Home > Categories > Books > Young Adult > The Crowfield Curse review

Sick of adverts? Click here to join up for free and be rid of them.
It's 1347 and fifteen-year-old Will, an orphan boy, lives at Crowfield Abbey. Sent into the forest to gather wood, he rescues instead, a creature from a trap - a hob, who shares with Will a terrible secret. Somewhere in the forest behind the abbey where he lives, is a grave. And buried deep in the snow is an angel. But how can an angel die? What has it to do with the monks of the Abbey? When two hooded strangers arrive at Crowfield asking questions about the angel's grave. Will is drawn into a world of dangerous Old Magic.
"The Crowfield Curse" was short-listed for the Times Children's Fiction Competition in 2008. This is a stunning debut novel and the first of a two part series.
Product reviews...
Will is fifteen; an orphan in the Crowfield Abbey who works hard for his keep. When he discovers an injured hob in the woods and brings him home, everything begins to change rather rapidly. The Crowfield Curse is a well-written, faced paced story for young adults which very much resembles the front cover in mood. I found myself almost shivering with the cold, colourless imagery of the Abbey and surrounding woods.
This book is a very well-executed blend of realistic 'middle ages' environment and traditional 'otherworld' characters. I am very much looking forward to reading the second installment and seeing Will finally leave the Abbey and pursue a less frigid path.
I would recommend this story for older children, perhaps 12 - 15 because it is quite a dark story with some gore and animal death (fairly graphic). Definitely worthy of its shortlist in the Times Children's Fiction Competition, The Crowfield Curse was an interesting and memorable story which left me wanting more.
Guest comments...
There are currently no comments on file. Will you click here and be the first?
Random listing from 'Books'...
Widely regarded as the benchmark anthology for every science fiction fan, this brilliant annual continues to uphold the series' standard of excellence with 30 stories all written within the last year.
Here are cutting-edge works from bright new talents, as well as many by established writers - surprising, entertaining or innovative, but always accomplished. it covers every aspect of the genre - soft, hard, cyberpunk, cyber noir, anthropological, military and adventure.
All trademarks, images and copyrights on this site are owned by their respective companies.
This is a free public forum presenting user opinions on selected products, and as such the views expressed do not necessarily reflect the opinion of KIWIreviews.co.nz and are protected under New Zealand law by the "Honest Opinion" clause of the Defamation Act of 1992. KIWIreviews accepts no liability for statements made on this site, under the assumption that they are the true and honest opinions of the individual posters. In most cases, prices and dates stated are approximate and should be considered as only guidelines.
"Politics is not a bad profession. If you succeed there are many rewards, if you disgrace yourself you can always write a book."
Ronald Reagan (1911 - 2004)