I read the first book in march and really liked it, so you can expect that I’d have high expectations for the second one, and I am glad to say that it exceeded all my expectations!! I have nothing except good things to say, the story, the characters, the scenes, were all so well written I felt as if I was a part of the story! I am grinning like a Cheshire cat while writing this review because I am just thinking of going and rereading it again and again. It’s definitely in my comfort reads list.

I absolutely love the friendship dynamic in the book, like Ivy and Rebecca are friendship goals, also this may be a tiny spoiler but we see more of Ivy and Finn, they are so freaking cute! Also I have to say this book made me wanna read the third immediately, but I am holding out till I can get the book. Also, because I am obsessed dragons, as most you might know, I am just gonna say that there’s a very cool scene that made me love Rebecca more!!

It’s a middle grade fantasy, and is the perfect escape for adults and a new world to discover for children!! I would a hundred percent recommend this to anyone who’s into magic, dragons and adventures!!

I would like to acknowledge and thank netgally, the author and the publisher for an ARC.

This book was honestly a little slow for me. It was still interesting, but it seemed like the story was just dragging in a few places. I will say that I did enjoy the addition of the new characters and Ivy’s secret club too. It was also nice to see the previous characters like Fyn and Rebecca back. One thing I did really like was the secret town. It was really cool to read about and was a fun addition. Overall, I enjoyed the book, but the ending was a little slow for me.

Thank you to Stories Untold Press and Net Galley! The Girl with the Whispering Shadow is the second entry in D.E Night's The Crowns of Croswald series. It follows Ivy Lovely in the wake of having learnt of her royal heritage and being tasked by her family's scrivenist with guarding and completing an important gem.

If you love fantasy and are in need of a new series to get lost in, I definitely think this is worth a read. It's a strong follow-up to the first novel. The world-building and descriptions are my favourite parts. I really enjoyed the beginning of the story set in Belzebuthe. I also think that the author did a better job of fleshing out some of the characters. Rebecca and Fyn really feel like great friends to have and they elevate the story when they're around. This book didn't hold my attention as fully as the previous one, although I think the story as a whole has improved. The pace was slower and it definitely felt like a link between books, necessary for Ivy's development and journey but not always as engaging. However, it's worth the read for the descriptions alone. Ivy's world is vividly painted and it makes you want to delve right in and enjoy the ride.

When it comes down to it, The Girl with the Whispering Shadow is a fun read and I would recommend this series to fans of middle-grade fantasy!

This is such an amazing series and I loved reading more in this amazing world that D.E. Night has created. ⁣
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I have loved watching Ivy grow and develop over these two books. She is such an amazing and lovable character that you just continually root for. ⁣
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I couldn't help but devour this one, especially with all the new risks and dangers that Ivy and her friends face. ⁣
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I cannot wait to read the next book in this series!

I am so glad that I kept reading this series. I liked the first one and knew there was potential for the story and the characters and I was not disappointed. The timid side of Ivy gave way to seeing her become more comfortable and confident in her magical abilities. Her friendship with Rebecca has also grown stronger. There is a love interest in the story with Fyn but it is completely age-appropriate. This is a great book for middle-grade readers, both boys and girls.

The descriptions of places, people, and magic are also better in this book. I feel like we are getting a better window into how the magic system works. I look forward to continuing this series.

Thank you, NetGalley for the chance to read this book!

I really enjoyed this book! The whole world is so well thought out and it is so well written that you can imagine everything in immense detail! Although it took a little bit of time to get to the excitement of the story it helped to build up to it and make it even more gripping! I didn’t know what was coming next! The storylines are very clever and extremely well written! This book is just as good as the first one in the series and I can’t wait to read the third!

This is book two in the series and we find Ivy Lovely right where we left her, wrapping up her first school year at the Halls of Ivy where she is learning to become a scrivinist. Following the directions of her family's scrivinist, Ivy heads to Belzebuthe, a secret town where she hopes she will be able to stay safe. Ivy learns more about her new magical world and about her own magic but she can't help but feel like something is wrong.

This book is packed with lots of action and excitement and it kept me really engaged. I think I liked it even more than the first book. Ivy is passionate and a heroine you like to root for. I hope to see her find some more confidence as she learns more about herself and her abilities. I'm really enjoying this series so far, and definitely plan to read more!

Here we follow Ivy on her adventure to recover the three parts of the stone, that belongs to her royal family. Along side with Derwin she learns more of her power and so she goes on an adventure with Fyn and Rebecca to recover one part of the stone. But the Dark Queen descovers the location to the secret town and tries to retrieve the stone, 'cause she needs it. I loved how friendship turns into something really important in this book, but for me there were parts that I didn't care like the games or the description of places, but I did enjoy the other parts like the ones where she is facing the Dark Queen

Genre: Fantasy/Middle Grade
Pages: 384

If you love Harry Potter or magic in general, this is the series for you. This book picks up where the last one ended. Despite this being a middle grade book, I thoroughly enjoyed it.
The pacing held my attention and the plot wasn't overly complicated. We get to see Ivy's character grow in this book and her relationship deepen with Rebecca and Fyn. Glad to see that we got additional characters too!

Overall, a fun & magical book that'll entertain all ages!

For more book reviews, follow me @literaturewithalatte

I love how magical this series is! Just the whole concept of magic coming from pens and stones is a fun. This second book in the Crowns of Croswald series finds the protagonist, Ivy, where she left off in the previous story. She is still in danger and must hide. The place she hides is both secret and endearing. We are privileged to see Ivy grow deeper friendships and gain confidence in her abilities and who she is to her world. My only complaint about this book was a scene where Ivy's friends encouraged her to do something of questionable morality and safety. There were consequences for the actions, but I truly felt her friends' actions were out of character. However, it was a a small plot point, and the rest of the story was a delight. I received a digital copy of this book for free for an honest review.

Whoosh! And we're back from our latest thrilling visit to the Magical School of Ivy Hall. Our detour trip on the cabby through The Town, Belzebuthe, was quite the experience as well. Once again, a reminder to travel as light as possible.

Can you still remember where we ended off in the first instalment, The Crowns of Croswald? Yes, the Dark Queen made a dark and watery appearance at the Ball and we discovered that Ivy Lovely's name isn't just plucked from a leave, oh no - she is a direct descendant from the magical inhabitants of Ivy Hall and the walls are there to protect her.

Okay, she did attend the Ball without the proper clearance and all hell broke lose, so it's only fair that she needed to be punished. Luckily she had a whole summer to think of all her indiscretions and to ponder on her lineage and the best part of all - she got to spend it with her best friend, Rebecca. Or at least, that's what she thought. Yes, she needed to be punished, but her safe keeping under the severest protection, was still the first priority. So whoosh, she gets tumbled (quite literally) off to Belzebuthe, a Town with a protection spell that the Dark Queen cannot enter.

When dark and stormy clouds enter the Town, Ivy's ban from Ivy Hall was revoked by The Selector. Or is there a more sinister presence that wants Ivy between the walls of her ancestors? And who do we trust here? And will the missing pieces of the Kindred Stone be found? Questions questions questions! Luckily we have a large number of scrivenists and magical quills to help us find the answers.

The Girl with the Whispering Shadow (just wait till you discover the meaning behind the title, it truly is a thrilling revelation!) is a wonderful sequel to The Crowns of Croswald and we were very glad to meet up with the hairies and Humboldt again. Meeting a few new magical creatures just made this an even more enjoyable read.

How wonderful to know that book 3 and 4 in this series are available as well. Now we just need to squeeze in the time to finish this delightful tale that can be enjoyed by young and old.

“The Girl with the Whispering Shadow” is the second book in The Crowns of Croswald series, written by D.E Night. I was, again, contacted by their publicist Daniela and they offered me a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
The concept of this book is similar to the first, it revolves around a school of magic, The Ivy Halls, where several students who have a gift for magic are invited to study and develop their skills. There are two categories of magic manifestation, and all young nobles are entitled to a crown with a stone that gives them a specific ability, having to learn how to use it. On the other hand, we have those who can become scrivenists, magicians with the ability to draw everything they see with precision, having a photographic memory, and the function of studying and writing about all their discoveries in order to contribute to the advancement of magic. In addition, each noble family is assigned a scrivenist. The concept is what makes this book amazing and beautiful, it was what enchanted me the most, because throughout my reading I always felt that I was in a magical and joyful world, being able to immerse myself in it. That's why I give the concept two stars.
Regarding the story, we continue to follow Ivy's point of view after the events of the first book. The new school year starts at the Ivy Halls and Ivy is not allowed to study there, as she would be too unprotected and exposed to the Dark Queen. So, the solution arranged by the director and Derwin was to send Ivy to a secret city, hidden by the mists in the middle of a forest, of which no one knows its location, not even the Dark Queen. It is there that scrivenists train and study their magic without being discovered. It is in this city that all adventures will begin, as strange things are happening and no one knows how or why. In general terms, the story has the same strengths and weaknesses as the first, the story is very easy to read and its fun, however it can get a little predictable, so I give it one star.
The protagonist is Ivy Lovely, a seventeen-year-old girl who has already completed a year at the magical school of the Ivy Halls. She remains an upbeat, fun-loving, empathetic and friendly to others, young woman, helping everyone whenever she can. However, since the first book there hasn't been a big growth as a character, I felt that she was the same and that she hasn't changed in the face of the events of the first book. Despite this, Ivy continues to make the story more magical, as we follow her adventures in the secret city of Belzebuthe, she is enchanted and impressed by everything she sees, bringing the magical atmosphere of the book to the fore. I give one star.
As for the antagonist, we have the Dark Queen again, the current queen of Croswald. In this book we find out a little more about her plans and why she didn't kill Ivy in the final battle at the masked ball and how she managed to get in without anyone knowing. I still don't really like the queen as an antagonist, because she didn't appear throughout the story, we always followed her minion, which made the threat not seem as serious as it was. I continue to give zero stars.
The various secondary characters remain, for the most part, the same, we have Fyn and Rebecca and when Ivy is in Belzebuthe, she meets other students who are part of the Quogo Club and forms a friendship with all of them. Fyn is Ivy's love interest and they get a little bit closer to each other in this book. He remains a polite and friendly young man and we see a little more of his personality in this book, seeing his passions and his more rebellious side, so to speak. On the contrary, Rebecca is Ivy's roommate, a noblewoman with a cheerful and fun personality, she is Ivy's best friend, helping her whenever she needs it, even when the plans might be a little risky. I liked all the characters, but I felt there wasn't much growth, they're all the same, so I give one star.
In short, I give, again, five stars out of ten to the second book in the saga The Crowns of Croswald. However, I want to make it clear that this is a middle grade story, that is, it is for children, and since I would recommend this book to that target audience, I think it would be a good story to start in the fantasy genre.

This was a great addition to this series. Once I started reading I could not put it down! What a wonderful adventure perfect for young readers who love adventure.

3.5 stars but let’s round it up to 4.

I received this e-book from the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review, and for this I would like to thank everyone involved in allowing me access. I’m extremely grateful!

I’ve already read the first volume, which I enjoyed, and I now moved on to the second volume of Ivy’s adventures. I highly appreciated the writing style in the first volume, and we have the same writing here. We don’t sense any changes, which I enjoyed as it feels like we are continuing where we left of.

The story makes a lot of sense considering the first volume. I liked the transition, which was gradual. We don’t sense we’ve left the characters for a long time and a lot has happened so we need to catch up. However, as a downside, I felt the development was too slow. I sensed the same in the first volume, but I’ve felt it made sense as we were being introduced to the new world developed by the author. By the time we reach the second volume, we are already familiar with the environment, so the action could have developed faster, at least during the first half. The second half is more fast paced, which I enjoyed.

I’ve felt several Harry Potter vibes, closer to the end of the book. I love Harry Potter but I don’t know where I stand with the Harry Potter vibes on this book, as the story could be much more, so there’s no need to reuse an already used formula. Still, I would recommend, both this and the first volume!

This review will also be available at my Goodreads profile and later at my instagram profile - @cat.literary.world

A great second book in this series. I was transported back into Ivy’s magical world where her life is being threatened by the Dark Queen and the adults around her are trying to protect her.

Initial thoughts - full review to come soon!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, even more so than the first! It is a perfect read for middle schoolers with all its magic, adventure, & fun. There was excellent growth in the characters & the story plot from book one. I am loving the budding relationship between Ivy & Fyn!!!

I can't wait to pick up the third installment with my niece & nephew.

What an amazing sequel!

The book picks up almost immediately after the events of the first book. The story continues with Ivy Lovely and her quest to find who she really is and is tasked to find a mysterious town that can only be found by few.

It was amazing to go back to this amazing world and all its inhabitants, from the hairies, plants, mythical creatures and to see Ivy become more and more at ease with her mission. The town was absolutely wonderful and exciting, especially because its where all the scrivenits come from. I especially loved the magic system and how it worked and how important it was to not take it for granted.

I am absolutely excited to continue with the series and see where the story will take us.

Definitely another installment that couldn’t quite make it to 4🌟:

This second book in The Crowns of Croswald Series was definitely more action packed and exciting than the last and I enjoyed it more than the first. I still feel like there’s just too much going on at once without enough depth to it to really keep me engaged and attached to the characters. A lot of the side characters feel underdeveloped, but then play a large part of important scenes, and the large jumps in time made it even harder for me to feel really invested in any of them.

Overall, it’s a fun series and I’m still curious to see where it goes, but it’s hard to place it high on my to-be-read pile currently. I’d say if I could I’d give it 3.75🌟 at most.

I will likely read further installments at some point but there are other books I’m more eager to get to first.

I liked this second book in the Crowns of Croswald series by D.E. Night better than the first one. Maybe it is, because I am more familiar with the characters and the world, but I think it is because the book is just deeper than the first one.

I still feel like I am missing a lot of world building information, such as the political system, the royals and the squinches, though we do get to know more about the scrivenists at least. We also get a lot of in depth information about Quogo, the main “sport” in Croswald, which is very magical and entertaining. There are of course many other magical things that are interesting and beautiful, such as starfishing and the creatures the characters run across.
I loved how funny many of the scenes were, such as the potion fight, and the shadow of doom not always looming over the characters. It was still much darker than the first book as Ivy now knows she is being hunted and that the future of Croswald rests of her shoulders, which leaves her constantly worrying and like she is not doing enough.
I like her character arc in this book, she relies heavily on her friends and while she does not ask grown ups for help, she is always willing to rely on her friends (who are much less qualified, but still somehow manage). But seriously, grown ups can help you, use their knowledge! You don’t have to do everything alone.
The characters in general feel a lot more three-dimensional than in the first book, showing their own interests, feelings and fears. I also enjoyed getting to know Ivy’s new friend group, I think a lot of the characters there have a lot of potential and hope the author uses it in the sequels.
Another positive note is that parts of the prologue are mentioned within the first chapters and you can start putting together clues and figure out what’s going on – much faster than Ivy of course, so you have to wait for her to figure it out as well.
The plot itself ties neatly together, there is a red string you can follow through the whole book and pick up a lot of additional information along the way. Still, there are many scenes that give you a “breather” from the main plot and show the characters in new lights, which is also important and makes them feel more alive.
Many things are still very obviously inspired by another franchise, but the author puts a new spin on them, making it a very enjoyable read.

I was SO excited when I was asked to review the 2nd book of The Crowns of Croswald! Thank you Netgalley, D.E. Night and Stories Untold for this Ebook.

Ivy is in Belzebuthe, a secret town where scrivenists go for protection. Until she's invited back by a mysterious letter to the Halls of Ivy, this is where she lives, works and does school work. When she's back at the Halls of Ivy she keeps running into situations with a shadow. She's also on the main quest to find the second piece of the Kindred Stone. Between secret quills club, the secret town, invisible creatures, spells, and battles with the Dark Queens doings, The Girl with the Whispering Shadow is sure to keep you on your toes!

This book was so magical! It's really something when your mind is able to set the scene. Nothing short of amazing.

My favorite character in this book has to be Ivy this time! She's just so cool. She's got such a beautiful soul. She is a great friend, loyal, adventurous, and brave.

If you need to escape from the real world and really love magic, spells, secret battle clubs, giant invisible creatures you use for transportation, and an all around exciting adventure then snag this book up!