I will admit... I haven’t read many fantasy books lately, especially middle-grade/YA. So, when the opportunity was given to me to read & review this wonderful book, my nerdy side was thrilled!

It is a wonderful YA fantasy book for middle-grade readers that’s packed with adventures, friendship, & my favorite -🄼🄰🄶🄸🄲-!

💭 Final Thoughts:
- I adored the characters. There’s just something about pairing friendship & magic that gives me the warm & fuzzies 🥰.
- This book is perfect for readers who love HP & Narnia.
- Your child is going to LOVE this series. I was hooked in the story, and I’m 26. 😂
- Overall rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 stars

♥️ A huge THANK YOU to Danielle & #UntoldPress for this e-copy of The Crowns of Croswald by D.E. Night in exchange for my honest review.

This review contains no spoilers.

Digital copy read from Netgallery in exchange for review from publisher.

This book was wonderful, from the first few pages it screamed magic. If you enjoy the Harry Potter vibes of magic, a school for magic, and a dark queen, and unfolding mysteries, then this book is right up your reading list! The female main character Ivy is such an amazing girl throughout the story that you cannot help but love her. I gobbled it up in one night and I'm happy to say that it wasn't leaving me wanting more because this isn't a stand alone, it's a series! So you can get your fix with the next book.

What a magical world full of imaginative creatures, enchanting settings and a Dark Queen. I was pulled in immediately by Ivy, a 16 year old orphan who finds her life’s purpose is much more than she could ever imagine. When faced with uncertainties and evil, Ivy shows bravery and morality. I was rooting for Ivy and the relationships she formed at her new magical boarding school. The descriptive writing transports you to each setting and is perfectly whimsical. If you are looking to get lost somewhere, try The Crowns of Croswald by D.E. Night. It’s pure magic.

I was not sure what to expect going into this one. I do read middle grade books frequently as part of our homeschooling adventures so I jumped at the chance to get this one. This definitely gave me Harry Potter vibes. My son is not quite to that reading level yet but this one he could definitely handle. It’s an interesting story with a cliffhanger ending. Of course there are more in the series, which is helpful for the continuation of the story. I definitely believe that middle grade readers would love this. It explores the magical realm through a young girl that was unaware she had magical powers of her own before she left the place she’d been living in as long as she can remember. There are twists and turns, friendships, enemies, school drama, love interests - it’s a great read!

Reminiscent of Harry Potter with a lighter more whimsical feel, The Crowns of Croswald is a wonderful middle grade story for children who love fairy tales, magic, and adventure. All in all a very cute book.

Leave the world you know and give in to the mystery and magic of Croswold. This series is a must for a middle school media center or a middle-grade fiction collection, perfect for students looking to grow from the Tui T. Sutherlands and elementary fantasy series. This is good coming of age and escapism between the pages of a book that doesn't make you look for the magic, but instead wraps you in it. More books in series.

I really struggled to get into this book and found myself constantly distracted where I usually wouldn’t be. I was really hoping to love this one but I felt like it was a chore to keep picking it up. I have dnf’d for the time being. I may return to it at a later date.

The Crowns of Croswald is such a lovely magical book. It has serious nods to Harry Potter, as has been remarked by many, but the book stands perfectly well on its own two feet. The world building in this book was great, and, while it made for a bit of a slow start, the descriptions of the castle, the Hall of Ivy and some of the quirky characters we meet in the beginning of the story were so lifelike that I got sucked in completely.

Not my typical read at all, but oh how I enjoyed this! And of course, the end of this book seems only the beginning. I hope we can see a bit more of some of the side-characters in this book in any further books in the series. I'd love to get to know the motivations of Fyn, Rebecca, the Selector, and honestly Damaris a bit more intimately, as I feel sometimes there wasn't enough time to fully get to know them as individuals in their own right.

If you are ready to meet a cast of amazing, odd and likable characters and to be swept away by this whimsical story of a girl who doesn't know quite who she is and is as new to most of the magic in this world as you are, I would highly recommend.

If you like middle grade books check out this series. This was filled with magic and adventures. It reminded me a lot of the Harry Potter series. This book did not disappoint me and I will defiantly be continuing the series.

"All Things Scrivenist, hmm? Not a bad place to start."

I was very conflicted when I started this story; primarily because it's a middle grade book and secondarily it's focus on a magic school. I still dove in with wide eyes. I've seen a lot of people compare this book to Harry Potter but I have to say, I don't see it. Yes, when a magical school comes into play it's hard not to draw those similarities but Croswald is anything but Hogwarts.

Ivy is a young maid who feels invisible, she makes food and manages dragons in what appears to be the darkest place on earth. Her entire life though, she's felt she needs more. Having the help of some unlikely mystical companions, Ivy is swept up to go to a mystical school called Croswald. A school that will help her perfect her talents as a scrivenist and learn of the royals all until she is matched to serve a family. I spent a good part of the beginning of the book confused because I felt that Ivy was just constantly left alone and I wanted her to find people to support her quickly. But she finally got there. With her stubbornness to learn even more than her first year knowledge and her insistence in breaking rules; she teams up with several other students who per their trust in her.

I left this book feeling so fulfilled in her journey. Despite the book being targeted for younger readers, I genuinely enjoyed the story and escaping to Croswald when I was reading. Thank you D.E. Knight, Stories Untold, and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

It wasn’t really my type of book. I couldn’t get into it and only got through half of it before putting it down. It just wasn’t for me.

This is a fun book but I found parts of it confusing and other parts obvious (I knew Ivy wasn't who she seemed the minute she left the slurry fields and was told the Dark Queen was after her, and honestly I thought she was pretty dumb for not figuring it out herself despite ALL the hints she was given!). The pacing is all over the place. Sometimes a lot happens very fast and then at other times you turn a page and it's somehow the end of year ball when I swear the year had only just started? Parts of it definitely reminded me of Harry Potter - mistreated young person (girl in this case) who has no idea who she really is gets an invitation to attend magic school and discovers powers they never knew they had. Even the shop where Ivy bought her school supplies wouldn't have been out of place in Diagon Alley! But the magic system and powers are different enough for her to have managed to make it her own. I feel like the characters could have been fleshed out more - I never fully felt connected to Ivy while she was running around doing whatever and as for the other students, all I know is one is mean and snobbish, one likes to eat butter, and Fyn is mysterious and constantly shows up wherever Ivy is but I can't work out whether it's just because he fancies her or there's more to it. Rebecca, Ivy's room mate/supposedly best friend seemed like a fun character but all I can really tell you about her is she apparently doesn't want to be royal and can't control her magic. I assume some things will be cleared up in book 2 but it's a little disappointing to reach the end of a book and realise that 90% of the characters are entirely forgettable. There were aspects of the book I really enjoyed though and overall I liked it but it's far from being a new favourite.

I love books that revolve around magical academics and knew as soon as Untold Stories reached out to me on Instagram that I would be obsessed with this story. The Crowns of Croswals by D.E. Night is a fantastical story of the new age which made me love it even more. My students even loved it and obsessed over the cover in great length. Ivy is so intriguing as a character and everything I think that middle grade readers want to be. She's brave, ambitious, naive, but intricate and I just can't help by love her and continue to root for her throughout the entire story.

Overall, this story was unlike any middle grade novel I've read. I am not the core demographic but I do teach kids who are the age to read this book and they loved it just as much as I did. We are so excited to read the second book in this series.

Thanks you to Netgally and Stories Untold for the chance to read to this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Oh em geeee!!! I was getting Harry Potter feels while reading this! 😍 The book has few interesting twists and turns along the way with superb descriptions! And I felt that the world continued to unfold as the pages turned!!!! While I did enjoy the overall story, the writing just wasn't really my style! 🥺 I kinda felt like I didn't get to know any of the characters in depth! Anyways, I really wanna know what happens in the next installment! ❤️❤️

P.S Thanks to the publisher and author for providing me a free copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!!!! 😃😃

4 stars for me, this was such a magical read. I love childrens fantasy and this hit every mark. The world building was incredible and all the characters were so well thought out and I so wanted to be best friends with the main character. All in all I just loved it so much, honestly I would recommend it to anyone because it is one of the best children's books I have read in a long time. Ivy felt like my best friend by the end of the book! As soon as I can I am going to read book two because I already miss the world this author created!

I am usual a fan of fantasy and, being a big fan of Harry Potter, I hoped to love this book given other reviews I had read. I did enjoy it, however it didn’t quite have the ‘gripping, can’t wait to read it’ factor for me. I think it may appeal to a younger audience more. It was full of magic and secrets, and I loved the heavy focus on books/ words linked to magic and enjoyed the magical beasts. There is also quite a high level of danger and threat which kept it interesting. However, I do feel like there were some details missing that made it feel slightly disjointed. I received this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Daniela from Stories Untold Press for offering an e-book copy of this novel via Netgalley.
What I look for most in a book is - writing style, character development, plot and how the book makes me feel, so a quick note on each of those things and I'll finish up with what I enjoyed about The Crowns of Croswald.

The writing style was often magically descriptive, however at times it came across a bit blunt interrupting the flow, mostly where dialogue was concerned. This wasn't a massive issue and didn't take away from my overall enjoyment of the story. I also think the overall tone is very suitable for the younger teens that the book is generally aimed towards.

The plot was really enjoyable - the author has done a wonderful job of creating a detailed, thought-through magical world. It has definitely left me intrigued and wanting to explore the series more. It definitely has a lot of Harry Potter undertones and similarities, some more noticeable than others. Generally, the author has made it their own and created unique aspects to a magical world. All in all, it was a fun adventure featuring a strong protagonist in a very intriguing magical world.

The protagonist, Ivy, is developed well and the story follows her closely. As mentioned before, the dialogue isn't as natural as the descriptive language and for me, this hindered the relationships with other characters. It would be good to see the friendships strengthened and deepened. A major strength / enjoyable element is that the reader truly goes on the journey with Ivy as she discovers her place in the magical world and unravels all of mysteries; this makes it a gripping read, leaving the reader curious to find out more.

The book started off as an expected 3 star read for me as I found the new magical world and language confusing but I was soon hooked, enjoying an easy and pleasant read with the magical boarding school setting. I finished it a lot quicker than I anticipated and liked exploring the Halls of Ivy through Ivy's eyes. It soon grew on me and I just wanted to keep reading and not put it down from about 1/4 of the way through.

What I enjoyed most:
The female protagonist in a magical world.
An easy and intriguing read.
Good world building with well crafted details.

This book y’all! This book was magical! I was taken to a far away place filled with spells of every kind. There was laughter, twists, heartache and whimsy. Think Harry Potter but with a female lead. Ivy Lovely is the new girl with all the magic yet she doesn’t know it. Can she learn this new way of life before it becomes to late.

Fantasy is a new to me genre and I’m slowly beginning to realize I might love it. This book let me escape this crazy world we are in right now and took me to a magical land. The writing was excellent! I was able to visualize each component in the story. From the little lantern hairies to the Dark Queen. So much visualization! It was a quick read that kept my attention the whole time. I’m super excited this is a series and I can’t wait to read the next book! If you like fantasy trust me, read this book!

4.5/5 stars for me!

I received this ebook in exchange for my honest review.

Ivy Lovely, a 16 year old girl, goes from being a scaldrony maid to being invited to the school of magic for Royals and Scrivenists all in a matter of hours after a dreadful morning. Ivy spends her first year around magic with multiple strange occurrences happening to her through out and one interesting mystery she feels compelled to solve. With the help of her friends Rebecca and Fyn, Ivy learns the meaning behind the strange happenings, bad luck, and vision dreams. This story is a fairy tale, magical world about finding yourself and staying true, adventure, coming of age, friendship, mystique, curses, and so much more. Middle grade readers will be enthralled.

From the very beginning of this book, I was hooked. It reminded me of Harry Potter and Narnia mixed together. It was a vivid world to imagine and never dull a moment. I can’t wait to read the rest of the series.

Review: Crowns of Croswald
( ⭐️✨)
A fantasy novel marketed to young adults, middle schoolers to be specific, about a secretforst and tons of mythical creatures. The main character is taken by suprise when she learns that she is also a scryve and will be headed to the secret forest.
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i didnt finish this one...which I rarely do. I loved the premise of the novel and fully expected to dive right in. However, it was dense I couldnt follow the story line and I couldn't keep the different universes and places straight. I wish more than anything I could've gotten into this one as i had such high hopes but this was a flop for me.