The Clockwork Crow by Catherine Fisher, Walker Books, 9781536214918, c2018, 2020Format: Hardcover
Rating: 1-5 (5 is an excellent or a Starred review)4
Genre: Fantasy
What did you like about the book? Seren Rhys is an orphan who is sent to live in Wales with a friend of her father’s. Her parents died when she was a baby in India, her only living relative had taken her in but now she was all alone. She is to live with the Jones at their estate, Plas-y-Fran.
At the train station in Trefil, Wales she encounters a strange man who, after being scared by something or someone in the dark, leaves a package with Seren telling her not to leave it there alone. When he doesn’t return she decides to take it with her.
When she arrives at Plas-Fran in the depths of a cold and snowy winter, the only residents of the home are a few servants. The Jones have been in London since their son, Tomos, disappeared nearly a year ago.
The ancient house is cold and scary but Seren explores it with the clockwork crow she reassembled. He was inside the package.
Seren gets into trouble with Mrs. Villiers, the housekeeper, and the two butt heads often. But Seren tries to fit in and makes friends with the other servants. Then she thinks she knows how to save Tomos.
This is the first in a trilogy and readers of this one will wait anxiously to see how Seren makes out in them!
To whom would you recommend this book? Fans of the Serafina series by Robert Beatty will love this story.
Who should buy this book? Public and school libraries should definitely get this book.
Where would you shelve it? Fantasy
Should we (librarians/readers) put this on the top of our “to read” piles? Near the top
Reviewer’s Name, Library (or school), City and State: Maria Touet, Malden Public Schools, Malden, MA
Date of review: February 24, 2021
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