On My Bookshelf: The Crowns of Croswald by D. E. Night

The basic plot from Amazon: In Croswald, the only thing more powerful than dark magic is one secret...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.

Why I liked it: My favorite parts of The Crowns of Croswald were the magical creatures like the hairies (light producing fairies with an abundance of hair), scaldrons (dragons used to power ovens), and flying seahorses. There were some characters I wished the author had sent more time developing: the Dark Queen, Fyn (I was constantly questioning whether he was really on the side of evil) and Rebecca, Ivy’s closest friend at school. There were also some plot points that could use further development, such as the story of Rimrick and Isabella, and their connection to Ivy, and the ending when Ivy abruptly decides to spend the summer with Rebecca.  

Classroom application: I would recommend this for middle school and up. Magic and dark forces are central to the plot, not nothing too violent. Harry Potter fans will either love this book, or be annoyed by the similarities. While the protagonist is female, similar to Harry, her parents are dead and she is living in hiding as a servant. Unbeknownst to Ivy, she has incredible magical powers and is transported to a school for magic. Like the Harry Potter series, much of the Crowns of Croswald focuses on Ivy’s classes with professors of a variety of magical talents and her fight, with the help of her friends, against dark forces.

If you are interested in purchasing a copy of The Crowns of Croswald for yourself, you can find it on Amazon here.

Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. The Literary Maven is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.