I went into this book completely blind and was pleasantly surprised from the first line. Imagine Harry Potter with a long lost princess who doesn’t know shes the princess. Even though this is clearly YA but i was still highly entertained and loved it.

Got this free ARC from NETGALLEY in exchange for an honest review.

The Crowns of Croswald
Author, D.E. Night
Pub date: 7.21.2017

Thank you, Stories Untold Press and author, D.E. Night for the opportunity to read and review this magical middle grade novel!

For middle grade fantasy fans, lovers of creative creatures and magical characters, The Crowns of Croswald is an action-packed and fast- paced novel for you!

In this magical, coming- of- age story, Ivy Lovely is about to learn exactly who she is and of a mysterious and enchanting new world. There is action, adventure, mystery, darkness and of course, plenty of light. As Ivy discovers more about her past, her magical blood, and the power of Croswald's mystical stones, readers are taken on a brave and mysterious adventure filled with magic, dragons, potions, and more.

I am now introducing this story to my children who loved Dragon Masters, Narnia, Harry Potter, and Wings of Fire. They are thrilled because there are now four book s in the Crowns of Croswald series!

I wanted to thank the publisher for letting me read this for free for a review.
First of all, reading this book was like drinking hot cocoa on a cold winter day. It made me feel warm and it made me smile.
I was going to give this book a 5 star at first as it started really well. The story was compelling and the narration was quite enchanting. The world building was really great and I felt like I was in the Halls of Ivy. I loved the characters and Ivy but not a fan of Fyn. I wanted more of Rebecca.
When it came to past halfway of the story, I felt like the pace got slow and then the next chapter, so many events were happening at the same time.I felt like it needed more chapters to fully get into the story. That’s the reason why it’s only 4 stars.
I liked the book overall and it got me out of my reading slump. I can’t wait to read the rest of the series.

Looking for a fun, fast paced read you can share with your family? Check. A magical school and a royal family shrouded in mystery? Check and check. The Crowns of Croswald quickly enshrouded me in the magical world of Royals and Scrivenists where magic flows but is strictly ruled by the looming shadow of the powerful yet secretive Dark Queen. The moment the story began, D.E. Night’s tale of 16 year old Ivy Lovely took me on a delightful adventure where we continue to meet lively and enjoyable characters, such as the mysterious man that only Ivy seems to know of and the spunky Princess Rebecca whose dream is to trade her royal crown for a quill and live out her dream as a scrivenist.

Though reminiscent of the spirit of Harry Potter discovering Hogwarts, it does a great job of creating its own enchanting world full of lore, magic, and it’s easy to become lost in the story. I would (and will) be reading this book with my youngest, who’s headed into third grade, but for my eighth grader, who is currently obsessively creating his own Dungeons and Dragons worlds, this may be too “young” for him in his opinion.

Personally, I love reading tales in all age ranges and thoroughly enjoyed it. I will say that though it was nice that the pacing moved quickly, it sometimes skipped over months at a time and I did feel a loss of getting to know more about the main characters and their growth and story arcs during those time jumps. I have so many questions that were left unanswered at the end of the book and am so thrilled that there are more in this series so I can continue my journey with Ivy. If you are an older reader used to incredibly detailed descriptions and prefer action similar to that of Lord of the Rings or A Court of Thorns and Roses, this may not be the read for you. If you have a young reader that finds long, overly wordy books difficult to get through, then this will be an amazing read!

Ultimately, The Crowns of Croswald was a fast read and one I would definitely recommend for readers that have a love of fantasy, mystery, and an adventurous main character who has a knack for always getting in trouble and has a fondness for blueberry pie!

As I've learned in my writing class, it is best to start with the positive points and then move on to critique. So I shall follow what my teacher told me and start with the good stuff in this book, because despite the lower rating, there was a lot of really interesting bits.

I really loved the magic system that was used in this book. The royals of Croswald wear crowns with a magical stone, each stone specific for a certain type of magic. The Scrivenists are 'normal' people, born with magical abilities. They use these by their photographic memories and sketching with their magical quills. I found it a tad strange that both magic users followed the same classes, although have very different types of magic (at least, in my eyes).

The book also had a really mysterious and intriguing prologue, one that immediatly wanted me to know more, read on and discover all the secrets in this new world. And what a world it is. The old street with its magical shops springs alive in my imagination, the shopkeep has a very special personality and it fits his dusty, rickety shop. This shop is also used to have a little info dump, but its really well done and you barely notice the smart writing trick. Because of all the magical things the shop owner and characters in the first few chapters namedrop, you get the feeling of a story that is alive, colourful and full.

We get glimpses of magical classes, which are pretty interesting, although I sometimes forgot what exactly the point of some classes were. The Glanagerie class for example, looked a lot more like a plot device than anything else.

And so we have arrived at my little points of critique. They might be a bit nitpicky, and they might also just be because I am 21 and this book is clearly meant for younger readers. But here goes.

The first thing that stood out to me, from chapter one immediatly, was that the main character either acts too young or is too old. She does not feel like a realistic 15 going on 16 year old, even if you account for her being sheltered from the world. I feel like the author wanted to make her a bit older to make way for the romance that is probably going to happen more in the next books. Talking about that romance, if Ivy is almost 16, and a first year, and Fyn is a third year, doesn't that make him 18 years old? Is the line at which you are not a minor anymore different in your fantasy world? Because I found this a bit.. Icky. Definitely because of how the MC acts I kept envisioning her as a 12/13 year old.

The story would've been a lot more believable if the author went the Harry Potter route and made the main character that age. Talking about HP, some of the characters and things were very clearly either a HP reference or very inspired by the books. The money system, for example, the shopkeeper that reminded me of Olivander, Mrs. Butterlove who is a bit like Molly Weasley and Damaris being Draco. But, overall, it was not too overwhelmingly HP inspired, the classes where different, the school as well.

Talking about that school, it was super confusing and annoying that the main character is named Ivy, and the school is named the Halls of Ivy. After the plot twist at the end, I can see why the building is named this way, but it is never even explained? A lot of things aren't really explained well enough, or are resolved too quickly. Rebecca finding a quite cheap way out of the room, although she is supposed to be afraid? Ivy immediatly trusting a strange man hidden away behind a wall, even though everyone around her says he's been dead for ages? I get why the plot needs him and he is a good character after all, but the reader never gets the explanation as to why she trusts him. As an older reader I can connect the dots, but younger readers are gonna have a hard time following.

The explanation at the end of the book should also have been foreshadowed a bit more. As well as her magic being explored. In my eyes she now goes from knowing no magic to suddenly unlocking everything. Its a weird growth. Even when she says she's been learning more magic, it doesn't sound like she has, because we never got to see it.

And to be a tiny bit nitpicky, the houses are described as Tudor-style and the suits as Regency, but these are time periods of this time, not of the world Ivy lives in, I feel? Or is this an alternate history story in a way?

All in all, I enjoyed reading this book. It was a very quick read for me (about three hours I think) and I did like the magical elements and studying nerds having a main role in a book for once. But I am just not the right audience for this. But if you'd given this to eleven year old me? She would've loved it.

This was a great example of fantasy. I enjoyed the story and think this world was fascinating to read. I highly recommend this series.

Ivy Lovely, a 16 years old girl  who has lived as a scauldron maid at castle Plum. She likes to spend her time to sketching,  reading some books with her friend—Rimbrick, and dreams of going to the Halls of Ivy to learn how to become a Scrivenist. 

One day, on the morning of the Moonsday an incident forced her to leave the Castle. When she crossed the border, she discover that she has magic inside her and it made her end up to Hall of Ivy. Her adventure started there, She tried to find out about the things happened around her and find out about who she really is. 

It is similar to Harry Potter, but it's a different world and have its own stuff.

Aku cukup menikmati ceritanya, walau sampai pertengahan aku masih agak bingung ceritanya mau di bawa ke mana. Tapi dari pertengahan sampai akhir ceritanya mulai seru dan aku dibuat penasaran sama apa sih hubungannya Ivy sama dark Queen. Gaya tulisannya juga enak diikutin. 

I love the world building—I really like the concept about the Glanagerie and the Hollow Shaft, it's really amazing! And also magic system in this books, some of the students have stones with specific magical that they have to learn to control. 
 
Untuk tokohnya, aku suka karakter Ivy, dia pemberani dan penuh rasa ingin tahu, walau dibeberapa bagian aku merasa sikapnya agak kurang konsisten. Terus kadang aku ngerasa dia ini agak kekanakan untuk ukuran 16 tahun :) Sayangnya aku juga ngerasa ceritanya terlalu fokus sama Ivy jadi tokoh lainnya kurang keliatan gitu. 

If you're a fan of Harry Potter an like to read middle-grade books, you may like this book series.

I thought this was a great book! I absolutely loved the storytelling and world building. The world was definitely unique but really fun! I will say that the world building wasn’t too heavy either. I also loved the main character Ivy. She wasn’t annoying or overbearing like a lot of YA characters are, which was a relief. The plot twist was a little predictable, but it’s ok because I liked it. I also thought the magic system was pretty cool because the royals and scrivenists had different types of magic. The writing was really clear and pretty easy to read for the most part. Overall it was a fun quick read!

For the past sixteen years, Ivy Lovely has been nothing but an ordinary scaldonry maid. When Ivy crosses an enchanted border, magical powers she didn’t know she had come to life. She ends up at the Halls of Ivy, a school where students learn to master their own magic. When Ivy’s magic and her life are threatened by the Dark Queen, she races to discover the truth about her past before it disappears forever.

This book was so magical! Ivy was a likeable character, as well as Rebecca and Fyn. I also loved learning about the creatures and the world of Croswald. Although this book is aimed towards a younger audience, this was a fun and easy read. If you like Harry Potter or fantasy, this is the book for you!

Thank you @storiesuntoldpress for gifting me a free copy in exchange for an honest review!

The Crowns or Croswald by D.E. Night

Ivy Lovely has had a hard life. Stuck as the lowest kitchen maid working the fires, she has few friends, few free time, and even fewer comforts. One day after an unfortunate event in the kitchen, Ivy finds herself alone and kicked out of the only home she has ever known. As she leaves the castle grounds to find her way in the world, her magic awakens and Ivy discovers a world she never knew she belonged in.

Ivy is admitted to a magical school, the Halls of Ivy, and begins to learn about herself and what she is really capable of. The Crowns of Croswald immerses you in a whole magical world, complete with magical terms that you learn as you read the book. I found as I was reading I did have a lot of questions, but the author did a great job of answering a lot of those during the last couple of chapters. The book contains some fun twists and I am excited to keep reading as this is the first in a series! Recommended for any and all fans of middle grade fantasy.

I received this e-book from Stories Untold via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book sounded like something I would thoroughly enjoy and it certainly did not disappoint. I really connected with, when Ivy passed over the boundary, growing up I always loved reading and building up these magical worlds in my head and this is something I always thought, wouldn’t it be great if I just crossed over into a magical world.

The world-building in this book is great, there is a lot to feed your imagination and create the scene in your head. I really enjoy it when a book gives you all the elements you need to create a version of their world, you can really see where D.E. Night was going.

This book definitely starts off slow but the second half of the book picks up a lot more.

I know it's overused a lot these days but I do love a good ‘average person turns out to be magical / royalty’ storyline, it takes me back to my youth of when there is still a part of you that believes that this could one day happen to you but you just don’t know it yet. I think this is a great book for the younger generation, I’m not so sure all adults would enjoy it as much. I enjoyed going along on Ivy’s journey and I’m intrigued to see where the story goes next.

I see a lot of people comparing it to Harry Potter and while I can see where they are coming from, I only read the first 3 books I’m not really a Harry Potter fan, so I can’t really compare the two.

I would certainly give this book 3.5 stars.

Fans of magical schools and the problems that arise with the power of major will appreciate the setting and themes of this book.

My rating for this book is 3.5 stars.

This book was sent to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed reading this book as it took me back to my childhood of reading books such as Harry Potter with magical creatures and a magical story.

I thought that this book was quite an easy read which is why I would recommend this more so for the ages of 7- 11 years old. I think that the magical elements of this book will appeal massively to this age range and really allow them to get in touch with their imagination just like this book did for me.

Another element of this book that I liked is a strong female character. I believe that having characters as strong and fearless as Ivy is really great for young readers to learn about and to aspire to be like. I wish I had had more strong female influences in books to have given me more confidence when I was younger.

If I was to improve this book, I think it would be that the similarities between Harry Potter and this are very prominent. Whilst both are set to follow this kid who goes to a magic school, I feel like there could have been more to this and it could have been made to really stand out against Harry Potter. However for middle grade readers who love to read magical stories and lose themselves in these magical worlds, it’s definitely for them.

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this book. It wasn't for me. I'm not sure if it's because I could reference HP while reading this or just the pace of the writing. I wasn't able to get more than 1/2 way through.

This story brought me back to the feelings I had when reading Harry Potter as a kid. A new and whimsical land with a MC that is unsure of their family heritage and a life that is going to go from simple to completely magical. It was very fun to read and if you or your child want something Harry Potter like without the baggage of a problematic author I recommend you check this one out!

This gave me Harry Potter vibes. Ivy is sixteen, young and adventurous. She learns she has magic and gets to attend the Halls of Ivy. I think the author did such a great job of world building in this book. It was just so fantastical and magical. I could imagine the world and all the colors.

Ivy herself was adorable. I thought her character growth was good. You really see her grow into herself and her abilities. Her confidence really starts to shine and she is just a character you find yourself cheering on.

The story was unique. It isn't something I've quite read before so I didn't find it super predictable or too complicated. Because sometimes I feel like that is super easy to do with magic and schools surrounding magic. It gets so complicated and a bit too tedious for me.

I think if you enjoy pure fantasy and magic, this is the right book for you. It is well done and very immersive.

Fantasy books can be hit or miss for me. I'm not a huge fan of world building and can get frustrated just wanting the story to get on with it. That said, I didn't have that issue at all with THE CROWNS OF CROSWALD by D.E. Night. This story pulled me in right away and held on tight until the end.

I have to admit that I was a little confused as to why a book about a fifteen/sixteen-year-old was being pitched as middle grade but once I was into the book it didn't matter. It's a magic story about a magic school that can be enjoyed by people of all ages. And, at it's heart, it is a book about how we must remember our past and grow from it, not hide it away from everyone to see, a lesson that I think we could all use right now.

If you are looking for a fun, adventurous escape from the real world, I definitely recommend escaping into THE CROWNS OF CROSWALD.

Thanks to @storiesuntoldpress and @author.denight for a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Crowns of Croswald was such a fun and magical coming of age story that I thoroughly enjoyed! ⁣
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Ivy was such a great character who is thrown into this new world of magic and it was impossible not to root for her! ⁣
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The pacing was perfect and I'm honestly looking forward to reading the rest in this series to watch Ivy develop! ⁣
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This is the perfect middle grade book for readers of all ages. With a unique magic system, I recommend this to anyone looking for whimsical read!

This book was a delight. There’s a lot to be said for the magical boarding school trope, and this one sits perfectly within the genre.

The world building is tremendous. Part magical, part mysterious, part quirky and part whimsical, DE Night trusts the reader and lands them in an unpredictable, critter-filled land of imagination. Ivy Lovely and her cast of friends and mentors were also sweet and complemented the mood and tone of the book. Like Ivy, I now have a little crush on Fyn and hope this relationship develops!

Is it perfect? No. The action climax builds the tension but then feels a little rushed. There’s also a touch too much explanation by way of dialogue in the final chapter, and certain elements were overly predictable. That said, I wish this had been published when I was a wee reader because I would have absolutely inhaled this. It makes me nostalgic in a way I don’t often feel - not to mention, the perfect escapism during a busy time of life.

I received a free copy from the publisher on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Wow. The world building was great. The plot was unique and gripping i really loved the way it was paced even though it might not be the masses favourite pacing. The characters were amazing but at times i was questioning them and myself too🤣