This was such a fun read with my kids! My kids are ages 11-5 and the youngest 2 were slightly interested my oldest 2 loved it! This reminds me of the magic I felt when reading Harry Potter as a kid but the stories are uniquely their own. This is the perfect middle grade fantasy!!

I love finding strong female MC for my girls to look up to! Ivy is strong and smart and stubborn. Once realizing she has magic all sorts of fun adventures unfold! The side characters are interesting! The world building is great! This was a fun read and we can't wait to continue the series!!

I received a copy of this book for an honest review!

I gave this book 3 stars. For me, this book didn't hit as hard as I really hoped it would. The language was very beautiful, but could not keep my focus for very long. My eyes would graze the page without taking in all the information given to me.

As most other reviewers have said, the basic premise is a 16-year-old girl named Ivy finds out about magic and goes to a school to learn about it. At first, it sounds a bit like Harry Potter, but other than my super watered-down version of the premise, there are not many similarities. I found the world of this book to be closer to a Spiderwick novel or something of the like. But, that may just be me! It leaned more into a fairytale-esque world in my head that was full of whimsy.

Pros:
-The magic system is super unique. I haven't read anything quite like it, and I loved the concept.
-Our main character is very likable, and especially for YA readers and Middle-Grade readers, I think a great character to learn from.
-Lots of fun and distinct characters! Seriously, the descriptions and uniqueness of this world is unmatched.
-The worldbuilding was also really well done and felt very much like an escape from reality.

Cons:
-Dragging pace and dialogue. It felt like we were slogging through mud at times to get anywhere.
-Flowery language-- I know for some this is a huge plus, but for me, it really took away from the action of the book and made it hard for me to read for more than 15 minutes at a time.
-There was SO much happening at once, that it was hard to follow the story. That, mixed with the language, was a potion that made my ADHD brain unable to compute while reading.

Overall, I would recommend this book to younger readers who like things like Harry Potter or Percy Jackson. There are some wonderful things to be had within its pages.

Thank you to NetGalley & Stories Untold Press for gifting me this book in exchange for an honest review.

Book 1 in a 4 part series.
For sixteen years Ivy has been living her life as a scaldrony maid hidden by an enchanted slurry field from the rest of the magical world. Then one day everything changes as Ivy is invited to a magical school where she will learn how to master the magic that runs through her veins. This however is only the beginning of her adventure as Ivy learns about herself and the danger she and her world is in.

This is a fantasy book for middle grade readers and will be especially enjoyed by those who are into Harry Potter or the like.
I know many say there are some too close a comparison to Harry Potter and I can see this in a few instances in the book. However I do believe Night has added her own shine to make it stand alone.

Ivy’s journey of self discovery is well explained and she is a fantastic, independent, determined young girl. Who has a strong female character Rebecca as her best friend who also holds her own. (No man coming to save the day for this young lady)

My one critique is the book does miss opportunities to provide details and it can feel like the author just wants to move on with the story. Weeks and months seem to pass in a sentence and when we came to the end of the year I was quite confused how we were there already.

This may however work best for the younger audience and I know my daughter will enjoy delving into the Croswalds world in the future.

Loved the world this book is set in!! It gave me HO vibes…. The characters were colorful and I think middle graders will be on the edge of their seats to see what happens in Ivy’s magical world!

I loved reading this book, the perfect fantasy book to experience nostalgia from when I was younger. This book is honestly one of the most creative books I’ve read in a long time. It was super magical. If you enjoy lost princesses who have secrets they don’t know about or dragons that bake in their mouths this is for you.
I love the Harry Potter vibe throughout and the quirks the book holds.

Ivy is a 16 year old orphan who has found herself starting a new life and everything just seems to tip her in the right direction! The book is fast paced and action packed which keeps the book exciting. I personally found it quite hard to bond with Ivy as a character but I know had I read this book a couple of years ago I would have been an instant connection. The writing style is really enjoyable and the book is super easy to read which is always a plus!

This book definitely appeals to those of middle/high school age or anyone who wants a slice of nostalgia

As bad as it sounds, do yourself a favor and don't read any opinions on this book. If you are unlucky like me, you will read one that will stick with you and you won't be able shake it of. It does resembles one series, that's all.

What is great about this book is a world creation! Author has an amazing imagination, and is paying attention to the details. I was impressed with the magic system which not always is so easy to come up with. This shows how creative the author is.

This is a first part of a series, so there is lots of introductions and we are nicly getting to know the whole world and characters.

As a 31 year old reader, I must say that it is definitely a middle grade book, for an older audience it can be a little infantile. I can imagine myself to read it to my future kids or recommending it other parent, kids are going to be entertained, that's for sure.

I was gifted this book on NetGalley from the author! As someone who loves Harry Potter but had sworn off fantasy books, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this book! Obviously I’m older than the intended audience, but I really enjoyed it. The writing really does make you feel like you’re in Croswald and going to The Halls of Ivy!

At the start of the book, I wondered if it was basically just Harry Potter set in a different imaginary world, but as the book went on it developed its own storyline. It took me a while to get into it but then the pace picked up and it was easy to keep on reading!

I’d recommend this to anyone who enjoyed Harry Potter or similar books and wants to travel to a different fantasy world!

Thanks to the author for gifting this to me! It’s shown me that I can branch out of my normal genres!

I struggled to get into this book. I don’t think I’m the right reader for it as I could not connect with the characters. I DNF at 30%.

One should read "The Crowns of Croswald" by D.E. Night if you lie:

1. Long lost royal lines
2. Harry Potter
3. Fantasy Worlds
4. The Chosen One Trope

Thank you to the team for reaching out to me to read and review this novel. Night's descriptive writing kept me enthralled from page one (1). While some plots and timelines could have been better developed as I felt I lost part of the story, for the most part, this high fantasy novel deserved more readers. While mostly catered for younger audiences, any fantasy, world-escaping, bibliophile would thoroughly enjoy this series. I cannot wait to continue myself. I need to see what happens after Book One!

I wasn’t sure what to expect from this book but I was pleasantly surprised. It was fun, fast paced and kept me intrigued from the beginning!
If you’re into Harry Potter and the whole school and learning magic aspect then I know you’ll love this one!

I enjoyed the beginning of the book. It kept my interest up until it all to similarly reminded me of Harry Potter. Literally all of it. There's name changes and instead of a famous boy, it's a famous girl and family. While I didn't exactly enjoy this, I hope a younger generation who didn't grow up on harry potter can grow up and believe in magic with this series.

I received a copy of this book via NetGalley.
This is my honest review, I don't hold back if don't like a book and not everyone likes what I like and vice versa.
I loved this book, It had me reliving my middle school and high school days. This is exactly the type of book I would have picked up then. I still would, even though it’s marketed at a middle-grade level it is enjoyable for an adult. It has a great story, fantastic world-building, lovable characters, and an overall lovable coming of age/finding yourself book. In a brief blurb for what the book is about I would say, you follow the story of young girl named Ivy who is scaldrun maid turned aspiring student scrivenest. What secrets does this new school have for her to uncover? What dangers lurk in the shadows? This book is wonderfully whimsical and thoroughly detailed, this leads to the book reading lengthy and a slow-paced. That isn't something that was a problem for me but I know some readers find slow-paced books to be hard to get into. I would say you will get fully immersed at about 40 percent through. That is where I had a hard time putting it down and just kept reading. Loved this world and I will be checking out the next books in the series. Also think this would be a lovely book to buddy read with your kids, because as I said this is an enjoyable read for all ages.

This is such a fun and magical ride! Crowns of Croswald is story for people who love Harry Potter, but wish it had more of an Alice in Wonderland feel. Thanks to Untold Press and Netgalley for access to this wonderful story in exchange for an honest review. I will be continuing on with the series.

The story follows a tween girl names Ivy, in a land called Croswald. We join her in the kitchens of a castle where she is tending to the domesticated dragons called scaldrons, who are used to cook food. The charm and whimsy don't end there: stones set in crowns that grant the owner a specific magical power, a Forgetting Room and wonderful characters to root for keep you turning the page. The reader learns more about the world as Ivy does, when she is unexpectedly swept away to a magical school, The Halls of Ivy. The school, is where Ivy begins to grow into herself and realize her power, all while trying to avoid the sinister Dark Queen.

One mystery is wrapped up by the end of the book, but the larger story line is set up well for the remainder of the series. It did feel a bit short, but as it is a Middle Grade Fantasy, I can easily understand that.

Initially I thought that this was too much like Harry Potter and thought that I would struggle to see beyond that, however I am pleased to say that although I thought there were similarities, on the whole I found it a magical story with a heroine that I really liked. Ivy Lovely who lives a miserable life as a kitchen maid in charge of Scaldrons, dragons who cook food in their mouths, and has no idea who she actually is and is thrown into the magical world around her. Very descriptive and with a great assortment of characters, some good guys, some not so nice! In my opinion the story flowed well and was easy to follow. Thank you to Netgalley, Stories Untold and Daniela B, publist, for the opportunity to read this.

The Crowns of Croswald is a magical adventure in a world full of scaldrons and hairies. The concept of scrivenists is really interesting! I would like one for my family. Ha!

Croswald has themes from Alice in Wonderland and Harry Potter. However, the story has enough of it's own plot to remain it's own story. The Wonderland reference is due to the whimsical elements of the book. The magical school setting reminded me of HP.

I loved Humboldt! He was the best sidekick/pet for Ivy. The creatures were clever throughout the story and would appeal to younger audiences. This book is geared towards middle grades, and it would be a good introduction into the fantasy genre for younger readers.

While the writing style was beautiful, I would have preferred more descriptions for certain creatures and characters. I have an idea of what they all look like, but I could be way off from the next reader.
There was so much world building in this book that I felt lost at times. There was a lot to learn and take in, including magical vocabulary, that sometimes it was a bit confusing.

The story ends very neatly, yet leaves room for continuing Ivy's story as she learns more about her family and her magic.

Thank you to the author, Stories Untold, and NetGalley for providing me an E-book copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

"To the One Whom This Box is Entrusted.
- The Hand That Left Her"

I'll be honest... at first, I had a hard time getting into this story. Probably because it's the polar opposite of what I have been reading as of late. But as I settled into the pages, I came to adore its whimsical ways. It had some major Harry Potter vibes throughout with a bit of sleeping beauty thrown in there, which in no way is a bad thing. I adored Ivy Lovely and wanted to uncover what is so different about her.

The story follows an orphaned 16-year-old girl named Ivy Lovely. After being banished from the only place she's ever known Ivy finds her story has just begun. There is magic in her blood and as she crosses the boundary of her so-called home, her powers awaken. She's whisked away to the Halls of Ivy, a school where she will learn how to master the magic within her. Friendships are formed, enemies are found, and as events unfold Ivy finds the mystery of her past may be the answer to her future and the only way to save Croswald.

This story was magical. The world-building is perfect, you follow right along and find yourself completely immersed in a new world of magical beings. I loved the descriptions that D.E Night painted with her words. I was able to picture every scene as if watching a movie. Not one piece felt out of step with the entire storyline. The secondary characters were perfect and well-developed additions, I loved Flynn and Rebecca. Overall I thought The Crowns of Croswald was cute, funny, and adventurous. A real magical gem! A perfect read for young middle-grade readers. I will definitely be recommending this to my niece.


This is the first book in a four-book series. Book II, The Girl with the Whispering Shadow, and Book III, The Words of the Wandering are available wherever books are sold; Book IV will be released in 2021.


Thank you to Stories Untold and Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

⭐️🥰✨👏

Read this if you love:
Harry Potter
Magical worlds
Tea

Ivy is a cook for the scaldrons, but she doesn't even get to enjoy the lovely things she's cooked. She was raised in the here and had only one true friend Rimbrick. One day she is thrown out to never return and finds a gift left by Rimbrick telling her to cross the scurry. When she does, the magical world of the Halls of Ivy open up to her. She's invited to go to school there and in that time she unravels a deep family secret.

This book was SOOOO magical! I absolutely loved it. I was transformed into a world of creatures and stones, and just so much magic. It reminded me a bit of Harry Potter. The only the I can criticize is sometimes it was a bit confusing because the names are similar.

I really enjoyed Ivy obviously. She's the center of the story, but I loved her friend Rebecca. She goes against the grain. She's brave, but also cautious. She holds no grudges.

Thank you netgalley and D.E night for this beautiful read!

I am sorry for the inconvenience but I don’t have the time to read this anymore and have lost interest in the concept. I believe that it would benefit your book more if I did not skim your book and write a rushed review. Again, I am sorry for the inconvenience.

First of all, thank you NetGalley for providing this arc!

Personally, I have always loved fantasy books. However, I always give additional points for fantasy books that succeeded to left me feeling magical. It can be derived from everything, like the writing, story plot, or other factors. For this case, I think I should appreciate the writing style. It has a storytelling like theme, which I prefer much in many books that I have read.

This is a pretty fast paced and enjoyable read. However, I am still looking for the X factor. It was okay and pretty exciting, but a bit overshadowed to some fantasy slash adventure book that I have read before. Somewhere in the middle, I kinda have to refresh my memory again plot wise and character wise. Again, this might vary to your personal taste so do check it at your own liking.

At the end, I just want to say that this is a pretty fun and fast read for me. If you are looking for adventure slash magical fantasy, I think you might enjoy this.

- 3.7 stars

I was gifted this book from the publisher, Stories Untold Press, in exchange for an honest review.

This is definitely a fast paced, weekend fantasy read that takes you to a magical world. I did like this book, but a lot of it reminded me of Harry Potter, especially at the beginning. Both stories deal with a magical boarding school, the main character not knowing they are magic, and a evil villain that I assume will show up through every book. However, there were some differences that will allow you to question what will happen next.

Be warned this book does end on a cliffhanger that will have you yearning for the next story. If you want an easy young adult fantasy book, I would recommend this story as a good jump into the genre with 3 other books by this author to keep you reading about Ivy Lovely and her journeys!