This is such a fun and delightful series! I truly wish I had read this when I was younger! The world created is so beautiful and magical, the characters are lovable, and the story is captivating!

I had been looking forward to reading the second book at some point after I had finished The Crowns of Croswald out of curiosity.

Overall, it was a fun read. again, as I had mentioned before, this series gives off a bit of a harry potter vibe - considering the whole magic school and the chosen one trope. It starts off with a completely random character though, one who gets no introduction until a few chapters are over. But the first book had also started in a similarly random way so I guess that is characteristic of this series.

Now, there were parts where I enjoyed reading and others when I felt like it was dragging on a bit. I can't exactly define the pace of the book overall because it kept changing throughout. Also, there was a lot of mind hopping (jumping from one person's pov to another's at random places to make more sense of the circumstances) in this book which diminished the reading experience just a little bit.

But I would still recommend trying it out because it has very interesting worldbuilding that is worth exploring. I look forward to finishing this series whenever I can.

Such a thrill diving back into this whimsical fantasy. I love that it picks up exactly where the las book ended, and from chapter one the story moves a lot faster that the previous book. There are so many new characters introduced, and we finally get to see a lot more of the world of Croswald. I love the way Ivy grows into herself so much as she accepts her magic, and we finally got to see a lot more development from Fyn!!! I also enjoyed the multiple points of view, which worked perfectly as Ivy and her friends sets out on a series of adventures to find the pieces the Kindred Stone as part of the greater quest to ultimately defeat the Dark Queen. This book is exquisitely magical and I will dare say that it perfectly lives up to and at many times even supersedes its predecessor.

I want to start this by saying I really enjoyed the first book in this series for its whimsy and unique magical elements. This one honestly felt too much like a Harry Potter copy. Just some of the examples I found:
- there is a teacher playing good and bad (AKA Snape)
- Thestral like creatures that are invisible horses
- a stone that is hidden inside a bank
- dementor like creatures
- memory bottles that you can enter
- a magical sport called “Quogo”

There were a few HP similarities in the first book but I overlooked it due to it being a series set in a magical school and therefore there’s bound to be similar situations. However this one just got too much for me.

Also, the characters are 17-19, but the dialogue is very basic and reads very much like a younger end middle grade. I’m not a fan of the villain as there has been no development as to why she is evil and I personally prefer my villains to have a reason.

The author also referred to a homeless man as a ‘hobo’ which I felt was very derogatory. Overall, I love the unique elements that the author has created themselves, however far too much of it seems similar to HP for it not to have been directly influenced. The characters fall quite one dimensional and the writing just doesn’t match up with the age group. Sad to say I don’t think I’ll be continuing.

The Girl with the Whispering Shadow is the second instalment of D. E. Night’s ‘The Crowns of Crosland’.
Following on from (a couple of days in fact) from the events of the first book, Ivy and Rebecca have finished their first year in the Halls of Ivy and are planning to spend their summer holidays in their respective places. Rebecca is off home, and Ivy is going….to the place that has no name.
Well, that’s not strictly true because it does have a name, but it is a secret. In fact, it’s so secret that it doesn’t appear on any map and it is shrouded in darkness. However, there’s danger ahead (well there would have to be wouldn’t there, we do need some story after all!) as Ivy is tasked to find more pieces of the Kindred Stone, and to evade the Dark Queen’s plans
The Girl with the Whispering Shadow sees D. E. Knight gaining more of a firmer footing in this the second book, and whilst there is still some information to be passed on, particularly in relation to the town of Belzebuthe, which sometimes slows the pace down a little, this is a lot more of a focused novel that doesn’t have the added weight of introducing the reader to the world that she has created.
You have to mention the characters in a review don’t you, and this was the part that I couldn’t wait to get to. I have to say that D. E. Knight writes some fantastic characters and Ivy is a marvellously strong female character for this particular age group. However, not only that, but she also populates the rest of Crosland with equally strong characters, and whilst I am out of the intended demographic for this book, my reading changes are the same as when I was younger. I want a book with a good plot that keeps me interested, good characters and plenty of magic, and with this series you get this in spades.

Great book and couldn't put the book down. I love this series and the author. I was on the edge of my seat and guessing what would happen would happen next. I was so excited when i got an advanced reader copy of this book.

I didn't like how the story started off with a character, Greta, who we don't know. She becomes a major part of the plot which makes me wish she played a big role in the first book. I do like how it picks off right from where the first book left off. The author's writing is very clear and descriptive. it forms a perfect picture in your mind of what is happening in the book. The book reminds readers what certain important objects in the book are. This is important as I am a very forgetful person when it comes to certain things. The story is very fast paced in many areas which I like as I tend to easily get bored. However, some areas did go by a little too slow. As this book is targeted towards kids, there are many good vocabulary words sprinkled throughout the novel. I think that the magic system and worldbuilding in this book is very unique, which is a good thing as many fantasy books struggle in this department. I liked learning more about the Town as well as finally learning its name. Sometimes the book does talk about things such as Quogo as if we (already) know what they are when we don't. This is a bit frustrating. Then, in other areas, the book will info dump on these topics. Once in a while the narration slips out of third person limited into third person omniscient, which is a bit annoying as it takes you out of the story. The prologue of the first book is mostly left unaddressed in both book one and book two until chapter 17 of book two (this book). I didn't really like the subplot of Quogo and the Quality Quills Club. This is probably because I'm not much of a sports person but it still made me a bit bored and agitated when I had to read about it. The friends could have just as easily been a study group that used real quills instead of porcupels and all would have been the same. Another area I did not really like was when the author would compare skin color to food for the person of color. This is a habit that authors need to break ASAP. In this book, we get to see some of Derwin's forgotten memories which I wish lasted longer than it did. Overall, the book was entertaining and enjoyable apart from the aforementioned points.

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.