley who gave me this ARC. Sadly, I am going to have to DNF this book. I really gave it a shot but I have aged out of this genre and find it hard to read down. I do however have nieces and nephews this would be perfect for. From what I read, this author has been building out a heck of a world for middle schoolers and I hope they enjoy it.

Rating: 3.5 stars
I haven't read a fantasy novel in quite a while, but when @storiesuntoldpress asked me if I wanted to read this in exchange for my honest review, I was intrigued by the synopsis.

Ivy Lovely is 16 when she is invited to attend a prestigious magic school that she has only dreamed of attending. She has no idea who she is, who her family is, or what magic she is capable of if any.

For me, the beginning started kind of slow, but it was necessary to build the foundation for the plot and all the characters you meet along the way. I’m really glad I kept reading because some of the action scenes (particularly in the end) are really exciting and suspenseful!

This is book one in a four-part series, and part one does end with a cliffhanger!

There are so many elements to this book including magic, adventure, friendship, and sprinkled with a bit of romance. One of my favorite things about this book was the dedication: “To my husband who has proven fairy tales aren’t only in the books”. I mean, how sweet is that?!

I would highly recommend it to fans of Harry Potter or any stories based on a magic boarding school.
Thank you so much to Stories Untold Press and D.E. Night for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Travel to a magical land and follow the story of Ivy Lovely. She works as a maid in a castle but gets kicked out by Helga as breakfast prepping goes wrong. Now she has nowhere to go. Her friend Rimbrick is gone and all she has left is a note and some coins. She decides to cross over the magical boundary where she meets Humboldt. He gives her a letter that will change her life forever. She has been accepted to The Halls of Ivy a school of magic. Follow Ivy on a journey to discover the magic within in her. Get ready to meet characters you’re going to fall in love with in this wonderful story.

A middle grade fantasy read heavily influenced by the Harry Potter series. In fact, this will read as female led Harry Potter fan fiction for some readers. The plot is fun and fast moving, but things aren't as well-developed as I would have liked. There is a lot left unexplained and quite a bit of "coincidence" happenings in the plot. The basis for the novel is interesting and it will likely be a good read for the younger middle grade set if they have not prior been introduced to the Harry Potter world, but adult readers will likely find it lacking. Not a bad read by any means, just not enough creative exploration and thoroughness for me to be hooked.

I unfortunately had to DNF this. The descriptions are incredibly repetitive. It doesn’t flow the way I was hoping it would. I guess middle grade isn’t for me, as I also found it to be a bit cringey at times.

I tried to read this book several times but I just couldn't get into it. The world building confused me a bit, and I was instantly reminded of (and constantly drawing comparisons) to Harry Potter. Having read the Harry Potter series, I couldn't help but wonder if this was just a remake of the novels, but it was a lot more difficult to get into.

The Crowns of Croswald is the first book in a new series by D.E. Night. It has an interesting storyline that is both magical and mysterious yet it also includes some history and a bit of romance. It explores the relationship between family, friendship, and love, and the plot moves along at a fast pace and weaves together several plot lines from different times and places into one story that will keep you wanting more!

As with many other fantasy books, it takes a little time in the beginning to fully understand the world-building and the characters, but once you get through that, you are immersed in a beautiful, somewhat whimsical world.

I must also say that the illustrations at the beginning of each chapter were beautiful and added a special touch to the story.

I enjoyed reading it and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys middle grade adventure stories.

Wow! How come I have never heard about this series before? This was a magical adventure, reminding me of the good old days when I emerged into the Harry Potter world. Gosh, do I feel old now. Even though it has one too many similarities to HP, a new world was created that bursts with magic. And you won’t believe it, to make use of this magic, you need to read books on end and use a magical quill. Do I need to say more, my dear bibliophile friends?


I guess a little more information is always helpful, so here it goes.

The Crowns of Croswald’s protagonist is Ivy - an orphan serving royals as a scaldrony maid. You are asking, what on earth is that? Well, she takes care of fire-breathing dragons, of course! But this isn’t all. One day she discovers that she was born with magic - a sqwinch - and gets to study at the Halls of Ivy to become a powerful, magic scrivenist. Yes, those book-reading, quill-wielding “magicians” that help make the world a better place.


But, of course, what would a good story be without a villain? In this context, it is the Dark Queen - the all-powerful, mysterious, feared by all woman - who took over the throne after the beloved Princess Isabella, and true heir to the throne, vanished.


Now Ivy must work through many obstacles to find out about her past. And above that, she must stay away from the Dark Queen because - for some reason - the latter is very interested in killing Ivy.


There isn’t much character development in the story, and the relationship between Ivy and her “friends” is pretty flat, but that only costs my review 1 star because I still really enjoyed this book.

This is the first book in the series of The Crowns of Croswald, and I can’t wait to see what awaits Ivy next.

This book is a great fantasy world novel for a middle school read. It reminded me a lot of Harry Potter in terms of a young adult fiction fantasy world where the magic kids go to a magic school. As an adult, I found certain parts of the story slow or over simplified/cliché. The world building was solid in some parts, and weak in others. The book really picked up the last 40% but the first 60% was a struggle to want to get back into the story. Looking back, I think my middle school self would have really enjoyed the story, world, and characters. Ivy was a protagonist I could see my twelve year old self really identifying with and enjoying. I am considering reading her D.E.’s second book in the series because this one ended on quite the cliffhanger!

Disclaimer *I received a copy of this book through NetGalley to leave an honest review*

The Crowns of Croswald is the beginning to a magical, action filled, adventure story focusing on Ivy Lovely - a scullery maid who has a lot to discover about herself. The book is directed towards younger readers, specifically middle grade but also appeals to readers of any age.

When I first started to read this book it was hard for me not to draw parallels to the Harry Potter series. A protagonist that starts off in a not so nice living situation, who is unaware of who they are or what magical powers they possess. They then get taken to a school to learn about magic. While I mention there are comparisons, Crowns of Croswalds is its own story and one that teaches its readers themes of figuring out their identity and always standing up to face evil.

I would recommend this series to young readers, however for myself as I am in my twenties I found the book a bit difficult to read and keep engaged. I would have loved to seen a bit more depth with characters and chapters written from other perspectives. I did love however the illustrations at the beginning of each chapter as well as how confident Ivy grows throughout the book.

If you have a younger reader you know that loves anything magical and whimsical, Crowns of Croswald is a book you should consider reading to them or gift to them.

This was a fun young coming of age fantasy story. There’s a magic school, a main character with a mysterious background and a cursed royal family.

The main character is 16, so perhaps this is a very young YA, but it read more like an older middle grade story. From what I understand there are to be 4 installments in the series. I tried to look around a bit but I’m not really sure where to place it. Perhaps book one is much younger YA but it grows into more classic YA as the series continues.

In this first installment, Ivy Lovely is suddenly saved from her not-so-great life as a maid and, at great surprise to her, is sent to magic school, in a castle! In this world there are scrivinists and royals, each with a different role to play in the magical society. The royals have the magical aptitude while the Scrinivists do the “heavy-lifting” aka learning spells and studying histories. The story feels heavily influenced from other magic school type stories and some descriptions and phrasing felt a bit forced/predictable. My main criticism is how the plus-sized/fat characters were described.

The magical creatures and magic system in the world were quite fun to read about. Learning about how Ivy worked with dragons definitely started the story on an interesting note for me. Even so, the beginning was a bit slow to get into the story, and then the last 70% went by pretty quickly. Magic school adventures are generally quite fun.

I haven’t decided yet if I’ll continue the series, but if you’re looking for a nice younger YA magical school story, this could be a fun one for you!

Again, like her other book, this is definitely geared towards middle aged people and if that's the case then it is a good read. For me, it was not a good read, but I powered through it.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐧𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐂𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐰𝐚𝐥𝐝 was a fun, whimsical middle-grade fantasy that left me with a nostalgic Harry Potter-type feeling and excited to continue the adventure!

Ivy’s world is well-developed and immersive, and makes for a great setting with lots of amazing little details and an array of magical creatures. I also enjoyed the concept of the magical stones and Scrivenists.

I didn’t find Ivy to be particularly exceptional at first, but she definitely grew on me as the story progressed and she became more entrenched in her new magical world. The relationships she formed were touching, and her friends made for some fun and interesting side characters!

Enjoyable and intriguing, 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐧𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐂𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐰𝐚𝐥𝐝 is perfect for budding dark academia fans and lovers of fantastical worlds like Hogwarts and Narnia! Definitely would recommend to anyone looking for an adventurous tale of magic!

“The Crowns of Croswald” by D.E. Night is an enchanting coming-of-age story about a young girl who is brought into a magical world and a magical school. First to note, the cover artwork is absolutely beautiful and does an incredible job of capturing the essence of this book. While I read via ebook, I would occasionally look at the artwork. The beautiful imagery is reflected in the colorful world that comes to life in Ivy’s journey.
The characters are all very likeable and I enjoyed reading about each of their quirks and magical talents. The various magical classes were equally entertaining, but I feel like it is the creatures that won my heart. I don't think it would have been the same without these adorable and fantastic creatures.
The pace of the book begins a little slow (which is perfect for younger readers) and picks up throughout the book. Then you're off on a magical journey with a bit of trouble and intriguing characters that you meet along the way. The writing may be a little confusing at first, with the new world and fantasy based verbiage being slightly difficult, but after a few chapters you jump right in.
Overall, this is a great first book to what I imagine to be a magical series.
Thank you D.E. Night and Netgalley for a copy of the book.

A magical read from start to finish. I enjoyed this story but did find it a little confusing at times, I think because of the different characters and their different magic and heritage. However, it was a good story and had me wanting to read on to find out what happened. Would definitely recommend to other middle grade literature fans and children agars 10+ who love magic, fantasy and adventure stories.

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 absolutely LOVED this book and couldn’t get enough. I am so happy that it is part of a series and I already have the next book lined up to read.

Filled with magic, mystery and tension this book was jam packed from start to finish and I could hardly put it down. Ivy is a fantastic female protagonist that I know young readers will relate to and love. I was buzzing to see if she succeeded in her endeavours and was laughing and crying with her through every obstacle she had to pass.

D. E. Night has definitely created a world and series that I cannot wait to return to. Roll on book two!

This was very cute and whimsical. Middle Grade Fantasy is usually not my thing, but this was a pretty enjoyable read over all and I am glad that I gave it a chance. I think this is definitely appealing to fans of Harry Potter, as it does give off a very similar vibe, but in a new story. Very cute!

“There’s a reason I opened my door to you, Ivy Lovely. The same reason you’ve been hidden away for sixteen years. You are special.”
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This is a middle grade fantasy story that follows Ivy as she goes from maid to a magical school for royals and scrivenists. While there, she’s presented with the mystery of Derwin Edgar Night as well as discovering her own identity.
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I really enjoyed the whimsical magical system created by the author featuring crowns that bestow different powers as well as magical quills not to mention the different magical creatures present throughout. While it’s a small thing, I also really enjoyed the sketches that accompanied the chapter headings. This would be perfect for fans of Harry Potter-esque stories.
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I had two main issues with this story. The first is that several of the magic key terms were incredibly similar with one or two letter differences that meant vastly different things. It was easy to keep mixing them up. I did enjoy how the story poked fun at this: “You all really should start coming up with new names for things, she told the Selector. It’s all very confusing.”
The other item I found lacking was the overall details and world building. The story is deliberately vague in certain areas because of the curse; however, there were other opportunities to work on the world building as Ivy discovered new information and forged new relationships.
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Overall rating 3.5⭐️

This book was a very magical book and took you into a new fantasy world full of creatures, magic, and scholars. Many readers, including myself, may feel seen by the idea of scrivenists, who love reading, writing, and researching in this world.

The novel was very reminiscent of childhood books that I read, and made for a nostalgic read. I think it's a good introduction to fantasy for young readers.

While certain parts of the book felt too fast-paced and made me feel like I was missing something, overall it was a good, easy read. The magic and the determination of the heroine made you want to come back for more. Relationships were built between the characters that you became invested in and wanted to learn more about. I would recommend this book to someone looking for a short fantasy read that is still fun and engaging!

I went into this book not really knowing much about it and I truly fell in love! Ivy is such a great character, she is determined and kind and I was really rooting for her the whole time. I also love all the descriptions of the magical creatures and powers.