(4.5/5 stars)
It’s always great when a sequel not only lives up to, but outdoes its predecessor! Returning us to the world of scrivenists (mages who channel magic through quills), ‘The Girl with the Whispering Shadow’ (incredible title) is just as full of ingenious and refreshingly original magical concepts as ‘The Crowns of Croswald’, with even more of the lovable characters, subtly chilling foreboding and hilarious moments that I enjoyed in Book 1.

One of my favourite things was the introduction of a popular scrivenists’ game called ‘Quogo’ – eat your heart out, Quidditch! Quogo is almost like a magical RPG (role-playing game), where players battle it out with the spectres of retired or deceased scrivenists, using their decommissioned quills. I also loved the Quality Quills Club (where can I sign up?!), a secret society of amateur Quogo players run by our wonderful Fyn Greeley. I loved the dynamic within this friendship group, spiced up by the new additions of Ivy and Rebecca to its ranks, and they had so much great banter between them. Each QQC member felt realistic, especially after a certain accidental catastrophe, and I really look forward to seeing more of them in Book 3! This was a very well-written rendition of a found-family trope, if that’s one you enjoy.

Speaking of character love, I have to include a tribute specifically to my favourites, Fyn and Rebecca! They’re so loyal to Ivy but never come across as sycophants or merely foils, and yet again, Rebecca (in multiple scenes) proves herself an MVP in this squad. Fyn cracks me up so much with his sarcasm, and I’m completely invested in the adorable slow-burn between him and Ivy! I also grew to like Ivy more in this one – while some of her actions in the first book felt at times out of character, this book is where she really comes into her own and grows in confidence, maturity and just all around personality palpability.

Great twists abound, with hints dropped here and there to amp up the apprehension, and several were rather disquieting. In general, this book’s ‘horror’ level feels middle-grade to YA, but there were certainly some moments that gave me ‘Criminal Minds’-type chills. The Dark Queen definitely feels more genuinely threatening in this book compared to the first, and we learn a bit more about her motives that clarify scenes in the first book.

There were also plenty of new spells, creatures and even careers introduced – my favourite one being a teledetector matteler, a sort of teleporting magical police/CSI officer who can travel to crime scenes through mentally connecting through a scene sketch. I really like the style of magic in this series, it’s very whimsical and strong on wordplay, which is right up my alley.

If you’re a ‘Harry Potter’ fan, or on the hunt for more magical boarding school stories, I really recommend diving into this series! Following that slight cliffhanger (and its link to the title of Book 3), I’m so hyped for ‘The Words of the Wandering’, out May 30! Not long now before I can return to Croswald…

Someone really needs to make "Previously on" or "Here's what you missed/forgot" happen for books. I read the first book 3 years ago so my memory was a bit hazy. I hope to read the next one sooner (or at least not 3 years from now). I struggled a bit with this book. It's hard not to compare books about magical schools to HP (especially when they're re-airing the movies). I like that the friendships got more attention in this one. And I really liked the Town. Honestly, it's the last 70 pages that gave me the most trouble. And I hate that I can't put my finger on what it was. I think it may be the Dark Queen. We've barely seen interactions with her which makes her kind of a vague villain. P

Plus some of the magic stuff still confused the hell out of me.

The Girl With The Whispering Shadow takes us back to Croswald and the unique magical world that it is. It is Ivy's first summer away from the slurry fields and Derwin has shipped her off to the scrivenist town called Belzebuthe. With a piece of paper and an address written on it, Ivy lands up at none other than our dearest Fyn's house. Over the summer Ivy learns more and more about scrivenists and how they protect the 'Town' from the dark queen. She uncovers some exciting stuff like fishing for stars, Quogo matches and a job being a potioneer. But the most heartwarming thing about this book was how Ivy finds her own friends. She had a group of people from school who care for her and look out in case she is in danger. Ivy is someone who has had the company of scaldrons for so long. Even in Book 1, her only friends were Fyn and Rebecca but mostly she solved her problems alone.

This book values friendships as each one of the many friends she makes helps her fight with The Dark Queen. The writing style has definitely improved and so have the character arcs. From being clueless, Ivy is now learning about scrivenists and her past. The character 'Glistle' was one of my favourites in this book.

The world-building goes beyond the Halls of Ivy and there are new creatures that the characters in the book discover. It was such a fun read and is perfect for anyone looking for an engaging middle grade fantasy. The kids are so talented and think on their feet. Fyn's graduation made me completely teary-eyed because I love how he toes every line.

The book ends in the most mysterious way that has something to do with The Forgotten Room which makes me a little queasy. I was so glad to receive a copy of Book 2.

It's the second instalment of The Crowns of Croswald series and the magic is growing!

Following the first instalment, The Girl with the Whispering Shadow is all about the second year at a school of magic and also the journey to finding the second piece of a lost stone. This stone, called a Kindred Stone, apparently holds a ton of power that works just like an amplifier. It is said that it belongs to the true queen of Croswald, who happens to be our main character, Ivy. However, the Dark Queen seeks to claim this stone so that she can continue to reign with terror for eternity. So, in between studies, learning magic, staying on top of the Dark Queen, and finding the truth about the past, Ivy has to work hard to discover and retrieve the second missing piece of the Kindred Stone before it gets into the wrong hands.

One of the special things that was introduced to this series that I love is "Quogo". Instead of battling with wands, we have scrivenists battling with quills left behind by their passing owners. I mean, how cool is that! What makes it even more fascinating is that it is actually considered a sport! This reminds me so much of Harry Potter. But instead of Quidditch, we have two individuals battling with magic.

Additionally, we were also introduced in more detail to a secret club called Quality Quills Club (QQC). I mean, where's the fun in schools if not for secret clubs? Am I right or am I right? So this secret club was formed from the love of Quogo. The founder, Fyn, is an huge fan of the Quogo sport who dreams of becoming part of the game in the future. However, with the Dark Queen threatening to harm Ivy and all scrivenist to get what she wants, the QQC plays to practice the use of quills. This immediately reminds me of "Dumbledore's Army" practicing their spells in secret.

As for the other elements of this story, I would say that there was a step up from the first instalment. I thought that the plot was more exciting and there was tremendous growth in character development. I really like where this story is going and I can't wait to read the next instalment. I need to see how the budding love between Ivy and Fyn blossoms.

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this book from D.E. Night through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Sequel to The Crowns of Croswald, The Girl with the Whispering Shadow picks up right where the first left off with Ivy and friends. The school year is over and everyone is looking forward to summer break, but the Dark Queen being on the hunt for Ivy puts a damper on everything. But Ivy knows what her mission is, and will fulfill it no matter what the consequences.

Truly, this series is so magical and whimsical. If you are looking for a more light-hearted, genderbent Harry Potter than this is the story for you. The magical creatures and magic system are so much fun and the characters are just adorable. Ivy, Fyn, and Rebecca are are great friends and each bring something different to the table. It's an easy read and worth the time.

One thing I will say is that is is VERY close to Harry Potter and the dialogue isn't the best. The descriptions and writing are beautiful, but the dialogue is very stilted and has far too many !'s. However, this is more of a middle grade book so this could make sense. I also think the similarities to Harry Potter are just a bit much, almost too close for comfort.

Ivy has learned she is part of the Queenly bloodline and that the dark queen is after her and her royal stone. She’s been instructed to hide away in a secret town for her own safety and to find the missing pieces of her stone. She spends her summer making new friends and continues her learning as best as she can since she is unable to go back to The Halls of Ivy. With no clues to help lead her on her mission she doesn’t make it far before she is thrown back into danger of the Dark Queen. She uses the knowledge she’s gained, the help of her new friends and allies, and the few clues she has to make it closer to finishing her mission.

This was actually a second reading for me. I wanted a refresher before starting book 3 and I loved it just as much the second time. I never thought I would but I actually love the similarities to Harry Potter world, but I do. It’s like almost reliving it again but in a completely new and fresh way. But even though there are a lot of similarities the characters are completely unique and well developed. The magic is still it’s own and the story is thrilling and well written. I’m incredibly excited to start book 3 and see where Ivy’s story takes us to next.

I would also like to thank the publisher and Netgalley for allowing me to read and review a copy of this book since the one I own was loaned to a friend and I didn’t think the middle of a global pandemic was the best time to ask for it back.

I received this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I absolutely loved this book! It has everything to keep you hooked from the first page! Definitely would recommend to all the fantasy readers

So I couldn't remember anything that had happened in the previous book as I read it around a year ago - oops. It made the beginning of this book a very rocky read because I couldn't remember any of the characters, besides Ivy, or the events that they were talking about! This book immediately follows on from the ending of the first book.

We still follow Ivy who has just overcome her first Dark Queen encounter. She has been whisked away to the secret town that the Dark Queen does not have access to, nor anyone else unless they know the name of the town. She was forbidden to return to the magic school she attended in the first book for her safety. But then received a letter saying she was allowed to come back. Danger was everywhere she went however. Both in the secret town - which is meant to be one of the safest places in this world - and at school. She and her friends were faced with these dangers and did what they could to keep themselves, and everybody else, safe. Though if you were to read the book, you might laugh at that haha.

I did enjoy this book, despite the rocky start. Though I found the story to be quite simple - unlike the first book. Again, I wish it were longer and more detailed. The author pretty much gives us the main events of the story without much riffraff which I suppose is good, but I am left wanting more every time, and with this series, that is a very frustrating thing.

This is my first time reading DE Night, but I found this book to be well-written and accessible for young readers, as well as older fans of the YA genre. I would gladly add this book to my classroom shelf or school library. Many thanks to the author/publisher for this advance copy.