“A Crown of Ivy and Glass” by Claire Legrand (Bloom Books)
Lady Imogen Ashbourne is rich, spoiled and obsessed with looks. She's also tremendously weighted with guilt both earned and unearned. She’s got a lot of growing up to do, and the sink-or-swim adventure she’s about to embark on will guarantee she does.
Author Claire Legrand, already established in the world of teen fiction, is also growing up into the world of adult fantasy with “A Crown of Ivy and Glass.” It’s the first of a promised three books in the Middlemist Trilogy, which promises angst, sexy time, mythical beasts and intriguing lore. A seasoned fantasy writer and masterful worldbuilder, Legrand explains the world’s history and magic without bogging down the story or turning it into a history lesson.
Before the story even begins, Legrand warns readers it’s going to be an intense ride. Her author’s note serves as a brief content warning — one that is wholly merited, as the book touches on numerous sensitive but important topics.
Throughout this twisty-turny tale of magic, romance, and epic fights, Imogen struggles with panic attacks, self-hatred, and a mysterious, debilitating illness that no healer can seem to puzzle out: She's a magic-less anomaly in her Anointed family, who was granted magic by the gods, and the mere presence of the stuff sends her reeling in pain.
Disenchanted by it all, Imogen doesn’t believe the stories that the family feud between the Ashbournes and the Basks is fueled by a demon. But the exceptionally handsome foreigner Talan d’Astier, with a magical power to soothe her aching body and racing mind, convinces her it’s worth pursuing. She secretly devises a plan to ask the demon to cure her and give her magic — if such a demon actually exists, if they find it, and almost regardless of what it wants in return.
Clearly Imogen is not ingesting all the novels she claims to love, because she is falling for an age-old fairytale trap: a deal with a devil. A plan like that is always doomed to fail and sets expectations that our heroine will absolutely make a lot of poor decisions.
But can we really blame her?
As someone with a chronic, painful illness that has no known cure, I relate deeply to Imogen’s pain as she grapples with her place in the world and finds meaning in her oft-bedridden existence. True to life, Legrand describes Imogen's aches and ailments with such consistency it's impossible to forget.
The result is a genuine and exciting character arc that puts disability and mental illness in the spotlight for an honest, earnest evaluation.
But it’s not all deep cuts, heavy topics and deals with demons. Legrand sprinkles in posh parties and pent-up romances in a Victorian-adjacent world with balls, fancy dinners and bespoke gowns. But unlike the buttoned-up historical canon, there’s a distinct sexual freedom throughout the book that swings between exhilaratingly unashamed and romance-novel-level raunchy.
Reading “A Crown of Ivy and Glass” is like watching a movie. Whether it’s a sex scene or a mystical landscape or a well-fitted suit, Legrand is a polished painter of word pictures. Luscious descriptions bring the story alive, making it immersive and fun even when it’s uncomfortable or excruciating.
But it remains to be seen whether the next two books can keep up the excitement to win over Legrand’s younger fans as they age up, and find a new crowd among the fantasy lovers looking for a little extra spice in their spells.
