This second book is way better than the first one! I love the scenes, the Town and its different shops and new characters, the Quogo game is wonderful and most of all the star-fishing and wish-granting idea is epic. Love that! Also, I still love Rebecca's character, how she can turn to something useful when needed the most. Fyn and Ivy's building romance is something I look forward to, their friendship along with the other members of the club makes me kind of emotional. Ivy being the heroine, doing the adventures while breaking all the rules is basically like Harry Potters! (sorry for the comparison)

I wish there's more to each chapter though, I feel like it's too short for me. I wanted to know more about what it's like to be in the Town, Belzebuthe. I definitely would like to read the next book, the Selector's character is suspicious to me.

I received this ebook in exchange for an honest review by Stories Untold LLC. All opinions are my own.

Review also posted on Goodreads, Amazon, and will be posted to my instagram.

“You can be trapped in a castle, trapped in a scaldrony. Trapped by people. But the worst is being trapped by fear.”

In The Girl with the Whispering Shadow by D.E. Night, the book picks up where The Crowns of Croswald left off. The school year is complete and Ivy is whisked off to a secret town for only those with magical blood. She reunites with Fyn, and spends her break with him learning even more about him and about her own magical heritage. She sets out to learn more about her prophecy and how it ties to the Dark Queen. When they return to school where she should be safe, it quickly becomes evident that not all is as it appears and something dark is at play again. Ivy does not want to be part of putting anyone in danger again, but it becomes clear that she is going to have to face evil again to protect those she cares about most.

I loved delving even deeper to this magical world. Ivy and her friends are fun to read about, and I especially like her growing relationship with Fyn. I feel like they are well suited to each other and love that he stands up to her but supports her at the same time. This series is perfect for anyone who enjoys middle school age reading, books like Harry Potter, and magical worlds. I give this installment 4 stars.

I really enjoyed this book!
The Girl with the Whispering Shadow was engaging and pulls you along for the adventure. In the first book in this series I felt like it was a little slow to start, but this one jumped right in (and I know that has something to do with already knowing Ivy and some of her story). This book took you to The Town, a secret scrivenist "lair" where magic is practiced freely and no Dark Queen can enter. Ivy spends most of her time here through the book until she gets asked back to The Halls of Ivy where both fun and danger await. At the end of the book there is a magical battle that takes place and friends band together to fight. The end also leaves you (sort of) on a cliffhanger, that is if you are wanting to know what happens next!
I also enjoy D.E. Night's fun and fantastical places and creatures! If you love fantasy (or even if it's not all your style), this book is worth a try. A good middle-grade read too!

Ivy Lovely and her friends are back for more adventure in The Girl with the Whispering Shadow! After the events at the Ball last year, Ivy has been told that school and the Halls of Ivy aren’t safe for her anymore. Her scrivenist Derwin leaves cryptic instructions telling her to seek refuge in the mysterious Town while she searches for the remaining pieces of the Kindred Stone.

My favorite scene in the whole book is where Ivy and Fyn are fishing for stars on Fyn’s rooftop in the Town. If you catch a star, whoever wishes on that star has their wish come true! There was just something so sweet about that particular scene.

If you love stories with magic, adventure and strong friendships, then definitely check out the Crowns of Croswald series!

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Welcome back to the world of Croswald.

This review contains spoilers if you have not read Book 1: The Crowns of Croswald.

The Girl with the Whispering Shadow the second instalment of D.E Night's The Crowns of Croswald series. And like the first book it did not disappoint.

The book basically starts days after the events of book 1, Ivy and Rebecca are getting ready to leave the Halls of Ivory for the summer. One going home the other, Ivy going to the town with no name, well it has a name but it is a secret and only those who live there or are going there know it. You can not find this town on your own you have to go by cabby. It is protected from the outside world, it where the many of the scrivenist live in safety to practice magic.

But things are happening in the town, shades are being scene and quills are being stolen. Ivy has been sent there to find the next stone and to keep her safe from the Dark Queen but how safe can she be if things are happening in the town that hasn't happened before. Is the Dark Queen getting closer to finding her? To find the stone?

The Girl with the Whispering Shadow like book 1 screams Harry Potter vibes, we are introduce to a game that that scrivenist play involving their quills and and the quills of past scivenists. With that we get introduced to a greater cast of characters, ones I'm sure we will see again in future books, ones that play a big role in this particular one.

So back to the Harry Potter vibes, I can see this series blowing up. This could be the Harry Potter, and it should be,I hope for D.E Night and all booklovers and Harry Potter fans it does.

Over all I really enjoyed this book, and I love this series thus far. One day they will be at home on my bookcase.


*I was given a copy in exchange for review

Oh my gosh Night just gets better. This is a great follow up to the 1st book. The story pulls you in from the beginning and you just want more and more. I loved having favorite characters return and meeting new ones. You learn a lot more about the magic in this book. I think this series is going to be something big. I look forward to the next book. I recommend for any fan of Harry Potter series.
*I was gifted a copy for an honest review.

After the crazy whirlwind that ended book 1, we’re back with our favorite secret princess and her dragon sidekick in this sequel of Crowns of Croswald.
Fearing for Ivy’s safety after the intense events at Crosswald, her family’s scrivnist, Derwin, urges Ivy to go hide in the safety of a secret town known as Belzebuthe.
Being in Belzebuthe was so charming and whimsical. Imagine a town that has the biggest and brightest at stars, the most peculiar yet enchanting food, and the most amazing people you could ever meet. As soon as Ivy lands in Belzebuthe, I was immediately entranced in by the magic in this whimsical world.
Although this town is known to be safe, strange things have been arising and it is up to Ivy to follow her destiny and figure out a way to put an end to the dark queen while figuring out the path to finding the missing pieces kindred stone.
My favorite things about this book:
-Ivy’s character development and seeing her go from a lonely girl who constantly doubts herself to a QUEEN who conquers her fears
-Quogo!!! A magical competition kinda like Quidditch but super unique and different! Quogo ended up being super important to the story and I LOVED that
-the friendships (Rebecca and Fyn- I would literally die for y’all 🥺)
-the world building!! I love seeing it through Ivy’s eyes and growing/learning with her
-the way D.E Night always manages to connect the beginning of the book and the title of the book to the entire story.
Filled with mystery, magic, adventure, enchanting world building, and amazing characters, the girl with the whispering shadow was a great sequel that will keep you guessing and wanting more!

I am falling completely in love with this world and Ivy's story. The second book in this series has just concreted what I felt about the first. The world building so far has to be my favourite part; everything is so magical and you feel like you're right there with Ivy in the book.
The friend group in this book has great character development. It is nice to see more than just the main character getting that development in a series and makes you feel closer to the group as a whole. So often in middle grades I feel the stakes are never high enough to keep me on the edge of my seat but these books have definitely presently surprised me with that.
This series so far has just got better and I’m excited to get to the 3rd book in the series to see where it takes me next.
A beautiful magical world filled with all kinds of creatures and spells with a story that feels straight out of a fairy tale, a must read if you love magical middle grades.

Book two of The Crowns of Croswald certainly delivers! I liked the first book but it just gets better with book two - filled with magic, critters and adventure! (I adore the idea of the Hairies- little cousins to fairies with bright hair that light the way in and around Croswald. Especially in the Halls Of Ivy. The school in which Ivy and her friends attend to learn magic and the ways of the Scrivinist)

We return to the familiar world and characters of Croswald but its much more in depth and developing. Pieces of the last book come into play and frequently I stopped in an "ah-ah" moment as the books and ideas linked. Sorry... no spoilers!

The world is full of delights including wishing stars and it's own game called Quogo - where scrivinists battle with quills and specters of the quills former owner ~ spell binding.

"Have you ever fished for a star before? It takes hours, and I'm not leaving here until I catch one"

" The act of catching one (star) is like wishing on a star, just in reverse. Meaning, you net a star, you get to help grant the wish inside, for whatever the star setter wished"

Well thought out and a good pace, we follow Ivy and her friends as she tries to find the 2nd piece of the Kindred stone before The Dark Queen can get there first.

What's brilliant about Ivy is that her character is developing. She doesn't just know she's the rightful heir to the throne - she's starting to believe it too.
A quick mention of her friend Fynn here; always following and supporting her. I really can't help liking him and his growing love for Ivy.

I thoroughly enjoyed wondering around this world in my minds eye. The descriptions are wonderful too - they are detailed; and bring the reader up close with the characters such as : "The wet, cobbled street that Ivy walked down reflected the colorful lights above: bright pinks, yellows, oranges and purples"

Book two is a magical roller caoster- I just don't understand why I haven't seen this book around more. I really can see why there's a comparison to Harry Potter; but it really holds it own. Great ideas- would love to see them continue to flesh out. Its delightfully spell binding- so much depth to the Croswald world and its characters. ( I want to play Quogo too!!!) Would definitely recommend to those who love to get lost in a magical world.

Ivy learned about her past and her Queenly bloodline, and now has been brought to Belzebuthe, a secret town for those with magical blood. She has to find the second part of the Kindred stone while avoiding the Dark Queen, all while feeling she is being followed. If she can’t, she might not be able to return to the Halls of Ivy.

Despite her bloodline, Ivy is still new to magic, magical items, and the town itself. This means the reader is now brought into the town itself, and we’re exposed to new types of scrivenist magic. Being so isolated in her early years means people growing up with magic see her as naïve, but she remains our entry into this world. Summer proceeds with making more friends and some covert magic practice, especially because Ivy isn’t returning to school right away. Of course she does return for her second year of classes, and it’s a trick meant to draw her out into danger. It’s hardly the first time that happens over the course of the year, until we get to the final quarter of the book. Now we’re at the end of the school year and the Dark Queen makes another appearance, facing off with Ivy directly.

All in all, Ivy is a fun middle grade heroine. Some of the actions she takes and the mistakes she makes seem younger than her sixteen years, though her relative newness to magic and the customs of the scrivenist culture explains part of that. She has the best of intentions in mind as she and her friends do their best to find the Kindred Stone, as well as her attempts to discover why she is so important. There are consequences to Ivy’s actions as she tries to fight off the queen, all of which will ripple down into future novels of this four book series.

This is the second book in the series after the Crowns of Croswald, continuing the life and adventures of Ivy Lovely. After what happened at the Ball at the end of the first book, Ivy was asked to spend the summer at The Town in a place called Belzebuthe, a secret place only a magical can have access to. Derwin Edward Night, her family’s scrivenist, sent her on a mission to find the missing pieces of the Kindred Stone. While she was here and up until she came back to the Halls of Ivy, a shadow is trailing her and wrecking havoc.
While at school, she continued to be friends with her Belzebuthe acquiantances in The Quality Quills Club. How will she solve the puzzle of the shadow and avoid the wrath of the Dark Queen?
.
I’ve thoroughly enjoyed this book than the first one, I somehow have finally let the Harry Potter similarities out of my mind. There are areas in the book that I still find to be like Harry Potter although not directly, this book still have created a world of it’s own. I’ve finally known how these quills are different from the wands we have been so accustomed to. There are additional characters in the story, from the QQC, all of whom are endearing. I like Belzebuthe too. Overall, this is a great follow up to the first book.

3.5 ⭐️s

Thank you to Netgalley, D.E. Night and Stories Untold for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

What a fantastic sequel! There was a lot more action and more character development in this one and I enjoyed both of those aspects. Ivy finds herself in The Town for the summer and we see her developing her knowledge and getting to know more people. The range of characters brought to the forefront of the story increases which is fun and allows for more drama and action. I found Ivy to be predictable in some of her movements, particularly in the Fall, but the actions she took needed to happen for the story to roll to the place it was left at the end of this book!

I can obviously see a lot of comparisons to Harry Potter, but the differences are enough. I enjoy the magical side of this fantasy and am really curious as to where Ivy and friends are headed in the next book! Great series for anyone who enjoys middle grade fantasy!!

The Girl with a whispering shadow has the same magical feel as volume one.
I love that there are so many parallels with Harry Potter.
I love the plot twists and the world created in both books. The atmosphere is just pleasant and dreamy.
Since that part the characters feel like family and I like to read more and more about the city of Belzebuth.
Conclusion: This part is even better than the first. The atmosphere and characters are great. The cover is very good just like the writing style. For everyone who loves Harry Potter and fantasy, this book series is something.

This book is a wonderful addition to the first novel in this series. The expansion of the world made me feel like I was a part of the world of Croswald. Ivy and her friends find themselves dealing with the aftermath of last years festivities. Throughout the journey of Ivy's second year at the Halls of Ivy, more things happen is enjoyable and immersive. I highly recommend this to any fans of magical high school settings and new worlds that are fantastically brilliant.

This is the sequel to The Crowns of Croswald and I actually enjoyed this one more than the first. I think part of it is that I’m invested in the story now but I also think most of it is how much more developed the world of Croswald seems in this book. I got to delve deeper into this world and learn so many new things. This world is so unique and fascinating! I loved how this book picked up right where the last one left off and we were thrown into action from the get-go. The background romance continued in this book and I enjoyed it a lot. I definitely ship Ivy and Fyn, they’re so cute! Even if they just stay friends (which I hope they’re more than that) I still really like the relationship they have going. I felt like this book had more action in it and I enjoyed that a lot. However, there were some slow bits here and there. They were scenes that helped establish the storyline but sometimes they felt a bit too dragged out. Maybe I was just antsy to get back to the action. I will say the ending threw me off a little. I was expecting a little more or something different? I don’t know how to talk about it without spoiling it. But other than that I throughly enjoyed this book and I can’t wait to learn more about this world and Ivy’s adventures in it!

My rating: 5/5 stars

Even a great town cannot protect Ivy from a mysterious darkness...

Only hours after Ivy Lovely discovers that she is the fulfillment of the Moonsday promise, she is whisked away from her beloved school to Belzebuthe, a secret town for only those with magical blood.

Ivy sets out on a mission to uncover the second facet of the Kindred Stone while eluding the Dark Queen's wrath. But even when she's supposed to be safe, something is shadowing Ivy. She will need all her natural-born magic and more as she battles to find the rest of the Kindred Stone and return to the Halls of Ivy.

Before it's too late...

I was so happy and grateful to receive a copy of the second book in this magical series. The copy was sent to me via NettGalley approved by the author.

I find this series so magical and whimsical! The magical creatures and magic system are so fantastic and the characters are so much fun. The friendship between Ivy, Rebecca and Fyn is the most precious part of this series.

In book 2 - The girl with the whispering shadow, Ivy Lovely's adventures begin right at the end of the previous story. Ivy has a lot to learn, and despite the fact that the Dark Queen is looking for her, Ivy wants to spend summer with her best friend Rebecca.
Troubled by a letter left by her family's scrivenist Derwin Edgar Night, she must find the secret town Belzebuthe, where she can hide from the Dark Queen who wants her dead. That is also the place where she can continue her quest to discover the next piece of the Kindred Stone.

This was such a great story with wonders and little mysteries going on that intertwined at the end. And I really enjoyed the new creatures we were introduced this time, too!
Now, I'm dying to seek at the third book to discover if order can be returned to world of scrivenry.
Enjoyed it and cannot recommend it more!

What a great continuation of The Crowns of Croswald. It began right where the first left off which is great. There was even more action and adventure and I couldn’t get enough. I really liked how there were references to events from the first book, enough to remind you of what happened but not repetitive. Ivy continues to grow as a character and I am all for it, but what I really loved was the development of the secondary characters. We got to know them more and they are friends I’d like to have.

The club Ivy joined was so refreshing. It was another way to learn about the quills instead of just through classroom lectures. I would like to learn a little more about the jewels the royals carry. We learn so much about the quills and now I find myself wanting to learn more about the stones.

This is such a fun story and the magical world is wonderful. I would love to be able to fish for stars and play Quogo. There is so much to love about this series and I can’t wait to see where it goes from here. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the gifted copy.

This was such a fun addition to Ivy's story! I enjoyed getting to know my favorite characters better, and meeting some great new ones as well. And it was so cool to learn more about this fascinating and unique world!

That being said, this book started out kind of slow for me. It didn't feel like much happened during the first third of the book and I had a harder time staying invested because of that. Once the action picked up, however, I was hooked!

I mentioned before, but one thing I love about this series is the world Night has created. It's so interesting to learn about all the different creatures and magical aspects. I really feel like I could step into this world and have an adventure of my own.

If you enjoyed the first book in this series, I would recommend giving this one a read. While I had a harder time getting into it, I still ended up enjoying this book quite a bit! I'm so interested to find out where the story goes next!

Can book 2 live up to the first? In this case yes it can and in my opinion tops the 1st book.

We get to explore more places and see Ivy grow with confidence. The subtle love story that’s simmering in the background is a lovely touch, one that isn’t over powering but makes you route for them to realise their friendship is more.

The added element of the Quogo is fabulous and an added bit of humour. If this little known series gets made into a film (which I believe it should) Quogo would be great to see on the big screen.

I find it a shame these books aren’t well known, as a teenager I would have loved to immerse myself in the Ivy’s magical world. I hope they start to build in popularity and get the recognition they deserve.

The return to Croswald drops us back into the adventures of Ivy Lovely in the best possible way. After spending the summer in The Town, Ivy finally makes her way back to the Halls.
Surrounded by Fyn, Rebecca and the rest of the QQC, Ivy's second year leads her into ever more, thoroughly enchanting misadventures.
As mysteries unfold, danger arises and the tiniest hint of love blossoms, readers are welcomed back into the treasure of Croswald.