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3.62 AVERAGE
3.62 AVERAGE
Whenever I start a new fantasy fiction novel, I always wonder how they are going to make it different for the hundreds and thousands of other novels out there. The Crowns of Croswald is truly unique.
Slightly similar to a certain wizarding world franchise at the beginning, orphan girl living a hellish life until she finds out she is magical and is whisked off to a fantastic school.
However, that’s where the similarities end.
Every single character is unique, the weird and wonderful names, the different creatures, the fact that the school teaches ‘royals’ and ‘scrivenists’ (the truly magical ones IMO). All of it is just so incredibly clever.
It’s taken me just over two days to devour this book.
I’m now desperate for the second novel!
I’m not sure on the age of audience this is particularly aimed at, but I will say that it is quite ‘wordy’, so anyone under 14 may find it a bit tiresome (I myself did skip over a few parts that were mainly describing lessons or objects within the magical world), but it certainly doesn’t take away from how incredible it is.
I honestly can see this becoming a well-received, highly popular and successful movie (if done right).
Thank you to Netgalley, Stories Untold Press & Daniela at Stories Untold Press for gifting me this eARC and introducing me to the wonderful world of Ivy Lovely.
Slightly similar to a certain wizarding world franchise at the beginning, orphan girl living a hellish life until she finds out she is magical and is whisked off to a fantastic school.
However, that’s where the similarities end.
Every single character is unique, the weird and wonderful names, the different creatures, the fact that the school teaches ‘royals’ and ‘scrivenists’ (the truly magical ones IMO). All of it is just so incredibly clever.
It’s taken me just over two days to devour this book.
I’m now desperate for the second novel!
I’m not sure on the age of audience this is particularly aimed at, but I will say that it is quite ‘wordy’, so anyone under 14 may find it a bit tiresome (I myself did skip over a few parts that were mainly describing lessons or objects within the magical world), but it certainly doesn’t take away from how incredible it is.
I honestly can see this becoming a well-received, highly popular and successful movie (if done right).
Thank you to Netgalley, Stories Untold Press & Daniela at Stories Untold Press for gifting me this eARC and introducing me to the wonderful world of Ivy Lovely.
I was gifted this book from the publisher (Stories Untold) in return for an honest review:
‘In Croswald, the only thing more powerful than dark magic is one secret..’
This is definitely a page-turning fantasy read full of fairytales, magic and a whimsical world. It really reminded me of Harry Potter because of the magical boarding school and the classes but it’s still very much it’s own world with its own quirks. What’s not to like?
I loved how the author sneakily included herself in the book with using Derwin Edgar Night as one of the most mysterious characters.
The story ends on quite a cliffhanger as it’s almost as though the story is just beginning where it finishes off. I think the author definitely did this deliberately to keep you hooked enough to read the next book! (Which has worked for me because now I can’t wait to delve into the next one)
It’s a wonderful little YA book and something you can definitely try if you’re looking to start a fantasy genre as this is easy to follow and feels very nostalgic.
‘In Croswald, the only thing more powerful than dark magic is one secret..’
This is definitely a page-turning fantasy read full of fairytales, magic and a whimsical world. It really reminded me of Harry Potter because of the magical boarding school and the classes but it’s still very much it’s own world with its own quirks. What’s not to like?
I loved how the author sneakily included herself in the book with using Derwin Edgar Night as one of the most mysterious characters.
The story ends on quite a cliffhanger as it’s almost as though the story is just beginning where it finishes off. I think the author definitely did this deliberately to keep you hooked enough to read the next book! (Which has worked for me because now I can’t wait to delve into the next one)
It’s a wonderful little YA book and something you can definitely try if you’re looking to start a fantasy genre as this is easy to follow and feels very nostalgic.
I was gifted this book on NetGalley from the author! As someone who loves Harry Potter but had sworn off fantasy books, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this book! Obviously I’m older than the intended audience, but I really enjoyed it. The writing really does make you feel like you’re in Croswald and going to The Halls of Ivy!
At the start of the book, I wondered if it was basically just Harry Potter set in a different imaginary world, but as the book went on it developed its own storyline. It took me a while to get into it but then the pace picked up and it was easy to keep on reading!
I’d recommend this to anyone who enjoyed Harry Potter or similar books and wants to travel to a different fantasy world!
Thanks to the author for gifting this to me! It’s shown me that I can branch out of my normal genres!
At the start of the book, I wondered if it was basically just Harry Potter set in a different imaginary world, but as the book went on it developed its own storyline. It took me a while to get into it but then the pace picked up and it was easy to keep on reading!
I’d recommend this to anyone who enjoyed Harry Potter or similar books and wants to travel to a different fantasy world!
Thanks to the author for gifting this to me! It’s shown me that I can branch out of my normal genres!
As much as I love Harry Potter I have to say that was way better. The story follows Ivy who has no clue about her past or her family. At age 16 she gets invited to attend Hall Of Ivy school. As she begins school she makes friends with Fyn and Rebecca. I will give a full on review on my monthly wrap up. But I love that we’re was so much more action in this first book. I can’t wait to read the rest of the series.
If you enjoy middle grade books and Harry Potter then this is the book for you. I did find the arc of the story to be very similar to Harry Potter. It was good, but I found it hard to be drawn in at times. The world building was cool but I did find it a bit confusing. The magic system was also very interesting and I thought it was unique from others I have read. I liked the characters and always appreciate a strong female lead. There was slow burn action which does take a little while to unfold. Overall, it was an interesting read and I would recommend if this is the kind of fantasy world you like to lose yourself in.
I'm a little on the fence for this one because I went in willingly but blind and I did not expect it to be a Harry Potter-esque kind of book, which for me didn't work quite well enough. I really liked the first 2 chapters although I was a bit confused with the universe of the book. The story is well written but the level of the language is far too complicated as it is sold for a middle grade audience... so that was confusing too. After those two aforementioned chapters, I admit it was difficult for me to keep being engaged and I really struggled to finish it. I'm sure the glorious reviews speak some truth but I don't share the sentiment. As I said, it is well written enough and you may or may not like this one but my expectations were not met. Also, the constant similitudes to Harry Potter were a diservice and the intrigue ended up falling flat. Too bad.
I will admit... I haven’t read many fantasy books lately, especially middle-grade/YA. So, when the opportunity was given to me to read & review this wonderful book, my nerdy side was thrilled!
It is a wonderful YA fantasy book for middle-grade readers that’s packed with adventures, friendship, & my favorite -
It is a wonderful YA fantasy book for middle-grade readers that’s packed with adventures, friendship, & my favorite -
This is the first in a four part series and I think it provides a really strong base for what I think will be a great story!! We meet the mysterious Derwyn Edgar Night in the first chapter before being thrown in to the world of Ivy, a scaldrony maid in a castle.
The Crowns of Croswald gave be nostalgic vibes, reminding me of a certain other magical school but with more weird and wonderful creatures and classes. I really enjoyed the idea of training to be a Scrivenist and how the teens individual proclivities were nurtured and encouraged.
I loved the characters in this book, I wish they had been a little more fleshed out at times but I knew more than enough to be invested in each and every one of them! My heart broke a little at certain parts which is always a great sign of a well loved character.
On a note that's not about the story, I adored the beautiful illustrations at start of each chapter!
Overall I really enjoyed this book and will definitely be purchasing a hard copy for my shelves along with the rest of the series!
I can't wait to read more about Ivy, Rebecca and Fyn and hopefully learn more about Rimbrick, Derwyn and return to the Wonderful Halls of Ivy.
The Crowns of Croswald gave be nostalgic vibes, reminding me of a certain other magical school but with more weird and wonderful creatures and classes. I really enjoyed the idea of training to be a Scrivenist and how the teens individual proclivities were nurtured and encouraged.
I loved the characters in this book, I wish they had been a little more fleshed out at times but I knew more than enough to be invested in each and every one of them! My heart broke a little at certain parts which is always a great sign of a well loved character.
On a note that's not about the story, I adored the beautiful illustrations at start of each chapter!
Overall I really enjoyed this book and will definitely be purchasing a hard copy for my shelves along with the rest of the series!
I can't wait to read more about Ivy, Rebecca and Fyn and hopefully learn more about Rimbrick, Derwyn and return to the Wonderful Halls of Ivy.
adventurous
challenging
hopeful
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This one took me a long time to get into - I tried starting it several times, but fantasy (particularly teen fantasy) isn’t really my genre!
Eventually I got stuck in and found it a little more enjoyable than I had expected. It’s well written and has the right sort of level of adventure and mystery for a teen fantasy book.
It seems very heavily based upon the Harry Potter books, and I think because I grew up reading and loving them so much, I struggled to find this one as interesting or exciting, as I was just comparing it to the HP books the whole time.
I found it hard to engage with the characters in this book for some reason, perhaps because I am not within the age bracket of the book’s target audience, so struggled to relate to and empathise with the characters.
I think a teenager who enjoys fantasy fiction would love this book, but it just wasn’t quite suited to my taste so sadly I don’t think this series is for me.
Eventually I got stuck in and found it a little more enjoyable than I had expected. It’s well written and has the right sort of level of adventure and mystery for a teen fantasy book.
It seems very heavily based upon the Harry Potter books, and I think because I grew up reading and loving them so much, I struggled to find this one as interesting or exciting, as I was just comparing it to the HP books the whole time.
I found it hard to engage with the characters in this book for some reason, perhaps because I am not within the age bracket of the book’s target audience, so struggled to relate to and empathise with the characters.
I think a teenager who enjoys fantasy fiction would love this book, but it just wasn’t quite suited to my taste so sadly I don’t think this series is for me.