"You can be trapped in a castle, trapped in a scaldonry. Trapped by people. But the worst is being trapped by fear."



This is the second volume of the saga and it starts exactly after the ending of the first book. 

Ivy and Rebecca are separated after the battle against the Dark Queen and the ending of the first year at the Academy. 

Ivy will leave to find out other pieces of the Kindred Stone (what she needs to fight the Queen) and will end up in the mysterious town of Belzebuthe. But will it be safe there? Will she be able to find the Stone?



The main character is just amazing, not the usual cliché, she grew up so fast since book one, and the relationships with Rebecca and Fyn are perfectly written. It still gives me a bit of HP vibes but less than the first book.

Filled with stars that contain wishes, secret societies, curious creatures, a hidden town and a whole lot of mischief, the second book in this middle-grade fantasy series is a must for any fan of whimsical escapism. ⁣
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It develops the story of Ivy Lovely, a sweet heroine thrust into the chaos of her recently-discovered bloodline. As she seeks a magical stone that can save her kingdom from the tyranny of her enemy, the Dark Queen, she forms fast friendships with a group of loveable misfits. Together, they develop their knowledge of spellcasting, encounter a range of fantastical beasts and generally cause havoc at their school, the Halls of Ivy. ⁣
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I love the development of Ivy's friendships, and the new found family she learns to trust. Each character is unique – and loved for their uniqueness – and the way they stand together against common bullies as well as looming magical threats is heartwarming. ⁣
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I also appreciate the widening of the world of Croswald, with the introduction of the secret Town. The author is adept at creating imaginative shops, eateries and homes, filled with mysterious oddities and personable characters. Each place comes alive in your mind, from the Quill Keep to Plumlie's Puddings. ⁣
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I fully recommend this one if you're a middle grade fan, or if you want a series that's light, creative and fun. I certainly hope to read the next books soon.

Another delightful romp in Croswold that is a hair too convoluted. While I appreciated the Quality Quills Club, I found the explanation of Quogo fairly hard to follow, which is a bit unfortunate because there's so much of it in this book. It relates heavily to the plot, but I still don't understand how a lot of the magic in this series works.

Overall though, Ivy and her friends are smart, interesting, and funny. I am invested in the series. I find the Dark Queen an interesting character, and hope at some point the series gives more explanation into her motivations and backstory.

Second in the series and just as enjoyable as the first.

Been recommending this middle reader series to friends with children middle school age. Perfect fun read for older readers as well.

If you enjoyed Harry Potter or the Percy Jackson series would encourage you to take a chance on this series.

This is the second book in this series and it was just as good as the first. My 11 year old daughter and I like to read these together which is great. We like the magical world and it sort of reminds of Harry Potter but with a main female character. There is a love interest in this book that we very much enjoyed and we can’t wait for the next one. It is set in the Halls of Ivy and the Town both of which the author describes in great detail to where we can imagine it in our minds. Ivy is given a mission to look for the rest of the Kindred stone but can’t go back go to the Halls of Ivy. This book had suspense and a cliffhanger so we can’t wait for book 3.

This was an amazing sequel that I thought was even better than the first! The love interest and main character are so cute together and I kept rooting for them. However, bringing in the other love interest felt a little forced and I'm hoping Ivy picks the initial interest. They have so much chemistry.

Girl with the Whispering Shadows by D. E Night
Earc:NetGalley
Publisher: Stories Untold
Publication Date:23rd April 2019
Genre:Sci Fiction and Fantasy, Children's Fiction

Very easy to read and suitable for teens. The second book in the series.
Ivy Jude discovers the promise, and now she has been whisked away into the
Belzebuthe is a remote town. This book is jam-packed with adventure, fun, and excitement. Whenever Ivy's stone lit up, I felt tense since I knew danger was nearby. Each chapter contains action and experience, so there are never any dull ones.
New characters are introduced.

There are new magic abilities found.
The cliffhanger conclusion has you eagerly awaiting book 3. This fascinating, amusing novel has loads of adventure and mystery. Therefore I'm giving it five stars. The Town and the Halls of Ivy are on each side of it. I want to go to both sites since they sound so magical. Both the world-building and the friendships are fantastic. I adore parts of extended families. Ivy grew and had more self-assurance by the end.


#NetGalley #bookstagram #bookreview #goodreads #scifictionandfantasy #childrensfiction #Girl with the Whispering Shadows by D. E Night

I enjoyed the second book in this series! Like the first book, the author made great use of creative imagery. Her writing is spell-binding and lyrical. I felt there was much more character development in this book, and I connected much more with Ivy. There were a few romantic scenes that definitely made me swoon. I found I made fewer comparisons to Harry Potter in the second book - which made me really appreciate the uniqueness of this storyline. This is a great middle-grade fantasy series.

Thank you Netgalley and Stories Untold for letting me read this in exchange for an honest review. The Girl with the Whispering Shadow is the second book to The Crowns of Croswald series. Before we start I just wanna say this book was 3 ⭐ for me. I love the atmosphere and magical elements, but I felt like Ivy was giggling and blushing over boys instead of getting serious about the obstacles in front of her and the overall challenge she knows she has to face. Her best friend seemed to act the same and sometimes even put the boys first which caused the plot to kinda get blurred and hidden between all the crushes. However, I still enjoyed the action just didn't really enjoy where the character development was taken.

If you like whimsy and magic, this book is for you. It is written for a younger audience, I would say middle-grade to young adult, but I still enjoyed this book as an adult. My daughter loved when I read parts aloud to her.

The Girl with the Whispering Shadow is the second book in The Crowns of Croswald series. It is such a magical, whimsical book with lots of adventure and mystery. It is set between the Halls of Ivy and the Town. Both places sound so enchanting and I wish I could visit them. The world building is wonderful and the friendships are so sweet. I love the found family aspects. I do wish Ivy had more confidence and growth by now.

About the book:
As the school of magic close for summer. Ivy was sent to the Town, a secret town for scrivenist and matteler. She was given a mission to look for the rest of the Kindred stone and instructed not to go back to the Hall of Ivy for her safety. However, during her stay in Town, a mystery shadow is looming around. Ivy knows that this is not good news as the first piece of the Kindred stone is screaming of danger whenever it senses the shadow.
Will she be able to find the next piece of the stone? Will she be able to stay away from the wrath of the Dark Queen? What will be waiting for her when she returns to the Hall of Ivy?

My thought
The Girl with the Whispering Shadow is the second book of the Crown of Crosswald. I was so excited to start this book and to hop on the adventure with Ivy as she search for the parts of Kindred stone. This book is full of excitement, fun, and adventure. It gave me a suspenseful feeling whenever Ivy’s stone lit up and knowing that danger is looming around. There is no boring chapter as each leads to action and adventures.
There are new characters were introduced and new skills of magic were discovered.
The ending is a cliffhanger that makes me more excited to have book 3. Giving this a five star.

"𝑻𝒆𝒍𝒍 𝒉𝒆𝒓, 𝑰𝒗𝒚! 𝑮𝒐 𝒐𝒏, 𝒕𝒆𝒍𝒍 𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒚 𝒂𝒓𝒆!"

I really loved the developments that this book brought to this series as well as the anticipation of knowing that Ivy's story is not done yet and that she still has a lot to achieve.
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One aspect that is different from a lot of books in the fantasy fiction genre is that the story does not evolve mainly around romance, here we rather see the main focus being on character development. Ivy grew throughout this whole book, she learnt how to have more confidence in herself and her abilities, she started standing up for herself and she accepted her fears and decided to fight against them. She developed a voice for the voiceless.

We also get to experience the side characters developments such as Rebecca and Fynn. This was an interesting aspect in the book as they all believed in each other and thus encouraged one another to do better, to be better.

Even though we don't actually experience romance in this book, we do get the excitement of the possibility for an extraordinary romance to blossom!
I really hoped that the romance would've started in this second book of the series, but now I'm shifting that hope to the third book. It was as if every time I thought the romance was going to unravel, the story shifted into a different direction completely - this threw me off guard every now and then, but in a good way!
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D.E. Night has this amazing writers skill where she interprets so much of the title into the book itself, but with just the right amount of information on the title for you to make the connection on your own. It leaves you excited for the endless reasons there could be behind this and how it will all eventually unfold.
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What I enjoyed more from this book than the first was the fact that the plot was fast paced. You find yourself reading faster to stay connected to the atmosphere and to not miss any detail in the events. D.E. Night uses the main character as well as all the side characters in this plot, this gives us more of an insight into the bond that these characters have and it also contributes in a very positive way to the emotions resulting from the plot.
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However, once again, the jumping to and from POV's without warning had me confused a bit - but after experiencing this in the first book it does make the experience a bit better and smoother for the reader in the second one.
I would have preferred to rather then have added chapters where we see certain events from the POV of Fynn and Rebecca, instead of having it pop up in the middle of a chapter.
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Since this is not the end, I am excited to see how Ivy can grow more and use her abilities to the fullest. And, as mentioned, hopefully see some aspect of romance for her - because she really does deserve it!
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One last thought, who is the Selector really? Because I have mixed feelings towards her...
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Thank you Stories Untold Press for this book in exchange for an honest review.

Like the book before it, The Girl With the Whispering Shadow had major Harry Potter vibes. If you like Harry Potter, these are the next books you need to read. I'd especially recommend this as a read aloud for families with middle grade children.

We have a magical school, an orphan with a mysterious and magical heritage, a team of loyal friends and an evil queen trying to ruin it all. While the first half felt a little slow to me, the action picked up. Remembering that this is the second book in what is to be a four part series helped, as this definitely felt like a book that is building to the others and filling in important pieces of the story and world.

Speaking of the world, Night has done a wonderful job of creating a world that feels real even with all its fantastical elements. She has thought of everything from the landscape to the critters that live in it, the games the students adore and the food they eat.

Last but not least, the characters are lovely. I especially love our heroine, Ivy, and her best friend Rebecca. I liked that this is a book with female main characters that would be equally entertaining for boys and girls similar to how Narnia and Potter (both personal favourites) relate to a wide variety of readers.

Another win from Night. I'm eagerly anticipating the next one!

Big thanks to Night's marketing team for sending me this one.

Thanks to Untold Stories Press, D.E. Night for letting me keep being part of Ivy's world. #Netgalley

This is the second book of 'The Crowns of Croswald' series and it starts right where the first one left off!
The first school year is over, Ivy has learned who she really is and the only place that will keep her safe is Belzebuthe. Shh! You'll have to call it "The Town" since it's cloaked in order to keep it secret from the Dark Queen; It's the last safe place for Magic users in Croswald! While there, Ivy is tasked with finding the missing pieces of the Kindred Stone, an ancestral heirloom that contains all her power. Unfortunately, she has no clue where to even begin.

In the second book we get to see the same characters and meet more since Ivy makes new friends in The Town. I loved this setting of The Town that we get to explore a lot more in this second book, it's such a magical place, full of creative details that make me wish I could visit and it adds a lot to the world-building. There are more magical creatures, adventures, and even a cool magical duel game, but the stakes are higher and it really felt like it. Aside from keeping up with assignments and finding the pieces of the stone, Ivy has to grapple with anxiety and guilt, all while being chased by some mysterious shades. There is still a lot of whimsy, but the overall tone was a bit more serious than the first book, which I enjoyed. It helped to keep me invested.

One aspect that kind of bothered me was Fyn's characterization. He did not feel like the same character as in the first book. Whereas in the first book, he was more cautious and a rational presence in opposition to Ivy's rashness, in the second book he suddenly became the instigator of most of the trouble the characters got into. I found it hard to buy that it was the same person, as it feels like not enough time has gone by for such drastic changes in his temperament. That's my one complaint but aside from that, I had so much fun with this book and will be reading the next one!

Read this if you enjoy:
-Chosen one
-Secret Clubs
-Good Vs. Evil
-Animal Companions

I was granted a copy of this book by Netgalley, in exchange for my honest opinion. Thank you so so so much for this opportunity to read this second book.
The Girl with the Whispering Shadow is the continuation to the Croswald series!
It takes the base of the first book and develops from there.
Honestly what tells me that this series it’s a great deal, is the fact that it’s been a wile since I read the first one and I can remember to detail the adorable character and her adventures to finding her place and identity.
We start to explore the land outside of the Halls of Ivy to a Secret Town, which is where Ivy meets new friends and like usual gets into troubles!
Back at the Halls, Ivy and her new friends must race against time to find out the mystery before its too late!
This world magic it’s so adorable and whimsical , new and fun and adventures, it was impossible to put down!
If you haven't read This series... please pick it up! You will be not be disappointed, it will sweep you away, I can’t even explain how it touched me definitely a beautiful series that i cannot recommend enough.

I liked the first book so I started reading this one and I was really excited. But it was slower than the first one and I couldn't keep reading. but after a year (maybe) I did.
I like this world because it's quite original but at the same time I was screaming "please stop making me feel like I'm reading Harry Potter!!! I want something new and fresh". Anyway, at some point the author delivered and gave lovely chracters and a world building beautiful and magical..
Ivy and her friends warm my heart. I hope seeing them again <3

This books really drew me in, very whimsical and enchanting. I can’t recommend it enough for those who love books like Harry Potter and Alice in Wonderland.

Ivy lovely is a determined wonderful main character and she’s growing into a someone she fight realize she could be. Each of the characters in this story hold their own and build what’s happening.

I enjoyed them so much, I bought physical copies!

Firstly I want to say a massive thankyou again to the author for the gifted digital copy of the book!

I loved the first book in the Crowns of Croswald series so when the offer came for the second book was given I had to say yes! I had found myself missing the magical world of Croswald with its Royals and Scrivenists and also the Dark Queen!

I loved that we got more character development of Ivy - the lead character you can’t help but root for, and also that we learnt more about Fyn. I do wish that their romance would kick off a little though and I’m hoping that we learn more about them in book 3!

The pacing of this book was a lot better than the first in the series and I found the story line kept me hooked and wanting to read on. There is a lot going on at times and this can be a little confusing but I honestly love the magic that this series brings.

I know this is aimed at a younger audience but as someone who is older reading it I still find myself drawn in and captivated by the magic of it all.

A great sequel!

This book is definitely an improvement on the first and as a whole the series is magical. The characters that felt flat in the first book are full of life and it was really nice to spend some time with them outside of the school in the ‘Town’.

If these books had been around when I was a teenager I would have absolutely loved them.

While I enjoyed this installment of the Crowns of Croswald series, I found it difficult to really get in to. There was a lot of world building and info dumping and I found myself lost and confused at times. I do continue to enjoy the unique magic system and creatures in these books.

As with the first first, I wish we got to spend more time with the Dark Queen as she seems like and intriguing villain.

Not 100% sure I will be continuing the series at this time but maybe?