i never ended up downloading this but i picked it up recently.

This is the 2nd book in the series and takes us back to the magical land of Croswald and the Halls of Ivy. Things are still rough since what happened at the masquerade ball and protecting Ivy is of utmost importance now. As the only home she has ever known has been deemed unsafe, she is sent to the place where it is impossible for any outsider to step it.
Honestly, this second book was superior to the first! It was full of adventure, danger, and mystery! You get to learn all about a new magical sporting event, called Quogo, and the tournaments are much like attending a football game with family and friends! I thoroughly loved this story and highly recommend

The Girl with the Whispering Shadow is the second book in The Crowns of Croswald series and it picks up right where the first book left off. This book was considerably better than the first book. There was more development to the characters and Ivy is certainly not as annoying or thoughtless as she seemed in the first book. The world building is excellent and imaginative. The secret town of Belzebuthe is full of interesting characters and I loved Fyn and Ivy’s star fishing. I also liked that there was a coherent plot of at first a missing quill and then Ivy seeking pieces of the missing Kindred stone which all tied together. The shades and shadows were creative additions.

At times the plot moves a little slowly and then picks up almost too quickly at the end. However, there was enough action here and there to keep me reading. The Dark Queen does make for a formidable enemy and the storyline keeps the reader waiting in suspense for her next visit.

There are some similarities to Harry Potter especially The Chamber of Secrets that are recognizable, however, there were enough differences to make the story unique. Fans who enjoy Harry Potter type books would probably enjoy this.

All in all, I enjoyed this book better than the first. Highly recommend reading the first book in the series before reading this book as the reader will have a difficult time understanding previous characters and plot lines. The book does leave the reader on a cliffhanger at the end which makes me want to pick up the third book. This is considered middle grade, but the hint of romance and teenage characters might also appeal to YA readers as well. Thanks to the author and publisher for a copy of this book through NetGalley. All opinions are my own and I was not required to provide a positive review. My rating is 3.75 stars rounded up to 4.

(4.5 stars)
I received an e-book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, for giving me the opportunity to read the second book of this series.

The story continues exactly where it stopped off in the first book, that is after the ball. Ivy is confused as to what she must do next, and she finally ends up in the Town. The Town - Belzebuthe - is described wonderfully with extreme detail. The description of the shops especially is magical.

“You can be trapped in a castle, trapped in a scaldrony. Trapped by people. But the worst is being trapped by fear.”

The great thing about the character Ivy is that though she's a royal, she works at a shop just as any ordinary person which shows how humble she is. Once she returns back to the castle after receiving a letter from the Collector the book takes a new turn with incredible twists. Ivy's search for the Kindred stone is the turning point of the story, where adventures upon adventures are showered upon her.

The introduction of new characters is interesting and few explanations regarding the previous characters that was needed in the first book is available here. Also, the concept of shadows and shades is something that is totally fascinating. Overall, it's a great book and is much interesting than the first one. The main plot does not start right at the beginning, it starts somewhere in the middle. But other than that, the book is really intriguing and is recommended for all fantasy lovers.

Once again Ivy Lovely is finding out more about herself as her adventures continue in The Girl With the Whispering Shadow.

This book is definitely written for younger readers, which is why I couldn't rate it higher. I probably would have adored this book when I was 11 or 12, but I'm considerably older than that now.

I can see the appeal of Ivy's character and the hurdles she needs to overcome with the help of her friends. It's a great message for young kids.

Overall, I couldn't rate the book higher as I found it hard to get through at times, but that could be because of its intended age group.

I received a review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Tl;dr: enjoyable but lacks diversity and is confusing at some parts.

What I liked:
It’s a lot more enjoyable than the first book, that’s for sure.
The town fascinated me the most!
The writing style was intriguing at parts
We got to see more of the world and that was nice! I liked the Occulyst and his home, that was really interesting!
I liked the whole shade and shadows thing! That was creepy in a fun way😂
It certainly had a lot more going on than the first book!
The memory glanagerie was fun to see. It was good that we got to see Derwin in the past and what happened to her family.

What didn’t work for me:
I don’t like the lack of diversity in this book tho.
The other parts of the writing style felt really confusing. It’s like a lot of things are going on at the same time and now we’re able to see what other people are thinking instead of just Ivy? It feels kinda out of place.
Speaking of out of place, I feel like the age of Ivy fits YA more than it does MG and the little romance going on just feels more YA.
Some parts of the story felt predictable but there were others that were quite unique. Like it felt like you heard the story before but in a different way.

With a mysterious darkness lurking around every corner, Ivy Lovely is forced into hiding in a secret town that’s cloaked in a cover of darkness all year-round. At first, Ivy is thrilled at the idea of spending the summer holidays with her friends, but when summer ends and Ivy is left on her own, nothing seems like a worse fate. When an unexpected note invites her back to the halls of her beloved boarding school, Ivy couldn’t be happier. Only, she can’t help but feel like the darkness has a habit of following her wherever she goes.

Tasked with finding the other pieces of the Kindred Stone, Ivy has a difficult challenge looming over her head. Meanwhile, classes continue as usual at the Halls of Ivy and each magic-filled lesson draws Ivy deeper into the world of Scrivenists and Royals. When the Dark Queen threatens to destroy it all, it is up to Ivy and her friends to save everything they know and love before it’s too late.

This book was a whimsical fantasy dream! It was incredibly action packed, but with the perfect amount of humor and whimsy sprinkled throughout. This book immediately picks up where Book 1 ends, jumping straight into the magical world of Scrivenists. While the first book took me longer to get into, I found the second to be written a lot better. The first book reminded me quite a lot of some well-known fantasy books, but I found the second to be incredibly original and the world-building started to expand more. The descriptions of the world and magical creatures were a delight to read, easily bringing vivid images to mind. I really liked seeing the relationships and friendships develop in this book, more so compared to the first.

The author is so creative – the funny names for miscellaneous objects and the potential for mystical creatures is endless. The stakes felt fairly high throughout the whole book, with creepy crawly shadows ready to jump out from every corner and maintaining the tension. My one complaint is that there were a few comments about Ivy needing saving or protecting, even though I think she did a pretty great job of defending herself! I would have preferred if she had a little more confidence and spoke up for herself for a change. Nevertheless, I’m excited to see where Ivy Lovely’s story goes next and I can’t wait to learn more about the mysterious royal family and Ivy’s powers.

*Disclaimer: Thank you to Stories Untold Press and D.E. Night for a free e-copy of the Crowns of Croswald in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis: After the events of The Crowns of Crosswalk, Ivy Lovely is ushered off into safety at The Town. With a mission from her family’s scrivenist to find the next piece of the Kindred Stone, Ivy will have to lean on her friends, her land, and most importantly, her magic to remain safe and complete her quest.

Review: It’s not often that any second book is better than the first book, but The Girl with the Whispering Shadow is marked improvement on the first one, and I really enjoyed The Crowns of Croswald!

It was really nice to see the character development for Ivy, Rebecca, and Fyn in particular. I really really like these characters and you can see the chemistry that they have with one another and the difference it makes in scenes such as the Quogo scene and the last couple chapters as the action really intensifies.

The world building once again becomes one of the best parts of this book. Belzebuthe is such an incredible town and the descriptions of it are to die for. The star fishing is such a unique and amazing facet of this story. The scene with Fyn and Ivy fishing for stars on his roof is one of the favourite parts.

However, world building can make everything else seem slow and the action seemed a little rushed at the end. I wish we had some more description on the Dark Queen and it seems as though every time she arrives, everything gets rushed.

I also think this is more of a young adult series than a middle grade series, personally.

Overall, D.E. Night did a really wonderful job with book two and I’m very excited for the next one and I can’t wait to read it!

This is the second book in The Crowns of Croswald series. I have read the first book and I loved it. So I had to read this book. It is as amazing as the first one.

I loved all the time Ivy spent at Belzebuthe. Quogo sounds like so much fun. I want to be a member of the Quality Quills Club and play Quogo with them.

Silius is amazing. Invisitaurs are interesting magical creatures. But the Cloaked Brood is horrible magical creature. Not all the magical creatures can be good.

Then there is the Battle for Belzebuthe. I was so nervous while reading it. Gretta saved them all. Everyone did so well in the battle.

The graduation is something new. Ivy was so sad to think of the halls without Fyn popping up everywhere. She already misses him. I will miss him too. I hope he is there very often in the next books

Many thanks to Netgalley/Publishers/Author for a copy of this book!!

D.E. Night really went there with this book! It was just as good (if not better) than the first! And I am so hooked with this series.

The sheer amount of detail and effort going into the world building and imagination was incredible!

Not to mention the actual storyline and following Ivy around (Poor little soul) makes me want to read more!!

Special thanks to @netgalley and #storiesuntoldpress for the gifted copy and an opportunity to enjoy this book. All thoughts and review are my own.

The magic is growing through the second book. Even a secret town could not protect the Moonsday prophecy from a mysterious darkness. The storyline follows Ivy Lovely’s mission to uncover the second cut gem of the Kindred Stone running away from the Dark Queen’s wrath.

I’ll get straight to the point. This 2nd book in the book series stands out. I find it an amazing read. I love the introduction of new characters. The new mythical creatures are more interesting. The protagonist of the book has character growth which make me adore her. I am glad to witness how her character becomes strong and manifesting a leadership qualities of a queen.

Overall, it is recommendable for middle graders to try this sequel.

The Girl With The Whispering Shadow by D.E. Night is the second book in The Crowns Of Croswald series and it did not disappoint. This is such a cute and whimsical middle grade series following Ivy Lovely. This second book follows Ivy through the immediate events after the conclusion of book one and through her second school year at the Halls of Ivy. It was truly a joy to read. I loved the first book and ended up loving this one even more. I cannot wait to dive into book three.

Thank you to @netgalley, the publisher, @storiesuntoldpress, and author @author.denight for gifting me with this ebook for review.

Rating: 5 stars!

The second book in the series and I am just so thrilled to have been able to read the first two books! I love being emerged in the world of Crosswald and all the magic within in. So much appreciation for the characters and the creatures. The writing style of D. E. Knight, though written as a middle-grade book, felt so much more than that and I think, all ages will be able to enjoy it. The book is fast-paced but flows really well. The story just takes you in and immersed in a world full of imagination. The creativity and the work of art of this book is out of this world - literally.

The Girl with the Whispering Shadow meets my expectations and more. It was fun and magical! I recommend this book to anyone!

The first book of the series really flows well into this one and this satisfies all that I wanted when ending the first. Getting the characters away from the school and seeing them interact differently brings way more depth to the story and you get to know them all on a better level. The description of the town and all the little places is great and really makes you feel like you're there. This series continues to be what i'd consider a great intro to the fantasy genre for those who might not think they'd enjoy it.

Thank you to @storiesuntoldpress for providing me with a free review copy.

I had a lot of fun reading this! I felt the writing was improved from the first book and not as much copied from HP. The ideas for the plot were more original and I loved the whimsy!

I particularly liked the ideas for The Town and its stars, that was brilliant!

Overall I still felt the plot was a bit choppy, but it did not hinder my enjoyment too much.

I am definitely interested in reading the 3rd book!

I liked it more than the first book. It is a very captivating read. The world building again blew my mind as this book explores many more new places in Croswald.

In the first half of the book, Ivy goes to live in the Town, a mysterious and magical place open only to those who know its name. This part is a bit slow paced as it takes a lazy stroll through the Town, introducing whimsical shops, scrivenist games, new characters and a mysterious robbery. The descriptions of the Town are very fascinating.

The second half of the book begins with Ivy returning for her second year at the Halls of Ivy and the pace changes from slow to fast. This half is action packed. Overall, I really liked the book but I still feel that the characters lack something.

To conclude, it is a very engaging and adventurous read. The world of Croswald is amazing and beginner fantasy readers can also enjoy it since its not too complex. I am looking forward to reading the third book in this series.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the review copy.

I enjoyed The Crowns of Croswald very much so it would only makes sense to pick up the second one in the series. The book starts off with Greta coming home from her first year of school at the Halls of Ivy. She is talking with her father about the Masquerade Ball and explaining to him why she did not attend. I found this to be such an odd thing to start the book with because it seemed so out of place. Little did I know that this was a very important detail leading into the book. Trust me all will make sense once you get to the end of the story.

Now onto where I thought the book would have started and that is with the main character Ivy. She has discovered that she is not supposed to return to the school in the fall for her own safety. Ivy is instead being sent to a town that is unnamed to those who do not live there. This town is completely protected from the Dark Queen so it would make sense that Ivy would remain safe or so one would think. Did I mention Ivy is the rightful Queen? She is sent on a quest in the book to find the other pieces of the Kindred Stone (which you would know about from the first book) before the Dark Queen finds them.

The story bounces between this secret town Belzebuthe and the school. We discover new characters and are reunited with old characters. We are introduced to a magical game called Quogo where we learn how its played along with a club that may or may not have been created around it. There are also new magical creatures in this story and lets not forget to mention the fact that there is a dragon.

Now for a bit about the secret town Belzebuthe. It is a town where Scrivenists are able to practice their magic without having to fear the Dark Queen. You can only reach the town by one way and that is riding in a special Cabby. It is also a place like no other where it is always night and the stars are not only in the sky but are actually able to be caught. I loved the idea of being able to fish for stars and grant people's wishes. I found that to be a very interesting and original idea.

This story is full of all the things that I loved about the first book like the characters, the setting, the magic, the curses and the adventures. The only thing that I should mention is parts of it reminded me of Harry Potter. With that being said if you are a fan of Harry Potter then I would definitely recommend picking up this series. I know I will be continuing in the series because I want to see how Ivy's story ends.

I want to thank D.E. Night and Netgalley for gifting me this book in exchange for an honest review. The opinions that I have written above are entirely my own.

Thank you to Netgalley and Untold Stories Press for providing me with a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

3.5/5 ⭐️

This book picks up immediately where the first one left off. Ivy can no longer continue her studies as a scrivenist in the Halls of Ivy. She is instead forced to hide out in The Town the summer after her first year in school in order to avoid discovery by the Dark Queen, who now knows she is the rightful heir to the throne. This story unravels as Ivy continues her studies while also trying to put the Kindred Stone back together.

I really like the first book. There was a lot of world/story building so it was understandable why the action finally took place so late into the book. However, with the second one, I expected the action to pick up the pace much sooner. Instead, it took place within the last 50 pages of the book. So while I enjoyed it, this book felt more like a bridge between the first and third books rather than a story that can hold its own.

Nonetheless, I do recommend this for anyone who is into middle-grade fantasy. Aside from the magic and fairy-tales and wonder, it is also a great story about friendship, family, and self-discovery. Definitely going to read the third book!

I really loved the first book in the Crowns of Croswald series and could not wait to jump back into this world for book number two.

After an eventful first year at the Halls of Ivy, students return to their homes for the summer. Ivy, however, is told that her beloved school is no longer safe for her, and with no other home to return to, she is to hide herself away from the Dark Queen and her evil brood in a secret town called Belzebuthe. Will staying in this mysterious scrivenist town actually be enough to protect and keep her safe? And will she be able to fulfill the Moonsday prophecy cooped up in Fyn’s attic?

I loved getting to reconnect with familiar characters from the first book such as Rebecca, Fyn, and of course everyone’s favorite scaldron, Humboldt. I also enjoyed getting to meet some new faces in this second part of the series, like Glistle, Gretta, Hodge and Podge, and Mrs. Greeley, Fyn’s mother.

Night truly does a phenomenal job describing the intricate details of this magical realm and Ivy’s personal quest within it. Everything she included, from the descriptions of the local scenery down to the depictions of delicious, mouthwatering fictional food (I would do some unspeakable things to try a warm, melted Moonsday Milkshake!!) makes for such a fantastical, and magical reading experience.

In this second book, Ivy continues in her fight to remain safe from the Dark Queen’s wrath, but as the story progresses, she becomes increasingly aware that nowhere in Croswald may be safe for her anymore. Filled with exciting twists, mysterious shadows, and tons of adventure, I believe this book is a phenomenal follow up to the first in the series.

I cannot wait to read the third and fourth books in this series! Thank you so much @storiesuntoldpress for reaching out and sending me this copy on Netgalley to review!!

Thank you to Netgalley and D.E. Night for the eARC in exchange for a review

The second book in the series we follow Ivy on her journey to pursue her dream of becoming a scrivenist. The story is mainly focus on her finding a magical stone while hiding from the evil queen.

The characters have developed more and we get introduce to more. We meet Fyn's mother and he is super sweet. The world building is magical and it has a game/competition within which the characters participate in for fun. The game is called Quogo and I think it's such a fun idea that the writing made up for her characters and to be in a part of secret club. The writing is easy to read and follow.

I do like that there is a bit of romance between Fyn and Ivy. I enjoyed Fyn protecting her. The atmosphere does feel more middle grade even though the age for the main characters are older in their upper teens (16-19 years old). Overall, I really did enjoy this series very much and look forward to continuing on with the series.

Recommended to those who like fantasy, magical adventures, YA, and middle grade reads.
Definitely for those that are fans of Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, and The School for Good and Evil.

This book is as equally wonderful as the 1st one. We are back in the world of scrivenists, magic and whimsy. The world building is done spectacularly, and it keeps you entertained throughout the book. The budding friendship between Ivy and Fyn is interesting to read.

The plot and pace of the book flows effortlessly, and it keeps you guessing and intrigued throughout the story. All in all this was a fun read.

Thanks to the publisher, NetGalley and the Author for the free copy for an honest review.