When you have anxiety or OCD, asking yourself "what if" questions leads only to bad things. Usually panic. A Crown of Ivy and Glass by Claire Legrand, the first book in the Middlemist trilogy, focuses heavily on the idea of anxiety while telling an intriguing fantasy story with romance elements.

A Mysterious Man and a Blood Feud

The book takes place on the continent of Gallinora. The gods have died in what was called the unmaking but not before giving magic to some people on the continent, some on purpose, some on accident. They also created a mist that runs down the continent to protect the world from demons and other nasty creatures.

Lady Imogen Ashbourne, or Gemma for short, doesn't possess magic in a family that's been anointed by the gods. Her two older siblings both possess magic, as well as her father. She struggles finding her place in high society. That is until a mysterious man, Talan d'Astier, shows up. He claims that her family has been influenced by a demon into a blood feud with another anointed family, the Basks.

Early on in the book, the focus is on political intrigue. Both the Ashbournes and the Basks are elite members of what is basically the nobility, though no one quite knows what started the feud. Claire Legrand sets up the book as if it's going to be about politics in high society.

But as the story unfolds, she moves away from this. The story moves from politicking at parties to facing off against all manners of fantastical creatures. There are demons, necromancers, and much more. While on it's surface, this shift may seem jarring, it makes sense in the context of the story. Why did the blood feud start? Who does it benefit? These questions are answered and make the shift make sense.

An Intriguing Plot

The plot of A Crown of Ivy and Glass is quite interesting. There are multiple plot threads of various lengths that help keep the story moving. The opening to the story, like a lot of first fantasy books, moves a little slowly. It doesn't show its full scope until midway through the book but as an avid reader of fantasy, this is par for the course. It's not that the opening is boring though. The political intrigue in its small scale is intriguing in its own right.

As the story moves forward the plot threads become intertwined. Even as new plot threads were introduced they seemed connected to the overarching plot.

Even the threads that aren't obviously connected to the overarching plot of the first book look like they will connect somewhere in the trilogy. Though interestingly enough, each book in the trilogy will focus on a different sister. Each book will continue moving the overarching plot along.

Romance

A Crown of Ivy and Glass is an adult fantasy romance novel. Gemma and Talan both fall for each other and unsurprisingly, this doesn't go perfectly smoothly. Claire Legrand does a good job making sure the romance plot thread is intriguing and lays the pieces for the payoff. The payoff feels well-earned and doesn't come out of thin air which is nice for the reader, and can be a hard path to write.

But being an adult romance novel, there are multiple multi-page scenes of sexually explicit scenes. One of my favorite lines in the book is unintentionally funny and is a bit jarring considering the word choice when compared to the rest of the book. The line, "In my entire life,... I never wanted anything more than I want to f*ck your perfect sweet little c**t." The naughty words only come out during the sex scenes which makes them feel all the more jarring. That being said, I found myself enjoying the romance between Gemma and Talan and I end up rooting for them as the story unfolds.

There's even some foreshadowing for later books of a Romeo and Juliet type romance between one of the Ashbournes and one of the Basks.

World Building

When it comes to fantasy books, it can be tough to build a well-thought-out, lived-in world. Claire Legrand does a great job of building the lore of the continent of Gallinora. She drip-feeds the history of the world in a natural way, avoiding long paragraphs of exposition. The descriptions of the world entice the reader to learn more.

I found myself wanting to know more about the world as I read. I soaked up and devoured every piece of lore that helped build the world and the characters in the world. The pacing of giving information felt perfect to me.

Allegory on Anxiety

My favorite part of the book, and one I connected to most was Claire Legrand's description of anxiety. Gemma suffers from what she calls the panic. It debilitates her throughout the story at times and she spends the book learning to handle it. However, even at the end of the book she isn't fully able to. As someone that suffers and will always have to deal with OCD, this was nice to see. It's not something one can just get over.

The panic comes to Gemma and she starts to learn ways to deal with it. The mini-prayer she creates was relatable. "I was not terrible. I was not a burden. I was not alone."

I found myself relating to Gemma multiple times throughout the book. I enjoyed reading about her growth and definitely was rooting for her as the story progressed. The scene where Gemma figures out why she has the panic in the first place is a fantastic metaphor that a lot of people with anxiety can probably relate too.

Final Thoughts

Overall, I would recommend A Crown of Ivy and Glass by Claire Legrand. I was a little surprised that I enjoyed the book so much. Romance novels are not usually the first book I would reach for on the shelf. So I was a bit apprehensive about how much I would enjoy a fantasy romance novel. Claire Legrand does a good job weaving together the romance and the fantasy though. The world-building is fantastic. The characters are intriguing and dynamic. The writing is a bit young-adult at times, but I didn't mind that so much. It's a great start for a trilogy and I look forward to continue reading about the Middlemist.

I have never been more conflicted about a book than “A Crown of Ivy and Glass.” There were some elements that I absolutely adored (mainly the sisterly relationships) and some that I abhorred (mainly the romantic relationship). The relationship between Gemma and Talan fell so flat for me and I hardly cared about its success even after reading 560 pages of romantic fluff. Although this book is adult fantasy, it read SO much as YA, but with far too many sex scenes. I’m all for a good smut scene, but there were too many, especially in the most inopportune times. As a reader, I more often prefer a slow burn romance, and Gemma/Talan happened instantly, and I instantly didn’t care for them.

I do wish this book was broken up into two novels. By the midway point I felt like I was reading an entirely different book and didn’t see a lot of cohesion. It would have benefited to be separate to elaborate more on certain relationships.

This book really did have quite a few good qualities. I loved the fantasy elements of this story and felt truly immersed in the world-building. Gemma’s magical disabilities were written very well and contrasted perfectly against her sister’s magical gifts. I do wish there was more focus on family relationships to romantic as the Ashbourne’s story is so rich with trails and tribulations. I would LOVE to have other books from Mara or Farrin’s perspective, (especially with a possible enemies to lovers romance with Ryder Bask?) Gemma as a narrator was insufferable at times and I would love to read other perspectives.

There is SO much potential in this series and would really love to read the sequel, hoping it’s a little more finely tuned. Thank you so much to NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Casablanca for proving an advanced copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review. 3.5 Stars rounded up.

It did not take long for me to be immersed in the world in which Gemma lived, and it is a world nothing like my own. From the start we are drawn into the lives of all the characters, especially our unlikely heroine, and the adventure begins. At first we seem to be strolling, but soon enough we are carried away at a full run with twists, turns and mysteries all around. If you enjoy fantasy with a bit of romance woven in, give this a try. I am looking forward to see what happens next.

A hero whose family has lost the queen's favor. A heroine who's the odd one out. And a mutually beneficial proposition. Oh my! A Crown of Ivy and Glass is full of action, twists, steam, magic and paranormals which make for an entertaining read!

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for this one. I REALLY wanted to love this one, I just could not connect with the story. What I thought it was about and what the story was really about was very different and it didn't work for me :/ I think the writing style didn't hook me in and it took me a long time to get through this book .

While I am a fan of the Furyborn series this book was a miss for me. I found the female MC to be difficult to connect with. The world building was excellent but it was really the characters that made the story rough for me.

DNF at 25%. This was advertised as a mix between Bridgerton and ACOTAR and it just feels like a terrible fanfiction. The protagonist (and the only POV we apparently get to deal with as an audience) is whiny and annoying. There was nothing redeemable about her. And I just do not care what happens.

A Crown of Ivy and Glass by Claire Legrand is definitely for those that binge-watched all of Bridgerton and Queen Charlotte and are now trying to occupy their time until the next season.

Following the Lady Gemma Ashbourne through her aristocratic lifestyle in this New Adult Fantasy Fiction, we find that not all is so splendid as they seem. Born to the Ashbourne name, Gemma is part of a select class called the Anointed--families who were directly blessed with magic by the Gods themselves. However, the issue for Gemma is that she possesses no magic at all and actual grows violently ill when near it. In comes the very handsome Talan d'Astier, whose family was seduced by a demon and it inevitably destroyed them. He comes bearing Gemma a proposal, help him navigate high society to earn back his family's reputation and he will help her destroy her family's enemies, the Basks. But with attacks on the world's defenses from monstrous creatures, plots soon spiral out of control and something is happening to Gemma, something terrifying.

Aproximately 33% through. This is definitely an interesting concept and though some find the MC very childish and consider this book to fall more into YA, I believe that is the point. Gemma is unknown to the truths of the world. Gemma is kept in the dark by her father and sisters, all she knows are the shining things of her life and is aching to know more, to be seen as more than a porcelain doll. Then comes a boy who may possibly see her as she would like to be. In the mean time, we shall see how events unfold.

There was a lot of world building in this book. A lot. But, I liked it. That wasn't a deal breaker for me. I enjoyed reading about the magic, curses, demons, etc. What I didn't love was Gemma. She was a hard one to root for at times. I do feel like she was better toward the end so I have high hopes that she'll be more likeable in the next book.

This book just wasn’t for me. I felt like the pacing was a little too slow and I never found myself eager to pick the book back up. It wasn’t the writing that I didn’t care for but the development of the story.

Lady Gemma Ashbourne seems to have the perfect life but her reality is anything but perfect. When Talan d'Astier comes into her life, one bargain changes the course of their lives.

I had never read Furyborn so I was really excited to read this novel. I thought the plot was interesting; I liked the idea of Gemma being the only one with no magic and her relationship with Talan intrigued me as well.

However, when I read the novel I found it difficult to care about the characters and parts of the novel bore me. The writing style and narrative didn't hook me in and the plot confused me at times.

This is my first book by Claire Legrand and have seen very positive things about this author! I was really pumped to get an e-arc of this book and start reading it! That being said, I really struggled through this book. I personally had a hard time connecting with Gemma (FMC) and couldn’t get past the writing style. Once the pace of the book picked up (way too late) I enjoyed it a little more!

Something I think Claire Legrand does super well is create characters that you’re not sure about. Do I like them? Do I hate them? Do I sympathize with them? Are they good, bad, morally grey?

Gemma is a third daughter of a magical family
who is not only missing magic, it makes her sick. She finds out her family and a rival family were pitted against each other by a demon and decides to take her fate into her own hands.

This book has a unique magic system that isn’t super difficult to make sense of like some fantasy worlds, which is my favorite type. The world feels old fashioned but the values don’t (Aka there are no noblewomen expected to remain virginal) which I love.

Between this book and the furyborn trilogy, I think I’ll read anything Claire writes.

Imogen Ashbourne, twenty, was not born with the magic her family line had been bestowed with. Centuries ago, her family was one of hundreds chosen by the gods to be the guardians of Edyn. It was the time of the Unmaking, when the gods left Edyn but bestowed the chosen families with magic in their image. Imogen not only lacks magic herself, but it actually harms her. At age eight, her frail state led to events that forever changed her family. Guilt – and the avoidance of its existence – now cloud her outlook on life. Imogen was meant to leave with the Warden and serve in the Order of the Rose. Danger lurks in the mist, and in Imogen’s stead, her beloved sister Mara now serves. Imogen’s father loves her, but he is increasingly distant with her. He has no such issues with Imogen’s oldest sister Farrin, whose serious demeanor often clashes with Imogen’s tendency toward frivolity. She enjoys fashion and parties. In another attempt to assuage her feelings of guilt, she decides to throw party. Something happens that night when she experiences magical abilities for the first time. It is a brief peak, but that knowledge is devastating. She begins to think beyond the pretty dresses and lavish attentions that have occupied her time. She wonders if she might be able to do something about her abilities and her family’s curse. It sets off an alliance and an adventure in a wonderfully defined world of magic.

The story is wonderfully imagined and well-written.

I found the premise of this book highly intriguing. A girl from a magic family who is hurt by the presence of magic. A family feud fueled by a demon, and a mad attempt to end it. But the story didn't deliver. The prose felt overdone and too long. I found myself skimming paragraphs to skip past the long sections of the characters inner dialogue which was highly redundant, searching for the moments when things actually happened.
And then when things started to pick up they took a sudden turn into what felt like a completely unrelated plot. It did circle back around eventually but I spent several chapters wondering what exactly this had to do with the rest of the story.
And even though the plot was more or less resolved at the end (leaving room for subsequent books in the series) I didn't feel like any of the questions the book had started with had been answered. We were left in much the same place at the end as we were in the beginning, which made the whole thing feel unsatisfying.

It took me a while to digest this enough to craft a written review. I have very conflicting emotions about A Crown of Ivy and Glass. I really liked the world that was created and the concept of the humans with magic and the Greenways. The best characters were side characters (sister, best friend, sister's best friend). I did not love the main character and that's because, as someone who struggles with mental health, I did not like reading her perspective. I feel like her storyline glorified mental health as something that everyone dropped everything to help her with. I think there were better ways to approach this. It's an interesting concept to have a heroine with mental health and chronic illness issues, but I found her weak and unlikable. Every time you thought she was coping or overcoming, she ended up back in her bed being taken care of. SPOILERS AHEAD: Then, suddenly she was super powerful and majestic and then it was abruptly ripped away. I also didn't like her romance because it felt to wishy-washy. My one other major critique was the breadth of magical beings included. It went from gods gifting magic to including chimeras and necromancers and demons. It was a lot. I would be interested to see how the story evolves in future books, but this one wasn't really for me.

Thank you to Claire Legrand and NetGalley for the ARC.

I had a really hard time getting into this book and it felt like a bit of a struggle to continue it, which I'm sure wasn't helped by how long the book is. Gemma left a lot to be desired as a main character and none of the characters successfully made me care about them.

This often felt like several different books struggling to come together. Much of the premise is fantastic, a Regency fantasy vibe but with a sex-positive female character who lives with chronic pain. Gemma isn’t always likable, and I’m here for that, but unfortunately the choppy storyline made it hard to fully connect with her. I also didn’t feel the romance, the insta-love always felt like a throw-in.

The mythology has promise, with an interesting magic system, but there were too many competing elements. Moments would build and then be resolved jarringly. There was too much here for one book, even at a hefty 550+ pages. With more concise editing, or spread over multiple books, I could have easily loved this. The last 20% did finally coalesce into a gripping finale that left me willing to pick up the next book in hopes that Legrand gets a better handle on this story.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced reader copy, all opinions are my own!

Seeing that this was pitched as ACOTAR meets Bridgerton, I was all in. Unfortunately, this just didn't deliver on any front for me.

I think the primary issue was the pacing. Being that this is 500 pages, some plot points felt too rushed, and others felt like they dragged on without ever being fully explored/resolved.

This was my first ARC and I struggled with getting into the book so thoroughly that this review is coming after publication. I know others LOVE Claire, so I'm still going to check out her other series because I'm hoping this is just a one off!

It should have been called a crown of beauty and disdain because honestly, it was hard to get into and felt like a knock off version of ACOTAR with characters I didn't really care about. Also the ending was predictable and disappointing.