3.5 ⭐️s

Thank you to Netgalley, D.E. Night and Stories Untold for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

What a fantastic sequel! There was a lot more action and more character development in this one and I enjoyed both of those aspects. Ivy finds herself in The Town for the summer and we see her developing her knowledge and getting to know more people. The range of characters brought to the forefront of the story increases which is fun and allows for more drama and action. I found Ivy to be predictable in some of her movements, particularly in the Fall, but the actions she took needed to happen for the story to roll to the place it was left at the end of this book!

I can obviously see a lot of comparisons to Harry Potter, but the differences are enough. I enjoy the magical side of this fantasy and am really curious as to where Ivy and friends are headed in the next book! Great series for anyone who enjoys middle grade fantasy!!

The Girl with a whispering shadow has the same magical feel as volume one.
I love that there are so many parallels with Harry Potter.
I love the plot twists and the world created in both books. The atmosphere is just pleasant and dreamy.
Since that part the characters feel like family and I like to read more and more about the city of Belzebuth.
Conclusion: This part is even better than the first. The atmosphere and characters are great. The cover is very good just like the writing style. For everyone who loves Harry Potter and fantasy, this book series is something.

This is the sequel to The Crowns of Croswald and I actually enjoyed this one more than the first. I think part of it is that I’m invested in the story now but I also think most of it is how much more developed the world of Croswald seems in this book. I got to delve deeper into this world and learn so many new things. This world is so unique and fascinating! I loved how this book picked up right where the last one left off and we were thrown into action from the get-go. The background romance continued in this book and I enjoyed it a lot. I definitely ship Ivy and Fyn, they’re so cute! Even if they just stay friends (which I hope they’re more than that) I still really like the relationship they have going. I felt like this book had more action in it and I enjoyed that a lot. However, there were some slow bits here and there. They were scenes that helped establish the storyline but sometimes they felt a bit too dragged out. Maybe I was just antsy to get back to the action. I will say the ending threw me off a little. I was expecting a little more or something different? I don’t know how to talk about it without spoiling it. But other than that I throughly enjoyed this book and I can’t wait to learn more about this world and Ivy’s adventures in it!

What a great continuation of The Crowns of Croswald. It began right where the first left off which is great. There was even more action and adventure and I couldn’t get enough. I really liked how there were references to events from the first book, enough to remind you of what happened but not repetitive. Ivy continues to grow as a character and I am all for it, but what I really loved was the development of the secondary characters. We got to know them more and they are friends I’d like to have.

The club Ivy joined was so refreshing. It was another way to learn about the quills instead of just through classroom lectures. I would like to learn a little more about the jewels the royals carry. We learn so much about the quills and now I find myself wanting to learn more about the stones.

This is such a fun story and the magical world is wonderful. I would love to be able to fish for stars and play Quogo. There is so much to love about this series and I can’t wait to see where it goes from here. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the gifted copy.

This was such a fun addition to Ivy's story! I enjoyed getting to know my favorite characters better, and meeting some great new ones as well. And it was so cool to learn more about this fascinating and unique world!

That being said, this book started out kind of slow for me. It didn't feel like much happened during the first third of the book and I had a harder time staying invested because of that. Once the action picked up, however, I was hooked!

I mentioned before, but one thing I love about this series is the world Night has created. It's so interesting to learn about all the different creatures and magical aspects. I really feel like I could step into this world and have an adventure of my own.

If you enjoyed the first book in this series, I would recommend giving this one a read. While I had a harder time getting into it, I still ended up enjoying this book quite a bit! I'm so interested to find out where the story goes next!

Can book 2 live up to the first? In this case yes it can and in my opinion tops the 1st book.

We get to explore more places and see Ivy grow with confidence. The subtle love story that’s simmering in the background is a lovely touch, one that isn’t over powering but makes you route for them to realise their friendship is more.

The added element of the Quogo is fabulous and an added bit of humour. If this little known series gets made into a film (which I believe it should) Quogo would be great to see on the big screen.

I find it a shame these books aren’t well known, as a teenager I would have loved to immerse myself in the Ivy’s magical world. I hope they start to build in popularity and get the recognition they deserve.

The return to Croswald drops us back into the adventures of Ivy Lovely in the best possible way. After spending the summer in The Town, Ivy finally makes her way back to the Halls.
Surrounded by Fyn, Rebecca and the rest of the QQC, Ivy's second year leads her into ever more, thoroughly enchanting misadventures.
As mysteries unfold, danger arises and the tiniest hint of love blossoms, readers are welcomed back into the treasure of Croswald.

👑 In the first book of the series, The Crowns of Croswald, we discover that Ivy is part of the Queenly bloodline. To keep her safe and far from the Dark Queen, in the second book, Ivy is sent to the secret town of Belzebuthe and has been told not to go back to school for her own safety. Suddenly, though, she receives a message that allows her back. She can't be happier, but is it really safe? And will she find the second piece of the Kindred Stone?⁠
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♥️ I liked:⁠
📚 Belzebuthe. This amazing town, secret and known only to those with magical blood, sounds incredible and is described in every single detail. I wouldn't mind going there just for a bit of shopping at "Quintons Brews and Hodgepodge" or at the bookshop. ⁠
⭐ Star fishing. One of Fynn's hobbies in Belzebuthe: fishing for stars that grant people's wishes. It just sounds so magical that I decided I have to try it as well!
⚗️ Hodge and Podge. The dwarves that run the potion shop where Ivy works in Belzebuthe are my new favourite characters! Their magical battle was probably one of the funniest scenes of all book. ⁠
👨 Ivy, Fynn and Rebecca. You can see the characters are growing up in this second book. They are still teenagers, of course, but it's good to witness how they change, becoming more mature and even more attached to each other. I especially appreciated Fynn in this second book, the character that I liked the least in the first one.⁠
🪄 Quogo. It's a magical game, where scrivenists duel with quills left behind by their owners. The game was super interesting, but sometimes I felt like there were too many details in those scenes. I also loved the fact that this game actually plays a role in the development of the plot.⁠
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⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5/5 Once again, I have to thank @netgalley and @danielastoriesuntoldpress for letting me dive in this amazing magical world. I loved this book as much as I loved the first one and I can't wait to read the third. If you love fantasy, you have to give it a try!⁠⁠
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I received and voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review (thank you!).

The first book in the series, The Crowns of Croswald, was an enjoyable read but not anything that stood out to me. I'm glad I continued with the series and read The Girl with the Whispering Shadow because I enjoyed it more than its predecessor.

The story picks up where the first book left off, which helped me feel as if I was thrust right back into the action. After Ivy learns she's descended from the last true queen of Croswald, she's sent to the secret town of Belzebuthe, and it's there she starts to come into her own. Ivy begins to embrace her magic and her destiny, which is to collect the missing pieces of the Kindred Stone and defeat the Dark Queen.

The world-building and magic system, which I enjoyed in the first book, continue to shine and build in this book. Although there were still some spots that read slow to me, there was an improvement in the pacing from the last book as well.

What I enjoyed most were the relationships in this story, and it was satisfying to see Ivy's friendships with Rebecca and Fyn grow. I'm also a sucker for the potential of romance in any capacity, so seeing the stirrings of (what I hope to be) first love in all its innocence was really sweet.

While I did enjoy this book more than the last, the characters still continued to read really young; I felt as if I were reading about preteens instead of teenagers. My personal preferences still run more mature, but this is an admittedly enjoyable read that should resonate really well with a younger audience or those who want a low-stress reading experience.

The Girl with the Whispering Shadow will whisk you away to a magical world. I highly recommend reading book one to fully enjoy this book. Ivy is back with a new quest and a familiar enemy. Watching Ivy grow not only into her powers but her confidence just makes you love her more. A brilliant second installment you'll find yourself lost in the pages for hours.

I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

After reading the first book, I was excited to see where The Girl with the Whispering Shadow would take the story. This book picks up at the moment the first novel ended, so there is no time jump or explanation of events that the audience needs to catch up on. Ivy has a slightly better grasp on the magical world and her place in it, but there is still much of her past that remains in the dark. Half of the book takes place outside of the school, which is a fun departure from the previous book and introduces us to more of the world. This is pretty obviously a mid-series book and as such, spends time world building which I assume will be necessary for future installments, but can slow the pacing down a tad.

Fantasy is not typically my first choice in genre, but this series has me hooked and I will definitely be on the look out for the next books. I loved the little easter egg of the author sharing the same initials/last name as a mysterious central character, and could see kids wondering if they are holding in their hands a volume written by the famous scrivenist!

The Girl with the Whispering Shadow is book number 2 in the Crowns of Croswald series.
If you haven’t read the first one, Id do yourself a favor and let your imagination run wild and get hooked like I have.

Book 2 dives deeper into the magical realm of “The Town” as Ivy Lovely becomes more mature with her newfound magical powers.
You get to see the friendships she’s building and how important the friendships become to her. You really would be nowhere without your friends. And this book shows just that.

I cannot wait to see where book 3 takes her, especially with how this book ended.
Also, you can find me fishing for stars with Fyn in the near future.

I’m in love with this series and how it transports me to a complete world of imagination.

The Girl with The Whispering Shadow follows Ivy as she moves to Belzebuthe, a secret town for those with magical blood, to find the next part of the Kindred stone. But even in a town that should be safe, something is shadowing Ivy and she will need all of her magic as she battles to find the rest of the kindred stone.

The setting of Belzebuthe was very enchanting. I loved the fact they could fish for stars to grant wishes. And I loved the game Quogo that Ivy was introduced to here. It allowed us to see more quill action and different types of magic scrivenists used. The Halls of Ivy also felt just as magical as the last book, I loved the invisotaurs we were introduced to.

We got to learn more about the characters, especially Ivy, we got to find out a bit more of her past. It was great to see her growing as a person and learning to accept her magic. One of my favourite characters ended up being Rebecca, she’s such a great friend to Ivy and I love her shapeshifting abilities. There is also a really sweet romance developing between Fyn and Ivy that I’m excited to see evolve.

Again the plot was full of action with plenty of quogo matches, flying on invisitaurs and fights with the Dark Queen. There weren’t any moments where I felt bored and it all led up to the ending really well. It definitely wasn’t a disappointing sequel and I’m excited about the final book!

This is the second book in The Crowns of Croswald series. I loved the first book, so when I got the chance to read book two I jumped at the chance.

This one carries on where the first book left off and I was so happy to delve back into this world.

I get major Harry Potter vibes from this story which is a big plus for me. The magic system is quite straightforward and I love the world-building. This author has put so much detail into the story.

I love Ivy and Flynn. Their characters have developed even more and I have loved watching them grow so far.

This was a nice, quick read and roll on book three!

This is the second book in the Crowns of Croswald series and I was excited to read it but also a bit apprehensive that I might not enjoy it as much as the first. I can safely say it’s every bit as good as the first book and was a joy to read.

Once again you join Ivy Lovely, who is now in her second year at the Halls of Ivy, on more adventures to find the other parts of the Kindred Stone. There is also the mysterious shadow, who does it belong to? what does it want?

I really do enjoy these books the detail in the characters, the places, the beasts everything is so eloquently written. It’s a world I enjoy visiting.

Looking forward to the third book.

3.5 stars

The first half of this was so strong, and I found myself enjoying it so much more than book 1. The second half, however, really dragged on for me and it took me a solid 10 days to read 150 pages. I really loved being in The Town and following Ivy around as she did her internship, and I think maybe my dislike of the book lies within the school scenes, as I feel like even when they are different, they feel repetitive. I don't think this is exclusive to this book, I think that it is something I personally dislike in most books about schools. However, it meant I didn't enjoy this as much as I thought I would when I started the novel.
I really liked the Quogo games as I thought they were a unique game that fit in with the rest of the world, and I liked all the friends Ivy made in her Quogo club. I will say that it's surprising to learn that Fyn is 19, as he definitely acts younger, which I understand is because it is a middle grade novel, but it seems an odd choice to make him so old.
While I enjoyed the first half, because of the second half I cannot see myself continuing on with the series.

The second instalment to the Crowns of Croswald is full of adventure, suspense, and magic.

I was looking forward to reading this book so much! I loved the first book in the series and couldn't wait to read what happens next to Ivy and her friends.

It is super easy to get into this book now that I know the world of Croswald and all the magical things that can happen. This book is even more interesting than the first as it is action and adventure packed from the start. There are things that you guess at the beginning but that isn't a bad thing and the whispering shadow curse makes the book so much more interesting.
I really like that the Halls of Ivy are still the main milieu for this book. I really like the Quogo matches as well, it brings another level of magic into the book plus it totally brings up my Quidditch feels from Harry Potter.
I also like that there aren't too many new characters introduced in this book but that you get to follow your old "friends" in their journey to try and bring down the Dark Queen. Of course, Ivy is special, but I really, really like Fyn as well and I so hope that he is part of the third book. There's no way that he isn't :)

All in all, it was an interesting second book to the series. I now understand a lot of the things better and I cannot wait to read the third book!

The adventure of Ivy Lovely continues with more action and fun!!! This series is proving to me it’s one of those that get better as it goes on. I liked this more than the first book because unlike the first book which felt familiar, this book felt new! I love reading about new and unique stories, so I really liked this one. This was more predictable (but not super!!), but I still felt chills when everything was finally revealed.

Some parts of the book made me feel nervous and say, “IVY STOP BEING CURIOUS AND JUST RUN!” But, of course, where’s the fun in that? I was also very suspicious of everyone. I don’t know who to believe and who to trust! Even until the end, I was still having trust issues with some of the people around Ivy. If I were Ivy, I would probably run away. LOL

I’m so excited to read the next one and witness Ivy make more scary decisions that always lead to fun (and life threatening lol) adventures!!

This is the second installment in the Crowns of Croswald series and I’m falling more and more in love with this middle grade level book series of magic and mayhem. In this book, you see the main character, Ivy Lovely, grow into her personality and find a community of friends at the Halls of Ivy. The world that D.E. Night has created is so creative, magical, and charming. While magical high school books are pretty common, D.E. Night’s world continues to stand out as unique.

My only critique of this book is that D.E. Night is the Queen of Cliffhangers! I finished this book and I MUST read the third now! The ending is jarring because of the cliffhanger, but it just means that I need to get my hands on book 3.

I’ve really been enjoying the Croswald series, it’s been great to take a break from work or heavy reading and dive into this amazing middle grade level fantasy world! I recommend this series for middle readers, teachers, parents, and anyone who enjoys a fun story and a world of magic.

This is such a huge improvement from the first book, The Crowns of Croswald. I loved how magical the first book was but The Girl with the Whispering Shadow has taken its reader to even more whimsical places like Belzebuthe! The hidden town is everything that I fell in love with in the fantasy genre. This is one of those books that I wish I read as a chold because I would have enjoyed it a thousand times better.

Like the first one, this has some Harry Potter feel to it. Specifically, some crucial elements of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. However, this similarity does not take away from the original parts. My personal favorites are fishing for stars and Quogo.

I'm about to start the third book and I cannot wait to see where the story takes me.