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3.62 AVERAGE
3.62 AVERAGE
Cute, whimsical, and fun. This is a magical story (series) that really puts you in the mind of the Harry Potter series, just on a lighter note. Lots of enjoyable, unforgettable characters that many middle schoolers will love. This is book 1 of a 4 book series, book 4 hasn’t been released yet.
Thanks to @netgalley @danielastoriesuntoldpress and @author.denight for providing a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
Thanks to @netgalley @danielastoriesuntoldpress and @author.denight for providing a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This book was such a blast! I want more worldbuilding! Not because it was lacking but because the world is so wonderfully and interesting I just want to be able to explore it all!
I've never ever read of a more interesting magic school than this one!
I want myself some of these adorable creatures pretty please I am in love !
I absolutely cannot wait to read book two and discover more of the amazing secrets of this world and our sweet main character!
I've never ever read of a more interesting magic school than this one!
I want myself some of these adorable creatures pretty please I am in love !
I absolutely cannot wait to read book two and discover more of the amazing secrets of this world and our sweet main character!
I can’t say I didn’t enjoy this book. The challenge for any young adult fantasy novel is that they will all be compared to a small known series about a certain boy wizard. I went into this experience expecting a young adult fantasy novel and that’s what I got and made a conscious effort not to make that comparison, but it was really hard when there were some pretty blatant parallels. Magical teens who don’t know they are magical, discover they are more powerful than they thought, meet new friends, shop in a Diagon Alley type town, evil force no one knows much about who wants the hero dead, secret tutoring, etc. the list is pretty long and some of the chapter titles were reminiscent of that one boy wizard series.
I thoroughly enjoyed the efforts and care put to crafting this world and the feminist spin and I did ultimately enjoy myself and visiting this world. I would recommend the series for about fourth grade readers who have finished Harry Potter and want to get more, but at that point I would just recommend reading Harry Potter again. Has the same effect.
I thoroughly enjoyed the efforts and care put to crafting this world and the feminist spin and I did ultimately enjoy myself and visiting this world. I would recommend the series for about fourth grade readers who have finished Harry Potter and want to get more, but at that point I would just recommend reading Harry Potter again. Has the same effect.
I loved the magical world that D.E. Night created! A great read for anyone who loves Harry Potter or any magical fantasy. While the main character is 16, this book could certainly be enjoyed by middle school readers. Highly recommend. Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a review copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
This book filled me with so much wonder and nostalgia! It made me instantly think of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, The Chronicles of Narnia and Alice in Wonderland with a splash of Disney, all stories that contain so much magic and beauty and more!
I love books set in magical places, and this story is no exception! Ivy Lovely was such a, well, lovely, protagonist and it feels like I saw her evolve so much! I love how much she grew throughout the story and how much she went through, like, I was mystified at all the magic in this book!
The concept was wonderful, and I was intrigued from the beginning and wondering how things would tie together, and I had a fangirl moment when everything came together!
This had such a great structure, I was pulled in from the very beginning and I wanted to know what Ivy’s ties to the school were, and knew something was definitely deeper than thought! I loved the magical writing too, from how the author depicted the school and its occupants, to Ivy’s day to day interactions with everyone, to the description of all the magical creatures! Such a cute, wonderful read and I certainly recommend it to anyone who loves anything with a dash of magic!
I love books set in magical places, and this story is no exception! Ivy Lovely was such a, well, lovely, protagonist and it feels like I saw her evolve so much! I love how much she grew throughout the story and how much she went through, like, I was mystified at all the magic in this book!
The concept was wonderful, and I was intrigued from the beginning and wondering how things would tie together, and I had a fangirl moment when everything came together!
This had such a great structure, I was pulled in from the very beginning and I wanted to know what Ivy’s ties to the school were, and knew something was definitely deeper than thought! I loved the magical writing too, from how the author depicted the school and its occupants, to Ivy’s day to day interactions with everyone, to the description of all the magical creatures! Such a cute, wonderful read and I certainly recommend it to anyone who loves anything with a dash of magic!
Wow such an amazing read! I could definitely feel a Harry Potter vibe and yet it still had its on uniqueness. I would actually give this book a 4.5 star because it was a little slow for me at the beginning but once the story got going it was really exciting. And at times, it was hard for me to imagine exactly what was happening maybe because of too much detail but I did get the overall gist of things. Overall, I think this is a very exciting fantasy for readers to immerse themselves in the magical world of Croswald.
The Crowns of Croswald
Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
Ivy had spent her days as a scaldrony maid in a castle hidden behind a magical barrier, dampening and shutting out the magical outside world from the mundane world of the castle grounds. That is until she is forced from her home and soon taken to a magical school for royals and scrivenists alike to learn and hone their magic. But, perhaps her new life is not all it seems, with an evil Queen making an appearance in the kingdom and the dark brood searching for something, or someone.
This book is whimsical and full of magic right from the beginning. Its themes are very much like the Harry Potter books or even The Chronicles of Narnia series, so I think any young reader who likes these will like this book too! It was really interesting to see magical creatures that we haven't seen before and learn about them as Ivy does too. The school is fantastic also, I really liked the idea of the different restaurants that have different food, hosts and chefs. Also, I fell in love with Humboldt the scaldron!
At first, I wasn't very sure if I liked this book or not, the first half of the book is very quick and jumps a bit so I felt it was a little hard to follow at times. I felt like some of the new things in the book that Ivy experiences for the first time could have been explained more and I had to guess for myself what these things are. But, the second half of the book really took off for me and I found I was much more interested in the direction that the plot was heading.
Overall, I think that the whole premise of this story is very interesting and I always love reading a book from a strong female POV, I'm looking forward to reading the next one so I can learn more about Ivy and the magical world she lives in! I also want to mention that the book has lovely artwork on each chapter page!
4/5 stars
Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
Ivy had spent her days as a scaldrony maid in a castle hidden behind a magical barrier, dampening and shutting out the magical outside world from the mundane world of the castle grounds. That is until she is forced from her home and soon taken to a magical school for royals and scrivenists alike to learn and hone their magic. But, perhaps her new life is not all it seems, with an evil Queen making an appearance in the kingdom and the dark brood searching for something, or someone.
This book is whimsical and full of magic right from the beginning. Its themes are very much like the Harry Potter books or even The Chronicles of Narnia series, so I think any young reader who likes these will like this book too! It was really interesting to see magical creatures that we haven't seen before and learn about them as Ivy does too. The school is fantastic also, I really liked the idea of the different restaurants that have different food, hosts and chefs. Also, I fell in love with Humboldt the scaldron!
At first, I wasn't very sure if I liked this book or not, the first half of the book is very quick and jumps a bit so I felt it was a little hard to follow at times. I felt like some of the new things in the book that Ivy experiences for the first time could have been explained more and I had to guess for myself what these things are. But, the second half of the book really took off for me and I found I was much more interested in the direction that the plot was heading.
Overall, I think that the whole premise of this story is very interesting and I always love reading a book from a strong female POV, I'm looking forward to reading the next one so I can learn more about Ivy and the magical world she lives in! I also want to mention that the book has lovely artwork on each chapter page!
4/5 stars
Thank you to NetGalley & Stories Untold Press for gifting me this book in exchange for an honest review.
Book 1 in a 4 part series.
For sixteen years Ivy has been living her life as a scaldrony maid hidden by an enchanted slurry field from the rest of the magical world. Then one day everything changes as Ivy is invited to a magical school where she will learn how to master the magic that runs through her veins. This however is only the beginning of her adventure as Ivy learns about herself and the danger she and her world is in.
This is a fantasy book for middle grade readers and will be especially enjoyed by those who are into Harry Potter or the like.
I know many say there are some too close a comparison to Harry Potter and I can see this in a few instances in the book. However I do believe Night has added her own shine to make it stand alone.
Ivy’s journey of self discovery is well explained and she is a fantastic, independent, determined young girl. Who has a strong female character Rebecca as her best friend who also holds her own. (No man coming to save the day for this young lady)
My one critique is the book does miss opportunities to provide details and it can feel like the author just wants to move on with the story. Weeks and months seem to pass in a sentence and when we came to the end of the year I was quite confused how we were there already.
This may however work best for the younger audience and I know my daughter will enjoy delving into the Croswalds world in the future.
Book 1 in a 4 part series.
For sixteen years Ivy has been living her life as a scaldrony maid hidden by an enchanted slurry field from the rest of the magical world. Then one day everything changes as Ivy is invited to a magical school where she will learn how to master the magic that runs through her veins. This however is only the beginning of her adventure as Ivy learns about herself and the danger she and her world is in.
This is a fantasy book for middle grade readers and will be especially enjoyed by those who are into Harry Potter or the like.
I know many say there are some too close a comparison to Harry Potter and I can see this in a few instances in the book. However I do believe Night has added her own shine to make it stand alone.
Ivy’s journey of self discovery is well explained and she is a fantastic, independent, determined young girl. Who has a strong female character Rebecca as her best friend who also holds her own. (No man coming to save the day for this young lady)
My one critique is the book does miss opportunities to provide details and it can feel like the author just wants to move on with the story. Weeks and months seem to pass in a sentence and when we came to the end of the year I was quite confused how we were there already.
This may however work best for the younger audience and I know my daughter will enjoy delving into the Croswalds world in the future.
Ivy Lovely spent the first sixteen years of her life working in the kitchens of a castle. Her life was spent tending to the scaldrons (small dragon-like creatures that function as ovens) and meeting with her dwarven friend to listen to magical stories about the world outside of the castle. In one night, everything changes for Ivy when circumstances encourage her to finally take steps outside the castle borders. Ivy quickly finds herself on her way to the Halls of Ivy, where she will train as a scrivenist (a magic user) and learn where she fits in among other scrivenists and the royals. The scrivenists thrive on constant learning, while the royals are learning to harness powers that stem from the stones within their crowns. Ivy’s journey will not be easy as she starts to uncover more about the school and her own past.
Ivy Lovely’s adventure is filled with mystery, danger, and magic. It was interesting to watch as Ivy found out about her own past little by little throughout the book. Her history is given a little at a time so that it never felt as if the information was being dumped on the reader. Within the Halls of Ivy, the atmosphere was wondrous with undertones of mystery. As Ivy goes on about her day to day life, it is evident that a piece of her is missing, and it was fun trying to guess which piece of the puzzle of her life goes where. My biggest problem with the novel stems from the inconsistent pacing. At times, it felt as if the plot gets bogged down by little details and other times, it feels that big moments just fly by, leaving me to question if I truly understood what happened.
The world building was probably my favorite part of the book. The Halls of Ivy quickly became a place I felt I could visit, where I could take time and explore. It was filled with unique elements, like the Forgotten Room, where anything that is put in the room is forgotten by everyone. While the level of details made the Halls come to life, it was part of what bogged down the plot at times. The magical system had some unique elements, but it never felt fully fleshed out. This may be because this is just the beginning of a series, hopefully more details will emerge as the series goes on.
The side characters, Fyn and Rebecca, made this book so much better for me. I enjoyed Rebecca’s ability to shapeshift into different animals, and Fyn’s affinity for popping up at strange moments. Ivy was less interesting to me, her character was so wrapped into solving the mystery of her own past, that she didn’t get a chance to fully develop interests or personality.
Between the interesting elements within the Halls of Ivy, the wonderfully amusing side characters, and the engaging mystery, this book is definitely worth a read for anyone who loves a creative middle-grade work.
3/5 stars
Thank you to Netgalley and Stories Untold for a digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinions.
Ivy Lovely’s adventure is filled with mystery, danger, and magic. It was interesting to watch as Ivy found out about her own past little by little throughout the book. Her history is given a little at a time so that it never felt as if the information was being dumped on the reader. Within the Halls of Ivy, the atmosphere was wondrous with undertones of mystery. As Ivy goes on about her day to day life, it is evident that a piece of her is missing, and it was fun trying to guess which piece of the puzzle of her life goes where. My biggest problem with the novel stems from the inconsistent pacing. At times, it felt as if the plot gets bogged down by little details and other times, it feels that big moments just fly by, leaving me to question if I truly understood what happened.
The world building was probably my favorite part of the book. The Halls of Ivy quickly became a place I felt I could visit, where I could take time and explore. It was filled with unique elements, like the Forgotten Room, where anything that is put in the room is forgotten by everyone. While the level of details made the Halls come to life, it was part of what bogged down the plot at times. The magical system had some unique elements, but it never felt fully fleshed out. This may be because this is just the beginning of a series, hopefully more details will emerge as the series goes on.
The side characters, Fyn and Rebecca, made this book so much better for me. I enjoyed Rebecca’s ability to shapeshift into different animals, and Fyn’s affinity for popping up at strange moments. Ivy was less interesting to me, her character was so wrapped into solving the mystery of her own past, that she didn’t get a chance to fully develop interests or personality.
Between the interesting elements within the Halls of Ivy, the wonderfully amusing side characters, and the engaging mystery, this book is definitely worth a read for anyone who loves a creative middle-grade work.
3/5 stars
Thank you to Netgalley and Stories Untold for a digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinions.
I was hooked from the prologue. The story closes on very a cliffhanger as it’s near even though the story is fair starting where it wraps up off. I think the creator unquestionably did this purposely to keep you snared sufficient to study another book This is certainly a page-turning daydream perused full of fairytales, enchantment and an unconventional world. It truly reminded me of Harry Potter since of the enchanted boarding school and the classes but it’s still exceptionally much its claim world with its claim peculiarities. What’s not to like? I can see the appeal it will have for a middle school reading group, but I felt that the main character was written a little younger for his age in places. I also felt that the story was rushed in places and could have been a bit longer to give more description and explanation and to give the story room to breathe. Still, it was a fun and interesting first book in what I'm sure is a delightful series.