D. E. Night

This is the first middle grade book I've read in a while and I was not disappointed! The Crowns of Croswald is a whimsical story with a lovely (pun intended) protagonist. I enjoyed following Ivy Lovely from the slurry fields to the Halls of Ivy. The story is part mystery and part high fantasy, with a touch of the absurd. My first thought when Ivy arrived at school was that it felt like Harry Potter, but in a pleasant way that didn't feel derivative at all. Maybe even better than Hogwarts! Throughout every development, I was interested in the progression, though I did find the pacing a little strange at times. There were enough unanswered questions at the end that I want to keep reading the series! I wanted to know more about how the actual work of a scrivenist happens and what exactly their job is, because it felt like I got just a taste but was still confused by the end, and I'm hoping to get more of an explanation in book two. I also want to know more about the mechanics of the world, because there were some things that seemed interesting but got glossed over. Again, I assume there will be more development in the second book. Finally, the magic system was confusing, but in a good way! I want to see more about how the crowns work and how magic works in general. I'm looking forward to reading more, and suggesting this book to friends.… (meer)

This was a fun book to read! I tore through the first book, and I have to admit this took me a little longer to get through, but the story was interesting and I wanted to know what happened as I was reading. I will say that it borrows a lot of themes from books like Harry Potter. This isn't a bad thing, but it was a little distracting for me. If you liked book 1 in this series, it's worth continuing. There are new characters introduced, and The Town that's briefly alluded to in the first book is explored! It did seem like there were some things that weren't well-explained in terms of magic, but maybe they'll be explained later on!… (meer)

Thanks to the publisher/author for providing this book in exchanging for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book way more than the first one. We can really see how immensely did the author improved.
It's great that the book starts right after the events of the first book giving us the follow up without pausing the story.
I love that we have new characters that are part of Ivy's circle has it contributes to character development, specially for Ivy and Fyn. We can relate more to them now that we see them grow with each event happening, at the same time we see more of their background.
A few character I would like to have more knowledge about being Gretta (She has a major role, but we don't know how it started) and Derwin s>(his lack of confidence because of all that happened to him leads to him not helping Ivy in the right way).
Something I also loved was The Town. It seemed so comfortable, so full of magic and with so many opportunities to learn and experiment. However, I don't understand how the people were so oblivious to what was happening, shouldn't they have known the moment it happened?
The issues I had with this book: Quogo. I understand it and its role in the story, but just why?
The issues I had with this book: Quogo. I understand it and its role in the story, but just why?
Also the romantic plot that shows up randomly and it doesn't make much sense to me. It seems forced.
And the Selector, I do have a problem with that woman. She could be more helpful.
I'm so invested in this story that I just need to know how it ends.… (meer)

Thanks to the publisher/author for providing this book in exchanging for an honest review.

I really liked this book. It brings me back to when I first started reading, being an excellent book for teens and young adults I think.

It's creative and magical and the little illustrations in the beginning of the chapters are really lovely. The small chapters are also a plus for me, as it gives flow to the story.
I like that the author gives a personality to the multiple creatures and involves them in the story and also as companions to help Ivy.
As for the characters:
Ivy: She was a bit flat for me in a big part of the book. For someone who is discovering a different part of this world, I felt she was way to calm. She's very intuitive and very curious, which leads her to where she needs to be, however I feel that, whith everything happening, she would ask more questions.
Rebecca: She was the friend Ivy needed by being trusful, helpful, caring and supportive.
Fyn: Was a bit of a surprise.
Humboldt: He's just adorable
Rimbrick and Winsome: I love that they are mentors to Ivy. But again, Ivy doesn't question them enough.
Also, D.E.Night: I see what you did there and i love it. :D… (meer)