The Crowfield Curse

Pat Walsh (author)

Chicken House, UK: 2010

ISBN: 9781906427153

Genres: adventure, fantasy, gothic

Issues: identity

Shortlisted for the Times Children's Fiction Competition, 2008

Will is an orphan. His parents were killed when their mill home burned down but Will mysteriously escaped, unmarked. Taken in by the monks at Crowfield Abbey who see the teenager as cheap labour, Will knows his future is bleak. The arrival of a guest, Master Bone, and his strange servant, Shadlok, shakes the settled routine of the monks and disturbs the hidden life of the great forest nearby.

Strange creatures begin to appear. A darkness looms. And Will learns of the Crowfield Curse, a long-held secret that Master Bone seeks to discover, involving the grave of a great and mysterious being. Who can Will trust? What is the right thing to do? And can he withstand the threatening power that haunts the forest?

A complex, slightly gothic narrative, full of mystery and action, fantasy readers will enjoy this outstanding first novel from Pat Walsh. Peopled with a wide range of interesting characters, The Crowfield Curse draws the reader into a world where much is hidden except to those with the Sight. Few things are as they appear and Will has to endure a rapid learning curve as he struggles to adapt to this challenging, frightening new reality. Although there is a satisfying conclusion to this novel, further titles seem likely and this is a strong beginning to what promises to be an absorbing series.