Just like the first, the second book did not disappoint as I enjoyed the continuation of Ivy's story. In the previous book Ivy faced the evil Queen, but the darkness and her broad are not vanquished yet.
This series is a must read for fans of Harry Potter, especially young girls so they can see themselves in the protagonist. D.E creates the story world with Ivy’s scrivenist journeys of finding yourself, recognizing the power within you, and finding your inner being. I could not stop reading this book once I started and I cannot wait to see where Ivy's journey goes next.

The Girl with the Whispering Shadow is the second book in a four-book series full of conjuring, creative creatures, and colorful characters. Book 3 is out now and Book 4 will be released this year. If you follow D.E. Night on Instagram, you have already gotten a sneak peak of her writing the fourth book.

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

The Girl with the Whispering Shadow (Book 2, The Crowns of Croswald) – D. E. Night

I was given a copy of this story by the publisher in order to provide and honest review of the work.
D. E. Night is an American author who writes fantasy, particularly young adult fantasy. She has written just two books “The Crowns of Croswald”, (you can see my page and Goodreads for that review!) which is book one in the series and this book – “The Girl with the Whispering Shadow” and the third book in the series being “The Words of the Wandering”, which I hope to get my hands on.

Ivy Lucky has just discovered who she really is and why the Dark Queen is determined to see the end of her and the Halls of Ivy. Ivy is a descendant of Princess Isabella, a member of the true bloodline – rightful Queen, and the only one who can truly wield the Kindred Stone. The stone in which Princess Isabella’s full power lies.
Yet there are many hurdles lay in Ivy’s way. She knows she must find all the pieces of the Kindred Stone in order to stop the Dark Queen remaining in power forever, yet she has no idea where to find them. Her family’s scrivenist is not much help himself, having been kept in a glanagerie bottle for many years, his memories surrounding the terrible events that took place all those years ago. Therefore, all his memories of what really happened to Ivy’s parents and where the pieces of the Kindred Stone are, are lost to him, yet they are exactly what needs to be found and reunited if they have a hope of stopping the Dark Queen.
Luck is yet on their side, the Dark Queen does not know that the Kindred Stone is in pieces or where they are hidden, and she is yet to discover who Ivy Lucky truly is.
Moreover, Ivy must still keep up with her studies and classes in the Hall of Ivy, which is easier said than done when she is told she must not return there and is to stay in the Town, the secret Town which is the only place that is hidden and kept secret from the Dark Queen.

“The Girl with the Whispering Shadow” is a light and enjoyable fantasy story, that much like the first one, is like a fairy tale. You have the poor downtrodden maiden, who is really something more than she appears to be and must overcome the evil queen. Who with the help of her friends, seems like she will discovery who she truly is and stands a fighting chance of retaining what is rightfully hers and conquering the evil in the land. Thought I am curious as to how the author plans to have this all come to a head.

Book Two of the Crowns of Croswald series was just as magical as book one!

While it reads more like a MG, the characters are 16ish. That aside, I still really enjoyed the story and it’s wide range of characters with fun names.

I loved the new creatures we meet (hello, invisitaur) and the addition of a magical game (Quogo sounds far more dangerous and exciting than Quidditch!). The friendships presented in the book are great and I was rooting for them throughout the book.

It brings the magic and mystery that fans of Harry Potter will love, with a female protagonist that’s quickly coming into her own.

I really enjoyed this continuation of Ivy’s story and am excited to see how her journey unfolds with the next installment.

The Girl with the Whispering Shadow
Discover the enchanted world of Croswald with our young scrivenist Ivy Lovely.
In the previous book Ivy faced the evil Queen, but the darkness and her broad are not vanquished yet. For her safety and for the town of Croswald Ivy has been whisked away into hiding in the town of Belzebuthe, however this time a shadowy presence is shaking the town of Belzebuthe and bringing along with it havoc for our young heroin Ivy Lovely.
Ivy’s friendship with Fyn is definitely one piece of the book I cherished the most and we got to expand on it in fyn’s wonderous hometown of Belzebuthe. Right before Ivy is drawn back to the Halls of Ivy, she forms new friendships with Fyn’s members of The Quality Quils Club, a secret Quogo society. While new friendships formed, we learned more about the history of the scrivenists, how powerful a quill can truly be and the crown and it’s legacy in Croswald.
Ivy and her friends Rebecca and Fyn evolved immensely as characters throughout the book which give Ivy the strength and guidance, she needed to find her true powers and face the Evil Queen.
D.E lights the story world with her scrivenist journeys of finding yourself, recognizing the power within you, and finding your inner being.
As I mentioned in my previous review for The Crowns of Croswald if you love the universe of Harry Potter, the vivid magic, the friendships, and the adventures in The Crowns of Croswald series will light you with scrivinist passion. the intrigue of the mysterious shadow and the shining magical experiences in Belzebuthe made this book my favorite so far out of the series and I’m eager to see how Ivy fairs in the Halls in the next book without Fyn, and where the challenges of the Dark Queen will take her.
Thank you to the Publishing Team – Stories Untold and the author D.E Night for the opportunity to review yet another brilliant Croswald chapter.

*ARC received in exchange for a honest review. All opinions are mine*

What I liked

It was really nice to be back in the world of Croswald! This is a strong sequel to a first book that really surprised me and I ended up enjoying it more than I thought.
The setting and the magic system are, in my opinion, the strong points of the series. I just want to visit this world sometimes, it really is that magical.
This second book had so much more plot and felt more high stakes. Ivy has found her place, she knows who she is and she knows what she has to do in order to win (spoiler alert: friendship is important!)
Nothing can stop Ivy and I love this about her! It’s so fun to follow her through all the mischiefs and adventures. It keeps reminding me of Harry Potter and I love that!

What I didn’t like

I realised that I didn’t mention this in the review of the first book, but the only critique I would give to this series is the age of the characters and the genre of the book. The characters are between 16/18 years old and they act like children because it’s a middle grade. It really bothers me sometimes. I also feel like sometimes they can’t get the depth they deserve because of the genre. Either the characters should have been younger or the genre should have been YA so they could act their age.

Final thoughts

This is a strong series that I’m really liking and would definitely recommend. I’m for sure continuing reading Ivy adventures!

This is the second book in The Crowns of Croswald middle grade fantasy series. This book continues with Ivy Lovely after the intense battle that took place at the Halls, banished from school for safety and stuck in a town she mustn’t mention. She must use her new found skills on a mission to restore the magical world to its old glory and to keep those around her safe for good. And what’s a mission without some fun, like a secret game (Quogo) where scrivenists can hone their skills in the real world...without the danger of course.

Overall, I give this book 3.5 stars out of 5. While I did find the Quogo matches intriguing and the character dynamics fun, it reminded me a bit too much of another magical world. That being said, I would like to finish this series to see how it rounds out.

Thank you to D.E. Night, @netgalley and @danielastoriesuntoldpress for this copy in exchange for an honest review.

It's time to go back to the world of Croswald with this second installment of D.E. Night's series.
The story starts off right after the events of Book 1, with Ivy going to a secret town with no name, protected from the outside world, with scrivenists living in safety to practice magic.
But her summer vacations won't be as peaceful as Ivy thought at first because a series of mysteries are developing arount the town and the ever-crescent shadow of the Dark Queen is getting closer over Ivy...

These books are perfect for Harry Potter fans and whimsical atmoshper. We get to know a larger roast of characters that I'm sure we'll get to know better in the next book. Although the execution was fine and the plot is fun to read, I consider the first book to be better cause it was more addictive and complete.

I received this book from the publisher via netgalley in exchange form my honest review.

I'm reading this series along with my son and he absolutely loves it.

This book is fantastic, it picks up exactly where we left off. The school year is over and Ivy needs to stay hidden in the town for her own safety. We get to learn a lot more about living there and we also spend a lot of time with Ivy, Flyn and the gang.

Ivy has matured a lot since the first book. She's goal oriented and determined to find the missing pieces of the kindred stone. She makes awesome new friends and realizes what it feels like to be part of something.

I got to say I loved the Quogo matches. The whole idea of a ghostly magical duel is fantastic.

We spent quite a lot of time in the town. Learning the layout, it's history and getting to know the people.

I can't wait to keep reading this series with my son.

This series gets better and better the magical aspect will keep you enthralled throughout your time reading it.
Looking forward to reading more from this author.
The characters are enchanting.
Ivy really comes into her own in this book showing how she is a perfect heroine. Delving deeper into characters we already know but also ones that we meet along the way.

I will be recommending this middle grade series to people who are looking for a some escapism.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for sending me this arc.

I was given a copy of the second Crowns of Croswald book, The Girl with the Whispering Shadow, from the publisher, just like I did with the first book. It was pretty good, but I didn’t like it as much as the first book, so I gave it four stars! I felt like the pacing was off. There wasn’t much that happened that during the summer and yet a good chunk of the book was spent in The Town during summer. Then at the school, again not much happened, and then suddenly it was the end of the year and the book was over. I am still curious to see what will happen in the third book, but I just wish the pacing in this book had been a bit better!⁠

I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This series is just so good. I loved book 1 and this sequel took everything that had been set up in that story, added to it and made it even better! I am very excited to see what happens next, but after the events of this book, I'm also a little anxious and worried for all my favourite characters.

This installment picks up after the climatic ending of the first book with Ivy leaving school and setting off to spend the summer in a place called The Town (the real name of this place is known only to residents, in order to protect its secrecy). Amongst the interesting inhabitants of this magical place, Ivy makes news friends and also gets to see and spend time with a familiar face. However, when school resumes, Ivy is initially unable to return. Instead she must go on a mission that only she has the ability to complete to save herself, her friends and all the places she holds dear.

The worldbuilding in this book is fantastic. The descriptions of The Town are so fascinating that I could read a whole book just about everyday life in this place and explore the wide variety of magical shops. Everything in this story is so engaging and well-balanced that I never find myself getting bored, I just want more of all of it. I loved learning more about quills and the ways in which they can be used. I loved finding out more about Ivy's abilities and the secrets that surround her. I loved the scenes at the Halls of Ivy (yes, don't worry, there is more magic school adventures) when we get to experience magical lessons, the dining rooms or sneaking around at night. I loved all the friendships, rivalries and new characters. The villain is even more menacing in this book and the threat they pose is just becoming greater as the story progresses.

This book is a great sequel and this series is perfect for readers aged 10 - 13.

I received an e-book from the publisher in exchange for a honest review.

The Girl with the Whispering Shadow is the second volume of The Crowns of Crosswald series. And i really loved it.

At the end of the first volume, Ivy finds out who she really is and that The Dark Queen is after her. So she has to go to a town with no name and find the next part of the stone. But things are happening in the town, quills are being stolen and strange shadows appear in the dark.

This volume reminded me, like the first one, of Harry Potter; we have a game played by the scrivenists and a group of friends who are trying to learn more things on their own. In The Girl with the Whispering Shadow we meet new great characters, we discover more magic places and meet new challenges. New secrets are discovered and things are happening all the time. Is more captivating, the universe is more developed, it's paced and you don't have time to get bored.

I really liked it, i liked the friendships made in this volume, the interesting creatures and Ivy is finally embracing her magic, becoming a real queen. We have a cute and innocent love-story, which i love and the slow burn is quite amazing. The ending was perfect and i'm so so curious about the last volume. Can't wait to read it.

So, if you're a Harry Potter fan, please give this a chance. I know is for YA, but it's so cute and so interesting to follow Ivy's adventures. It was a perfect sequel and i can't wait to have the last volume.

This book moved at a much quicker pace than the first one. The world has now been established and we know where things stand. Now Ivy is in a race against the Dark Queen to save the kingdom and its people. Ivy has become stronger and more self confident, her friends have her back, and more of her past comes to light. The ending was intense and though devastating it left hope for the future.
I can’t really say to much without giving away key points of the story so I’m just going to say that I enjoyed it immensely and can’t wait to read the third book. I’ve come to really care for Ivy and her friends. I love how they interact and the world is so original and imaginative. I can’t wait to see what they all get up to next.

After reading the first book which i ended up enjoying despite it being a middle grade novel, i was happy to read the sequel.. i loved the world even more so this time around, its so whimsical and makes you want to live in it. D.E Night's writing never fails to impress me.

*I received this book (via eArc from NetGalley) for free from the publisher (Stories Untold) in exchange for an honest review* Yet again I had a whole lot fun in this world!! Ivy, Fyn, and Rebecca are still the best friendship trio and always protect each other. Thought it felt a tab bit all over the place I loved the ending and the battles between Ivy and the Dark Queen! I wonder what they will do next? A huge thanks again to the publisher for the ARC!! It was positively magical and I can't wait to read the conclusion to this trilogy :)

It had been months since I read the first book, so I was really praying that I’d remember enough to read this. Thankfully, D.E. Night did a great job of recapping the major events of the first book without making it feel like we were reading a textbook.

The Girl With the Whispering Shadow picks up right where The Crowns of Croswald left off. Ivy is determined to find the second piece of the Kindred, to prevent the Dark Queen from amassing any more power. Even though she’s supposed to be safe in the Town, she is being shadowed by something, and no one knows what it is.

Although this series is very simplistic, I really love the world. It’s as magical as it could be, and with every single book, it’s developed even more. The descriptions of Belzebuthe were luscious, and it was insanely fun to imagine. I’m super excited to learn even more about this world in the third book!

I also really love the focus on friendship. Romance is non existent in this series, and I’d really like to see one developed, but I love the friendship between Ivy and Rebecca. If you like middle-grade fantasies, this is for you!

Thanks to D.E. Night and Netgalley for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review!

The Girl with the Whispering Shadow is the second book in The Crowns of Croswald by D.E. Night. The trilogy is a middle grade fantasy novel with magic involved and a magical school, Croswald the main lead Ivy goes too.

I read the first book and really enjoyed it. The book flew by even faster than the first one and I can sense this only as a bridge between the first and the ending novel. But never the less I am very excited to see how the third and the final book comes by. The first book ended with the school's masquerade ball with The Dark Queen trying to destroy Ivy.

The story starts we Ivy not being able to spend her summer with her best friend, and instead is taken a new town - Belzebuthe, a secret town for only those with magical blood. In this also we see Ivy running from The Dark Queen and also simultaneously finding the Kindred Stone.

We see relationship between Ivy and Fyn more stronger and growing closer in this book. I enjoyed the first book more than this one. I am sure book 3 is going to be even better than both these and just the perfect end to the series. We definitely see more of the Croswald and world building in this book. But never the less, I felt the execution for the first one was so much better..

Many thanks to the publisher for providing me with an electronic copy of this book.

While I rather enjoyed the first book in this series, I'm afraid this second instalment is not quite to my taste.

As is the case with "The Crowns of Croswald", the strength of Night's narrative is in the quality of her world-building, which brims with quirky, inventive detail that makes for a whimsical, magical reading experience. I particularly enjoyed the opportunity to see more of the world of Croswald in this second instalment. I'm also very much a fan of the delightful chapter-header artwork.

Unfortunately, the quality of the writing lets this book down. Night's dialogue is rather stiff and awkward , and the narrative as a whole requires more polish. I'm sure this could be achieved by some careful editing and re-writing; the text currently reads more like a first draft than a finished product. A further critique is that, while the characters are perfectly likeable (if a bit one-dimensional), they all behave and speak as though they are much younger than their indicated ages. Night describes Ivy and her friends as being in their late teenage years; I feel the narrative would be better served by re-writing them as thirteen-year-olds.

Thus, while I'm a little disappointed by this second book in the series, I do hope Night manages to turn things around in future instalments, as "The Crowns of Croswald" has potential to be an enjoyable middle-grade fantasy series.

This book is the second in The Crowns of Croswald series and picks straight up from where the first book left off. Starting with the summer holidays away from Ivy Halls. With the events and revelations of end the first book fresh in her mind, she travels to a secret protected town for Scrivenist called Belzebuthe, in hopes to discover more about the location of the second piece of the Kindred stone. Whilst she is safe within Belzebuthe, the Dark Queen has other ideas to draw her out from the protective bubble and draw her back to Ivy Halls where she intends to steal the Kindred stone from her. In the process endangering everyone and everything Ivy holds dear.

I enjoyed this book a lot more than the first. The plot was much faster pace and more action packed. There are still elements where the strong Harry Potter vibes are present but less often than the first book and quickly absorbed into the Coswold setting. We learn a lot more about what happened to Derwin in the past and hints about who the Dark Queen really is. We also get introduced to Quogo (Quill duels), secret club meetings, Invisitaurs (Invisible creatures), an owlery and much more to the magical world outside of the school setting which was great. Imagine being able to catch the stars in the sky and actually getting wishes granted! There is also a more obvious love interest going on in this one which is very cute! I love that Ivy is getting to realise more of her strengths and weaknesses in this and we get to become more familiar with the other characters in her new "found family".

I really enjoyed this book and glad I got to continue with this series. This ended on a bit of a cliffhanger though and I can't wait to pick up the next one. Going to put it on my Wishlist.
Thank you to @netgalley and @storiesuntoldpress for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This review has also been posted on Instagram and Goodreads.

When we left Ivy Lovely at the end of The Crowns of Croswald, she had just defeated the Dark Queen at the Ball, had learned her true identity, was given part of a Kindred Stone, and had discovered that the pirate she kept being drawn to in glanageries was actually her family's scrivenist, Derwin Edgar Night.

In this book, Derwin then sends Ivy off to "The Town" (the enchanted magical city of scrivenists, called Belzebuthe) to search for the second part of her Kindred Stone and stay hidden from the Dark Queen. It just so happened that the address Derwin sent her to stay at in Belzebuthe belonged to none other than Fyn Greeley and his mother! Ivy spends much of the book running around with Fyn and his friends, getting into trouble and dodging a creepy shadow figure.

We got to see more of how the magic in Croswald works in this book, which I really enjoyed. Ivy spent most of the story either in Belzebuthe or on other adventures, and only a very small part actually at The Halls of Ivy. It was quite fun to get to know some other settings! The whole world of Croswald still gives me major Harry Potter vibes, and I enjoy it quite a bit.

In the first book, I didn't find that there was much character building of the secondary characters, like Fyn and Rebecca, but I found that was improved in this book (however I still don't much care for, or trust, Fyn). I did have a bit of difficulty keeping the members of the Quogo Club straight, but that is likely more a personal thing than the characters themselves.

I don't have much to say on the side of criticism - there were a few grammatical errors here and there, but nothing too serious. This second book also reads like a middle grade novel, which is great. There were moments when Ivy did act a bit more like a 16-17 year old girl than in the first book, but I still feel like she should be around 14, so her age still throws me off and is still a bit of an issue for me.

One of my favourite aspects of The Girl with the Whispering Shadow were the stars in Belzebuthe. I love that the stars are wishes, and that a person can rent stargusters to putter around among the stars, and that if one were to catch a star, the wish inside would be granted...! Such a romantic and lovely idea! If I lived in Belzebuthe I would most definitely buy wishes/stars on a very regular basis. I also really love that because this magic system uses quills instead of wands, spells are actually written as well as spoken, and so good penmanship is of quite high importance. I have always loved penmanship, and taken pride in having legible handwriting - I think I would get along quite well in the world of Croswald!

I continue to recommend this series to others, and am looking forward to reading the next two books at some point!