A review by demonpoxologist20
The Crowns of Croswald by D.E. Night

lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

I was sent this book to review by @author.denight and I honestly really enjoyed it. I don’t read a lot of middle grade books, but sometimes it’s nice to take a step back from those complex and intense adult fantasy worlds to just enjoy the magic of it all. 

Croswald is a quirky world with magic held within stones for the royals and the blood of the scrivenists who serve them, making discoveries and recording them with their magic quills. There’s also plenty of fun creatures like the scaldrons and hairies. It sort of reminded me of The Princess Bride with all of the weird names. I could definitely see this being a great bedtime story!

The majority of the book was about Ivy learning more about magic and herself with little bumps in her path along the way, but it did culminate in a much larger finale than I was expecting, sort of like the first Harry Potter book. 

Overall, I’d definitely recommend this book for any middle schoolers in your life, or if you’re just looking for a break after a more intense read, because it’s loads of fun!