Calling all Harry Potter and world of magic fans. The Crowns of Croswald is the first book in a four book series and is full of conjuring, creative creatures, and colorful characters. Book 2 and 3 are out now and Book 4 will be released this year (2021).

A novel that is a thoughtful, action-driven fantasy and will leave you clamoring to find out what happens next.

This is not my fav genre, but this was a cute YA about a girl who goes from being a scullery maid to having magical powers. Kind of a take off of Harry Potter. I enjoyed the details about her learning how to master her powers, but I think my fav parts were what her life was like as a maid-using dragons as ovens for example. I’m probably not the intended audience for this series, but I would definitely record it to fantasy lovers.

The mere moment I dipped into D.E. Night’s Crowns of Croswald, I was drawn into a timeless universe of magic I couldn’t wait to share and would read time and time again.

In a world unexplainable to the untrained eye by its magical characters of dwarfs, Scauldrons, Harries, handsome Scrivenists and the horrors of a haggled cook, I alongside ivy dreamed of becoming a scribe.

fantastical settings of mysterious caves, darkened shores, hidden staircases and partaking in sorcery studies from Ivy’s point of view, we unravel the mystery that is Darwin Edgar and how his and ivy’s past is intertwined.

D.E. Had me turning pages with every clue she gave, I was desperate to seek the answers given in Ivy’s daydreams, much inspired by Harry Potter a book any reader who seeks a magicial fantasy filled universe would find unique and stunningly captivating.

Along the journey we made friends with Rebecca and Fyn.

Rebecca was a gem to get to know, I was fascinated with her character and, her charming friendship with ivy held true throughout the book. I could always rely on Rebecca.

Fyn had me second guessing his character throughout the novel, up until his charm and sarcastic wit however had me hooked, his continued friendship with Ivy throughout the story will have the reader overjoyed and attached to every page of the book.

The imagery immerses throughout the book of things such as Boysenberry Bubbly (my new favorite name for a concoction), darkened shores, and pearl covered ballrooms captured on the essence of romance and underlining fear lingering in the halls.

The snarl of the Dark Queen her character although lengthily anticipated was so marvelously evil and compelling we had long awaited her reveal and her cruel powers did not disappoint.

Once the mystery was solved I was itching for more Croswald! I’m eager to see how Ivy enchants things in the town of....Read the continuation to find out!

My one honest tip for The Crowns of Croswald would be shoot for the stars! the books are made for a higher level reader, I felt more than once Crowns of Croswald with its immense vocabulary and characters belonged in a YA Genre and that’s a beautiful thing! I felt as though Ivy’s story was aimed at a Harry Potter middle level ground, which I loved but this mystical world belongs in a YA It allows the novel to expand on more in depth to the YA side.
I look forward to reading more of Croswald and exploring D.E's beautifully written expansive arts.

Sometimes it takes a catastrophe for a girl to realise her own strength.

The Crowns of Croswald is a story developed in Croswald, the land of scrievenists and royals. It creates a magical land with its own share of good and bad people. The protagonist Ivy is a simple maid before she is invited to the Halls of Ivy, a very prestigious institution meant for the people with magic in them. Little does she know that the dreams that have been plaguing her, will soon turn into a reality she cannot even fathom that she is a part of.

I loved this book! The fantasy land created was so magical and very simple to understand and love. Reading the book, I felt as if I was a part of the land! The narration was lucid and the story was enrapturing. The language was not very simple but not very sophisticated either. In fact, it was just right to give a good intrigue to the reader. The events did seem a little disjointed in the beginning but it all came together in the end :) The number of characters was pertaining to the story which was well structured and beautifully written. At some points, I found it very similar to the Harry Potter world though.

Loved the nameplay with the author's name too :) Definitely looking forward to reading the next book!

If you loved Harry Potter or Percy Jackson and the worlds they created you will definitely love this book :).

[ Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher, Stories Untold, for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. ]

I would like to first point out that if you’re a big Harry Potter fan and you loved the magical storytelling then you may like this book and the ones that follow. I think that’s one of the things I enjoyed about it being a big HP Fan myself, I love magical adventures and fun magic systems.

Though I wish I could connect with the MC, she is 16 but it was very hard to connect with her on any level because at some points it felt like she was acting a little younger than 16, but I do enjoy a character acting closer to their age some YA do differentiate from the age represented but something about her I just couldn’t connect with.

Overall the story was a good in a storytelling point, and the adventure but the character I just wasn’t vibing with her. Ending up giving this book a solid 3 star review.

Thank you Stories untold and NetGalley for gifting me a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I’m going to start with the cons first. Unfortunately I just couldn’t connect with the main character at all. It’s stated that she’s 16 years of age, but on a maturity level she acts much younger.

On a better note, the writing was really lovely. I enjoyed the magical atmosphere provided in its world building. It reminded me of Harry Potter in many ways. So if you’re a Potter fan, chances are you’ll probably enjoy this book too.

Interesting, Unique and a book I will be collecting for my forever shelf I have found this one hard to put down and have been completely captivated.
I adore the writing style, plot and characters. A great book!

If you’re a big fan of HP and magic filled stories like it, then you’ll enjoy this middle grade fantasy novel by DE Night!

Synopsis: Ivy, who has never left the wall of Castle Plum, is just your average 16 year old who has known nothing but hard work in her short life. She works as a poorly treated scullery maid for a wealthy family, but ends up being cast out after a mishap in the kitchens. What seems like the end of the world for Ivy is just the beginning, and she is thrust into a new world full of magical creatures, evil queens, and adventure. Ivy learns that she’s not so ordinary after all, and that not everyone in this world has her best interests in mind...

Thoughts: The Crowns of Croswald is a fun and imaginative coming of age story with wonderful world building and interesting characters. While it is meant for younger readers, it’s a good fantasy story for all ages. I did get a little flustered with how confusing the story gets towards the end, but I understand that is the first book and all the questions I’m left with will be answered in the other books. Overall not bad!

This was such a fun and cute read! It was full of magic, twists and turns, and an awesome villian!

The story centers around Ivy, a seemingly ordinary maid who comes to discover that she actually has magical powers! Ivy then attends a school for people with powers and sets on a journey to uncover the mysteries of her past and all the strange occurrences in the school. I thoroughly enjoyed learning about the world of this book! While it felt somewhat similar to Harry Potter (I mean, every school of magic reminds me of Harry Potter), this world was unique in its magic system and its creatures. The characters were very cute, and I loved reading about Ivy's adventures with Rebecca and Fyn! I particularly thought Rebecca's powers were super cool.
I wish more time was spent explaining, as I got lost in the different terms and the pacing felt a little rushed. I also wanted some more character development, particularly with Ivy and the extent of her powers.

Overall, a fun read for all ages!

I received an e-copy of this title from the publisher Stories Untold via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher, Stories Untold, for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Ivy Lovely has lived her life as a scaldrony maid, safe from the magic that surrounds the castle where she works. But after a series of disasters, she leaves the safety of the castle and finds her way beyond the borders. Here her magic abilities become apparent and she is invited to study as a scrivinist at Ivy Halls, where scrivinists mix with royals in order to learn how to control their magical abilities.

During her first year, Ivy comes to realise that she is aware of things that others in the hall are not and must learn how to harness the power within her to fight against dark powers.

It is impossible to ignore similarities with another magical series: child unaware of magical past heads to magic school and must overcome adversity to defeat evil. However, this is still an enjoyable read and the characters are interesting (there is the clear 'baddie' and the two good friends along with a selection of professors, obviously).

For fans of magical books, this is a good read and I would be interested in reading the other books in the series.

Ivy Lovely is an unfortunate maid that works in the kitchens with the living ovens. She loves to hear stories of the Scriveners and dreams of castles. Until an unfortunate incident finds her unemployed and forced out of the castle she lives in. Unbeknownst to her this castle had been blocking magic so once she walked outside the boundary, magical things started happening as the magical world noticed her existence.
But why is she so special and who exactly is she? She gets picked up by a cabby with a large beast and dropped off to get ready to go to the Halls of Ivy. As soon as she comes within distance of the school strange things happen and she becomes the target of Demaris one of the cruelist Royals that goes to the Hall, there is always a bully who likes to belittle those around them. The Hall is to train young Royals and Scrivenists. She does keep running into strapping 3rd year Fyn who joins her on her many adventures as she tries to uncover the mysteries of the dreams she has and all the strange happenings that only she can see or remember. And she becomes fast friends with Rebecca who should be on the Royal track but wants to be a Scrivenist, shhh don't tell her Mom.
I love Fantasy books at any grade level. At this point I am also starting a catalogue for my 6 year old who will want all these books soon enough (only a couple of years away from the 10-18 age 😨). She will love this book she is a magical creature and magic spell person!
A very magical story and setup for a series, a unique magic system, with books that talk to you and keep track of you, magical beasts and fun adventures!

Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟
Some follow-up questions:
🌸When will I be discovered? Since I am sure I am a Scrivenist. Am I too old?
🌸Can I have Ivy's magical book that adds pages and then archives her pages (old school cloud?)?
🌸Is this room of forgetting in my house? Maybe not since things keep going missing but I remember them. How can you lose a Christmas wreath in a small apartment? I also have a bag of 50 unpaired children's socks.

Thank you @storiesuntoldpress for the kindle copy for an honest and voluntary review!

First I would like to thank Stories untold and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

As a 5th grade teacher I read a lot of middle grade books. The Crowns of Croswald is a very cute novel. The beginning starts off slow but once we get past the exposition this novel picks up. I know I will recommend it to my more advanced 5th grade readers who enjoy traveling to new fantasy lands.

This is a good story, for me a 3 star rating means this is a decent book you will enjoy. In my opinion this book may not be groundbreaking or life changing, but it is definitely a good read that I know some of my students would enjoy.

A fun magic filled read.

This book is full of wonder and whimsy. The characters are well written and the book has plenty to keep you entertained. It’s funny, intriguing and witty, especially for a middle grade book.

Synopsis:

Ivy Lovely is 16 and she has no idea who she is. Tucked away in a place that dampens magic she crosses a magical boundary and 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?

This is a story about a girl who finds out she needs to be at a magical school! This school is split between scriveners and royals. I am still a tiny bit confused about how the magic system actually works in this world, but I believe the royals get the magic from their crowns and the scriveners have some magic in their blood.
Our main character makes some interesting friends and a few enemies along the way.

This is a middle-grade fantasy with a lot going on! At times I think there is a bit too much going on, especially when there is dialogue things get a bit confusing. However, I believe this is a debut novel and there were a lot of the fantasy elements that I liked, and I am curious to see what the next book looks like. Overall I mostly enjoyed the book even if I got lost a few times, I wanted to stick around to find out what happens in the end. I think this book is very creative but could do with a bit more refinement and polishing.

2.5 stars

Ivy Lovely was a lowly kitchen girl, never allowed to do anything more – until the day she was banished from all she’d known and was taken to Croswald and the school which would teach her about her magic; how her powers worked and her mastering of all she was meant to do. Ivy was sixteen years of age. She was uncertain, immediately embarrassed and humiliated – although the nice teacher chastised the class – and wasn’t sure where anything was. And although she was aware she would learn, it was a hard beginning for Ivy.

The Crowns of Croswald is the 1st in The Crowns of Croswald series by D.E. Night, and the first thing I thought was extremely strange was the calling of a character by the author’s name! I couldn’t get into this book – I enjoy fantasy/paranormal and yes, magic – but this one quite obviously wasn’t for me. I liked Ivy’s character as well as Rimbrick but felt sad that I didn’t enjoy it.

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my digital copy to read in exchange for an honest review.

Thank You to Netgalley and the author for giving me the chance to read this book. It took me a month but it was worth every wait. Oh My God!! This was the exact same reaction after I had finished reading the last chapter. I loved this book so much. Brilliantly written. It had me completely hooked from the start. Must read.

I have and will always be a sucker for magic school settings and this one was no exception. Here we have Ivy our Cinderella type heroine who has spent her whole life as a scaldrony maid until she lands herself at the Academy to learn to harness her magic but of course things aren’t that easy. This is a fast paced, action packed story full of magic and adventure that will definitely leave you wanting more. This story is so creative, you tell that so work went into the world building and you also can’t help but fall for Ivy and her friends. Overall I gave this 4 out of 5 stars.

DNF at 57%

I want to start by saying that this is not a bad book. I’m also not the intended audience for this book, and if I was I would probably have enjoyed it a huge amount. Unfortunately, I just couldn’t get past the similarities to Harry Potter (character sleeps in a cupboard, moving paintings and a castle magical school.)
For a 9-12 year old reader, this would be a fun, magical, adventurous story. Unfortunately I couldn’t get past the writing style and similarities to the Potter books.

Absolutely loved it.! It’s a hidden gem that has yet to be discovered. The mysterious world of croswald is absolutely amazing. Loved all the characters, the storyline, the plot, and the magical elements.
It’s a perfect blend of middle-grade magic and mystery.
The main character - ivy, did feel a bit younger for her age but maybe because I have read too much YA recently. I loved how the plot wasn’t dumped at the end suddenly, but the readers were given little hints in-between.
All in love loved the book and excited to read the remaining in the series.

This book has been on my tbr list since 2018 and I was excited when @danielastoriesuntoldpress offered me a free copy in exchange for an honest review a month ago.

So, here we go.

This book has been on my tbr list for a long time and I thought I would like it, but I didn't. I'm sorry.

I reread the Harry Potter series this summer and while reading The Crowns of Croswald I just kept thinking about how it is similar to HP.
(Too much)

Through the book, we follow Ivy, a girl who lived behind an enchanted boundary that separates mundane from magical and also grew up without parents. And then ✨she goes away to a magical school ✨. Pretty familiar, isn't it? Instead of Lord Voldemort, we have a Dark Queen. What a plot twist... There was more but I don't think it's necessary to write it, you've got the point.

The writing style wasn't anything special and I didn't like the characters. I found myself trying to figure out what the author wanted to say and not paying attention to the actual story. Although, the magical concept was interesting but sadly, not enough to make me forget about the whole HP similarity thing.

2,5🌟 from me

*Thanks @netgalley for the copy*