Review: The Crowfield Curse by Pat Walsh

Book: The Crowfield Curse

Author: Pat Walsh

Genre: Action, Fantasy, Mystery, Middle Grade

Series? Crowfield Abbey #1

Summary (from Goodreads): “An angel is buried behind the abbey! It’s 1347, and Will, an orphan boy, lives and works as an apprentice of the Crowfield monks. Sent into the forest to gather firewood, he stumbles across a trapped, wounded creature no bigger than a cat.The little goblin shares a terrible secret: Buried deep in the snow behind the monastery is an angel. But, Will wonders, how can an angel die? And what does this angel have to do with the history of Crowfield? When two cloaked strangers show up and start asking questions, Will is drawn into a dangerous world of Old Magic.”

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My Thoughts:

I really enjoyed this book. It was mysterious and full of adventure with cliffhangers keeping me up, reading chapter after chapter. Walsh’s way of describing Crowfield Abbey and Foxwist Woods left me with clear images of the places in my head in only a few words. The storyline was very good as well. I especially enjoyed how the action started right at the beginning. A lot of books begin kind of slowly, setting up the plot and backstory, but The Crowfield Curse dove straight in.

The setting was set up well. Walsh describes the medieval fantasy very well and it really showed what life was like at the abbey.

Another thing I liked was the cover. The dark trees and creatures along with Will give a stark contrast to the bright snow. The ombre sky is also a nice effect. The title, black letters with red throughout and drops, like blood, has kind of an eerie look to it.

One thing that I’ll mention is that some of the scenes, especially towards the end of the book, are a little graphic and can be slightly unsettling. It’s not extremely descriptive, but you can clearly picture it in your mind.

Will, the protagonist of the story, is kind, generous, and resourceful. Though his life has had some hardships, he doesn’t let them define who he is. He longs to go out into the world. I admire Will for the fact that he doesn’t let his past hold him back from what he wants to do.

I think my favorite character is the hob, Brother Walter. He’s cute, intelligent, and loyal to Will. He stays with him every step of the way through his journey and is determined that he won’t be put under anyone else’s control but him own.

Shadlock is a interesting character. He’s definetely very serious, he smiles very little and he doesn’t have a lot of patience. However, there are times when he can be kind and even slightly amusing. Shadlock just has his own way of doing things.

This book was an overall enjoyable read. The plot kept me intrigued the whole time and I eagerly finished it in a short period of time. I’d recommend this book to anyone who likes a good mystery.

My Rating: