Serafina and the Black Cloak (Serafina #1) by Robert Beatty
Release: July 14th 2015
Format: Kindle
Publisher: Disney•Hyperion
Source: Amazon
Serafina and the Black Cloak Synopsis:
“Never go into the deep parts of the forest, for there are many dangers there, and they will ensnare your soul.”
Serafina has never had a reason to disobey her pa and venture beyond the grounds of the Biltmore estate. None of the rich folk upstairs know that Serafina exists; she and her pa, the estate’s maintenance man, have secretly lived in the basement for as long as Serafina can remember.
But when children at the estate start disappearing, only Serafina knows who the culprit is: a terrifying man in a black cloak who stalks Biltmore’s corridors at night. Following her own harrowing escape, Serafina risks everything by joining forces with Braeden Vanderbilt, the young nephew of the Biltmore’s owners. Braeden and Serafina must uncover the Man in the Black Cloak’s true identity before all of the children vanish one by one.
Serafina’s hunt leads her into the very forest that she has been taught to fear. There she discovers a forgotten legacy of magic. In order to save the children of Biltmore, Serafina must seek answers that will unlock the puzzle of her past.
Review:
I’m a bit late in reading this series, but better late than never, right? Having said that, I really enjoyed reading this book.
Serafina is a great character that you want to root for from the first page. She has such an innocent yet brave quality in her that you cannot help but like her. Serafina believes in herself even though she knows she is different from others. She is independent and takes charge to do what is right without depending on anyone else. There are so many qualities in her that make her an inspiring role model. I also enjoyed Braedan’s character, and liked the friendship between the two. Also, I loved Serafina’s father and felt that he was an underrated character. Moreover, I was fascinated and scared by the Man in the Black Cloak. There are hardly any memorable villains in recently published novels, and I think that’s one of the main reasons this book held my interest.
However, there were two aspects that bothered me a bit while reading Serafina. The first reason is the number of characters. The author introduces a lot of characters in the beginning and it takes time to get used to it. Due to this, I found the story to be initially slow at times, but it picked up as soon as Braeden and Serafina meet. The second reason that had me rolling my eyes was how Serafina managed to escape unbelievably fantastic situations and came out barely scratched. True that this is a magical fantasy novel, but I just couldn’t connect to the character during these scenes. There are so many instances where you feel that she should be breaking a few bones from her actions, but seconds later, she is perfect with just a few minor bruises.
However, apart from these small details, I really liked this middle grade novel. Robert Beatty has a beautiful style of writing and it reminded me a lot of JK Rowling. There are so many wonderful messages and themes included to make this an engaging read. It’s one of those books that readers of any age would enjoy. I also think it would be a great adaptation to a movie someday. Overall, “Serafina and the Black Cloak” is a wonderful start to the series and I cannot wait to pick up “The Twisted Staff”!
