Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for approving me for an eARC in exchange for an honest review. These opinions are my own.

I’m giving this book 3.7 stars so I am rounding up. I enjoyed this book. I personally felt that it did have a lot of similar parallels to Harry Potter but had its own fun magic systems. It is a whimsical and fun read. I really like the magic quills and the idea of the magical crowns. All of the animal creatures were really interesting. I always enjoy when the MC is kind to animals. I really liked Ivy’s story and the mystery surrounding her life. Ivy was kind even after having a tough beginning of her life. I also really appreciated that the author made the books that Ivy loved have the same author initials as herself. That was a really fun touch. The book dragged a little bit during the middle when ivy was at school. But then it picked up in the second half. The end chapters I flew through and by the end I wanted to know what would happen next. I think many younger readers will be able to connect with Ivy and will really enjoy this book.

As much as I love Harry Potter I have to say that was way better. The story follows Ivy who has no clue about her past or her family. At age 16 she gets invited to attend Hall Of Ivy school. I love that we’re was so much more action in this first book. I can’t wait to read the second book.

(A big thank you to StoriesUntold and NetGalley for supplying a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!)
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Do you love the Harry Potter stories? Are you intrigued by stories involving magic, fantasy, mystical creatures, and royal kingdoms? If so, you'll likely love "The Crowns of Croswald", an imaginative story about a 15-year-old girl named Ivy. Early in the novel, Ivy is invited to a magical boarding school, where she studies to become a "scrivenist" for a royal family.

Overall, "The Crowns of Croswald" tells an enchanting story based in a magical world. As other reviewers have mentioned, this book (especially the first few chapters) are quite reminiscent of the Harry Potter series. For example, Ivy, an orphan enduring a difficult home life, receives a formal invitation (with a quirky school supplies list) and spends an afternoon in magical shops searching for her school items. The school itself is in a castle filled with eccentric teachers.

However, the strongest parts of the book are the unique elements the author (D.E. Night) created, and these parts are what kept me reading. The story really begins to take root after the first couple chapters, with Ivy developing friendships with the characters of Fyn and Rebecca.

Some of my favorite bits included:

- The assortment of creatures (Scaldron dragons, animals which are used as sort of "castle oven." How creative! Also hairies, magical "lantern" creatures I wanted to learn more about.)
- The glanagerie (a sort of alternate world students can practice magic in)
- The Compass Individualis (a magical record of a student's actions)

The book is intended for younger readers, but the story's flow might be a bit difficult for middle-schoolers to follow. At times, I had trouble determining the character's goal. Another reviewer suggested an extra round of editing would have been helpful, and I agree. Perhaps additional developmental editing would have eliminated confusion about certain elements.

I do think this author clearly has a great imagination, evident through many details (like magical tea blends for student ailments). I'm sure Night's future books will really highlight those unique creative abilities, strengthening their writing voice and story structure techniques!

A thank you to the publishers and netgalley for an arc in exchange of an honest review.

This one just didn’t capture me. As soon as I started the book I found an error in tense switching and that really put me off immediately. The book was fairly simplistic and, in my opinion, lacked a consistent voice. I would have advised another round of edits before this stage.

The Crowns of Croswald is a middle-grade, high fantasy story which follows the protagonist Ivy Lovely, a scaldrony maid (a maid who looks after dragons which are required for cooking) who is selected to attend the Halls of Ivy, a prestigious school of magic. Throughout the year Ivy discovers who she truly is and that she possesses several unique abilities.

I really enjoyed reading this book. The first half of the story has strong parallels to Harry Potter however, the setting is a high fantasy world full of magic and the magic systems explored throughout the story are quite unique and beautiful. The story felt familiar and different enough for it to be a lovely comfortable read if you are a fan of Harry Potter, whilst also providing an intriguing new world of magic. I loved the political setting of the story and I am keen to see how this will be challenged in future installments.

This was a very whimsical story and I loved how we were introduced to Ivy, her friends, and the world in which they live. D. E. Night’s writing is beautiful and perfectly matches the whimsical magic of Croswald. I could clearly picture each scene through the descriptions provided and I felt the story was well paced to give the reader a solid introduction. The only issue I had with the writing was with some of the dialogue. In one instance (no spoilers), there is an exchange between an evil character and Ivy and I found it too convenient how the evil character goes on a tirade and explains Ivy’s past. I would have liked this information to have been discovered gradually throughout the story. Also, some of the dialogue between Ivy and her friends did seem forced at times.

The ending was great, I sense the next books will involve Ivy going on multiple quests and I adore when a first book in a series ends this way. However, even at the end of the book I did feel slightly emotionally detached. I am sure I would have been obsessed with this series when I was younger and even as an adult, I look forward to reading the rest of the books.

Overall, I would recommend the Crowns of Croswald to anyone who is interested in a middle grade, high fantasy read in a world full of whimsical magic, who needs a Harry Potter fix but in a new and unique way, or if you are a fan of school-based settings.

Thank you to Netgalley & D. E. Night for providing me with an eARC copy of The Crowns of Croswald in exchange for an honest review.

I was contacted on IG if I wanted an arc for my honest review of this book and my answer was why not

I didn’t know what to expect of this book tbh.
I have to say that I did like it quite a lot!

I’m very picky with fantasy books but this it had everything I could wish for in it 😃

I think everyone should give this book a try.
Be aware you have 3 more books after this 🙊

I recieved this Ebook in exchange for my honest review . And Im here to do that! (No spoilers)

This book was great. Being out of normal genre, however, I feel my review is automatically biased. I don't normally read fantasy . But it reminded me so much of harry potter! I liked it . I put myself in situations wishing I could be magical. Ha! .
I did read the whole book . Though, it wasnt my favorite. I enjoyed it enough to finish ! Great read. And I'd probably pick up another book in the future written by D.E Night. Great read.

Although a person of any age would like this book, I think it is perfect for ages 9-12 years. This will be a four book series and has a notably small semblance of the Harry Potter Series. Although I tend to think of more gloom & gray with Harry Potter, this book is the exact opposite since it is full of so much color.
Ivy is a teenage girl that lives in a fantasy world where dragons that cook food and horses that have fins (seahorses) actually exist. When she turns 16, she is surprisingly sent to The Halls of Ivy where she learns she is more than she thinks she is.
The author’s imagination pulls you into this fantastical, colorful story as you join Ivy in her magical and suspenseful adventure.

Thank you to @danielastoriesuntoldpress and @netgalley for my advanced reader’s kindle copy.

I have very mixed feelings about this book... The magical world created by the author is awesome. I appreciate the details, even though the school part is very much Harry Potter vibes. I like Ivy's history and the way to discover her heritage and abilities. That's cool and I enjoyed reading about that.

But! Many cons need to be mentioned. The storylines are chaotic. There is so much going on that it is hard to keep track and stay focus on it. In fantasy books that something that makes me struggle. Ivy is great, but sometimes a bit naive. Especially when it comes to magic and its consequences. Maybe cause she's still very young and making errors like we all did/do.

The last thing is that I do not feel the mystery and the dark atmosphere here. Some parts are emotionless and that was weird, especially when something dramatic is going on, you keep waiting for their actions and almost feel the fear in the air, and Ivy with friends... do nothing. I don't know, it's just an impression but catch my attention here.
The same with looking for clues and trying to find out the truth. There is no place for the reader to stop, to consider options, to ask the proper question cause the answer is already given.

The book is a good one, but it is not something special to discover. Maybe because it is the first book in the series or the author is still getting better and better, but It is not a heartbreaker and I'm not going to come back to it anytime soon.

The Crowns of Croswald is an adventurous middle-grade fantasy with an interesting magic system, and a plot that feels very reminiscent of Harry Potter.

Ivy Lovely is a 16-year-old working as a maid in a castle before she gets whisked away to the prestigious magic school called the Halls of Ivy. It is here where she tries to uncover the reasons why only she can remember Derwin Edgar Night, who comes to her in her dreams, while also learning the magic of becoming a Scrivenist. She also goes through the perils of bullying from the Royals, who are also learning the magic of their crowns at the school.

I thought that the book started off well, but the plot got lost somewhere in the middle, and I wasn't really sure what the point was anymore. It almost felt like a bunch of short stories were being strung together as chapters and there was an underlying plot trying to hold them all together.

The two different magic systems (the Royal's crowns and the quills of the Scrivenists) interacted really well with each other, and gave the story a unique take. Although, I felt that some of the details needed more explaining as it was hard to keep all the funky terms straight.

I also wasn't really connected to Ivy like I have been with other books, and this may just be because I felt a little old to be reading this story. I probably would have liked it a lot more when I was 10 with all the fantastical descriptions, but I am too mature for that now.

I would recommend this book to younger readers, and especially children who are fans of Harry Potter who are looking for something similar.

Thank you to Stories Untold Press and NetGalley for providing me with a free ARC to review.

I received this book to give my honest review by stories untold.

I really enjoyed this book right from the start. I really enjoyed the magic system. Once I started reading I found I didn't want to put the book back down. The crown of croswald remained me of Harry potter. I plan on continuing the series.

This is the first in a magical middle grade trilogy by D.E. Night, and certainly packs a punch when it comes to imagination, mystery and whimsy.

We follow the life of Ivy Lovely, a scaldrony maid who is in charge of caring for the scaldrony dragons in the kitchens of Castle Plum. This castle is unlike others, as it is devoid of magic. Ivy is very much a child who seems to always get into trouble, as we find out when she is thrown out of Castle Plum. As the story continues, Ivy has the chance for her lifelong dream to be realised, as she’s invited to study to be a scrivenist at the Halls of Ivy. Scrivenists in this world use their magical skills in drawing, writing and photographic memory to work for the royal families. Royal students study the magic present in the stones of their crowns and are far more powerful and each very different.

The plot is filled with magical lessons, strange creatures, and peculiar happenings. Each chapter builds upon the mystery in the last, encouraging the reader to work out what is going in with Ivy’s past and the missing scrivenist, Derwin Edgar Night. I will say that on the outset, I was quite confused by the preface, which introduces Derwin and this world before cutting to Ivy. The conclusion answered most questions but was also sometimes a bit hard to follow. Overall though, it was a solid plot and kept me engaged throughout. I especially loved the lessons, given that the setting for most of the novel was a magic school.

The characters were just lovely (excuse the pun). Ivy Lovely is an intriguing main character, with enough grit and spark to have me cheering for her. For the most part, I really enjoyed her perspective, however she reads as an eleven- or twelve-year-old character, but is actually older than this. Ultimately this meant that some of her thoughts and feelings felt disjointed. Side characters, Rebecca and Fyn were supportive and enabled both Ivy’s growth and plot development. Rebecca was particularly interesting to me, as a Royal who wanted to be a scrivenist. I didn’t like Fyn and Ivy’s evolving relationship – I do believe that could have been left out of the novel and they could have remained purely friends. It is because of this that I won’t be reading this book to my year 5/6 students but will be recommending it to my more advanced and mature readers on an individual basis. I would have appreciated some more on-the-page diversity as well.

If you are using this as a teacher, there is some really fabulous world-building and vocabulary use throughout, as well as the world’s own language and rule systems. We also have an interesting preface to start the book, setting us up to think about Derwin throughout, even when Ivy is unaware of his existence.

Overall, this was an enjoyable and fun read. I would recommend it to ages 12-14.

I was given a copy of this book to review! It has already been published, but they wanted to bring this story to people’s attention!
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This book was so magical. Reminded me of Harry Potter in the sense that they went away to school for the year to study magic.
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This book is about Ivy, a 16 year old girl who was a maid working in the kitchens. She loves to sketch, but has to hide it. She gets kicked out from her current job and ends up learning magic in school.
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This book is filled with all kinds of twists and turns and secrets. There’s a Dark Queen and surprises right to the end.
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I recommend this book if you love YA, brave female protagonists and magic.

For fans of Harry Potter and Nevermoor!

I was given a copy of this book through NetGalley by the author. I had not heard of this series before being approached to read and review it. Now I want to hand this book to every middle grade fantasy lover I know. From the first moment I began reading it, I fell in love with Ivy Lovely. After the first chapter I knew my oldest son would love this book. He does not like to read e-books however, so I immediately purchased a paper copy for him.

I will definitely continue reading this series.

This is a page-turning fantasy in the tradition of fairy tales, whimsical worlds, and coming-of-age stories.

The Crowns of Croswald invites young readers to explore themes of stepping into their own magic, discovering their true selves, and battling evil head-on. Hailed by Kirkus Reviews as “an action-packed treat […] with a relatable heroine facing challenges in a vivid world of magic and mystery,” and called a new classic by readers, The Crowns of Croswald series is a magical romp through a fully formed universe with dragons, magical quills, potions, and mythical creatures.
This book was so magical! It reminded me a lot of different fantasy books I read as a kid so it felt very nostalgic to me. If I had read this as a kid, I know I would have loved it.

The whole story was very whimsy and imaginative, perfect for young middle grade readers. It was so creative. I loved learning about the school, the creatures, and just the world of Croswald in general. The world building was fantastic.
I also loved the illustrations at the beginning of each chapter. They were so cute and just added to the magic of the story. If only there was a map!

I have read some reviews that compared this book to Harry Potter, but since I haven’t read Harry Potter I can’t say how it compares.

The only thing I had an issue with was that it got a little confusing and convoluted towards the end. Some things weren’t totally clear, but I still managed to figure it out.

Overall, I recommend this book for young readers who love fantasy or want to get more into reading. This book has enough action, mystery, and magic to keep them entertained. Plus, it’s the first book in a series.
Thank you to Stories Untold and Netgalley for an eARC of this book in return for an honest review.

This book was not my favorite. But not the worst I’ve ever read. There was, at times, so many details I found myself struggling to catch up. The world building was almost too much for me. I also am not personally one for the type of narration that was used. I thought this book was a mixup of Harry Potter and Cinderella, but almost too much on the Harry Potter side. I probably won’t buy this book but the cover is really pretty. I might try to read it again in the future to see if I can better understand it.

Thank you to Net Galley and Stories Untold Publishing for sending me a digital copy of this book in exchange for a fair review.

"there's magic in you. You're different. The slurry is fighting it. But even the slurry can't win every time."

This book was lovely (no pun intended). If you are a fan of Harry Potter, if you are still waiting for someone to come whisk you away to a magical boarding school, if you are or ever have experienced the confusion and excitement of growing up and figuring out who you are and where you belong in the world, then you should read this book. The story centers around Ivy Lovely, scaldrony maid in the non-magical castle of Plum, living in the midst of the magical-cancelling slurry fields. Her only friend is an aged dwarf named Rimbrick, and she longs for more than a life of working in the kitchens.

As the story begins, Ivy discovers she has magic and is rushed off to the Halls of Ivy (interesting, no?) to learn the art of becoming a scrivener. She is impulsive, headstrong, insecure, and really has no idea what is happening in the world around her. She is such a relatable character. She is chased (sometimes literally) by magic she can't explain, dreams of a scrivener mysteriously forgotten by the world, feels a deep sense that she must save him, and finds herself as an enemy to the enigmatic Dark Queen. Add to this a witty roommate who uncontrollably turns into a mink, a sweet boy who always appears at exactly the right moment, and an ancient mentor who lives in a secret laboratory, and Crowns of Croswald is a recipe for a whimsically good time.

My greatest criticism of the book is that the world-building was so naturally woven throughout the story that I found myself having to flip back and forth to remember terms, places, and names and make sure I was correctly identifying them. A map and/or a glossary would have been a fantastic addition to the book. I've seen some reviews complaining about the lack of depth in some of the characters in Crowns of Croswald, but I felt like all of the main characters were reasonably developed for the first book in a middle grade series. Do I know the characters deeply yet, no, but in part that's because they don't know themselves--a large part of this novel centered around their self-discovery. I enjoyed getting to journey with them as they figured out who they were and connected with each other. It felt authentic and I am looking forward to seeing who they become and how the story develops over the next two books.

Crowns of Croswald was a fun, big-hearted, middle-grade adventure. It ticked all of the boxes for me, and I am looking forward to sharing it with my kids and to exploring the rest of Ivy's story.

This is great for those who watched House of Anubis and Harry Potter. Magical school with not so great adults and children who are made to be something more. There was parts where I had to pause and reread, for it got confusing, but for the most part I enjoyed reading it. 4 stars.

Thank you to the D.E Night and NetGalley for this copy in exchange for an honest review!

Ivy Lovely is 16 and she has no idea who she is—or what her powers could be. When she crosses a magical boundary, she discovers a whole new world of enchantment and mystery. Making friends that will last a lifetime—and save her life—she steps into her own abilities and discovers more about her hidden past, magical blood, and the power of Croswald’s mystical stones. But all is not well: a dark history and an evil Queen threatens all that is good. Will Ivy’s bravery and wit be enough?

Plot
I started of by really enjoying this book, the introduction to the characters and this universe were interesting and I was hooked from the first chapter. However, after the first quarter of the book, I felt that the overall pacing slowed down and the plot of the story was beginning to level out. Ivy begins to attend a magical school and we end up wrapped up in her daily life and all the drama that comes with starting a new school - a magical one, at that, rather than the plot itself. As the book progresses, the plot tries to come back to the forefront and I’d forgotten what it was about by that point, which ended up being quite confusing. I would have also liked to learn more from this book with regards to explanations of where the magic powers come from, some of the terminology needed explaining better as did a few of the world building elements.

Ending
I’ve read some reviews of this book which said the ending was quite predictable, and with regards to the main character, it was. I was expecting a bigger twist with the characters and their true identities. However, predictable doesn’t mean it wasn’t enjoyable. I really liked the ending, it was fast-paced and full of action which was a relief from long build-up.

Characters
There were a lot of characters in this book and at times I found myself getting confused over who was who. It seemed as though there was a lot of names being thrown around and they would come and go without any necessary presence. I also lacked any strong feelings towards the main characters. The main character, Ivy, was well written but I would have loved to feel more from her and for her narrative to express more of her emotions. They begin to show at the end of the book, but I’d have loved to see it from the beginning.

Universe
The magical world we’re thrust into is one of my favourite things about this book. The vivid descriptions and what was happening, made it really easy to visualise and I could picture myself there. I do feel, however, that I am a little too old to really feel the full impact of this book and the adventure, but younger readers will most definitely love and appreciate this.

Similar To
If you love magical worlds full of mystery and adventure, then this is a great read for you, although I would keep in mind that this is targeted at a younger audience.

3.5 stars. This was a fun middle grade read, with dragons, fairies, pirates and princesses. And a magic school (which is always a plus!).

It’s about a kitchen maid named Ivy who finds out she has somehow secured a coveted place at the prestigious magic school, The Halls of Ivy. She leaves her hum drum life and meets new people, learns new skills and discovers that there may be more to her mysterious birth and heritage than she thought.

I enjoyed the initial world building and character development- but I feel it stopped with Ivy. I didn’t really know the other characters (these may develop in the second book). The mystery element was ok but the conclusion felt a bit rushed and confused at the end.

All in all, a fun and entertaining read - and may be just the thing for the child (or young at heart) who is pining for Harry, Hermione and Ron.