Reviews

A Crown of Ivy and Glass by Claire Legrand

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gabrielladsheldon's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

endofthelaneway's review against another edition

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medium-paced

3.0

acarter's review against another edition

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4.5

A CROWN OF IVY AND GLASS is being pitched as BRIDGERTON meets A COURT OF THORNS AND ROSES, and the vibes are not wrong! This is the first installment in the Middlemist trilogy, which is ultimately the story of three sisters attempting to find out what's going wrong with the border between their realm and the mythical old world, all while dealing with the politics and social hierarchies of their world, deeply rooted family trauma, the thrills and distractions of new love, and the perils of mental illness. Just fantasy girlie things! Gemma is not going to be every reader's cup of tea--she's Legrand's ode to Emma Woodhouse and Amy March, a spoiled beauty who has a good heart but doesn't want to do anything boring or difficult (um, same)--but her all-consuming guilt and anxiety complicate her cupcake persona and add texture to her very complicated relationships with her sisters, her friends, and the worrisomely handsome Western boy who's just come to town. Halfway through the book, Legrand shifts gears into high fantasy, and the plot thickens and complicates itself in an upward spiral until the end, which leaves the reader desperate for book two, which will take place from Farrin's perspective. I cannot wait to read the rest of this series!