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3.62 AVERAGE
3.62 AVERAGE
When I received the message asking me to review this book I was definitely hesitant as it isn’t a genre I usually read. Saying that, I ended up really enjoying this read! It was a nice easy read, that was full of magic and I’m definitely looking forward to reading the rest of the series!
I had a hard time getting into this book at first given I’m a little older than it’s intended reader, but by the end I was invested in the story, magic and characters. I think it could’ve been a bit longer to expand on Ivy’s character before she went to school and to give a little more about the school, classmates and classes, but that might’ve made it too long for a middle grader. I think the author shows a lot of promise, and I look forward to seeing how she grows. I plan on loaning this around to my nieces to see what they think and will update y’all! I definitely plan on reading the second one. Disclaimer: I received this free for review from the publishing company.
A superbly written fantasy world that completely immersed me in the sounds, smells and sights of the world of Croswald. I felt like this book was a cross between Harry Potter and the Morrigan Crow series, both of which I adore. I felt the character of Ivy written younger than 16 and so would classify this as a middle-grade as it did not have the features of a YA book. The story was evocative and had me wishing that they would just tell me already what I had suspected. The book rushed a bit at the end to answer these questions, but understand that it was leading up to the next book in the series. Overall really enjoyed the reading experience and look forward to finding out what happens next to Ivy.
If you like books that give off Harry Potter vibes, then you might wanna check out this middle grade fantasy series!
I was asked by the publisher of this book (@storiesuntoldpress) to read this book in exchange of a review. When I read the discription I was hooked and knew this story and genre was right up my street.
This book was so magical! It reminded me of a few different magical books like Harry Potter, Fantastic Beasts, Pages & Co.: Tilly and the bookwanderer and A Sprinkle of Glitter, all very magical, mysterious and adventurous.
I loved the characters and getting to know them, I loved the way the creatures were used in the story. And the little illustrations at the top of every new chapter made it so much more magical and imaginable.
How much I would have loved for this book to have a map of Croswald tho. The end was a tiny but confusing for me, so much information at once, but I figured it out eventually. Once I started reading I couldn’t put the book down.
It’s a perfect book for middle grade children but honestly for anyone that loves magic and a adventure, I’m 26 and I thoroughly enoyed this book and am looking forward to reading the second book and get to find out more about Ivy’s life
This book was so magical! It reminded me of a few different magical books like Harry Potter, Fantastic Beasts, Pages & Co.: Tilly and the bookwanderer and A Sprinkle of Glitter, all very magical, mysterious and adventurous.
I loved the characters and getting to know them, I loved the way the creatures were used in the story. And the little illustrations at the top of every new chapter made it so much more magical and imaginable.
How much I would have loved for this book to have a map of Croswald tho. The end was a tiny but confusing for me, so much information at once, but I figured it out eventually. Once I started reading I couldn’t put the book down.
It’s a perfect book for middle grade children but honestly for anyone that loves magic and a adventure, I’m 26 and I thoroughly enoyed this book and am looking forward to reading the second book and get to find out more about Ivy’s life
I don't often read YA fantasy anymore, so when I was asked by the publisher to review this book I was a little hesitant. But The Crowns of Croswald was actually pretty good, definitely one of the better books in its genre I have read in a while.
Especially if you liked Harry Potter then this will be your kind of book! It has the same type of world building, a magical boarding school, and lots of adventure. It reminded me a lot of the kind of books I used to read as a kid and I think it would be perfect for the slightly younger YA or Middle Grade audience (at 24 I think I may be a bit too old to still identify with the characters).
Especially if you liked Harry Potter then this will be your kind of book! It has the same type of world building, a magical boarding school, and lots of adventure. It reminded me a lot of the kind of books I used to read as a kid and I think it would be perfect for the slightly younger YA or Middle Grade audience (at 24 I think I may be a bit too old to still identify with the characters).
**I received a free e-arc of this book from NetGalley to review** (This review contains minor spoilers
This book started out with an orphan living in bad conditions, doing chores to get to eat. To rephrase: it sounded very familiar. However- that whole familiarity really went away when she broke into her own school? Which- one: amazing. And two: she got away with it? (Granted she was only a few hours early but you learn that later on).
Here are some of the things I really loved:
-The sprite lanterns! In this story they're called hairies and I love them so much. Imagine having to convince your lightbulb that you really need them now.
-The quills versus crowns magic system. The fact that royalty does get their own magic (and it's less rare) doesn't erase the fact that ordinary people have magic in their blood too. And them having to go to school together is just a little bit of flavour that helps put royalty in their place, which is great.
-The special teas students get! Dormdaze, Studysesh, etc they are so cool and I want them.
-The Forgotten Room. It's so smart? Clearly not foolproof but so smart
-You can just casually bring a dragon to school
-Last but not least: the absolute power move that it was to SUMMON THAT PIRATE SHIP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE CASTLE
Here are some things I think could've been better:
-I don't know how this world works but contracts signed by a minor are not legally binding so maybe you shouldn't let them sign their privacy away
-Ivy didn't plan ahead at all- which, as someone with ADHD, I get- but when you're in a strict magic school maybe you'd consider things a bit more
-No magic in your room? How are you supposed to practice?
-There's a lot the readers know (or can put together) that just doesn't go through Ivy's mind so now does she know these things or not
In short I want a hairie lantern really bad and magic tea, this was very interesting to read.
This book started out with an orphan living in bad conditions, doing chores to get to eat. To rephrase: it sounded very familiar. However- that whole familiarity really went away when she broke into her own school? Which- one: amazing. And two: she got away with it? (Granted she was only a few hours early but you learn that later on).
Here are some of the things I really loved:
-The sprite lanterns! In this story they're called hairies and I love them so much. Imagine having to convince your lightbulb that you really need them now.
-The quills versus crowns magic system. The fact that royalty does get their own magic (and it's less rare) doesn't erase the fact that ordinary people have magic in their blood too. And them having to go to school together is just a little bit of flavour that helps put royalty in their place, which is great.
-The special teas students get! Dormdaze, Studysesh, etc they are so cool and I want them.
-The Forgotten Room. It's so smart? Clearly not foolproof but so smart
-You can just casually bring a dragon to school
-Last but not least: the absolute power move that it was to SUMMON THAT PIRATE SHIP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE CASTLE
Here are some things I think could've been better:
-I don't know how this world works but contracts signed by a minor are not legally binding so maybe you shouldn't let them sign their privacy away
-Ivy didn't plan ahead at all- which, as someone with ADHD, I get- but when you're in a strict magic school maybe you'd consider things a bit more
-No magic in your room? How are you supposed to practice?
-There's a lot the readers know (or can put together) that just doesn't go through Ivy's mind so now does she know these things or not
In short I want a hairie lantern really bad and magic tea, this was very interesting to read.
Thank you to the publisher Untold Stories who gifted me this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review!
I really wish I could give this book a higher review! The plot is magical and creative. Fans of Harry Potter would probably love this series. If you have a wild and colour luck imagination to fill in the gaps this book is for you! Unfortunately for me, I love a book that is incredibly descriptive and I found this booked lacked for me. Several times I found I had to go back and reread passages to figure out exactly how things came about. Even on the second time through I felt like parts of the plot were missing and I struggled with the timeline of events. As much as I struggled through parts of this story, I think the overall story was creative and enjoyable. Being a debut novel, I am hoping the plot will get more descriptive throughout the rest of the series! I would love to see this story adapted as a Netflix or similar streaming series. I feel like it would be similar to Carnival Row which I really loved!
I really wish I could give this book a higher review! The plot is magical and creative. Fans of Harry Potter would probably love this series. If you have a wild and colour luck imagination to fill in the gaps this book is for you! Unfortunately for me, I love a book that is incredibly descriptive and I found this booked lacked for me. Several times I found I had to go back and reread passages to figure out exactly how things came about. Even on the second time through I felt like parts of the plot were missing and I struggled with the timeline of events. As much as I struggled through parts of this story, I think the overall story was creative and enjoyable. Being a debut novel, I am hoping the plot will get more descriptive throughout the rest of the series! I would love to see this story adapted as a Netflix or similar streaming series. I feel like it would be similar to Carnival Row which I really loved!
I received this book by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
When I first picked up this book I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. I don’t read a great deal of middle grades but the synopsis really intrigued me and the cover art is just beautiful.
Although I felt the start was slightly slow, the pace really picked up well before the halfway point and I soon became invested in a world of magic filled with creatures straight out of fairy tales and worldbuilding that pulled me straight into the Croswalds. Every character I met throughout really made an impression on me and not one moment was forgettable.
I loved Ivy Lovely as the main protagonist and all the adventures she got herself into.
Not only was the story a perfect trip into a magical world, the book itself is perfectly put together. Chapter lengths were just right for a middle grade and the small illustrations at the start of each one added a little something extra to the book.
If you like magical boarding schools this is a book you just have to pick up!
When I first picked up this book I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. I don’t read a great deal of middle grades but the synopsis really intrigued me and the cover art is just beautiful.
Although I felt the start was slightly slow, the pace really picked up well before the halfway point and I soon became invested in a world of magic filled with creatures straight out of fairy tales and worldbuilding that pulled me straight into the Croswalds. Every character I met throughout really made an impression on me and not one moment was forgettable.
I loved Ivy Lovely as the main protagonist and all the adventures she got herself into.
Not only was the story a perfect trip into a magical world, the book itself is perfectly put together. Chapter lengths were just right for a middle grade and the small illustrations at the start of each one added a little something extra to the book.
If you like magical boarding schools this is a book you just have to pick up!
I was asked by the publisher to read this book and give an honest review.
When I first heard about this book I was a little worried since it's a middle grade book which isn't something I typically read, but I was really impressed with it. The world of Croswald is such a magical one, filled with all manners of creatures. It really reminded me of some of the books I used to read when I was younger, which made it all the more enjoyable.
Ivy is such a sweet adventurous character and it was so wonderful to watch how she developed her power and relationships at her school. It was a little hard to get through at times but it was manageable and worth it. Overall, I'm so happy I was given the opportunity to read this lighthearted and magical book.
When I first heard about this book I was a little worried since it's a middle grade book which isn't something I typically read, but I was really impressed with it. The world of Croswald is such a magical one, filled with all manners of creatures. It really reminded me of some of the books I used to read when I was younger, which made it all the more enjoyable.
Ivy is such a sweet adventurous character and it was so wonderful to watch how she developed her power and relationships at her school. It was a little hard to get through at times but it was manageable and worth it. Overall, I'm so happy I was given the opportunity to read this lighthearted and magical book.