You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
A review by emc425
The Crowns of Croswald by D.E. Night
4.0
Magical school, a girl finding out who she is, adventure, and wonderful creatures and characters? Sign me up!
Ivy Lovely has spent 16 years of her life as a servant in a castle, only for everything to be flipped upside down when she crosses an enchanted boundary and finds out she's magical. Ivy attends the Halls of Ivy, a school where students learn to master their magic, either given to them by blood, or the power of Croswald's gems. Along the way, Ivy finds herself in a great number of interesting situations and learns more about herself and Croswald than she bargained for.
This book has some really wonderful world building! It's intricate and vibrant and really pulls you into the world right alongside Ivy. Though some have mentioned this book reminding them of Harry Potter, I think Night does a great job differentiating and making this world truly unique and special. The characters are also incredible. Ivy and Rebecca are fun characters that, though they are 16, many middle grade readers would likely find relatable. This is a fast paced read that I think many fans of middle grade fiction would really enjoy!
The only thing keeping this from a five star rating is that I do wish some specifically character related things had been fleshed out a little more. The Dark Queen, Damaris, and the Selector most notably. The fast pace of the book made it a quick and fun read but it also felt at times like things were a little rushed because of it. That being said I'm sure we will find out more about these characters in future books and it will only serve to make the world that's being built that much better!
I would definitely recommend this book to any middle grade fiction readers who love fast paced books filled with adventure, mystery, magic, and imagining what it may be like to attend a magical school!
Thank you to NetGalley and Stories Untold for this ARC in exchange for an unbiased review!
Ivy Lovely has spent 16 years of her life as a servant in a castle, only for everything to be flipped upside down when she crosses an enchanted boundary and finds out she's magical. Ivy attends the Halls of Ivy, a school where students learn to master their magic, either given to them by blood, or the power of Croswald's gems. Along the way, Ivy finds herself in a great number of interesting situations and learns more about herself and Croswald than she bargained for.
This book has some really wonderful world building! It's intricate and vibrant and really pulls you into the world right alongside Ivy. Though some have mentioned this book reminding them of Harry Potter, I think Night does a great job differentiating and making this world truly unique and special. The characters are also incredible. Ivy and Rebecca are fun characters that, though they are 16, many middle grade readers would likely find relatable. This is a fast paced read that I think many fans of middle grade fiction would really enjoy!
The only thing keeping this from a five star rating is that I do wish some specifically character related things had been fleshed out a little more. The Dark Queen, Damaris, and the Selector most notably. The fast pace of the book made it a quick and fun read but it also felt at times like things were a little rushed because of it. That being said I'm sure we will find out more about these characters in future books and it will only serve to make the world that's being built that much better!
I would definitely recommend this book to any middle grade fiction readers who love fast paced books filled with adventure, mystery, magic, and imagining what it may be like to attend a magical school!
Thank you to NetGalley and Stories Untold for this ARC in exchange for an unbiased review!