<I>Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with a copy in return for an honest review.</I>

It took me a while to put my finger on exactly what I didn't like about this book. It's not a bad book per se and no one could say that D. E. Night lacks imagination, even despite the fact that the story, in broad strokes, is pretty much the same as <I>Harry Potter & the Sorcerer's Stone</I>. The problem, I found, was that there was too much imagination - too much world building.

Every page is so full of details about the world, and there is always a staggering amount of things happening non-stop that the descriptions have a bit of manic energy about them. Visually, it would probably be really enjoyable to watch. As a book though, the world itself take such precedence over characters and story, that those two elements of the book end up being so generic that they feel like an afterthought put in simply to move the reader through the world. Much of the "plot" is really Ivy being pulled from location to location simply so that another room can be described and the reader can be informed of another academic point about magic and Croswald life. The school scenes especially feel episodic, like Ivy is only in class so this mini-episodes of school life can happen and another generic character can be introduced. Even the parts of the book that are specifically plot points, such as Ivy discovering that her school books have become blank, are dumped in and then immediately forgotten about by the main character. It is hard to care about events in the book when the main character does not seem to.

Overall, I think young readers may enjoy the energy and pace of the book enough to be fine with the bare-bones plot, but the world building will likely not be enough to balance out the other generic elements for more experienced readers.

I really enjoyed this book. It reminded me a little of Harry Potter. This is perfect for younger readers. I loved the world that the author set up, and the characters. I love how Ivy questions everything and wants to learn. And I love the friendships she forms during the book.

I was a little confused during some parts of the book. I would have liked to have known why the Dark Queen was after her, more information on the Selector and the process of how one is chosen. It seemed to be bare minimum and didnt flow smoothly until a few chapters in.

Let's start off by acknowledging the elephant in the room: we have an orphan of unknown parentage who suddenly ends up at a school of magic, there are magical creatures and shops, and new friends and powerful enemies. In short, there are a lot of similarities to Harry Potter, with a bit of Howl's Moving Castle & Anastasia (the movie) thrown in for fun. D.E. Knight has risen to the challenge, however, and managed to write a fresh and interesting magical coming-of-age story, creating a world that I would love to visit again.

On her sixteenth birthday, we meet Ivy, a spunky and kind sixteen-year-old who cares for the dragons that cook the castle food. She gets kicked out of the castle kitchens for defending one of her little dragons, and so her adventure begins as she leaves the only home she has ever known by catching a ride in a set of small cottages built atop a magical creature that transports magicians to and from a town with no name. Also, the creature creates its own magical storm that prevents the Dark Queen from being able to track the magical cabbies.
Further adding to the spell of this world are books with disappearing ink, a key that causes anything locked inside to be forgotten, glowing creatures in place of electric lightbulbs, and worlds inside of bottles that can be entered.

We follow Ivy through her first year of school as she studies potions, sneaks of the grounds, is chased by bewitched quills, and discovers secret rooms as well as her own identity. She has to face fears, learn to trust others, and cope with loss all while learning the rules of a magical world she never knew existed, and she does it with determination and charm. I look forward to reading more about this young heroine, Ivy Lovely, as she continues to learn, grow, and become more of who she is meant to be.

I've been in a big Middle-Grade mood for quite a long time now, so when I was approached with an offer of reviewing this book I jumped on it immediately. The blurb sounded magical and like something right up my alley. Unfortunately, after reading the book I was left with some mixed feelings.


I'm going to jump right in and not give you a synopsis, because that's just how I roll. While the idea for the book was great, it wasn't too original. Don't get me wrong, nothing is new anymore, everything has been done before in some shape or form, I know that, but the amount of parallels between The Crowns of Croswald and Harry Potter was astounding. Ivy being an orphan, who sleeps in the cupboard, going to a magical school, does that ring a bell? The one mention of money is so reminiscent of J.K. Rowling's system it made me do a double take. The letter of acceptance with a list of things needed for the school term and the street on which Ivy does her shopping... I mean, one of her teacher's name is Filbert Fenix and he's so small he has to stand on a chair and a stack of books. If that's not a reimagined Filius Flitwick, I don't know what is. There's even a Peeves of sorts, he's just called Jester. I could go on for a while, but I think I've made my point.


There are many original bits of the story, too, which could make an incredibly rich and magical world if not overshadowed by he aforementioned things. The story itself definitely had a potential and maybe develops more in the next books. I enjoyed the magic system (though I wanted to know more about it), the way the Startus works, and people turning into tomes, and the bits and pieces we got of the world was quite interesting. Minus the slurry. It's never really explained what it is, and a mention of slurry fields make me think of manure slurry. Was it on purpose? Is it just about fields heavily fertilised with... shit? Or am I wrong? Please tell me I'm wrong.

Ivy was not my favourite protagonist. She was selfish and made a lot of terrible decisions. She wasn't a particularly good friend, either. I think has she been younger (12 or 13) or if the book was more YA than Middle-Grade, I would enjoy her more. I wish we got more depth from the supporting characters, a bit more Winsome (unfortunately he turned into a plot device) and less mentions of Woodley Butterlove loving butter.

Overall, I thought the book had a really huge potential that just wasn't reached. The plot, though busy and exciting, seemed choppy and all over the place. Everything moved too smoothly. The whole middle part of the book was one event blending into the other, and suddenly we were nearing the end of the year - it did not feel like months have passed. I wish the story flowed better, because it's definitely one that could be read in one or two sittings. Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy this book as much as I thought I would and I found it slow to get through. Too bad, because as I said, the potential was sizeable.

2.75 stars

I’m having some complicated feelings about this book, so I’m going to split my review into Good/Bad bullet points, so I can portray everything accurately.

The Good:
* The action kept me engaged throughout the story. The Crowns of Croswald is nothing if not entertaining.
* I enjoyed reading about Ivy’s various misadventures—some of the things that happened to her were surprisingly funny.
* Ivy herself was a great main character, and I was definitely sympathetic to her plights.
* It’s definitely appropriate for middle grade readers. The tone of the writing is great for that genre.

The Bad:
* I couldn’t help but compare everything to Harry Potter as I was reading—the influence is very clear, especially in the plot, and that made it hard for me to view this novel as a unique work.
* Complicated world-building. I’m still confused about some of the choices made.
* Being thrown into a story is all well and good, but I would have loved if someone would have stopped along the way to explain what Scrivenists are, how magic in Croswald works, and how the crowns work with that magic.

I’m giving The Crowns of Croswald 3/5 stars, because while I had a few issues with it, it was still an enjoyable read for the afternoon.

I love all the magic! This book has some similarities to Harry Potter. I love how the story is well written and the characters are loveable. Also, the atmosphere was amazing, I felt like I was brought into the world with the characters, and I was taken on a journey. I would definitely recommend this book!

I was asked to read this book in exchange for an honest review by D.E. Night’s publicist, Daniela from Stories Untold, so thank you!

Magic, new mythical creatures, a school for those gifted with either royalty or magic and a main character who thinks she's a nobody who turns out to be somebody. For the most part, it checks off every box on a middle school must-have list, but “The Crowns of Croswald” by D.E. Night didn’t give me the rush of excitement I was quite hoping for.

“The Crowns of Croswald” follows the story of Ivy, a young girl who escapes from the eyes of her overseer Helga and ends up attending a magical school called The Halls of Ivy. At the school, royals and magicians both go to learn skills that they will go on to use in their adult life. At the school, Ivy ends up learning a lot more about herself, her family and the world she lives in. At the same time, she meets friends, both royal and magical, teachers and even a boy she likes.

I both enjoyed and didn’t care much for this book at the same time. Starting with the negatives to get them out of the way, and giving Night the benefit of the doubt, it’s hard to write a magical middle school book series when so many already exist. Having read most of the Harry Potter books, I feel like I have a rose colored magical lens that I read magic books through and it’s hard not to draw similarities, especially since this book has so many.

The main character starts out in a bad situation that they’ve been in for a while. A mysterious person comes and tells them they’re going to a magical school where a better life awaits them. You have the standoffish characters who think they’re better than the normal students who make fun of then. The professors look extreme and always seem snobby and appear that they know more than letting on. The main character gets their way after breaking the rules, they find out somebody is after them who ends up being the main villain for the series, they find out they’re much bigger than they could ever imagine and then everything changes from here on out.

If you’re looking far enough away and squint, it sounds like Harry Potter or one of the other numerous middle-school books along the same lines. I don’t feel that personally there was enough for me to call it a unique story, but that doesn’t make it bad necessarily.

Now on to what I liked about it. Night has a gift for storytelling and world building. Even though it is not aimed for my audience and age range, I thought she did a magnificent job creating a unique world and tying things back together in the end. There were a lot of names that would pop up sporadically in the book and I thought I was going to have a hard time remembering the importance of each character, but it was easy and enjoyable.

And although I found a lot of similarities between her book and characters to the work of other authors, her characters are still enjoyable and the story is still fun. To any middle schooler or even late elementary schooler, I could easily see this becoming a well beloved book at a library or book fair.

The Verdict
D.E. Night’s first book in her ongoing series is a fun yet repetitive story that takes readers on a journey that feels a little too familiar at times. Despite the story, Night’s world building and storytelling creates a book that is unique to her and sets the world up for future installments well. It’s a quick and easy read for anybody looking for something not so deep and fun. I will definitely be picking up the second and possibly third one.

4.5/5 stars (rounded up to 5)
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Ivy Lovely is just your ordinary scaldrony maid. Her life revolves around taking care of the scaldrons in the castle she is employed at. However, everything changes when she is suddenly whisked away to the Halls of Ivy--a school for royals and scrivenists to practice their skills. Like the other students, Ivy attends classes and practices her magic, but something about her is different. Things that aren't quite normal keep happening and she can't help but wonder why no one else has the same issues. Many secrets have yet to be revealed and Ivy is determined to set them free.

This book was a delightful and entertaining read! It's a middle grade fantasy novel and is the first in a trilogy. I can't help but acknowledge the Harry Potter feel of this book! Despite having some glaring differences from the Harry Potter series, this book has a very similar feel to the series as well. The Halls of Ivy reminded me of Hogwarts and I adored the magical creatures seen throughout the book. The little hairies that provide light and the scaldrons sound rather cute! The magical aspect of this book is it's most defining feature and I love the way the author set it up!

The characters are also quite interesting. Ivy, a curious girl who can't help but get in trouble; Rebecca, a girl determined to define her future herself; Fyn, a boy with a knack for showing up just at the right time, and many more! I can't wait to see what trouble they get themselves into in the the next book!

Ultimately, this is a wonderful book for middle grade readers! With magical creatures, funny and meddlesome characters, and lots of adventure, this is sure to be a great fantasy series for younger readers!

This is a cute read.
I liked the magic and what it can do, the pun names, and the element of friendship throughout the story. It definitely had Harry Potter vibes and I'm sure it's been compared a lot. The story centers around a mistreated girl who learns she has magic and gets sent off to a magical school, sound familiar? There's also a villain who killed the girl's parents and now wants to kill her. Pretty similar stuff.

The worlds within a bottle were really cool and I love that scriveners leave their findings in a tome that others can read so the knowledge they accumulate doesn't disappear. Ivy and Fyn's friendship that may turn into romance was sweet and I hope that develops more in the other books.

Easy and fun middle grade read, worth checking out!

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

I was offered a free digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Right from the beginning this book had the whimsical feeling of Alice In Wonderland. I LOVED that there are dragons and other magical creatures. AND a school of magic! The first scene with Mr. Munson reminded me so much of Harry going to Ollivander’s for the first time.
The plot moved along quickly enough and I didn’t feel like there were many slow parts and the ending was done pretty well but, I just couldn’t get into it as a whole. I wanted to like this book more but, there was just something missing for me.
I did feel like this book was geared towards a younger audience as the writing did have a juvenile tone and simplicity to it. I think if I was younger I would have loved this book and enjoyed it more. It wasn’t a bad book, just not the book for me personally. As I said,I feel like middle grade readers will love this one. Thank you to the author and Netgalley for providing me a free copy.

While The Crowns of Croswald is reminiscent of books like Harry Potter and Septimus Heap, the author manages to give it a fresh punch and creates a mystical atmosphere with lots of fun, magic and mysteries.

Ivy Lovely is a well-rounded character that steps out of the young-orphan-destined-for-a-better-life stereotype and battles against some many real-world issues.

While this is aimed for middle grade readers, this series is definitely reccomended for older readers who miss reading some other famous fantasy series for the first time and younger readers looking to introduce some magic in their lives.

Thanks to NetGalley and D.E. Night for allowing me to read this e-book.

I am afraid this book is not for me. I can see it will be brilliant for kids getting into all things magical and fantastical. For me it’s all a bit old. It’s not new and I can see a lot of hints to other series which have gone before. It is good and fun and the characterisations are believable and funny.

( I got this copy free of charge, from the publisher and Netgalley. All my opinions are honest )

✭✭✭✩✩

I loved how the book showed Ivy getting accustomed to the magical school, and learning her place in the magical world. I really loved following Ivy in her journey. She's a brave and curious MC, which is refreshing to see in lighthearted books. However, even after being constantly repeated that she's 16, I can't help but feel that her tone is more child-like? I feel that this was based on the fact that the book was Middle Grade, but I can't help that the MC should have been a younger age.

I would say the magic system was fun to learn about, I loved the interesting wind down of the magic system and what surrounds it. I got to learn about the different practices of magic and the magic that stands within the kingdom.

Howeverr, the pacing seems to either be extremely slow, or everything rushing by. ( The transitions clashed against the story, and I felt that they were just too harsh )

I would say that this book is much like an AU of Harry Potter. They're not entirely the same. but I see a lot of themes and patterns happening between the two. I can tell that this book was defiantly influenced by the series.

Because this book was geared towards younger audiences, I do understand that the issues I talked about wouldn't really matter, to young kids. This book was more of a light, interesting, and entertaining read. Overall, this book was a fun read, and I'd recommend to any Harry Potter fans.


( Thanks to Netgalley and D.E. Night for sending me this copy )

This story was described to me as "Harry Potter meets Alice in Wonderland" and I think that description wonderfully fits the atmosphere of the magical world of Croswald.

Ivy Lovely, scaldrony maid at Castle Plum where magic is dampened by slurry fields, feels like nothing special. With only the books of her dwarf friend Rimbrick to keep her company, she is terrorised by head cook Helga. After a certain accident involving Moonberry delicacies and the flue flem, she leaves the castle and discovers she has magic running through her veins and is going to be a scrivenist at The Halls of Ivy, a boarding school for royals who wield magical gems and scrivenists who guide their magic through quills.

In the Halls, Ivy goes on countless adventures. She makes friends, learns how to control her magic and slowly finds answers to the weird things that keep happening around her.

This timeless middle-grade novel had a truly unique magic system. The brilliant world-building made me fall in love with every new chapter, just like the mystery kept me turning page after page. From otherwordly creatures to a thrilling fight, there was never a dull or boring moment. I'd highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a good whimsical story.

I'd like to thank Stories Untold and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Thanks to NetGalley and the author for sending me the ebook to review 💕

In this story we follow Ivy Lovelace, a 16 year old girl who has lived her entire life trapped in a castle as a servant without knowing the magic inside her or who she really is. Her only friend is a dwarf that talks to her when she gets out to the gardens to sketch. Lately she's been having strange dreams where she sees another castle, and she's able to draw it perfectly.

What she does'n expect it's that over night everything's going to change, one day they come and whisk her away to the Halls of Ivy, a magical school por "sqwinches" like her, and for "royals" who use the magical stones on their crowns, each with a different power. They are quite elitist but she makes a good friend called Rebecca who doesn't even want to be a royal in the first place.

And so her adventures begin, every chapter something exciting happens, the action never stops! I almost wished it slowed down a bit, I wanted more explanations, more world building... the magic system was quite confusing at first. However, I do understand that being a middle grade it has to be really entertaining in that way.

There were many (perhaps too many) things that reminded me of Harry Potter hahaha. Which is actually a compliment, I love that series, but if I wanted something like that I would just reread it you know? Now I'm looking for new and original stories. Nevertheless, towards the end I was pleasantly surprised and there were some awesome ideas. For example, when scrivenists die in this world, all their life is written in a tome, they basically become books!

As for the characters, I liked Ivy, we have her perspective and she's so brave, she wold most definitely be a Gryffindor! I'm eager to continue the series to see her development. Even though the characters are 16 they seem quite childish to me compared to other same age characters on other YA books.

In addition, I feel like the secondary characters are not properly introduced until the last part of the book, I would have like the relationships to be established earlier so they would have more evolution. Fyn is the love interest and he's so cute, but we barely know him, he just shows up randomly on the scenes to save Ivy.

The mystery element is really well done, everything start making sense at the end with the big reveal of Ivy's past.

To sum up, The Crowns of Croswald it's a middle grade (maybe kind of YA even) with very interesting elements that I enjoy. I will of course read the next books. I gave it 3,5/5🌟

Wow, I knew I was going to enjoy this story because of the magical boarding school aspect but I didn’t know how much I was going to love it!

Ivy Lovely is a maid at a castle for 16 years, but dreams of adventure and magic on her free time. One day she is forced to leave the grounds, where her power awakens and finds herself being whisked away to a magical school where trouble seems to find her every step of the way! But something is off in the halls of her school and she’s determined to figure out what it is. Mystery and intrigue surrounds Ivy and soon trouble will find her.

I love love love this book! Honestly, if you’re a fan of Harry Potter, I feel like this book definitely was influenced by the magical world we all love BUT it was still very unique and undeniably original! This story was very magical, whimsical and just completely took me out of my world, which is what I needed at this point in my life!

I loved the way the magic system worked in this book and all the little creatures, ESPECIALLY the scaldron Humboldt! I also really loved the characters and the mystery that revolves around Derwin Edgar Night (he conveniently has the same initials as the author 😉). There are just so many aspects I love about this book, along with Ivy’s bravery and her friends never letting her adventure alone!

Even though this is a middle grade, I would highly recommend it, especially if you want to just get lost in a magical little world!


Final thoughts: if you love magical, whimsical and sometimes silly stories that will take you right out of your world, with brave characters and adorable creatures, this is for you!

Thank you to the publisher and the author for providing me a digital copy of The Crowns Of Croswald!

Ivy Lovely has been hidden away all of her life, but she isn't aware of it yet. She also doesn't know about the magical world that awaits her outside of the House of Plum's enchantment boundaries. One thing is for sure; Ivy is destined for better and magical things.

As soon as I began reading, I was immersed in the beautiful world that has been created by the author. The story kept my imagination running and there was so much to learn from the beauty of Croswald. I was definitely entertained all along the book and also curious by all the mysteries it contained. It is filled with magic, creatures and so many wonderful scenes that truly deserve to be discovered by everyone.

The Crowns Of Croswald is the first book of a series and I can't wait to read the next ones!

Join Ivy's enchanted adventure against the Dark Queen to find out her history! Magic, fantasty and sci-fi fans will love this series!!

This book was sent to me in exchange for an honest review. I'd like to thank Zack for getting in touch with me, I am very grateful.

The Crowns of Croswald is perfect for fans of Harry Potter. Fantastical and entertaining, D.E. Night sweeps readers up into her whimsical world, full of forgotten faces and magical creatures. 

As the first book in The Crowns of Croswald series, it was a quick, easy, and fun read. I can definitely see the appeal to middle grade readers, and I would've adored this book when I was younger. I recommend it for ages eight to twelve. In the first section of the book, there are strong connections to Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, with the vibrant magic, mystical stores and magical shopping lists. The book has enough twists to hold its ground. It's full of adventure.

We follow Ivy, a sixteen year old girl who is whisked away to the Halls of Ivy, a school for magic. Ivy is a strong female lead, who inspires readers to fight for what they believe in. Ivy is the only one who remembers Derwin Edgar Night, and she will stop at nothing to find out why they are connected. She dreams of him, but never stays long enough to speak to him. From the prologue, this tale is woven in mystery, and I found it very intriguing. 

The magic was my favourite element of this book. I loved the talking books, the Hollow Shaft, and the concept of a placing an object in the Forgotten room to remove someone from memory. 

"The Hollow Shaft contains 179 floors, 989,322 tomes, and only one Norman Wrinkles. Of course, keep your talking to a minimum."

Reflecting back, I would have loved more details. I feel as though Ivy's acceptance of her place in the Halls of Ivy, a school of magic, happened rather fast. With all the action, I would have loved some long scenes of Ivy's lessons, learning more about spells and potions. The monologue, at times, felt awkward, and I would have rather had that dialogue come from Ivy's thoughts. With reveals and revelations, there's questions left unanswered, leaving the reader wanting more. Overall, a really well rounded middle grade fantasy, and a very enjoyable read.

This was a fun and adventurous romp through a refreshingly original take on the magical boarding school premise! It recalled the wonder and warm comfort of 'Harry Potter', and it was like I got to experience the magic all over again in a different world.

The prologue, set years before our protagonist (Ivy) appears, builds up an intriguing mystery that the book gradually unravels. There were several really nice hints and exposition scenes - I particularly liked the allusions to shifting portraits (evoked a bit of Dahl's 'The Witches') and the entire Hollow Shaft segment was excellent.

Having lived her whole life slaving away as a scaldonry maid (basically a kitchen maid who tends to adorable little mini-oven dragons), Ivy is ostensibly ordinary, but there's certainly more to her than meets the eye. Side note: I found it utterly hilarious that I spent 97% (NINETY-SEVEN PERCENT!) of this book thinking Ivy was 11, like Harry Potter. She is, in fact, 16. Oops!

Ivy has hidden powers, might even be the 'Chosen One' - but the real questions are how and why. (Okay, also who, but then it just turns into the 5 W's.) While Ivy does show traits of the 'Chosen One'/hidden identity tropes, it doesn't feel rehashed or stale. At times though, she felt more like a plot vessel than a person - some of her actions felt contrived to extend the mystery and tension, for example (view spoiler) felt out of character, as she's typically impulsive and inquisitive to a fault. This wasn't a big issue though, and most of the time Ivy reads like a realistic person.

Whole stars should go to the school (Halls of Ivy), the magic system and the secondary characters Rebecca and Fyn. The names of the professors, shops, textbooks and spells were all so quirky and I loved it! (Similar wacky vibes to 'Harry Potter', as I've already mentioned.) I particularly liked the glanageries, which are little enchanted bottles that hold a miniature scene inside, sprung from the imagination of their owners. Glanageries may sound whimsical and cute, but rest assured, they can be very dangerous and play an integral role in this book's plotline. Rebecca was my favourite character - everyone needs a friend like her (and she was the real MVP in the ballroom scene) - and Fyn Greeley is just adorkable. To paraphrase Nina Zenik, Fyn's sweeter than mint meringues! (You know a budding romance is cute when you literally put down the book to smile at their exchanges.)

Throughout the book, the antagonist hovers like a storm cloud on the horizon - their motives are kept in the shadows for most of the book, but their unexplained, uninvited presence is enough to feel unsettling. However, during the actual confrontation, I did feel like the villain's monologues came off a little cartoonish. That being said, the spell used by the antagonist was certainly twisted (view spoiler) - and I definitely took them seriously after that.

I think there's definitely more to the story (along with certain authority figures that I don't quite trust), and I'm really looking forward to the sequel! There's a major question that I felt went unanswered by the Big Reveal™ (re: Ivy and the Forgotten Room) and I really hope that gets addressed in 'The Girl with the Whispering Shadow'.