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annesbookishtravels 's review for:
The Crowns of Croswald
by D.E. Night
adventurous
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
I was given a free ebook of this book by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!
The Crowns of Croswald is a magical middle-grade adventure set in the world of Croswald. Overall, I liked the story. It was a quick and fun read and it made me curious to find out more about the magic system, the characters, and the world they live in. I couldn’t help but notice that there are some similarities to Harry Potter, which is why I think this series could be a magical discovery for every fan of that series, or for the next generation of young readers who would rather read about a bookish teenager saving the world from a Dark Queen.
The story follows our main character, a 16-year-old orphan named Ivy Lovely, as she discovers the world around her after growing up in a castle situated in a field full of flowers that are dulling all kinds of magic. One day, she leaves that “bubble” behind, while running after her pet dragon Humboldt, and a man suddenly shows up. He introduces himself as Mr. Lugg, a scrivenist (the magicians in this world, using quills as wands), and gives her a letter inviting her to a magic school, The Halls of Ivy. Though wondering if she could ever fit in at such a prestigious school, she is nonetheless excited to start her studies to become a scrivenist herself one day. Ivy is a bookish girl; she has a thirst for knowledge and loves to read and sketch in her free time.
At the Halls of Ivy, Ivy meets her fellow students, both royals and future scrivenists, including Fyn (third-year scrivenist student) and Rebecca (roommate, royal). Together with Ivy, those two form some kind of Golden Trio, and during the school year, they will support her in any way they can. While studying different kinds of magic and fantastical creatures, Ivy’s also trying to find out more about her past, the parents she never met, the mysterious man called D. E. Night that no one seems to remember, and a Wandering Family, now that she has a library full of magical books at her disposal.
I enjoyed the combination of academia and mystery. I also liked the way the story developed as Ivy learned more about the world she lives in, the magic that’s a part of her. The world-building is great; the author managed to build a magical and curious world that might take inspiration from other magical worlds, but still creates a new world that’s there for the reader to discover. Ivy is, as her surname suggests, a lovely character that’s relatable and you just love following her through Croswald and her discoveries. The ending makes me curious about how the rest of Ivy’s story will proceed, what more there is to explore in Croswald, so I can see myself continuing this series in the future.
The Crowns of Croswald is a magical middle-grade adventure set in the world of Croswald. Overall, I liked the story. It was a quick and fun read and it made me curious to find out more about the magic system, the characters, and the world they live in. I couldn’t help but notice that there are some similarities to Harry Potter, which is why I think this series could be a magical discovery for every fan of that series, or for the next generation of young readers who would rather read about a bookish teenager saving the world from a Dark Queen.
The story follows our main character, a 16-year-old orphan named Ivy Lovely, as she discovers the world around her after growing up in a castle situated in a field full of flowers that are dulling all kinds of magic. One day, she leaves that “bubble” behind, while running after her pet dragon Humboldt, and a man suddenly shows up. He introduces himself as Mr. Lugg, a scrivenist (the magicians in this world, using quills as wands), and gives her a letter inviting her to a magic school, The Halls of Ivy. Though wondering if she could ever fit in at such a prestigious school, she is nonetheless excited to start her studies to become a scrivenist herself one day. Ivy is a bookish girl; she has a thirst for knowledge and loves to read and sketch in her free time.
At the Halls of Ivy, Ivy meets her fellow students, both royals and future scrivenists, including Fyn (third-year scrivenist student) and Rebecca (roommate, royal). Together with Ivy, those two form some kind of Golden Trio, and during the school year, they will support her in any way they can. While studying different kinds of magic and fantastical creatures, Ivy’s also trying to find out more about her past, the parents she never met, the mysterious man called D. E. Night that no one seems to remember, and a Wandering Family, now that she has a library full of magical books at her disposal.
I enjoyed the combination of academia and mystery. I also liked the way the story developed as Ivy learned more about the world she lives in, the magic that’s a part of her. The world-building is great; the author managed to build a magical and curious world that might take inspiration from other magical worlds, but still creates a new world that’s there for the reader to discover. Ivy is, as her surname suggests, a lovely character that’s relatable and you just love following her through Croswald and her discoveries. The ending makes me curious about how the rest of Ivy’s story will proceed, what more there is to explore in Croswald, so I can see myself continuing this series in the future.