Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.62 AVERAGE
3.62 AVERAGE
This was a good book. I now this book is leaning more towards younger readers and I feel like I would have enjoyed it more if I was younger. However, I thought the story itself was interesting and easy to follow. I did enjoy where the story led and I think the rest of the series could be interesting.
I will say that there are a few similarities to Harry Potter, but it didn't affect the way I read the book at all. I thought the idea of scrivenists was actually really interesting and I loved reading about it. Honestly, I wished there was more detail about what scrivenists do and the kinds of things Ivy was learning about in school as it was kind of glazed over. However, maybe there's more information in the other books.
I enjoyed seeing Ivy make friends and new relationships. This definitely gave a good insight into who Ivy is as a person and a friend. However, I found that we missed the growth in the relationship with one of the characters and never really got to see how deep their relationship was.
Overall, it was a good book and I would definitely recommend this book to younger readers.
I will say that there are a few similarities to Harry Potter, but it didn't affect the way I read the book at all. I thought the idea of scrivenists was actually really interesting and I loved reading about it. Honestly, I wished there was more detail about what scrivenists do and the kinds of things Ivy was learning about in school as it was kind of glazed over. However, maybe there's more information in the other books.
I enjoyed seeing Ivy make friends and new relationships. This definitely gave a good insight into who Ivy is as a person and a friend. However, I found that we missed the growth in the relationship with one of the characters and never really got to see how deep their relationship was.
Overall, it was a good book and I would definitely recommend this book to younger readers.
Thank you so much to the author and the publisher for this review copy! The Crown of Croswald is a fun, magical YA book and I enjoyed it a lot, though there were a few aspects that made certain parts a struggle to get into for me.
From the first page, I was super intrigued by this unique story. There was a very cool magic system and the details given about the world were entrancing. I think the author did a great job of worldbuilding and making this magical world a lovable place for the reader.
There were several times where I was pulled out of the scene a little and felt like it was hard to follow the reasoning for the main characters actions. This is mainly because I felt like the main character, Ivy, was a little underdeveloped and underexplored. I would’ve loved to see more of her thought processes instead of just her actions. The book was written in third person, so I can understand a little disconnect, but I felt a disconnect with Ivy that hasn’t happened to me in other third person novels (I actually love this pov normally).
If you don’t mind this sort of feeling with the protagonist you might love this book, but unfortunately it just didn’t work well for me as a reader. I’m very sad that I didn’t enjoy this as much as I thought I would, but I’m still glad I read it!
From the first page, I was super intrigued by this unique story. There was a very cool magic system and the details given about the world were entrancing. I think the author did a great job of worldbuilding and making this magical world a lovable place for the reader.
There were several times where I was pulled out of the scene a little and felt like it was hard to follow the reasoning for the main characters actions. This is mainly because I felt like the main character, Ivy, was a little underdeveloped and underexplored. I would’ve loved to see more of her thought processes instead of just her actions. The book was written in third person, so I can understand a little disconnect, but I felt a disconnect with Ivy that hasn’t happened to me in other third person novels (I actually love this pov normally).
If you don’t mind this sort of feeling with the protagonist you might love this book, but unfortunately it just didn’t work well for me as a reader. I’m very sad that I didn’t enjoy this as much as I thought I would, but I’m still glad I read it!
3.5/5 stars
Thank you so much to the author and the publisher for this review copy! The Crown of Croswald is a fun, magical YA book and I enjoyed it a lot, though there were a few aspects that made certain parts a struggle to get into for me.
From the first page, I was super intrigued by this unique story. There was a very cool magic system and the details given about the world were entrancing. I think the author did a great job of worldbuilding and making this magical world a lovable place for the reader.
There were several times where I was pulled out of the scene a little and felt like it was hard to follow the reasoning for the main characters actions. This is mainly because I felt like the main character, Ivy, was a little underdeveloped and underexplored. I would’ve loved to see more of her thought processes instead of just her actions. The book was written in third person, so I can understand a little disconnect, but I felt a disconnect with Ivy that hasn’t happened to me in other third person novels (I actually love this pov normally).
If you don’t mind this sort of feeling with the protagonist you might love this book, but unfortunately it just didn’t work well for me as a reader. I’m very sad that I didn’t enjoy this as much as I thought I would, but I’m still glad I read it!
Thank you so much to the author and the publisher for this review copy! The Crown of Croswald is a fun, magical YA book and I enjoyed it a lot, though there were a few aspects that made certain parts a struggle to get into for me.
From the first page, I was super intrigued by this unique story. There was a very cool magic system and the details given about the world were entrancing. I think the author did a great job of worldbuilding and making this magical world a lovable place for the reader.
There were several times where I was pulled out of the scene a little and felt like it was hard to follow the reasoning for the main characters actions. This is mainly because I felt like the main character, Ivy, was a little underdeveloped and underexplored. I would’ve loved to see more of her thought processes instead of just her actions. The book was written in third person, so I can understand a little disconnect, but I felt a disconnect with Ivy that hasn’t happened to me in other third person novels (I actually love this pov normally).
If you don’t mind this sort of feeling with the protagonist you might love this book, but unfortunately it just didn’t work well for me as a reader. I’m very sad that I didn’t enjoy this as much as I thought I would, but I’m still glad I read it!
Pairs Well With: Bedtime Story snack
Thank you to @netgalley and @storiesuntold for the ARC digital copy. My thoughts are my own.
The Crowns of Croswald is an enthralling, fantasy novel best suited for middle-school age readers. While the heroine (Ivy) is a young woman, the story is full of mystical creatures, magical spells and enchantments, evil queens, Dwarves, dragons and more.
Ivy is a kitchenmaid at Castle Plum, alone except for her friend Rimbrick- a dwarf with knowledge of her past that he keeps hidden. While out of the castle one day, Ivy is picked up by a strange carriage and whisked away to The Halls Of Ivy- a school for magical youth (scrivenists) and the royalty they serve. With no idea why she is there, and a sneaking suspicion there is more to her past and identity than she is aware of, Ivy begins making friends and learning everything she can about the new world around her.
I found the beginning of the story a bit hard to understand- there were a lot of new terms being introduced, new characters, and I believe a fairly large time-jump. As the story progressed, there were moments I went “Oh! THAT’s why this happened” and I was able to piece it together, but I did feel a bit lost in the initial few chapters. Additionally, the timeline of the story seems to be represented by moon phases, and not knowing what that meant, I didn’t know if a day or week or months had passed from one chapter to the next.
I felt the story was strong in the sense of character development- Ivy was a character I was pulled towards, rooted for, and felt I understood. She was brave, inspiring, a good friend and had a good sense of self, despite not truly knowing who or what she was. Her friend Rebecca was unique and a great compliment to Ivy; I also found myself wondering if Fyn would play a larger role in the next few books (I look forward to reading them!).
As a Mom, I enjoyed reading this story and would definitely read it to my kids as they get a bit older. I think it has a beautiful message about being brave and loving yourself, and doing the right thing even when it’s hard.
If you enjoyed Harry Potter, the Chronicles of Narnia or Lemony Snickett’s work over the years, I think you’ll enjoy this series as well!
Thank you to @netgalley and @storiesuntold for the ARC digital copy. My thoughts are my own.
The Crowns of Croswald is an enthralling, fantasy novel best suited for middle-school age readers. While the heroine (Ivy) is a young woman, the story is full of mystical creatures, magical spells and enchantments, evil queens, Dwarves, dragons and more.
Ivy is a kitchenmaid at Castle Plum, alone except for her friend Rimbrick- a dwarf with knowledge of her past that he keeps hidden. While out of the castle one day, Ivy is picked up by a strange carriage and whisked away to The Halls Of Ivy- a school for magical youth (scrivenists) and the royalty they serve. With no idea why she is there, and a sneaking suspicion there is more to her past and identity than she is aware of, Ivy begins making friends and learning everything she can about the new world around her.
I found the beginning of the story a bit hard to understand- there were a lot of new terms being introduced, new characters, and I believe a fairly large time-jump. As the story progressed, there were moments I went “Oh! THAT’s why this happened” and I was able to piece it together, but I did feel a bit lost in the initial few chapters. Additionally, the timeline of the story seems to be represented by moon phases, and not knowing what that meant, I didn’t know if a day or week or months had passed from one chapter to the next.
I felt the story was strong in the sense of character development- Ivy was a character I was pulled towards, rooted for, and felt I understood. She was brave, inspiring, a good friend and had a good sense of self, despite not truly knowing who or what she was. Her friend Rebecca was unique and a great compliment to Ivy; I also found myself wondering if Fyn would play a larger role in the next few books (I look forward to reading them!).
As a Mom, I enjoyed reading this story and would definitely read it to my kids as they get a bit older. I think it has a beautiful message about being brave and loving yourself, and doing the right thing even when it’s hard.
If you enjoyed Harry Potter, the Chronicles of Narnia or Lemony Snickett’s work over the years, I think you’ll enjoy this series as well!
Absolutely loved it.! It’s a hidden gem that has yet to be discovered. The mysterious world of croswald is absolutely amazing. Loved all the characters, the storyline, the plot and the magical elements.
It’s a perfect blend of middle grade magic and mystery.
The main character - ivy, did feel like a bit younger for her age but maybe because I have read too much YA recently. I loved how the plot wasn’t dumped at the end suddenly, but the readers were given little hints in-between.
All in love loved the book, and excited to read the remaining in the series.
It’s a perfect blend of middle grade magic and mystery.
The main character - ivy, did feel like a bit younger for her age but maybe because I have read too much YA recently. I loved how the plot wasn’t dumped at the end suddenly, but the readers were given little hints in-between.
All in love loved the book, and excited to read the remaining in the series.
The story follows Ivy who is living in a castle and takes care of the Scaldrons (tiny dragons that heat up the fires) until things go awry and she is kick out and then whisked away to a magical school. Here she meets new friends and goes on plenty of adventures all while trying to figure out who she really is.
If you are a fan of Harry Potter or magical boarding schools this book is right up your alley especially for middle school aged kids. This book series would be wonderful to start with your child and discover a new world together. While the book did take me a little bit to get into, it really picked up about halfway through. I am excited to continue on in this series and follow more of Ivy’s adventures.
If you are a fan of Harry Potter or magical boarding schools this book is right up your alley especially for middle school aged kids. This book series would be wonderful to start with your child and discover a new world together. While the book did take me a little bit to get into, it really picked up about halfway through. I am excited to continue on in this series and follow more of Ivy’s adventures.
(Disclaimer: I was sent an e-copy of this book.)
The Crowns of Croswald was a pretty enjoyable reading. It tells the story of Ivy, a 16 year old girl who, after her power awakened, is going to live crazy adventures in Halls of Ivy, a magical school where students are learning to master their magical blood and the power of Croswald’s mysterious gems.
I was amazed by the author's imagination and even more after I saw it was her first book. The universe where the story is set is so rich and full of wonders and magic so well written. I have to say it is not the kind of plot I read now but I know the 14 year old me would have absolutely loved it. I thought that they were a lot of similarities with Harry Potter which wasn't a problem for me. I think this book could be a good movie. I like the mysteries although I kind of guess a lot of what was going to happen. I had a little hard time loving the main character but that's not unusual for me I always prefer the side characters... I loved Rebecca who's the main character's best friend. I loved how the book ended so I'm looking forward to read what happens next. I don't really enjoy reading ebooks it makes it harder for me to really get into the story (maybe that's why I didn't fell for Ivy). Hopefully, I would get my hands on a physical copy !
The Crowns of Croswald was a pretty enjoyable reading. It tells the story of Ivy, a 16 year old girl who, after her power awakened, is going to live crazy adventures in Halls of Ivy, a magical school where students are learning to master their magical blood and the power of Croswald’s mysterious gems.
I was amazed by the author's imagination and even more after I saw it was her first book. The universe where the story is set is so rich and full of wonders and magic so well written. I have to say it is not the kind of plot I read now but I know the 14 year old me would have absolutely loved it. I thought that they were a lot of similarities with Harry Potter which wasn't a problem for me. I think this book could be a good movie. I like the mysteries although I kind of guess a lot of what was going to happen. I had a little hard time loving the main character but that's not unusual for me I always prefer the side characters... I loved Rebecca who's the main character's best friend. I loved how the book ended so I'm looking forward to read what happens next. I don't really enjoy reading ebooks it makes it harder for me to really get into the story (maybe that's why I didn't fell for Ivy). Hopefully, I would get my hands on a physical copy !
3 1/2 stars
Many thanks to the author for sending me a copy to review. This was a great middle grade/YA story. I loved the magical school setting however I wish there was a bit more character development and a bit more background story of the Dark Queen in the beginning of the book. I found the second half of the book a solid 4 star read however I found it a bit more difficult to get into the plot for the first half (pacing was a bit all over the place), hence the 3 1/2 star rating. The ending was excellent and I'm looking forward to continuing the story with the next book.
Many thanks to the author for sending me a copy to review. This was a great middle grade/YA story. I loved the magical school setting however I wish there was a bit more character development and a bit more background story of the Dark Queen in the beginning of the book. I found the second half of the book a solid 4 star read however I found it a bit more difficult to get into the plot for the first half (pacing was a bit all over the place), hence the 3 1/2 star rating. The ending was excellent and I'm looking forward to continuing the story with the next book.
I was contacted by an agent to read this and honestly was apprehensive as the book was described as middle grade.
I am so happy to have been proven wrong- I loved it!! The magical world created was breath taking, there were so many elements squeezed in and the story entirely captivating! I'm envious of the imagination it takes to write something like this. Honestly recommend, a joy to read.
I am so happy to have been proven wrong- I loved it!! The magical world created was breath taking, there were so many elements squeezed in and the story entirely captivating! I'm envious of the imagination it takes to write something like this. Honestly recommend, a joy to read.
I was so excited to receive this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to @danielastoriesuntoldpress over on Bookstagram for inviting me into the magical kingdom of Croswald.
This book hooked me within the first three chapters! I am so in love with the imagery. DE Night paints the story so beautifully in my head. The colors and the dragons and the castles and the plants and the characters—all so vibrant and alive and… Lovely! (Get it?)
By about chapter six, I get some serious Harry Potter meets Alice in Wonderland vibes. And I of course am a HUGE HP fan. But… Maybe it actually is a little TOO similar to HP..?
While this book has plenty of description of landscapes and characters’ appearances, the plot lacks some of that needed explanation. At certain points, I found myself slightly confused about what exactly was happening to Ivy or how exactly she had gotten to a certain location. It seemed a bit messy and rushed at times.
I found this book an overall enjoyable read. The beautiful and mysterious land of Croswald enthralled me. But will I read the second book? That is yet to be seen.
This book hooked me within the first three chapters! I am so in love with the imagery. DE Night paints the story so beautifully in my head. The colors and the dragons and the castles and the plants and the characters—all so vibrant and alive and… Lovely! (Get it?)
By about chapter six, I get some serious Harry Potter meets Alice in Wonderland vibes. And I of course am a HUGE HP fan. But… Maybe it actually is a little TOO similar to HP..?
While this book has plenty of description of landscapes and characters’ appearances, the plot lacks some of that needed explanation. At certain points, I found myself slightly confused about what exactly was happening to Ivy or how exactly she had gotten to a certain location. It seemed a bit messy and rushed at times.
I found this book an overall enjoyable read. The beautiful and mysterious land of Croswald enthralled me. But will I read the second book? That is yet to be seen.