Fans of Harry Potter should not miss Crowns of Croswald. The novel centers around 16-year-old Ivy Lovely's journey as she discovers her powers at a magical school as well as unknown secrets about her past. This story is imaginative and quirky. This story is full of magic, long-buried secrets, and unfulfilled destiny.

Ivy's first appearance is as a maid working hard but not having the best of times. The kitchen ban suddenly changes her life, and an unexpected encounter reveals her true purpose. Having been gifted with magical talent, she's en route to a high-status magic school to study. However, the school proves to be more than she expected, and she quickly realizes that she falls out of place even when surrounded by other students who possess similar gifts to herself.

In her fantasy novel, D.E. Night tells a tale that comes to life with a plot that's rich with elements that detail the magical objects and creatures that Ivy encounters during her time at the school. It was a great book that kept me guessing throughout the story. The story's main character, Ivy, was a lot of fun to read and I liked how she embraces her peculiarity and is determined to help those who are in need.

Thanks so much to Stories Untold Press and D.E. Night for sending me this novel to read in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you @netgalley and D.E Night for this ARC in exchange for an honest review]

Ivy Lovely wants to be a scrivenist (pretty much a wizard I think?), but is trapped working as a kitchen maid in a castle. Events happen which allow her to escape and she makes it to the Halls Of Ivy where she can learn to become a scrivenist. She also has a mysterious family history that you don't understand or find out about until the last chapter.

Thought that paragraph was choppy and missing information? So was this book. This is a book for "middle school age kids", so maybe if I was 15 years younger, it wouldn't have felt so disjointed. When describing a scene, it wouldn't fully describe it.

Ivy was supposed to be 16-17 throughout the book, but the way she was described and acted, I thought maybe she was 11-12?

This book has promise. A very interesting world and story line. It has a bit of a Harry Potter feel to it. I'd be extremely curious for when it does come out, what a 11-12 year old reader thinks of it.

This was a fun, magical read geared towards middle grade children but quite enjoyable for fantasy fans of all ages!
Ivy Lovely is a young maid who receives an invite to a magical school where she starts to learn about who she really is and her place in a magical world. Along the way she makes new friends who aid in her journey. This book is full of pure fun. There are imaginative creatures and places to explore alongside Ivy and her friends as they navigate a new world full of magic, mystery, and danger.
This was a great read that I highly recommend!

Thank you to the author and publisher for an e-copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I received a RC of this book from Stories Untold Press for an honest review.

First off I want to say that for a debut novel it was beyond impressive. I enjoyed the writing style and the world building with the creation of some throughly unique creatures like the Scaldron was beyond impressive.

The main character Ivy Lovely is Scaldrony Maid, I mean a Maid who’s job it is to take care of the Scaldrons, that provide the fire for the kitchen in the Castle, I mean if you have to be a maid!

The story continues to follow Ivy as she discovers who she truly is, along the way foraging endearing and relatable relationships.

I think that this book is great for those that enjoy the magical aspect of fantasy and adventure and look forward to Ivy’s next adventure.

A magical adventure!
This book had everything it could have. Magic, mystery, love interests, history, mythical creatures, evil and good, rich and poor.
I could not put this book down! Ivy lovely is the next magical heroin to jump out from a magical bookish world and captivate us. Her story and adventures have only just begun in this story and I can't wait to see what D E Night has in store for her and us next.
If you love Harry potter then this is definitely a read for you!

Much of this book reminded me of what you would see or read about in Hogwarts. D. E. Night’s imagination is definitely unique and would be very intriguing for middle schoolers who are fans of fantasy books.

My main critique is that the book was much longer than necessary. The most exciting part for me was the masquerade towards the end. For middle schoolers that are into fantasy, this may be a series for them to look into.

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Unfortunately, this was a DNF for me. It just didn't hook my attention. It could be the case of right book, wrong time, but that's just where I landed.

It is clear why this one is being compared to Harry Potter, many of the elements are there, an orphan child who has just discovered they have magic and head off to magic school, animal companions, ghosts at the dinner table, and so forth. That said this is not Harry Potter though I found our heroine Ivy Lovely just as likable as him but with a dash of Hermoine and maybe a little Luna mixed in.

The world created is lots of fun and a unique play on magic and how it serves the world they are in, however, it wasn't quite fleshed out well enough and certain elements of the story needed more explaining, the dark queen and her soldiers, some of the elements of magic and how it worked, it got a bit confusing at times.

I will definitely check out the rest of this series and could it see it as a great read for someone who isn't quite ready for Harry or loves books about magical school and places.

This was a fun middle grade book! It took me a little bit to get into - it was pretty detail heavy at first, but overall, I enjoyed it. The world was fun, magical, and whimsical. I think this would be great for younger teens.

Ivy was a great main character. I can tell she would be a great role model for kids reading this book. I did struggle to connect with her, but I also realize that this is a middle grade book and I'm not the ideal audience. I would consider getting this series if I had kids.

I enjoyed this book but it had a very slow pace to it. The world building was excellent but I had a hard time connecting to any of the characters. The story is whimsical and imaginative and will appeal to a middle grade audience.

What a magical book! Loved Ivy's character. This books takes your imagination to another level.
I would say this is written for a young reader but adults will love it if they love magic.

Is an easy read, full of magic, stones, potions, castles, princess, teachers and a lot of secrets. It's a story full of fantasy and is gonna be hard to put the book down.

If you are a fan of Harry Potter you gonna love this book, she is a teenager, orphan and with a dream to become a scrivinst, because she had an amazing talent.

Rimbrick, was her only friend and helped her when she was alone. With a big turn of events she left the Castle where she grew up, and she start an adventure that changes her life.

Is amazing the way D.E Night described all this magical places and characters, you really feel that you are in Croswald. All the mystery in Halls Of Ivy makes you think that you know where the story is leading, but when you less expected things change.

One of my favorite characters is absolutely Ivy, but Rebecca is that person that you never imagine that is gonna be your friend, she's so different to all the princess in Halls of Ivy, she knows that she's a Princess but her dream is to become a scrivinst like Ivy.
Ivy is sweet, she's learning a lot, but have that brave spirit but curious at the same time.

If there's something that you need to know is that you gonna enjoy the book a lot, and is gonna let you with the need of more chapters, I guess I have to read the next one! Because the book was easy to read, had adventure, magic, fantasy, a good story I gave it 5 stars! Enjoy it!

And again thank you @storiesuntoldpress

If I had a young child, I would love to read this book aloud to them. However, as a twenty-something with no children, I'm clearly not the target audience. I don't want that to color my review. It was definitely a fun read, and as someone who thoroughly enjoyed fantasy as a child, I did love being taken back into a whimsical, magical world like this one. Ivy is an admirable main character and I think she'd make a great role model for any young kid! Overall, I enjoyed the imaginative, fast-paced writing and the creative setting, but as a middle grade book, it wasn't for me. Will definitely recommend to my friends who are middle school teachers!

The Crowns of Croswald is a delightful read. If you love Amari and the Night Brothers, Harry Potter, or Percy Jackson, this book is a worthy addition to your bookshelf. With an energetic and enthusiastic main character, Ivy is a dynamic force against the school bully, fantastical obstacles, and evil magical forces. D.E. Night brings a new level of cheeky humor to the magical "Chosen One" with adventures unlike anything I've ever read or dreamt up!

Note: I was granted a free copy of the book (through NetGalley) by the publisher for an honest review.

The Crowns of Croswold by D.E Night is a magical, middle grade read and fantastic start to a series.

Ivy Lovely is a scullery maid who dreams of magic and a world she’s never seen. When she crosses the boundary between her world and the dangerous world of magic, she faces ridicule, challenges and adventures beyond her imagination. In a school full of royals and magical powers Ivy discovers her true self and the secrets behind her haunting dreams.

I enjoyed the magic elements of this story, the characters were likable and once I got past making mental comparisons to a famous, magical middle grade series I was able to appreciate it. This book was fun to read and great alternative to anyone looking for a new series to love and embrace. I can’t wait to read the rest of the series and see what Ivy and her friends conquer next. Fans of HP will like this book.

I was 16 when I read Harry Potter, 8 years later this book make me feel magical again.

Unlike HP, it was too childish than what I expected. The book reminds me a lot about HP which is why I had to compare. Although the story is completely different and bewitching in its own way.

Hoping to get more of the history in the coming books of the series.

My Rating - 4/5

This is book one of The Croswald Trilogy and is a Magical Fantasy series that brings to life fairytales, enchanted worlds, and whimsical creatures and characters.

When I first started reading this, although the story is interesting and did have me wanting to find out more, I found some paragraphs in the first few chapters had a lot of detail that made it difficult to understand and absorb, so I ended up having to re-read some, just so I had a grasp on what was happening.
Also with the first few chapters, I compared things to the Harry Potter books. They are different, but you can get a sense of where some of the author's inspiration came from. However, D.E Night's story is absolutely enchanting, and once I got past some of the 'hurdles' I really enjoyed this book.

I loved being taken into such a beautiful and whimsical world. Following the main character, Ivy, and her journey as she begins to discover she isn't as ordinary as she'd been lead to believe. Of course, the friendships she makes. There is a wonderful array of funny, cute, chubby, and quirky characters as well as your typical "Mean Girls" and then there are the wacky, stern & mysterious professors that all play their part in this magical world.

There is so much to love about this book from the inventive and funny names created for creatures, spells & places to the magical powers of sketches and use of quills, not wands. The mixing of Royals with Scriveners, and each royals crown held a unique power/ability.
What I adored most is the Scaldron. I won't spoil the surprise, but when I was reading about the Scaldron, I couldn't help but think of Roald Dahl. It is such a bizarre and wonderfully wacky "thing" I immediately was taken to his fabulous creations and it is definitely a key reason I kept reading on.

I am looking forward to reading the next book in this delightful series.
Thank you so much to D.E Night & NetGalley for this ARC eBook in return for an honest review.

Magical middle grade adventure awaits! Inventive, fun, and very well written, join Ivy as she adventures to find her magic and her place in a battle that’s been waging for generations.

Synopsis: Ivy is an orphan and servant. Then, on her 16th birthday she’s kicked out of the kitchen where she’s been the poorly treated help and forced to find her way. Happily, her latent magic helps her be discovered and she’s enrolled in a magical school to hone her gifts. Unfortunately, the evil Dark Queen also senses and covets Ivy’s magic. Ivy must rely on her wits and newfound friends to discover who she is, unravel the mystery that revisits her in her dreams, and avoid detection by the Dark Queen.

Review: This story, the first in what’s soon to be a four-part series, reminds me of Harry Potter. In both stories an unknowingly magical child goes to a school for magic, adventures alongside friends, and must battle the villain antagonizing the land. So, this was a lot of fun. I read it with my 9yo son and 7yo daughter, who both really enjoyed the story. My son said it was “awesome!” and wants to immediately read the next books in the series. My daughter gave it two thumbs up. While they both really enjoyed the story, especially the adventures and battle, the writing introduced quite a bit of vocabulary for them, making me think this would be better for slightly older children and even early teens. Still, the adventures were all age appropriate while also being full of suspense. We’re already looking forward to reading the next books in the series!

Rating: 4.5/5

I reviewed this book a while ago over on Bookstagram @lifeisa_book, however completely neglected to review on netgalley so my apologies I'm new to all this!

The Crowns of Croswolds is a Young Adult Fiction/Fantasy book, we follow the story of a young girl called Ivy Lovely who has spent most her childhood as a scaldron maid longing to be able to learn the ways of scrivenry. We follow Ivy through her journey at magic school where she uncovers secrets about her past and forms strong friendships with Rebecca and Fyn.

I found the characters in this book loveable, although I found myself wanting to know a little more back story, quite often the characters do/know something new and quite out there without us ever being told that they can do this (although that does leave great mystery about the characters).

I loved the descriptions of the magical creatures and lands, I felt these were well thought out and I could picture them clearly.
I find E-Books generally hard to read although that's just me! I do really want to know what happens next in ther series and will be looking out for book 2 to read :)

I generally really loved this book, I have read a few reviews that say it is very similar to HP and I think maybe I'm lucky that I've never read any HP so went blissfully unaware of any similarities which could have helped me.

Overall a very enjoyable read.

Thank you to the Author for sharing with me to read!!

Thank you so much to Stories Untold for the free edition in return for an honest review! I started this book while I was at school and would read a few pages when I had free time. It was the perfect escape from a stressful school week into a new magical world. D.E. Night's writing was encapsulating and her characters are so lovable! A great read for all aged lovers of magic, fantasy, and adventure.