The Crowns of Croswald

Gr 4–7—There's nothing new in this Harry Potter—inspired fantasy; a magic school, quirky professors, cleverly named spells, and a main character with a previously unknown magical bloodline all make an appearance. Ivy has known a life of servitude working for Royals in a castle hidden in a slurry field, which is a force field that blocks magic. When she finds herself outside of the fields for the first time, she is then (inexplicably) able to attend school at the Halls of Ivy where she can study to become a scrivenist. World-building falls flat—lots of magical terms are thrown around without context. There is no real suspense since it's obvious from the beginning that Ivy isn't who she thinks she is. It's almost impossible to keep track of the various characters, none of whom seem to have a clear impact on either Ivy or the story. There are some interesting imaginative elements, such as the glanagerie bottle, a world created in a genie bottle of sorts, but they seem to belong in a different story. This author has promise but needs to find her own voice.