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The Crowns of Croswald

The Crowns of Croswald by D. E. Night


*I received a free ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

This book releases 21 July 2017 from Untold Stories Press.


Synopsis (from Goodreads)
For sixteen years Ivy Lovely has been hidden behind an enchanted boundary that separates the mundane from the magical. When Ivy crosses the border, her powers awaken. Curiosity leads her crashing through a series of adventures at the Halls of Ivy, a school where students learn to master their magical blood and the power of Croswald’s mysterious gems. When Ivy’s magic—and her life—is threatened by the Dark Queen, she scrambles to unearth her history and save Croswald before the truth is swept away forever.


Review
An imaginative new world filled with magic, dragons, dwarves, royalty and mystery! I loved the creative new way that the magic works. For royals, they get magical stones on their 16th birthdays that have certain powers. For others who aren't royal, called scrivenists, they channel their magic through their magical quills and by sketching and reading lots of books and taking lots of notes. Sounds like heaven to me!

Ive Lovely is a, well, lovely character! She's determined and capable, though she does wind up getting herself into a few messes! She has a big heart and is a fun heroine to cheer for, and I like how she developed good friendships by helping people.

The writing is tight and focused, with most scenes building towards the plot, though there are a few that serve to build the world (which I didn't mind at all!). This book is written for a slightly younger audience; I would place it somewhere between Middle Grade and YA (ages 11-16), though I think people of all ages will enjoy it! The somewhat younger language in no way influences the quality of the story being told. We still get beautiful and vivid descriptions and truly funny moments (one of the first scenes in the kitchen with ugly Helga had me laughing out loud!).

A magical and enchanting read! If you're a fan of Harry Potter and fairy tales, then this book is right up your alley.


Rating
I give this book 4 stars.


Details
Genre: MG, YA, Fantasy
Language: None.
Sex: None.
Violence: None.

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