Description: Evoking the classic fantasy adventures of Joan Aiken and Eva Ibbotson, this darkly delightful new novel from New York Times best-selling author Catherine Fisher glimmers with winter magic.
Orphan Seren Rhys is on her way to a new life at the remote country mansion of Plas-y Fran when she is given a package by a stranger late at night in an empty train station. The package contains a crotchety, mechanical talking crow, which Seren reluctantly brings to her new home. But when she gets there, the happy Christmas she had hoped for turns out to be an illusion--the young son of the house, Tomos, has been missing for almost a year, rumored to have been taken by the fairies. With the Crow's reluctant help and a little winter magic, Seren sets off on a perilous journey to bring Tomos home. An enthralling story of family and belonging set in frost-bound Victorian Wales.Review Quotes: A richly atmospheric page-turner--readers will eagerly anticipate the forthcoming sequel.
--Kirkus Reviews
--Booklist This quick novel is chock-full of snowy magic perfect for the holidays; fans of detective stories, like Seren herself, will appreciate her aptitude for getting into trouble through her drive to investigate the unknown. After Seren's hard life, she gets a well-deserved, if a little too neatly wrapped, happy ending, but readers will be thrilled to know that this UK import already has a sequel that may soon arrive in the U.S.
--Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books Originally published in England and making its U.S., debut, this novel features excellent world-building and an engaging caper with supernatural elements.
--School Library Journal