I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.

The more I read middle grade, the more I wonder why I stopped reading middle grade. Its so sweet and fun and refreshing and is such a nice break from homework in my college classes. This book was just as fun as the first! The plot with this one did throw me off a little bit, because when the book started I thought it was just going to be about Ivy's summer in Belzebuthe, but as soon as it began it was over and people were back at school and then all of a sudden the school year was over too. So I thought the settings were kind of funky. I think it would have made a little more sense to spend more time in each location as it was a bit jarring to have time pass so quickly and suddenly. In spite of this, I still really enjoyed the book and I kind of doubt that the weird timing and setting stuff would be noticed by most middle grade readers. I also love the magic system in this series, I don't think I've read anything like it before. I'm loving reading about Ivy and I can't wait to find out more about her story!

The Girl with the Whispering Shadow will whisk you away to a magical world. I highly recommend reading book one to fully enjoy this book. Ivy is back with a new quest and a familiar enemy. Watching Ivy grow not only into her powers but her confidence just makes you love her more. A brilliant second installment you'll find yourself lost in the pages for hours.

I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

After reading the first book, I was excited to see where The Girl with the Whispering Shadow would take the story. This book picks up at the moment the first novel ended, so there is no time jump or explanation of events that the audience needs to catch up on. Ivy has a slightly better grasp on the magical world and her place in it, but there is still much of her past that remains in the dark. Half of the book takes place outside of the school, which is a fun departure from the previous book and introduces us to more of the world. This is pretty obviously a mid-series book and as such, spends time world building which I assume will be necessary for future installments, but can slow the pacing down a tad.

Fantasy is not typically my first choice in genre, but this series has me hooked and I will definitely be on the look out for the next books. I loved the little easter egg of the author sharing the same initials/last name as a mysterious central character, and could see kids wondering if they are holding in their hands a volume written by the famous scrivenist!

The Girl with the Whispering Shadow is book number 2 in the Crowns of Croswald series.
If you haven’t read the first one, Id do yourself a favor and let your imagination run wild and get hooked like I have.

Book 2 dives deeper into the magical realm of “The Town” as Ivy Lovely becomes more mature with her newfound magical powers.
You get to see the friendships she’s building and how important the friendships become to her. You really would be nowhere without your friends. And this book shows just that.

I cannot wait to see where book 3 takes her, especially with how this book ended.
Also, you can find me fishing for stars with Fyn in the near future.

I’m in love with this series and how it transports me to a complete world of imagination.

The Girl with The Whispering Shadow follows Ivy as she moves to Belzebuthe, a secret town for those with magical blood, to find the next part of the Kindred stone. But even in a town that should be safe, something is shadowing Ivy and she will need all of her magic as she battles to find the rest of the kindred stone.

The setting of Belzebuthe was very enchanting. I loved the fact they could fish for stars to grant wishes. And I loved the game Quogo that Ivy was introduced to here. It allowed us to see more quill action and different types of magic scrivenists used. The Halls of Ivy also felt just as magical as the last book, I loved the invisotaurs we were introduced to.

We got to learn more about the characters, especially Ivy, we got to find out a bit more of her past. It was great to see her growing as a person and learning to accept her magic. One of my favourite characters ended up being Rebecca, she’s such a great friend to Ivy and I love her shapeshifting abilities. There is also a really sweet romance developing between Fyn and Ivy that I’m excited to see evolve.

Again the plot was full of action with plenty of quogo matches, flying on invisitaurs and fights with the Dark Queen. There weren’t any moments where I felt bored and it all led up to the ending really well. It definitely wasn’t a disappointing sequel and I’m excited about the final book!

This is the second book in The Crowns of Croswald series. I loved the first book, so when I got the chance to read book two I jumped at the chance.

This one carries on where the first book left off and I was so happy to delve back into this world.

I get major Harry Potter vibes from this story which is a big plus for me. The magic system is quite straightforward and I love the world-building. This author has put so much detail into the story.

I love Ivy and Flynn. Their characters have developed even more and I have loved watching them grow so far.

This was a nice, quick read and roll on book three!

This is the second book in the Crowns of Croswald series and I was excited to read it but also a bit apprehensive that I might not enjoy it as much as the first. I can safely say it’s every bit as good as the first book and was a joy to read.

Once again you join Ivy Lovely, who is now in her second year at the Halls of Ivy, on more adventures to find the other parts of the Kindred Stone. There is also the mysterious shadow, who does it belong to? what does it want?

I really do enjoy these books the detail in the characters, the places, the beasts everything is so eloquently written. It’s a world I enjoy visiting.

Looking forward to the third book.

3.5 stars

The first half of this was so strong, and I found myself enjoying it so much more than book 1. The second half, however, really dragged on for me and it took me a solid 10 days to read 150 pages. I really loved being in The Town and following Ivy around as she did her internship, and I think maybe my dislike of the book lies within the school scenes, as I feel like even when they are different, they feel repetitive. I don't think this is exclusive to this book, I think that it is something I personally dislike in most books about schools. However, it meant I didn't enjoy this as much as I thought I would when I started the novel.
I really liked the Quogo games as I thought they were a unique game that fit in with the rest of the world, and I liked all the friends Ivy made in her Quogo club. I will say that it's surprising to learn that Fyn is 19, as he definitely acts younger, which I understand is because it is a middle grade novel, but it seems an odd choice to make him so old.
While I enjoyed the first half, because of the second half I cannot see myself continuing on with the series.

The second instalment to the Crowns of Croswald is full of adventure, suspense, and magic.

I was looking forward to reading this book so much! I loved the first book in the series and couldn't wait to read what happens next to Ivy and her friends.

It is super easy to get into this book now that I know the world of Croswald and all the magical things that can happen. This book is even more interesting than the first as it is action and adventure packed from the start. There are things that you guess at the beginning but that isn't a bad thing and the whispering shadow curse makes the book so much more interesting.
I really like that the Halls of Ivy are still the main milieu for this book. I really like the Quogo matches as well, it brings another level of magic into the book plus it totally brings up my Quidditch feels from Harry Potter.
I also like that there aren't too many new characters introduced in this book but that you get to follow your old "friends" in their journey to try and bring down the Dark Queen. Of course, Ivy is special, but I really, really like Fyn as well and I so hope that he is part of the third book. There's no way that he isn't :)

All in all, it was an interesting second book to the series. I now understand a lot of the things better and I cannot wait to read the third book!

The adventure of Ivy Lovely continues with more action and fun!!! This series is proving to me it’s one of those that get better as it goes on. I liked this more than the first book because unlike the first book which felt familiar, this book felt new! I love reading about new and unique stories, so I really liked this one. This was more predictable (but not super!!), but I still felt chills when everything was finally revealed.

Some parts of the book made me feel nervous and say, “IVY STOP BEING CURIOUS AND JUST RUN!” But, of course, where’s the fun in that? I was also very suspicious of everyone. I don’t know who to believe and who to trust! Even until the end, I was still having trust issues with some of the people around Ivy. If I were Ivy, I would probably run away. LOL

I’m so excited to read the next one and witness Ivy make more scary decisions that always lead to fun (and life threatening lol) adventures!!

This is the second installment in the Crowns of Croswald series and I’m falling more and more in love with this middle grade level book series of magic and mayhem. In this book, you see the main character, Ivy Lovely, grow into her personality and find a community of friends at the Halls of Ivy. The world that D.E. Night has created is so creative, magical, and charming. While magical high school books are pretty common, D.E. Night’s world continues to stand out as unique.

My only critique of this book is that D.E. Night is the Queen of Cliffhangers! I finished this book and I MUST read the third now! The ending is jarring because of the cliffhanger, but it just means that I need to get my hands on book 3.

I’ve really been enjoying the Croswald series, it’s been great to take a break from work or heavy reading and dive into this amazing middle grade level fantasy world! I recommend this series for middle readers, teachers, parents, and anyone who enjoys a fun story and a world of magic.

This is such a huge improvement from the first book, The Crowns of Croswald. I loved how magical the first book was but The Girl with the Whispering Shadow has taken its reader to even more whimsical places like Belzebuthe! The hidden town is everything that I fell in love with in the fantasy genre. This is one of those books that I wish I read as a chold because I would have enjoyed it a thousand times better.

Like the first one, this has some Harry Potter feel to it. Specifically, some crucial elements of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. However, this similarity does not take away from the original parts. My personal favorites are fishing for stars and Quogo.

I'm about to start the third book and I cannot wait to see where the story takes me.

Ready to enter a world of magic, spells, curses, and mystery? This adventure awaits in Book Two, The Girl with the Whispering Shadow, a story about royal lineage and the battle between good and evil.

The Dark Queen is relentlessly tracking first year-student, Ivy, following her first schoolyear at the Halls of Ivy. For her own safety, Ivy is sent to the Town for the summer. This is a hidden place where the Dark Queen cannot find Ivy, or so we think! While there, she begins to learn about her heritage, while staying with a fellow student's family, Fyn Greeley. Fyn's mother has an important job in the Town; she is preserver of records at the Quill Keep, a facility to study quills that are highly dangerous and no longer being used. At one point, Ivy ask Fyn why these quills are not totally locked up and forgot about. Fyn is quick to say that being able to observe the nature of these dangerous quills allows us to learn from their harmful nature and past. It is as though the author of this book is saying that through studying history, we learn how to not repeat errors and mistakes.

During this summer, Ivy begins to learn why she is an orphan and about her royal background. She senses natural magical abilities and learns that the safety of all Croswald might depend on her strengthening in character and fearless nature. Fyn seems to be one of Ivy's best advisors, yet also we see signs of a budding romance! The greatest event of the summer is when Fyn introduces Ivy to the Quogo League and its secret activities. Ivy makes some true friends there and begins to learn that the game may serve a bigger purpose in teaching her to be fearless and fight evil.

Good will battle evil throughout this book. There are monsters, shades, the whispering shadow, and the Dark Queen and her brood that want to suffocate Ivy's courage and force evil upon her. Finding an all-powerful magic stone, the Kindred Stone, is in the constant minds of many throughout this story. Join Ivy in search of its pieces. Hopefully, she will do so before the Dark Queen does!

This story has an unending list of spells, curses, stones, creatures, potions, secrets, magical rides, and more surprises. The author has a miraculous ability to stir up magic in her storytelling. She weaves mystery and suspense and drops hints of what's to come along the way! These are the type of stories you might want to read again and again to solve mysteries and guess at what's to come. But how can readers wait till Book Three?

And as student grads at the Hall of Ivy are offered this final thought at graduation, "May your magic bring you even more delight and your mind grow in wisdom." So the author offer this thought to us in her stories.

This picked up right where it left off, and jumps right into some very descriptive, atmospheric and just FUN scenes for our characters. I like how the author expanded on the world-building and added more character development as well, even for some of the side characters like Fyn. This was nice to see, especially as more characters were introduced. I'm really excited to see where the rest of the story goes in terms of the story-building - the author's world is so interesting! Sidenote, the food imagery is so strong in this series - I adore it! The author's descriptions are perfect!

I loved that there was such a strong emphasis on the power of friendships and uniting with others. The thing about this series I have trouble with is how young the characters read - I believe Ivy is around 17 here, and Fyn is 19. Although there is an obvious romance budding between them, I'd rather the two just be friends, as the characters read so young.

I can't finish this review before I mention how strong Ivy is as a lead. I think she is a great role model for any children reading this series, as we watch her grow over time. She's trying to find her place in the world and sometimes we see her feeling like she's not enough, which is something that we all experience. We aren't always going to be confident and feel ready to tackle the obstacles in life - sometimes we need support and encouragement from our friends. I think this is a great message for all readers. On the other hand, I love that some of our side characters like Fyn and Rebecca are so kind and loyal to Ivy, showing how important it is to be there for our friends - we don't always know what they're going through just because we're friends!

Overall, this was yet again another really fun read with even more exciting world-building and adventures for Ivy and her friends! Looking forward to seeing what happens next with the Dark Queen's plans!

The sequel to The Crowns of Croswald has the same magical ambiance and makes a fun middle grade read. I love that we find out more about the secret Town and how the magic of the quills can work. My favourite scene was when Ivy and Fyn go star fishing. Fishing for a star, and when you catch one the wish someone made upon that star comes true, is such a lovely idea! The QuoGo game also sounded fun, and it was good how everything came together in the end.
I am looking forward to read the third book in the series, I hope to find out more about the history of the Dark Queen!

Thank you again to the publisher for reaching out to me for an opportunity to read this book through NetGalley.

This book continues on from the previous book following Ivy who is looking for the missing pieces of her stone.

Once again the world was so magical and I loved the magical creatures in the book. I loved seeing her relationships grow with her friends. I found it very endearing, especially when she and her friend joined the Quills club.

This book was a lot slower than the previous one. I was a bit bored until about the last third of the book when the action finally started. The rest of the book may have been about Ivy and her learning more about herself and her friends, but I feel like it focused so much on that and the school that the main focus of the story was lost and I even forgot what the sequel was actually about.

Other than that, I found it entertaining. The kids are pretty hilarious around each other. Like true friends. I did find Fyn annoying at times. He seemed to try to hold back Ivy a lot which I wasn’t a fan of, but other than that, I really enjoyed the characters and the world of course.

This definitely would have been a series I would have loved when I was younger. Definitely up my alley and if you enjoy magical books such as Howl’s Moving Castle like I do, then I’m sure you’d enjoy this series too 😊

I enjoyed this book and it was great book. I couldn’t put it down and the storyline was great and I can’t wait to read the third book.

Thanks to the publisher (Stories Untold) and NetGalley for providing a free copy of this ebook in exchange for an honest book review.

Synopsis: Only hours after Ivy Lovely discovers that she is the fulfilment of the Moonsday promise, she is whisked away from her beloved school to Belzebuthe, a secret town for only those with magical blood. Ivy sets out on a mission to uncover the second facet of the Kindred Stone while eluding the Dark Queen’s wrath. But even when she’s supposed to be safe, something is shadowing Ivy. She will need all her natural-born magic and more as she battles to find the rest of the Kindred Stone and return to the Halls of Ivy.

I gave the first book of this series 3 stars, mainly because I couldn’t help but comparing it to another well known magical world. Book number two in the Croswald series however captivated me. The World of Croswald evolved in such a adventurous way full of magic and wonders, that I couldn’t stop reading. I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know the characters more and following Ivy on her quest on finding the second part of the Kindred stone. The town of Belzebuthe was described in such a charming and whimsical way that it is now a place I really want to visit!! The pace of the novel was much better than in the first one too. I am really looking forward to the third book in the series.

📖Review: The Whispering Shadow By D.E Night
(Middle Grade, fantasy)
Rating:🌟🌟🌟🌟💫 4.6

Secret towns, whispering shadows, cunningly strategic quogo games with quizzical quills, haunting visions and comical characters... Its all here in 'The Whispering Shadow' (book 2 in the Crowns of Croswald series).

Plunged into a secret fairytale town 'Belzebuthe', Ivy seeks the second facet of the Kindred stone, while hiding from the dark queen's magic. But every corner Ivy turns, a mysterious darkness follows, as she delves deeper into the puzzling prophecy of the wanderers and the Moonsday promise.

The beginning briefly confused me but was quickly forgotten as I delved deeper into Belzebuthe's magical winter wonderland and its mystical matellers and scrivenist's. I swooned at the flights of romance filled with enchanted stargazing and was wonderstruck by 'Quintons Brews and Hodgepodge' - antiquated apothecary of potions and creatures. Hodge and Podge (both dwarves) are my new favourite characters with their sharp wit and sassy brotherly relationship, their magical battle made me laugh out loud! The fiercely entertaining quogo matches had me enraptured, especially by the ghostly visions and daring spells. I enjoyed that we got to learn more in depth about Ivy and the Quality Quill's Club members and their differing relationships with each other and the magical world outside of Croswald.

D. E Night has created a mesmerising world with lyrical prose, perplexing plots and heartfelt characters. I particularly enjoyed 'The Whispering Shadow' and its my favourite so far in the series!

Thank you to @danielastoriesuntoldpress @storiesuntoldpress @author.denight and @Netgalley for sending me this book to review.😊👍💙

I am absolutely loving The Crowns of Croswald series
These books are just amazing reads!
D.E. Night has created such a fun, magical world & I cannot wait to see what happens next!!

Highly recommend this series!!