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3.62 AVERAGE
3.62 AVERAGE
I received this book for free from the publisher for an honest review.
I really enjoyed this book! Especially the world-building and the pacing, I had trouble putting it down. It’s about a 16-year-old girl named Ivy Lovely. Suddenly she is thrust into a whole new world with magic in it. I have to say, I am a sucker for chosen one tropes and for magic schools. My favorite character would have to be Rebecca. I feel like friendships where the two people didn’t start off on the right foot can be some of the best. I also absolutely love characters that start off a bit mean or snobby but once the main character gets to know them they turn out to be really nice.
I know others have said this too, but I would definitely recommend this book for people who like books like Harry Potter.
I really enjoyed this book! Especially the world-building and the pacing, I had trouble putting it down. It’s about a 16-year-old girl named Ivy Lovely. Suddenly she is thrust into a whole new world with magic in it. I have to say, I am a sucker for chosen one tropes and for magic schools. My favorite character would have to be Rebecca. I feel like friendships where the two people didn’t start off on the right foot can be some of the best. I also absolutely love characters that start off a bit mean or snobby but once the main character gets to know them they turn out to be really nice.
I know others have said this too, but I would definitely recommend this book for people who like books like Harry Potter.
The Crows of Croswald is the story of Ivy, a girl who works in a castle until she is expelled and begins studying at a boarding school and discovers a world full of magic, mystery and danger.
It's a really easy-to-read short, medium grade book, however it can be a little slow at first as it gives you a lot of information but the story doesn't really go forward. Also, the part I enjoyed the most was the last half of the book, because while it's a little predictable (I don't think it's bad) it's where the action is. The world is great and I want to know more about it and how it works. The characters are adorable, but since the story has only one point of view, not many of the supporting characters are known, so I hope we can get to know more of them in the next book.
It's a really easy-to-read short, medium grade book, however it can be a little slow at first as it gives you a lot of information but the story doesn't really go forward. Also, the part I enjoyed the most was the last half of the book, because while it's a little predictable (I don't think it's bad) it's where the action is. The world is great and I want to know more about it and how it works. The characters are adorable, but since the story has only one point of view, not many of the supporting characters are known, so I hope we can get to know more of them in the next book.
The Crows of Croswald is the story of Ivy, a girl who works in a castle until she is expelled and begins studying at a boarding school and discovers a world full of magic, mystery and danger.
It's a really easy-to-read short, medium grade book, however it can be a little slow at first as it gives you a lot of information but the story doesn't really go forward. Also, the part I enjoyed the most was the last half of the book, because while it's a little predictable (I don't think it's bad) it's where the action is. The world is great and I want to know more about it and how it works. The characters are adorable, but since the story has only one point of view, not many of the supporting characters are known, so I hope we can get to know more of them in the next book.
It's a really easy-to-read short, medium grade book, however it can be a little slow at first as it gives you a lot of information but the story doesn't really go forward. Also, the part I enjoyed the most was the last half of the book, because while it's a little predictable (I don't think it's bad) it's where the action is. The world is great and I want to know more about it and how it works. The characters are adorable, but since the story has only one point of view, not many of the supporting characters are known, so I hope we can get to know more of them in the next book.
The Crowns of Croswald is a middle grade fantasy book centered around our main character, Ivy, as she embarks on some magical adventures.
Overall, I enjoyed this book and thought it was really fun and magical, but it wasn’t without its faults.
I thought the world and magic system were both interesting and creative. I loved the school of magic aspect of it. As Ivy went on her magical adventures, there were a lot of neat and fun scenes that I thoroughly enjoyed and can only imagine how much little 13 year old me would have loved reading those.
Where I felt a disconnect with this book was with the characters. I tend to be a character over plot type of reader, and characters are really important to me when I’m reviewing a book. In this book, I wish the characters had been more fleshed out. I felt like I didn’t really get to know who Ivy was, there wasn’t enough inner dialogue or just dialogue in general to truly get a feel for the type of person she is. I had similar feelings about the side characters, other than what magical prowess they possess, we truly didn’t get to know any of them.
With all of that said, this was an enjoyable read and I think the author shows a good deal of promise as a writer.
Overall, I enjoyed this book and thought it was really fun and magical, but it wasn’t without its faults.
I thought the world and magic system were both interesting and creative. I loved the school of magic aspect of it. As Ivy went on her magical adventures, there were a lot of neat and fun scenes that I thoroughly enjoyed and can only imagine how much little 13 year old me would have loved reading those.
Where I felt a disconnect with this book was with the characters. I tend to be a character over plot type of reader, and characters are really important to me when I’m reviewing a book. In this book, I wish the characters had been more fleshed out. I felt like I didn’t really get to know who Ivy was, there wasn’t enough inner dialogue or just dialogue in general to truly get a feel for the type of person she is. I had similar feelings about the side characters, other than what magical prowess they possess, we truly didn’t get to know any of them.
With all of that said, this was an enjoyable read and I think the author shows a good deal of promise as a writer.
The Crowns of Croswald reminds of Harry Potter. I think that middle-grade readers will enjoy it. There were things that I enjoyed and I believe that it’s good book, but I wasn’t the audience. I love fantasy books, but sometimes I hard time reading due to the fact that the characters are quite young. So, I believe that readers close to the characters’ age and those who enjoy middle-grade literature will enjoy even more. Overall, it’s a good book and it has a great writing style.
This book was a lovely surprise for me. I really enjoyed it very much and it made me want to read more, so I am definitely going to check the next books in the series.
The writing style was nice and the flow of the book is great. It was not a "hard" read, which made me even happier. I love the world creation and the magic in it. I adore that it is more like a fairytale story, which makes it even better for me to be able to read and actually enjoy in between reading other "harder" books.
I agree with other reviewers mentioning that it gives you Harry Potter vibes and it is one more reason that I adored it.
The only issue that I had was that it was a bit hard to go "in it" at the beginning, but that was more of a me issue, as I started reading it after I had just finished a "hard" book that I didn't really enjoy. But I am super happy that The Crowns of Croswald made me overcome it so fast and actually enchanted me in the best way.
I definitely recommend this book to everyone who loves fairytales and magic.
The writing style was nice and the flow of the book is great. It was not a "hard" read, which made me even happier. I love the world creation and the magic in it. I adore that it is more like a fairytale story, which makes it even better for me to be able to read and actually enjoy in between reading other "harder" books.
I agree with other reviewers mentioning that it gives you Harry Potter vibes and it is one more reason that I adored it.
The only issue that I had was that it was a bit hard to go "in it" at the beginning, but that was more of a me issue, as I started reading it after I had just finished a "hard" book that I didn't really enjoy. But I am super happy that The Crowns of Croswald made me overcome it so fast and actually enchanted me in the best way.
I definitely recommend this book to everyone who loves fairytales and magic.
I’d like to thank the publisher and author for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I really did enjoy reading this. D. E. Night has painted such a vivid world, rich with magical creatures galore and interesting characters. I will admit I felt worried I wouldn’t connect with these characters well, due to me obviously not being the age of the intended audience, but they surprised me with their charm and the way in which their personalities developed as the story went on.
There was enough detail given to the magic system used that I felt comfortable diving into this whole new world of magic, but I didn’t feel bombarded with explanations on how every tiny little thing worked.
I also absolutely loved the pacing of the story. Slow and steady at the start to allow the reader to adjust to this enchanting new place, and then as soon as Ivy finds her place in school things absolutely sky rocket into action central. There are so many highs and lows, I never knew what was coming with every turn of the page.
I really did enjoy reading this. D. E. Night has painted such a vivid world, rich with magical creatures galore and interesting characters. I will admit I felt worried I wouldn’t connect with these characters well, due to me obviously not being the age of the intended audience, but they surprised me with their charm and the way in which their personalities developed as the story went on.
There was enough detail given to the magic system used that I felt comfortable diving into this whole new world of magic, but I didn’t feel bombarded with explanations on how every tiny little thing worked.
I also absolutely loved the pacing of the story. Slow and steady at the start to allow the reader to adjust to this enchanting new place, and then as soon as Ivy finds her place in school things absolutely sky rocket into action central. There are so many highs and lows, I never knew what was coming with every turn of the page.
adventurous
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The Crowns of Croswald by D.E. Night
4 Star Review (Very Good/I Liked it)
The Crowns of Croswald is a coming of age, fantasy novel intended for middle school aged children, full of magic, dragons, and whimsical worlds. Ivy Lovely is a 16-year-old scaldron maid at Castle Plum. When she has had enough of maid Helga’s shenanigans, she decides its time to set off on her own adventures. Ivy has her heart set on going to magic school and perfecting her talents as a scrivenist.
D.E. Night is putting off all the “Harry Potter mixed with a whole lot of Cinderella and a dash of Alice and Wonderland” vibes with this novel. Containing a creative story plot, amazing world building, and lively, enjoyable characters, Night has you sucked in from the very beginning. I thoroughly enjoyed the illustrations at the beginning of each chapter. And the cover is absolutely stunning!
Although Crowns of Croswald is intended for middle school aged children, it could be read by anyone of all ages who enjoy adventures of exploring magic, discovering their true selves, and battling evil head on. This novel was fast paced from the beginning which I thoroughly enjoyed. It did, on occasion, jump from one period of time to another quickly causing me to wonder what happened during that time frame. It did end on a cliffhanger, leaving me desperately wanting to read the next in this series.
Thank you NetGalley for providing me with a complimentary review copy. In no way has that influenced my voluntary review.
4 Star Review (Very Good/I Liked it)
The Crowns of Croswald is a coming of age, fantasy novel intended for middle school aged children, full of magic, dragons, and whimsical worlds. Ivy Lovely is a 16-year-old scaldron maid at Castle Plum. When she has had enough of maid Helga’s shenanigans, she decides its time to set off on her own adventures. Ivy has her heart set on going to magic school and perfecting her talents as a scrivenist.
D.E. Night is putting off all the “Harry Potter mixed with a whole lot of Cinderella and a dash of Alice and Wonderland” vibes with this novel. Containing a creative story plot, amazing world building, and lively, enjoyable characters, Night has you sucked in from the very beginning. I thoroughly enjoyed the illustrations at the beginning of each chapter. And the cover is absolutely stunning!
Although Crowns of Croswald is intended for middle school aged children, it could be read by anyone of all ages who enjoy adventures of exploring magic, discovering their true selves, and battling evil head on. This novel was fast paced from the beginning which I thoroughly enjoyed. It did, on occasion, jump from one period of time to another quickly causing me to wonder what happened during that time frame. It did end on a cliffhanger, leaving me desperately wanting to read the next in this series.
Thank you NetGalley for providing me with a complimentary review copy. In no way has that influenced my voluntary review.
I just wasn't the right audience for this book. I do think it would be a great option for tween/young teens if you want to give them something that wasn't written by a TERF.