This series is getting better and better. Book two kept me on the edge of my seat! The world building was much more descriptive and I was able to immerse myself in the setting. I also loved finding out more about the history of the world and magic system. I can’t wait to start book 3!

DISCLAIMER: I received this book free from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

And we are back in the magical world of Croswald with Ivy Lovely, who has now learnt of her true identity. Armed with the first fragment of the Kindred Stone, which has been split into 3 pieces, she is on a new mission to recover its second fragment. For her safety, Ivy is sent to Belzebuthe, a magical town that is protected from the Dark Queen. While living with Fyn and his mother, Ivy also gained a new group of friends when she joined the Quality Quills Club (QQC), where Fyn and his friends practise magic using real quills. Haunted by strange shadows sent by the Dark Queen who also seeks the Kindred Stone, Ivy will need all her wits, magic, and close friends to stand up to her wrath.

This is book 2 of a middle grade fantasy series by D.E. Night. Picking up right where we left off in book 1, we continue our adventures with Ivy Lovely, who now has a lot more on her plate with the knowledge of her true identity and the responsibilities that come with it. The friendship between Rebecca, Fyn and Ivy is as solid as ever, even as they gained new friends from the QQC (although I was initially a little overwhelmed by the introduction of so many new characters. It took a while to sort the names and characters out). The relationship between Fyn and Ivy also seems to be very slowly inching towards a romantic direction - a development I’m rather looking forward to. I loved the magical creatures introduced in school in this book - the invisitaurs (Silius is such a dear ❤️).

Towards the last quarter of the book, the pace really picked up and I found myself on tenterhooks journeying alongside Ivy and Fyn in their frantic search for the stone fragment while fighting against the Dark Queen. D.E. Night’s writing is smooth and I definitely enjoyed the magical adventure that this book has brought me on. I’m looking forward to Ivy’s search for the final piece of the Kindred Stone in the next book.

Thank you D.E. Night, her publicist Daniela, and Stories Untold Press for the e-copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Author D.E. Night did it again with the second book in the Crowns of Croswald series, while I thought the first book, for me, had the Harry Potter magic world, magic kid goes to magic school comparison vibe going on, the second was uniquely its own.

We pick up with Ivy in the Town and then going back to school to meet up with her friends Rebecca and Fyn. The second book was much more focused on the plot and had a higher thrill than the first. I rather enjoyed the new magical creatures presented in this point and the deeper dive into the magical game of Quogo, which plays a bigger role in the second book.

Again Night does an amazing job of transporting the reader to a whimsical place, where you can go fishing for stars and ghosts are chefs at a beautiful mysterious school, all the descriptions are beautiful and fun, they just make you smile when you read it.

There is a budding love story taking place in the second book as well, I won’t say with who, because well, there could be more than one! It is a bit strange though that some of the characters who are graduating school in this book are written like much younger kids then young adults who are going to be full time scrivenists after graduation.

I am excited to read the third book (and anymore Night cooks up) because now I am attached to Ivy and her friend Rebecca. I need to know how they will defeat the Dark Queen and, because I am a sucker for the love story, who she will end up with!

Overall I gave the book 4 outta five stars as it entertained me. I enjoyed the regal and bookish aspects of the story and I was hooked by the end of the first chapter like the first book, but then got pulled in by all the new aspects of Ivy's story that happened.

I really like the world D.E. Night created, it's so complete and magical! I fell in love with it since the first book! Now I want to have a scaldron 😅 The book really transports you to Crosswald ✨

I think the plot was very interesting, if only a little slow, but very original. I felt like the story development was slow sometimes, and then the ending was so fast I felt like sometimes was missing.
I would have liked to see more character development, but I am glad there are more relevant characters than in the first book!

It is a light reading with an incredible fantasy world 💖

After reading the first book in this series, I have to say, this book was amazing. It was everything I was wanting out of a second book and I think the author did an amazing job.

If you enjoy fantasy, I not only recommend this book but the authors entire series. I will say this is a high fantasy book so there is a lot of words and parts of this book that was hard for me to pronounce. I was planning on reading this with my son but it truly is one of those books that you should read to yourself. This is not a knock to the book, but you must be fine with not 100% being able to pronounce things.

I love the world and magic that the author has created. I think this a wonderful book for anyone that loves fantasy and it reminds me a lot of harry potter.

This is the second book in the crowns of croswald series,we follow a girl called Ivy Lovely on her magical adventures ✨

Really enjoyed the second book more then the first because you’ve gotten to know the characters and most of the magical elements now so it’s just pure enjoyment ☺️
Ivy Lovely is an amazing heroine who is growing in herself and with her abilities and it’s just a joy to witness. Excellent supporting characters that help Ivy along the way and lovely relationships developed.

Book sucks you into this amazing magical world with all it’s characters. Highly recommend this series !!! ✨✨☺️☺️

Please pick up this series your in for a magical treat ✨

This is the second book from this series

I think I honestly love this more than the first one. The story is fast paced, well written, and full of magic

Ivy is growing so much as a character and I love the friendships throughout.

I really enjoyed this book. I definitely going to read more books by D.E. Night.

Review will be posted on my website.

This review will be short but mostly because the story was really fast and I don’t want to leave a lot of spoilers.

Ivy Lovely now knows who she really is, she knows she has magic within her, and she doesn’t know what to do against the Dark Queen, who is currently on a desperate search to destroy once and for all the the true royal line.

Similar to Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, but at the same time not, Ivy decides not to return to school for her own safety, choosing to stay in the hidden city with other scrivenists learning and documenting their life. But just like how real life works, nothing usually happens the way you expect it to.

This sequel was equally descriptive in such a beautiful and captivating way, the author has a way with words, but I did feel that the ending was a bit rushed. I loved how the author introduced us the name of the book (The Girl with the Whispering Shadow) within the story, and I truly did hit myself in the head when everything is revealed and I didn’t see it coming. That’s how concentrated I was.

The adventure is a lot more calm, slower than the first novel, but given that the stakes are now much higher, you can truly see how Ivy isn’t just some lost student discovering this new world, but knows that her actions have consequences yet there are still some risks still worth taking.

Ivy has matured since we got to know her as a scullery maid in some lost castle, she is more confident in her magic, who she is and she learns to trust and rely more on her friends and those that surround her.

The Girl with the Whispering Shadow is a great sequel to this new world and I’m very excited to continue with Ivy’s story and how the story concludes with this lost queen.

I love sequels because you can jump in, and you already know the character. 's. Same with this book. We continue to follow Ivy on her adventure in the pursuit of the Kindred Stone. This is such a wonderful and imaginative world to get lost in. I really have come to love the work of Scrivenist's and what they do. All the characters from adorable dragons and to the town. We see friendships building ( just like any other school). We follow Ivy from the secret town back to the Halls Of Ivy, where she will battle shades and shadows on the way.

We watch Ivy grow into herself in this book with the support of all characters. Anyone who loves magic and royalty will love this book. I am not the demographic for this book, but I enjoyed reading it, and I think it would be a great book for kids to read. Even a book to get them to start their love of reading. Thank you NetGalley and Stories untold for providing a copy of this book.

I loved the first book and thanks for providing me with the second!
And I loved this even more!!
Ivy’s character grows beautifully in this sequel and I loved the villain too. Can’t wait to finish this series!!

Another fabulous fantasy read by D.E, Night! Book 1 didn’t disappoint, and book 2 definitely didn’t either! Continuing Ivy’s story continued on an adventure that kept you engaged throughout. Subtle clues throughout the book keeping you on your toes and trying to guess what was to come next! I loved every second of this book and love how the characters contribute to develop in the series. I can’t wait to have my students read this one!!

You will enjoy this book if you enjoy magical middle-grade fantasy worlds. This is the second book in a series so be sure to read the first one. There is a lot going on in these books and I still struggle sometimes to keep up with the vocabulary. I liked Ivy more in this book.

Thank you to the publisher stories untold press, net galley, and the author for this e-Arc in exchange for an honest review. The series is quickly becoming a new favorite. The second book in the series I enjoyed just as much as the first, maybe even more. I loved that we got to explore more of the Croswald world. I can’t get enough of Ivy Lovely, her friends and Ivy’s adventures. I can’t recommend these books enough. I can’t wait to find out what happens next in Ivy Lovely’s story. If you love a great well written middle grade fantasy with fantastic world building, this is definitely the book for you!!

Harry potter meets Alice in Wonderland in this second book of the Crowns of Croswald series!

"The girl with the whispering shadow" starts exactly where the first book left off.
Ivy, our Mc, has to deal with the aftermath of her encounter with the Dark Queen, so for a while, she has to leave Ivy Halls, the boarding school of magic where she has been studying to become a scrivenist, but that doesn't mean that the story gets any boring! There is still plenty of magic, potions and adventure, since Ivy seems to be a magnet for troubles! It may also have to do with her mischievous friends, which I loved to read more about (especially Fyn and the whole Quality Quills club).
And, of course, when she does go back to school, things get even more interesting! (I mean, as a fantasy lover I have a penchant for Hogwarts like settings 😍)
I also enjoyed learning more about the mysterious town whose name can't be said out loud: I loved the fishing for a star thing, it made me wish that such a place existed in the real world too 😟
I would have appreciated more mature dialogues between Ivy and Fyn, since they are 16 and 19 years old respectively, but I understand they fit the book's intended target audience, which is middle grade children. Even so I think any fantasy reader would enjoy it, no matter their age!

This series is perfect for Harry Potter fans who love reading about magic, adventures and a touch of romance!

Many thanks to Netgalley, D.E. Night and Stories Untold for the free Arc ❤

𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 - 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐢𝐫𝐥 𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐡𝐢𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐝𝐨𝐰 𝐛𝐲 𝐃.𝐄. 𝐍𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭
✨I was thrilled to receive the second instalment of this book series, this one , The Girl With The Whispering Shadow. Thank you to @netgalley, @danielastoriesuntoldpress and @author.denight for another magical experience.
✨This story started where the first book left off and was just as amazing. Sometimes I find books in a series can become quite repetitive as they go on but to be honest this one , in my opinion was better than the first. I loved the magic to it, the sketching and the description of the town, Belzebuthe. I want to go there , the way the author has described it is nothing short of beautiful.
✨I found this one to be a lot more in depth in terms of characters, that being in book one we were only introduced to Ivy and this book we learned so much more about her. She is a fantastic character.
✨This book is perfect for young readers and sets a lovely example of friendship. It is a great fantasy book and had a super ending. During the book you have parts of mystery in it which will keep the reader guessing. To keep guessing keeps the reader engaged and it is always fun to see how it turns out.

My rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐ / 5.

Set outside the prestigious magic school the Halls of Ivy, and following on from the Crowns of Croswald, our heroine Ivy sets to spend her summer holidays at the Town - a secret scrivenist town where Ivy will hopefully be safe.
Reading this book would benefit from having read the first book in the series (which luckily I have).
This magical story about a school aged girl who has been asked not to return to school for her own safety leads us into realms of dark magic, into a story about friendship, kindness, overcoming odds and battling the Dark Queen.
Something lurks in the shadows, and this anticipation will have readers gripped.

I'm going to start by saying this is my new favourite book series.

I read the first novel, The Crowns of Croswald by D. E. Night back in March when the lovely Netgalley and Stories Untold Press gifted me an eARC.

The age range they give for this book is 13-17 years old, however, I honestly don't think you can give a maximum age limit on art, because no matter your age, you can be young at heart, and enjoy these things just as much as a child (if not more as you can appreciate the work that goes into it).

'After the events of the previous year, Ivy Lovely is anticipating her arrival back at the Halls of Ivy. However, with the Dark Queen still at large, Ivy has been told not to return to the Halls, and to stay somewhere hidden where the Dark Queen cannot find her.
After arriving in a place called The Town, Ivy sets upon finding the remaining parts of the Kindred Stone, the only thing that can stop the Dark Queen from destroying everything she loves.'

I really enjoyed every single aspect of this book. The blossoming friendships between Ivy, Fyn, Rebecca and some new characters, such as Gretta and Glistle were heart-warming and left me aching for more (I really want some romance to happen, either Ivy and Fyn or Ivy and Glistle; either is fine with me!).

The description of The Town, the Quogo game and the creatures (including the Orbis) were magical and I could picture everything.

The world that D. E. Night has created is just beautiful.

There are some similarities again to Harry Potter, but nothing at all that felt like she was copying it, everything has been made her own and unique and I am so impressed.

I am so excited to read the next instalment in the series when I can get my hands on it; I need to know what else is in store for Ivy Lovely!

5 out of 5 stars!

I love the magic in this book. I also love following Ivy as she learns even more about who she is and grows into her own. Full of lots of little adventures that just keep getting better and better.

Thank you NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I think this book was even better than the first, and i loved the first book. The character development in this showed so much growth, not only in the characters themselves, but also in the author. I really loved going back to the world of Croswald, and being there this book made me feel as if I never left. I cannot wait to read this to my little ones when they get a bit older. I think this series would be a perfect introduction to the fantasy world.