Can I just put it out there?? Claire Legrand's world building is phenomenal. Pitched as Bridgerton meets ACOTAR....give it all to me. Now with that being said, let's dig into it.

Imogen 'Gemma' Ashbourne is surrounded by a world of magic...and it's killing her. Every day is filled with pain and sickness. Magic doesn't agree with her. To combat her daily life, she embraces a life of beauty from fashion and luster to parties and lovers. Her family is anointed by the gods and involved in a blood feud with a fellow anointed family, but Gemma doesn't concern herself with such trivialities.

Until a mysterious man comes under her father's influence and into her heart, but his intentions may not be honest. Now, Gemma's life is turned upside down. She's able to cast small amounts of magic, she's forgetting her dearest friends, and she's on the hunt for the demon who's messing with her family. Can Gemma save her family and end her own suffering? Or can her love save the day and her life?

What I liked:
-The world building obviously, Legrand is a master and I'd happily live in her magic systems.
-I also love the sense of mystery she embeds into her characters. They're so well thought out and I think that's another reason why some reviewers aren't too keen on this book. Gemma starts the book out as a privileged and honestly, seriously unlikeable. However, that's the point. Her character arc's growth is her journey in this first book and I hope the growth continues into the second book.
-Farrin and Ryder's chemistry. Can the second book just be from their POVs PLEASE!!!

What I though needed some work:
-A lot of reviewers said there is a complete disconnect between the first half of the book and the second half, and I have to agree with them. I'm hoping before the book is released there's some sort of work to merge the two halves together. I enjoyed both halves, but it was a rather dramatic transition.
-I also thought the relationship between Gemma and her bestie needed some tweaking in the second half because the drama felt unresolved (even though I know it's a series). I just thought it needed a tad more salve to get to the point it was when the book ended.

All in all, I'm very excited for this beauty to land on my shelf in May.

A CROWN OF IVY AND GLASS hits stores May 9, 2023. Pre-Order!!!

My thanks to Netgalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

"...something immense and terrifying is awakening in Gemma, drawing her inexorably toward Talan and an all-consuming passion that could destroy her—or show her the true strength of her power at last."

Legrand is a must read for me and this novel has the potential to start a great series. The start feels meandering and I felt a love/hate relationship with Gemma and a great need to just get to the point. The story gains speed and we get going with a great cast of characters, a unique magic system, a mysterious villan, and enemies around every corner...and then it ends! So ultimately, I need more. I have faith this will undergo more editing and all the great parts will be joined.

I love Claire Legrand. A Crown of Ivy and Glass was not well-edited in the slightest. It feels like someone at Sourcebooks really let down the fanbase. This felt less mature, less tied-together than any of her other works, despite it being her adult debut. It was a really strange story attempting to do a dozen things at once, the main character did not feel likeable or relatable despite the great chronic pain representation, and the dialogue (specifically from Talan D’Astier) was very clunky. DNF’d @ 39%

A crown of ivy and glass is a story filled with so many emotions. I loved every minute of this rollercoaster. The characters were a delight and i cannot wait to read the next books in the series.

Legrand’s story is amazingly rich in lore and complex characters so well-woven that you absolutely lose yourself. She is a master at a slow build story that keeps you on your toes wondering what will happen next.

Gemma is a struggle to tolerate in the beginning, coming across as a vapid twit but as we learn more about her struggles with pain and panic, we start to slowly understand her ways and what lies below the surface. Alone in her life and struggling with chronic pain leave her turning to the few things that offer any kind of distraction.

Gemma’s character grows with the story. It leads you places you don’t expect. I truly can’t wait to see where the story and characters go with the next book!

Full on epic style fantasy.

This has been a challenge to review as there are elements I enjoyed such as the details surrounding the Mist and certain characters like Ryder. But there are too many sections which are overly long, especially the inner dialogue and the descriptions which means it’s easy to lose the narrative. I’m also still unclear what Gemma’s purpose is and hope that the bond between her sisters and her are picked up on in the next, making the, work together more cohesively.

All in all, there is so much potential in this series and I feel- and hope- that the following book will be a more compelling read. I’ve certainly felt that about other big fantasy series which I have gone on to love so fingers crossed!

A Crown of Ivy and Glass is the first book of a planned trilogy written by Claire Legrand. This author has written a number of other books but this is the first in the adult realm. Legrand does a great job setting the stage and characters in a short amount of time. The description of the world is very luscious and we are thrown pretty quickly into Gemma’s world and plot with Talan.

As the book went on, in particular in the middle and three-quarters of the way through, the plot felt heavy with all the details and plot points in one book. There were some loose threads that I hope will be taken care of in future books.

Ultimately I did really enjoy this book and the characters. I look forward to future sequels! Thanks NetGalley for the ARC!

CLAIRE LEGRAND HAS DONE IT AGAIN

I'm honestly confused by the negative reviews of this ARC. The main character does start out slightly annoying, but I found it to be done in a very relatable way (lol) and her character growth was realistic and incredible to watch.

This is pitched as ACOTAR meets Bridgerton, which is BOLD. And besties, let me tell you....IT'S CORRECT. I 100% see both comparisons, the vibes are perfection, and I really couldn't put this down. The plot is wild, and the book didn't feel too long to me at all, I loved the pacing.

Gemma and her sisters are incredible, I love how different they are and it does remind me of a certain three sisters in ACOTAR for sure.

Officially my most anticipated new adult fantasy series!!!!!!

I liked this book and look forward to future books! It felt like a pretty long book but all parts were necessary.

Believe me, no one is more surprised than me.

What in the world happened?? With a pitch that is Bridgerton meets ACOTAR written by Claire Legrand, author of one of my all-time favourite epic fantasies, this should have been a home run. I mean, everything was screaming my name and instead I am left incredibly disappointed.

This felt like two separate books crammed together without any sort of seamless transition. I loved the first half. Like, that was what I wanted. It was Bridgerton glamour and romance with a fantasy twist. Gemma and Talan have an instant attraction that leads them to team up to a) help him restore respect to his family name and business and b) help her figure out a way to spy on the Basks and allow her family to win the feud that has raged between them. There was room for them to get to know each other and fall in love, all while travelling through magical portals and disguising their appearances to get one over on the Basks. It was fun and sweet and worth spending 500 pages on.

And then everything just sort of ... unravelled. It took about four turns that suddenly dropped the story into full ACOTAR territory, and not in a good way. And it was quickly after this point that the book felt unnecessarily long and I lost interest. There was a bigger mystery coming to light, monsters, undead allies, new magic—and none of it excited me. WHAT HAPPENED?! Gemma came into her own with self-discovery and taking control and it felt very (lord forgive me) Mary Sue.

Honestly, I question why Gemma had to be the first character to focus on for this series. What I liked most about her was the chronic pain rep Legrand invested in her. For some reason, Gemma not only doesn't have magic of her own like the rest of her family, but the magic around her actively harms her. She has to limit where and who she spends time with to avoid being on bedrest for several days. It was wonderfully and respectfully done, but outside of that, the girl was not pleasant. Gemma is the youngest of three sisters, and it kind of shows in how she behaves. She is rather vain, somewhat selfish and dismissive of others if it doesn't suit her, and is often focused on appearances. Normally, I wouldn't have an issue with an unlikeable character like this, especially when part of their arc is to turn those traits to good, but there was something about her that was off and made me not want to be with her. The whole time, I wanted to be in her sisters' heads instead.

Speaking of which, Farrin and Ryder. They better be the next book because I will eat that sh!t up. I mean, I was practically chomping at the bit with the tiny glimpses we got. And the fact that those little blips were more interesting than the romance between Gemma and Talan? Dead. If I have to say "is this really the time?" with every steamy scene, something is wrong. I admit, I didn't really trust Talan after a few scenes and thought Gemma deserved better. In hindsight, what he did makes sense, but it kind of soured him for me. What I did like about him, though, ties into Gemma's chronic pain. For one, he was respectful as f*ck about it, but he also served as a way to soothe her pain as an empath. It created an interesting dynamic between them of how much Gemma needed to be clear-headed or with him and managing her pain as is.

I think I'm getting to the point that I am going to swear off romances from Sourcebooks. There are a few more authors I'm going to keep with, but I no longer trust this imprint. I have read so many flops that feel as though no editor dug into the story to help the author shape it into what it needs to be, and I'm over being constantly disappointed.

Overall I thought this was a strong first book in a series. I enjoyed the cross between fantasy and Bridgerton type romance. Some fun surprises and loved the sisterhood aspects of the 3 sisters. I’m curious to see where this story goes throughout the rest of the series.

I really wanted to like this book, especially since I know how well-loved her Furyborn series is. And I can't lie, expectations were set decently high at the literal description of the book being a mix of Bridgerton and ACOTAR. Sadly, it disappointed me on all fronts and I DNFed at around 30-40%. Overall, I just really did not like the main protagonist. There were interesting themes to explore with her illness and occasional guilt, but I found her vapid and vain with few redeeming characteristics (at least up until the point I read, maybe she becomes much less selfish and irritating later). The main love interest was just kind of boring too. I expected even a decent read at worst since the plot sounded so interesting, but I was disappointment. Maybe it's just not my thing but I didn't enjoy my time reading this book.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This story is a high fantasy about a selfish anxiety riddled young adult woman. I absolutely loved it.

This story is adult. It deals with very adult topics like self-harm, suicide ideation, grief, and just generally wondering what you're supposed to do in the world and if you're meant to be here. The main character isn't roses and sunshine- she's selfish and flawed and entitled, and she's the protagonist we all need in our lives. Everyone will be able to see themselves in Gemma, as we all see our flaws and ruminate on them day in and day out, just as she does. We try to cover them and make the world think we are doing fine, just as she does. We all feel like we aren't worthy at our core, just as she does.

The world building, character development, and overarching plot of this story make it one of my top 5 for the year out of over 100 books. This book was like a Juniper & Thorn crossed with Annihilation, then throw in a good amount of romance, family curses, and high society politics. I'm not going to sum up the plot, I think it's better left a mystery with all the twists and turns. Just know that if you like ACOTAR, dark fantasy, romance, mystery, and twists, you'll enjoy this. I loved it, and I hope that you will too.

I really enjoyed this book! I flew through it on one afternoon and I am so sad that it's over. The author did a great job with the plot and keeping the story moving with no stagnant parts. The characters were very relatable and fun to learn. Great read!

Thank you Netgalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for allowing me to read the digital ARC of A Crown of Ivy and Glass in exchange for my honest review.

I wanted to like this book, I really did but there was something about Gemma that I just could not connect with, and maybe it partly has to do with the fact that in the very first introduction to the main character she talks about how much she enjoys her privilege and wealth. Her immaturity and naivety were something I couldn't really get over as the book progressed, especially as she didn't seem to go through enough growth for me.

i don't like not finishing ARCs, but this is one that I sadly couldn't finish just based on my lack of ability to connect with the main character.

I think my expectations were too high about the beginning book of new fantasy series after reading Empirium trilogy! As one of the biggest fans the author, I wished I enjoyed the first book of the series a little more! The world building is little weak! I wanted to know more about Gallinor and magic system. It didn’t reveal so much at the beginning. This book also seems like more YA romance than fantasy. Because the main purpose of Gemma Ashbourne was a little vague.

I also have to admit both Gemma and Talan were not my kind of likable MCs. They were childish, impulsive. Gemma’s long repetitive inner thoughts made me bored and Talan is not the charismatic, strong hero I was looking for, apologizing for each action he takes. Oh boy! Just trust your instincts. Stop being so insecure!

Overall: I found this book a little flat and characters were irritating but I still keen on giving second chance for the upcoming installments. Sometimes the beginning of the trilogies can be problematic and the other books of the series can fix the problems of the previous book with satisfying conclusion! This author is genius and I adored, reread her previous works so I’m still curious enough to read the second book while I’m crossing my fingers to enjoy it more!

Special thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest thoughts.

As much as I wanted to love this book, I just could never get into the plot or characters. Both just fell flat for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this novel. I encourage you to check this one out! Wonderful adventure.

A really unfortunate DNF at 20%. I desperately wanted to love A Crown of Ivy and Glass (I mean, can you really ask for any more than Bridgerton meets ACOTAR?), but this book was such a let down.

I didn't connect to Gemma, the protagonist, at all. I found her quite annoying and weak. The "romance" between Talan and Gemma was also way too insta-lovey for me. They met and then basically went straight to making out and wanting to rip each others' clothes off. There was no build-up, so the romantic scenes they had meant nothing to me as the reader.

Characters and ships make or break books for me. If this book's plot was bad, I probably wouldn't care as much and would be tempted to carry on, but I can't justify spending any more time on A Crown of Ivy and Glass.

I'd rate what I've read so far 1.5 stars.

4.5ish stars but could change
First things first, I don't think this book is for everyone. That goes for both triggers and writing, to be honest. I really liked this book, but I can't really say if that's due to my unconditional love for Claire Legrand and everything she writes or the actual craft of it. It didn't meet my (frankly unreasonable) expectations, but I did truly enjoy ACOIAG and its writing and characters.
Now onto the actual meat of the review! To begin with, I had mixed thoughts on the characters most of the time. I often didn't like their personalities or occasional naivete, but I did like how they were developed and how they interacted with one another, which I've always considered a strength of Legrand's. One of my favorite aspects of this was the similarities between these new characters and her old ones. A lot of this that I saw was more in dynamics, but I loved that some traits were much like that of characters from the Empirium Trilogy, but I still didn't find them insanely predictable.
Next up, relationships of all sorts. First of all, I do think that this is one of those fantasy romance books where it's both fantasy and romance, but it leans so heavily on the romance in the beginning that you get frustrated that there isn't enough fantasy. The novel starts off with a huge, world-changing event with the Middlemist, but for the first half, all Gemma ever thinks about is Talan and occasionally her social status. I wished it was more fantasy there, but it definitely leans into the heavier aspects later. In terms of Talan and Gemma, I actually really liked them, but not /all/ the time. They're that couple where you need them to see straight, but you absolutely appreciate their acceptance of one another regardless. Even when I'm wary of a Legrand character, I always love how much respect and affection they show to those close to them. The friendships later in this book were really when the relationships shone for me. I don't want to spoil, but we met some characters that I really loved, and they were so amazing to one another.
Lastly(ish), plot and world-building. I didn't find the world the most digestible, but I was on page with the plot and world until like the last few chapters. Otherwise, there was a lot of great content. Was it the fastest? Not really. I pride myself on fast, one-sitting reading, and that didn't really pan out here. However, I didn't think the book was tremendously hurt by it. The world was so rich, and I loved the complexity of the demons and politics and greenways and the like.
Overall, I wouldn't recommend this to /everyone/, but I certainly enjoyed it. Every book Legrand writes feels new even with their similarities, and that's why I'd say those who only like the Empirium Trilogy should stay away. It wasn't the perfection I wanted or even that similar to its comp titles, but I loved it and can't wait for book two!