A gothic and atmospheric fairytale of a book!

filled star filled star filled star star unfilled star unfilled
libroworm Avatar

By

Cassie Engel lives in an unusual house perched precariously on top of a tall rock on the edge of the Bratvian Forest overlooking to town of Edenburg, with her self-obsessed opera-singing mother, and highly enthusiastic but far less skilled taxidermist father, and her grandma, who is very ill.

On a dark stormy night a cherub flies into Cassie’s room triggering the start of a number of mysterious events that will change her life completely! The cherub is more like a baby bird, but strangely vulnerable and powerful simultaneously. Cassie is desperate to protect her and after a violent attack by predatory birds (stumfalken,) believes the cherub has come to her specifically.

Whilst the sturmfalken gather in the forest, strange and dark things happen, Cassie's parents begin to act strangely, something is happening to her best friend Raphael and they must solve the mystery of Raphael’s birth to protect themselves from the looming overhead threat.

There is a lot to love about this story, the world-building is perfect, which a dark Grimm like aspect with a twist of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang invention. Whilst intended for middle-grade there is a lot to engage in this book and I think it would appeal to young adults and adults alike...and like many others I totally agree if you are a fan of Frances Hardinge, then this is definitely the book for you.