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A review by simtara
The Crowns of Croswald by D.E. Night
3.0
Disclaimer: I received two copies of this book – one through the publisher (Stories Untold LLC) in exchange for an honest review, and one through a Good Reads giveaway (I thought it was just for the second book; didn’t realize the first book would be included).
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For her first published work, author D.E. Night did a commendable job. Keeping the target audience in mind – I’d say 3rd grade to middle school – I think the writing style and the level of complexity of this book were on point.
I love a world of fairies and magic; a well-written fantasy absorbs my attention in the most satisfying way. Of course, post 1997, any book involving children at a magic school will prompt comparison to Harry Potter. Fair or not, Rowling’s work has become the de facto benchmark for this genre. Beyond the obvious Harry Potter comparison, there are hints of Alice in Wonderland, Wicked, Oz the Great and Powerful, and Sleeping Beauty in Night’s world of Croswald.
That said, I think Night does a fair job with the world-building in her debut book. She paints Croswald with nuances that help set it apart as its own enigmatic and curious entity (e.g.: hairies, slurry fields, and the Hollow Shaft).
While the first half of the book was a bit meandering, the second half picks up the pace. Once Ivy (the protagonist) meets up with Derwin (the first character introduced), the plot progresses on an exciting path. Connections are made, questions are answered, and mysteries are solved, all while Ivy goes through her coming of age adventure. By the end of the book, I am left both satisfied and curious for the next part of the story.
My favorite part of this book was the touch of whimsy sprinkled throughout in sentences like “He taught her to make ridiculous things like unpoppable bubbles and terribly useful things like wellness remedies…”; it reminded me of Roald Dahl’s writing style.
The least satisfying part of this book was the lack of character development, particularly in the first half. This story is complex enough to warrant a proper introduction to each of the main characters. Without this introduction and good character development, it’s hard to get a firm grasp on any of the character’s personalities or to make a connection with any of them. Watching a character evolve (or devolve) through the course of the book is one of the best parts of reading a book.
Once the pace picks up in the second half of the book, character interactions improve a fair bit. I hope this evolution in writing persists in the second and third books of the series.
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Overall, I give this book a 3.5/5. It's an enjoyable read and the plot is presented in a new enough way that I want to keep reading the series. Young readers will likely overlook the character development and minor writing points, but I think there's scope for the author to finesse her writing. I look forward to reading more from her.
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For her first published work, author D.E. Night did a commendable job. Keeping the target audience in mind – I’d say 3rd grade to middle school – I think the writing style and the level of complexity of this book were on point.
I love a world of fairies and magic; a well-written fantasy absorbs my attention in the most satisfying way. Of course, post 1997, any book involving children at a magic school will prompt comparison to Harry Potter. Fair or not, Rowling’s work has become the de facto benchmark for this genre. Beyond the obvious Harry Potter comparison, there are hints of Alice in Wonderland, Wicked, Oz the Great and Powerful, and Sleeping Beauty in Night’s world of Croswald.
That said, I think Night does a fair job with the world-building in her debut book. She paints Croswald with nuances that help set it apart as its own enigmatic and curious entity (e.g.: hairies, slurry fields, and the Hollow Shaft).
While the first half of the book was a bit meandering, the second half picks up the pace. Once Ivy (the protagonist) meets up with Derwin (the first character introduced), the plot progresses on an exciting path. Connections are made, questions are answered, and mysteries are solved, all while Ivy goes through her coming of age adventure. By the end of the book, I am left both satisfied and curious for the next part of the story.
My favorite part of this book was the touch of whimsy sprinkled throughout in sentences like “He taught her to make ridiculous things like unpoppable bubbles and terribly useful things like wellness remedies…”; it reminded me of Roald Dahl’s writing style.
The least satisfying part of this book was the lack of character development, particularly in the first half. This story is complex enough to warrant a proper introduction to each of the main characters. Without this introduction and good character development, it’s hard to get a firm grasp on any of the character’s personalities or to make a connection with any of them. Watching a character evolve (or devolve) through the course of the book is one of the best parts of reading a book.
Once the pace picks up in the second half of the book, character interactions improve a fair bit. I hope this evolution in writing persists in the second and third books of the series.
---
Overall, I give this book a 3.5/5. It's an enjoyable read and the plot is presented in a new enough way that I want to keep reading the series. Young readers will likely overlook the character development and minor writing points, but I think there's scope for the author to finesse her writing. I look forward to reading more from her.