Sometimes it takes a catastrophe for a girl to realise her own strength.

The Crowns of Croswald is a story developed in Croswald, the land of scrievenists and royals. It creates a magical land with its own share of good and bad people. The protagonist Ivy is a simple maid before she is invited to the Halls of Ivy, a very prestigious institution meant for the people with magic in them. Little does she know that the dreams that have been plaguing her, will soon turn into a reality she cannot even fathom that she is a part of.

I loved this book! The fantasy land created was so magical and very simple to understand and love. Reading the book, I felt as if I was a part of the land! The narration was lucid and the story was enrapturing. The language was not very simple but not very sophisticated either. In fact, it was just right to give a good intrigue to the reader. The events did seem a little disjointed in the beginning but it all came together in the end :) The number of characters was pertaining to the story which was well structured and beautifully written. At some points, I found it very similar to the Harry Potter world though.

Loved the nameplay with the author's name too :) Definitely looking forward to reading the next book!

If you loved Harry Potter or Percy Jackson and the worlds they created you will definitely love this book :).

[ Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher, Stories Untold, for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. ]

I would like to first point out that if you’re a big Harry Potter fan and you loved the magical storytelling then you may like this book and the ones that follow. I think that’s one of the things I enjoyed about it being a big HP Fan myself, I love magical adventures and fun magic systems.

Though I wish I could connect with the MC, she is 16 but it was very hard to connect with her on any level because at some points it felt like she was acting a little younger than 16, but I do enjoy a character acting closer to their age some YA do differentiate from the age represented but something about her I just couldn’t connect with.

Overall the story was a good in a storytelling point, and the adventure but the character I just wasn’t vibing with her. Ending up giving this book a solid 3 star review.

Thank you Stories untold and NetGalley for gifting me a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I’m going to start with the cons first. Unfortunately I just couldn’t connect with the main character at all. It’s stated that she’s 16 years of age, but on a maturity level she acts much younger.

On a better note, the writing was really lovely. I enjoyed the magical atmosphere provided in its world building. It reminded me of Harry Potter in many ways. So if you’re a Potter fan, chances are you’ll probably enjoy this book too.

Interesting, Unique and a book I will be collecting for my forever shelf I have found this one hard to put down and have been completely captivated.
I adore the writing style, plot and characters. A great book!

If you’re a big fan of HP and magic filled stories like it, then you’ll enjoy this middle grade fantasy novel by DE Night!

Synopsis: Ivy, who has never left the wall of Castle Plum, is just your average 16 year old who has known nothing but hard work in her short life. She works as a poorly treated scullery maid for a wealthy family, but ends up being cast out after a mishap in the kitchens. What seems like the end of the world for Ivy is just the beginning, and she is thrust into a new world full of magical creatures, evil queens, and adventure. Ivy learns that she’s not so ordinary after all, and that not everyone in this world has her best interests in mind...

Thoughts: The Crowns of Croswald is a fun and imaginative coming of age story with wonderful world building and interesting characters. While it is meant for younger readers, it’s a good fantasy story for all ages. I did get a little flustered with how confusing the story gets towards the end, but I understand that is the first book and all the questions I’m left with will be answered in the other books. Overall not bad!

Sixteen year-old and scaldrony maid Ivy Lovely can usually be found either lost in her sketching or helping out horrific Helga Hoff in the kitchen of Castle Plum. Her dear friend Rimbrick, an ancient woods dwarf, knows that there's magic in Ivy. She is ultimately thrusted into the Halls of Ivy as a student where she can finally put her interests in scrivenry (magic) into action while her pet dragon, Humboldt, accompanies her along the way. By the end of the story, Ivy has learned much more than she ever thought she would about her magical bloodline and how much of an impact she really has on the future of Croswald.

While I really loved the fantasy and adventure components the story offered, this reminded me too much of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. It also had a bit of a Cinderella vibe to it as well which I didn’t hate and made it a little bit more of a unique storyline. It was great to be a part of Ivy's story and seeing a strong female character as the lead, but if I'm being honest I just could not stop thinking of Harry Potter as I kept going. Even the artwork that headed each chapter was a little reminiscent of the artwork found within each chapter of Harry Potter although I know it wasn’t intentionally done to resemble this. There was just so many similarities I noted. I tried giving it a chance and I'm not regretful that I did since I felt like I needed a break between the monotony of the typical genres I've been gravitating towards as of late (i.e. rom-coms and women's fiction). If you're looking for something very similar to the Harry Potter series with a little bit of a Cinderella-esque twist, I would recommend picking this one up. It was not terrible by any means, it just wasn’t it for me.

This was such a fun and cute read! It was full of magic, twists and turns, and an awesome villian!

The story centers around Ivy, a seemingly ordinary maid who comes to discover that she actually has magical powers! Ivy then attends a school for people with powers and sets on a journey to uncover the mysteries of her past and all the strange occurrences in the school. I thoroughly enjoyed learning about the world of this book! While it felt somewhat similar to Harry Potter (I mean, every school of magic reminds me of Harry Potter), this world was unique in its magic system and its creatures. The characters were very cute, and I loved reading about Ivy's adventures with Rebecca and Fyn! I particularly thought Rebecca's powers were super cool.
I wish more time was spent explaining, as I got lost in the different terms and the pacing felt a little rushed. I also wanted some more character development, particularly with Ivy and the extent of her powers.

Overall, a fun read for all ages!

I received an e-copy of this title from the publisher Stories Untold via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher, Stories Untold, for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Ivy Lovely has lived her life as a scaldrony maid, safe from the magic that surrounds the castle where she works. But after a series of disasters, she leaves the safety of the castle and finds her way beyond the borders. Here her magic abilities become apparent and she is invited to study as a scrivinist at Ivy Halls, where scrivinists mix with royals in order to learn how to control their magical abilities.

During her first year, Ivy comes to realise that she is aware of things that others in the hall are not and must learn how to harness the power within her to fight against dark powers.

It is impossible to ignore similarities with another magical series: child unaware of magical past heads to magic school and must overcome adversity to defeat evil. However, this is still an enjoyable read and the characters are interesting (there is the clear 'baddie' and the two good friends along with a selection of professors, obviously).

For fans of magical books, this is a good read and I would be interested in reading the other books in the series.

Ivy has only ever known Helga, the mean kitchen warden, the dark room she sleeps in, and the rolling slurry fields, even though her only friend (Rimbrick) tells her she may be destined for more. When a disastrous morning thrusts Ivy out of her dark tower, and the slurry fields altogether, Ivy's magic awakens and she must find her way among a world of magic she didn't know existed.

I really enjoyed this fast-paced fantasy! I love a good chosen one trope and this book definitely delivered. I thought this world was creative and had some really cool elements that I haven't seen before. One of those is that even though it seemed to be a chosen one trope, the whole world didn't just revolve around Ivy out of nowhere. It's clear she will play an essential role in the world but she is not the center of the whole thing.
That being said, I think that was taken too far in some regards. I felt as though the lack of care character's seemed to have towards, well everything, that it made many of them fall flat. I think if you have too many characters that seem disinterested in the plot AND all the other characters that it makes the stakes too low to create a story that has consequences. Also, I just felt bad for Rebecca a lot in this book, for some reason people not caring seemed to affect her disproportionately. In addition, I wasn't really ever sure what age Ivy was supposed to be. It said in the synopsis that she had been in the slurry fields 16 years but she definitely read much younger. This brings me to my final writing point, I felt like sometimes we were being told things by our narrator that there's no way Ivy could have known (and doesn''t seem to sometimes) but it got very confusing what Ivy knew/learned and what the narrator was telling us as the reader.

Though this wasn't my favorite fantasy of the year, I think fans of middle grade fantasies will vibe with this, especially if they're looking for a new world to explore with plenty of options for imagination.

It was so nice to relax and read this middle grade book, especially since I had a bunch of mid-terms and papers which were making me super stressed out but reading The Crowns of Croswald gave me a way to step away from it all. The Crowns of Croswald follows Ivy, a young sqwinch who discovers that she is way more talented in magic than she previously thought when she starts school at the house of Ivy! I really enjoyed all the magical creators in this book, especially Ivy’s little dragon Humbolt! I would definitely recommend this to anyone who enjoys the HP world (because it gave me a lot of HP vibes) or middle grade books!

Ivy Lovely is an unfortunate maid that works in the kitchens with the living ovens. She loves to hear stories of the Scriveners and dreams of castles. Until an unfortunate incident finds her unemployed and forced out of the castle she lives in. Unbeknownst to her this castle had been blocking magic so once she walked outside the boundary, magical things started happening as the magical world noticed her existence.
But why is she so special and who exactly is she? She gets picked up by a cabby with a large beast and dropped off to get ready to go to the Halls of Ivy. As soon as she comes within distance of the school strange things happen and she becomes the target of Demaris one of the cruelist Royals that goes to the Hall, there is always a bully who likes to belittle those around them. The Hall is to train young Royals and Scrivenists. She does keep running into strapping 3rd year Fyn who joins her on her many adventures as she tries to uncover the mysteries of the dreams she has and all the strange happenings that only she can see or remember. And she becomes fast friends with Rebecca who should be on the Royal track but wants to be a Scrivenist, shhh don't tell her Mom.
I love Fantasy books at any grade level. At this point I am also starting a catalogue for my 6 year old who will want all these books soon enough (only a couple of years away from the 10-18 age 😨). She will love this book she is a magical creature and magic spell person!
A very magical story and setup for a series, a unique magic system, with books that talk to you and keep track of you, magical beasts and fun adventures!

Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟
Some follow-up questions:
🌸When will I be discovered? Since I am sure I am a Scrivenist. Am I too old?
🌸Can I have Ivy's magical book that adds pages and then archives her pages (old school cloud?)?
🌸Is this room of forgetting in my house? Maybe not since things keep going missing but I remember them. How can you lose a Christmas wreath in a small apartment? I also have a bag of 50 unpaired children's socks.

Thank you @storiesuntoldpress for the kindle copy for an honest and voluntary review!

First I would like to thank Stories untold and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

As a 5th grade teacher I read a lot of middle grade books. The Crowns of Croswald is a very cute novel. The beginning starts off slow but once we get past the exposition this novel picks up. I know I will recommend it to my more advanced 5th grade readers who enjoy traveling to new fantasy lands.

This is a good story, for me a 3 star rating means this is a decent book you will enjoy. In my opinion this book may not be groundbreaking or life changing, but it is definitely a good read that I know some of my students would enjoy.

A fun magic filled read.

This book is full of wonder and whimsy. The characters are well written and the book has plenty to keep you entertained. It’s funny, intriguing and witty, especially for a middle grade book.

Synopsis:

Ivy Lovely is 16 and she has no idea who she is. Tucked away in a place that dampens magic she crosses a magical boundary and discovers a whole new world of enchantment and mystery. Making friends that will last a lifetime—and save her life—she steps into her own abilities and discovers more about her hidden past, magical blood, and the power of Croswald’s mystical stones. But all is not well: a dark history and an evil Queen threatens all that is good. Will Ivy’s bravery and wit be enough?

This is a story about a girl who finds out she needs to be at a magical school! This school is split between scriveners and royals. I am still a tiny bit confused about how the magic system actually works in this world, but I believe the royals get the magic from their crowns and the scriveners have some magic in their blood.
Our main character makes some interesting friends and a few enemies along the way.

This is a middle-grade fantasy with a lot going on! At times I think there is a bit too much going on, especially when there is dialogue things get a bit confusing. However, I believe this is a debut novel and there were a lot of the fantasy elements that I liked, and I am curious to see what the next book looks like. Overall I mostly enjoyed the book even if I got lost a few times, I wanted to stick around to find out what happens in the end. I think this book is very creative but could do with a bit more refinement and polishing.

2.5 stars

Ivy Lovely was a lowly kitchen girl, never allowed to do anything more – until the day she was banished from all she’d known and was taken to Croswald and the school which would teach her about her magic; how her powers worked and her mastering of all she was meant to do. Ivy was sixteen years of age. She was uncertain, immediately embarrassed and humiliated – although the nice teacher chastised the class – and wasn’t sure where anything was. And although she was aware she would learn, it was a hard beginning for Ivy.

The Crowns of Croswald is the 1st in The Crowns of Croswald series by D.E. Night, and the first thing I thought was extremely strange was the calling of a character by the author’s name! I couldn’t get into this book – I enjoy fantasy/paranormal and yes, magic – but this one quite obviously wasn’t for me. I liked Ivy’s character as well as Rimbrick but felt sad that I didn’t enjoy it.

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my digital copy to read in exchange for an honest review.

Thank You to Netgalley and the author for giving me the chance to read this book. It took me a month but it was worth every wait. Oh My God!! This was the exact same reaction after I had finished reading the last chapter. I loved this book so much. Brilliantly written. It had me completely hooked from the start. Must read.

I have and will always be a sucker for magic school settings and this one was no exception. Here we have Ivy our Cinderella type heroine who has spent her whole life as a scaldrony maid until she lands herself at the Academy to learn to harness her magic but of course things aren’t that easy. This is a fast paced, action packed story full of magic and adventure that will definitely leave you wanting more. This story is so creative, you tell that so work went into the world building and you also can’t help but fall for Ivy and her friends. Overall I gave this 4 out of 5 stars.

DNF at 57%

I want to start by saying that this is not a bad book. I’m also not the intended audience for this book, and if I was I would probably have enjoyed it a huge amount. Unfortunately, I just couldn’t get past the similarities to Harry Potter (character sleeps in a cupboard, moving paintings and a castle magical school.)
For a 9-12 year old reader, this would be a fun, magical, adventurous story. Unfortunately I couldn’t get past the writing style and similarities to the Potter books.

Absolutely loved it.! It’s a hidden gem that has yet to be discovered. The mysterious world of croswald is absolutely amazing. Loved all the characters, the storyline, the plot, and the magical elements.
It’s a perfect blend of middle-grade magic and mystery.
The main character - ivy, did feel a bit younger for her age but maybe because I have read too much YA recently. I loved how the plot wasn’t dumped at the end suddenly, but the readers were given little hints in-between.
All in love loved the book and excited to read the remaining in the series.

This book has been on my tbr list since 2018 and I was excited when @danielastoriesuntoldpress offered me a free copy in exchange for an honest review a month ago.

So, here we go.

This book has been on my tbr list for a long time and I thought I would like it, but I didn't. I'm sorry.

I reread the Harry Potter series this summer and while reading The Crowns of Croswald I just kept thinking about how it is similar to HP.
(Too much)

Through the book, we follow Ivy, a girl who lived behind an enchanted boundary that separates mundane from magical and also grew up without parents. And then ✨she goes away to a magical school ✨. Pretty familiar, isn't it? Instead of Lord Voldemort, we have a Dark Queen. What a plot twist... There was more but I don't think it's necessary to write it, you've got the point.

The writing style wasn't anything special and I didn't like the characters. I found myself trying to figure out what the author wanted to say and not paying attention to the actual story. Although, the magical concept was interesting but sadly, not enough to make me forget about the whole HP similarity thing.

2,5🌟 from me

*Thanks @netgalley for the copy*