Legrand’s adult debut is the kind of lushly magical romance we need in a world of thorns and ghosts, real and imagined. As someone who also suffers from mental illness and chronic pain, I’ve never felt so seen as through the heroine Gemma, and I felt her journey so deeply. Legrand also does a fantastic job with her setting, a magical Regency-esque period with the whimsy of beautiful ballgowns and clandestine meetings balanced by the inherent darkness of the power of magic. I truly adored this book and hope for so much more in this world.
Book Awards
Katlin Kerrison, Story on the Square (McDonough, GA)
Words can’t describe how I loved A Crown of Ivy and Glass! I had been for something that scratched the fantasy romance itch that was a bit more mature than the normal YA. . . . I was absolutely riveted. The chronic pain representation along with female friendships was a balm to my lonely soul and I cannot wait for the next volume!
Caitlyn Vanorder, Bookmarks (Winston-Salem, NC)
A Crown of Ivy and Glass features a queer, chronically ill, chronically anxious main character and a beautiful, lush world that reaches out and pulls the reader in. Like a moth to a flame, Claire’s words are deadly and beautiful, and so, so worth the pain you’ll suffer once you’ve been consumed. Lovers of high fantasy, slow burn, stinging spice, and enemies to lovers relationships will delight in this story, and come begging for more.
a Spring 2022 Kids’ Indie Next Pick
a Spring 2022 Kids’ Indie Next List pick
School Library Journal
Alongside the gory, insistent violence wrought by the town and the coven, Legrand’s lush and uniquely evocative prose keeps tensions high throughout Amity’s struggle with her magic, fury, and conscience. . . . Slow-burn horror meets a queer coming-of-age story, with compassionately explored themes of feminism, grief, trauma, faith, and abuse. A YA fantasy complement to Naomi Alderman’s The Power; fans of Legrand will find this an interesting new approach, as will readers of Rory Power and House of Hollow by Krystal Sutherland.
Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
Legrand successfully brings a supernatural gruesomeness to her exploration of morality and agency.