Claire Legrand’s A Crown of Ivy and Glass is an exquisite fantasy romance full of courtly intrigue, dark magic, and an unforgettable heroine. The lush, immersive world-building is matched by Legrand’s evocative prose and emotionally complex characters. Readers will be swept away by the passion, political scheming, and the delicate exploration of inner strength and vulnerability. It's a book that balances action with romance, grandeur with intimacy. Fans of Sarah J. Maas and Holly Black will fall hard for this richly layered, emotionally powerful fantasy. A brilliant beginning to a new and addictive series.

Imogen (Gemma) Ashbourne is a vain high society lady who's been coddled by her family her whole life. The very magic that makes her family powerful causes her immense pain, sometimes just with proximity. Then there's "the panic," a seeming anxiety disorder that takes her over in high-stress situations. Though she hides the panic from most, her pain condition is known to her family-- a unique and unexplained frailty that leaves her to serve a decorative function that she largely adores. As the third daughter, she was meant to join the Roses, an order of women who fight the magical creatures that threaten from the Mist. Her older sister, Mara, took her place when the time came to do her duty, and the family has been fractured ever since. Her mother vanished, her sister left to risk her life for the Roses, and those who remained stewed in their bitter, divisive grief.

The book makes good use of a sometimes unlikeable protagonist. The more time we spend in Gemma's head, the easier it is to see how her surface-level vapidity plays into dysfunctional family dynamics and how her seeming selfishness is not only a result of her obvious wealth but also a course correction for all the pain and pity she's endured her whole life. She has suffered and continues to do so, so she takes whatever joys she can along the way. That's not to say it excuses everything she does because she does cause harm, and she ignores inconvenient truths like it's her job. It's just to say that she's the kind of complex protagonist I appreciate. She's also bi and uninterested in dimming her light for anyone else, so we give her extra points for that.

When the earnest but brooding Talan shows up at a ball Gemma organized, her father makes clear that he wants a business connection with the winemaker. Talan's driving force is undoing a great public shame that led to his family's demise, one he claims was caused by the interference of a demon. A bargain is struck between our horny pair (not judging) when Talan offers to help her track down and destroy the demon that lore suggests has been stoking a feud between the Ashbournes and another family, a feud that once nearly killed Gemma's eldest sister, Farrin. In exchange, he wants Gemma's social acumen to help him restore his family's good name. Gemma makes the alliance with the secret aim of bargaining with said demon to take away her pain. And while I love to backseat drive a character who does something as objectively foolish as seeking a demon to make a deal... I think Gemma's desperation gives her more cause than most to take a risk. It was enough to rein in any disappointment I might have in her. She deserves a chance to fight for a better existence, even if I worry about any side effects she'll come to regret.

As our two intrepid investigators sneak around to understand the feud and its potential demonic origins, Gemma fakes a tawdry affair between them whenever a cover story is required to explain all the tiptoeing around. This is not a story of virginal innocence, so our heroine's antics are par for the course in the eyes of those she dupes, and good for her. It's like a more casual form of a fake dating plot and one I found very enjoyable, especially when kissing has to be staged or Gemma's daydreams run away from her. The slow burn is real. When glamoured, they take things a step further by pretending to be husband and wife. Beyond their physical attraction, Talan's empathic ability to soothe all Gemma's pains and anxieties away is a source of fear but also great longing for our heroine. You know I love a male romantic interest best when he's not domineering, and Talan delivers. I think that having a leading straight man as an empath is a bold choice that spits in the eye of toxic masculinity. There are certainly other issues to work through for our couple, but I can't really comment further at this time because *spoilers.*

The romance isn't the only relationship of note, which is always my preference. We get to explore Gemma's love for her best friend and her complicated relationships with her dad and especially her sisters. It's a broad cast of characters who all feel vibrant and detailed. This is one of those situations where I walk away excited knowing I'll get to see more of everyone in future books.

In terms of fantasy, there's so much INTRIGUE and distrust and unknown magics. It kept me on my toes, a little bit suspicious and a lot a bit curious. There are increasingly elements of horror, as well, which add to the drama and high stakes. I love a romantasy that doesn't neglect its world at large, and this one fits the bill. I'm excited for what more is to come from this trilogy, especially what I hope will he two more scorching romances. Thanks to Sourcebooks Casablanca for my copy to read and review!

2.5
I will never, in my entire life, understand how you can know you are being pursued by, among other things, literal demons and still be like: Oh wait, time gor a five page sexy time break...

Suspenseful fantasy read that took me less than a day to finish because it was just too good to be out back on my nightstand.

Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and Claire Legrand for an advanced copy of this book.
I really enjoy flowery descriptive prose when done well which it is here! The let down was pretty much everything else. Gemma was just annoying to follow, unlikable main characters can be great but she was just annoying. I was intrigued about the idea of the magic being like a chronic illness to her but as someone with completely debilitating chronic illness I didn't know if I was offended or frustrated by her depction and she was rude and selfish beyond that. The insta love was extremely instant and nothing built upon it or explored anything interesting. I was enjoying the unique plot until a twist that made everything building up to it worthless and took away a lot of the villains interesting aspects. The magic and world building was good and I really like the ida of some of the creatures made up for this, that and the prose was the only reason I finished. And I felt every minute of the read time.

Netgally Arc (so sorry for the very late review, I had to re-read it because I noticed I had forgotten to review it when I got the arc 2 years ago...)

after a re-read of this highly anticipated book 2years ago, I remember why I hadn't finished it, and genuinely struggled to get through it. This time I finished it but almost dnf'd after every 5 chapters...

Felt like a YA fantasy instead of an adult fantasy Bridgerton X ACOTAR

The Crown of Ivy and Glass had intriguing world-building and a unique magic system, but the pacing felt uneven. The slow start with family drama gave way to rushed action later on. The romance between Gemma and Talan had moments of chemistry but felt a bit forced at times. While not completely hooked, I'm curious to see how the series develops.

Claire Legrand’s A Crown of Ivy and Glass is a lush, sweeping fantasy-romance that blends high society intrigue, dark magic, and forbidden love into an unforgettable tale. As the first book in the Middlemist Trilogy, it introduces us to Lady Gemma Ashbourne, a young woman who seemingly has it all beauty, wealth, and a family blessed by the gods. But beneath the glittering surface, Gemma is deeply lonely, struggling with a body that rejects magic like poison and a family that often forgets she exists.

Plot & Characters
Gemma’s life takes a turn when she meets Talan d’Astier, a devastatingly handsome nobleman whose family was destroyed by a demon. Determined to redeem his honor, Talan agrees to a dangerous bargain with Gemma she’ll help him navigate high society if he helps her destroy the Bask family, her family’s longtime enemies.

But their plan quickly spirals out of control. Attacks on the Middlemist are increasing, and Gemma begins to awaken something terrifying within herself a power that could either consume her or make her unstoppable.

The first half of the book takes its time establishing Gemma’s struggles, high society drama, and her complicated family dynamics. But around 75% into the story, the pacing shifts dramatically, throwing readers into fast-moving action and major revelations that feel almost rushed.

The relationship between Gemma and Talan has moments of insta-love, followed by long stretches of uncertainty and back-and-forth emotions. One moment, they’re deeply connected, the next, they’re questioning everything

Legrand’s worldbuilding is rich, her magic system is unique, and Gemma’s struggles with chronic illness and loneliness add a deeply emotional layer to the story. While some readers found the pacing uneven, the romance, tension, and mystery make this a compelling read

This was an okay read. It was a classic romantasy with a lot of a cookie cutter pieces. It was pitched as Bridgerton/ACOTAR but I just wish it was edited/reworked a little bit more. Some aspects were great and I probably would continue with the series. There's enough to make me want to know how the story turns out.

While I enjoyed this book, it felt like something was missing. Sadly, I wasn't able to get into it right away. I am still planning to read the next book in this series!

Full review and links to social will be posted as soon as possible.

I'd like to thank the publisher Sourcebooks Casablanca and Netgalley for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book - perfect for fantasy readers! It started a little slow and it was not love at first sight for me with the FMC - I’m glad I stuck with it. Flawed humans with depth and I am intrigued by the world the author developed.

*A Crown of Ivy and Glass* is fantasy novel that mixes magic, romance, and political drama. The story follows a young woman caught in a complicated world, Legrand does a decent job of creating a detailed magical world that feels real and immersive. However, it is a slow read and it does eventually pick up but I wish it would've picked up faster.

I was surprised by how quickly I wanted to DNF this book. I didn't because honestly I really wanted to clear it off my Overdue Netgalley ARC list.

Rather than try to elaborate too much, here is a list of what I did not enjoy:
1. Minus the sex scenes that I was NOT expecting, this is a YA book. Nothing else makes it adult, which makes me feel like CL added the extra spice to get an adult rating. The sex scenes just felt like they came from out of nowhere.
2. In a 600 page book, I feel like I read 3. So many plots that led nowhere or again, came from out of left field.
3. The things I wanted to know more about were glossed over or ignored.
4. Talon
5. Gemma
6. A lot of prose could have been left out as much of the book was excess
7. Talon & Gemma together

What I liked:
1. The magic system
2. The Queen
3. The Bask siblings
4. Mara and the Roses

Because I also had the audio, I have to say that overall I enjoyed Evelyn Rose's narration, except for Talon. I swear his accent changed about 3 different times! But her accent for the Basks was perfection.

In the end, eh. I'm just glad book 2 is about Farrin and Ryder, so I will give it a try.

DNF would consider coming back to at some point but was just not the right book at the time for me. Would still recommend to any fantasy fans to give it a try, just a miss for me.

I'm a huge fan of Legrand's Furyborn series, so I was so excited to crack into this one.

What she always does well, is world-building. This is an expansive world woven together quite intricately. What really fell short for me was the characters. I wish this book had given me more, but it just fell flat. It's super disappointing knowing what Legrand is capable of.

Overall, it was decent, but would definitely have liked to see her do more.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for the e-book copy!

I was not entirely familiar with this author's previous work but this story seemed like it would be good. I ultimately ended up having to DNF due to a lack of interest. I did not care for the main character and in turn, started not to care for the plot. I would be open to reading this author's future work but this just did not work for me.

So excited to finish this trilogy! The cover, the plot, the character, perfect! I would expect nothing less from Furyborn herself.

I was really excited for this book. I love the setup of the world and the magic system, and I think I would have enjoyed reading more about Mara. Unfortunately, I found the main characters unpleasant and the majority of the plot boring.

I really enjoyed the Furyborn series and had high hopes for this series. I do plan to continue on in the trilogy, but felt that is book was only an average read.

Gemma is one of three sisters born to a family of high society whose life has almost everything in it, except that she has no magical abilities. She eventually teams up with Talan, her eventual love interest, to defeat the demon behind her family's feud with another family.

I really enjoyed the world Legrand created, however I felt little connection to Gemma. The love story between Talan and her felt like insta-love. The plot felt like it was meandering for way too long. We don't meet the antagonist until way too far into the book.