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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 Feather was short-listed for the Times Chidren's Fiction Competition in 2008. This is a stunning debut novel and the first of a two part series.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
16 of 18 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Pat Walsh's atmospheric debut offering is a historical fantasy with a magical twist. Gone are the expected swords and battles, and in their place are mysterious angels and loveable hobs.
A hob is a fay creature, with similar physical attributes to that of a fox. They can hold conversations as well as the next human, and prove quite useful when unravelling age-old mysteries of angels buried in nearby forests. Brother Walter is a lovely little guy, and due to my enthusiasm for tiny creatures, I fell in love with him straight away. He was by far my favourite character, though Brother Snail came a close second. I had a bit of trouble connecting with William, just because he didn't present himself as a particularly endearing character. I liked him more as I got to know him, but he didn't leave a strong impression on me.
The setting of The Crowfield Curse is fairly unusual for a YA book, and isn't something I remember coming across before. An isolated abbey makes for an intriguing place of residence for the monks, and provides a sense of isolation that makes the story seem that much more ominous.
The arrival of two strangers sees life at Crowfield Abbey take a turn for the creepy, and William uncovers a local legend of sorts. With the help of Brother Walter and Brother Snail, a fascinating history unfolds, and that's when the story really finds its feet. Up until that point, things move along at a fairly slow pace, while Walsh sets everything up with the utmost attention to detail.
1347 is an interesting time period to explore, and this is one of The Crowfield Curse's most appealing elements. Walsh took a chance on an almost forgotten time, and I think it more than paid off. I can't wait for the sequel and the return of the fay creatures, and I just hope Brother Walter keeps himself out of trouble!
A hob is a fay creature, with similar physical attributes to that of a fox. They can hold conversations as well as the next human, and prove quite useful when unravelling age-old mysteries of angels buried in nearby forests. Brother Walter is a lovely little guy, and due to my enthusiasm for tiny creatures, I fell in love with him straight away. He was by far my favourite character, though Brother Snail came a close second. I had a bit of trouble connecting with William, just because he didn't present himself as a particularly endearing character. I liked him more as I got to know him, but he didn't leave a strong impression on me.
The setting of The Crowfield Curse is fairly unusual for a YA book, and isn't something I remember coming across before. An isolated abbey makes for an intriguing place of residence for the monks, and provides a sense of isolation that makes the story seem that much more ominous.
The arrival of two strangers sees life at Crowfield Abbey take a turn for the creepy, and William uncovers a local legend of sorts. With the help of Brother Walter and Brother Snail, a fascinating history unfolds, and that's when the story really finds its feet. Up until that point, things move along at a fairly slow pace, while Walsh sets everything up with the utmost attention to detail.
1347 is an interesting time period to explore, and this is one of The Crowfield Curse's most appealing elements. Walsh took a chance on an almost forgotten time, and I think it more than paid off. I can't wait for the sequel and the return of the fay creatures, and I just hope Brother Walter keeps himself out of trouble!
13 of 15 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
The Crowfield Curse is the story of William who sadly loses his family in a mysterious fire. He is the only survivor and is taken in by the monks of Crowfield Abbey to serve them in return for a place to stay. William's life at the abbey is a hard one and the author detailed the brutal living conditions in fourteenth century with a beautiful accuracy. I had expected the monks to treat William with fatherly care and stern guidance but it is only Brother Snail who provides William with any affection. The remaining monks enjoy the harsh way of life they have chosen to live and do not think of William as anything other than a nuisance and a servant. Poor William has no room of his own but sleeps by the kitchen fire shivering with the cold. William isn't a complainer. He fears the retribution from the monks and so keeps his true feelings hidden.
Early in the novel William saves the life of a hob; a magical creature who is mistrustful of humans. The hob questions the behaviour of the monks and consequently William is confronted with difficult questions about religion and belief. He wonders about the mortality of angels, about the power of God and about the morality of the right to be buried within hallowed ground. The Crowfield Curse is by no means a religious novel but religion is something that William has to question as his character journeys through the novel.
Two other important characters in the story are Jacobus Bones and his Fey servant Shadlok. It is their entrance in the story that propels the plot forward. Up until this point, I felt the plot was slow as it centred upon the daily routines of the monks which in nature are highly repetitive. William is fearful of both men and perhaps rightly so. Shadlok's magic disturbs William because it alters his understanding of the world and he feels powerless against it. There is a darker atmosphere to the book once these two characters arrive at Crowfield Abbey and the author did an excellent job of creating a sense of foreboding.
Overall, I enjoyed reading The Crowfield Curse. The author uses description beautifully to evoke the fear of the Whistling Hollow and to portray the beauty of nature. William is a character who I pitied and yet related to enough to hope that he would get his heart's desire. I think this book would appeal to boys 10+ who have a particular love of historical facts. The detail of the historical setting was of the highest quality. I also recommend The Crowfield Curse to fans of historical fantasies in general.
Early in the novel William saves the life of a hob; a magical creature who is mistrustful of humans. The hob questions the behaviour of the monks and consequently William is confronted with difficult questions about religion and belief. He wonders about the mortality of angels, about the power of God and about the morality of the right to be buried within hallowed ground. The Crowfield Curse is by no means a religious novel but religion is something that William has to question as his character journeys through the novel.
Two other important characters in the story are Jacobus Bones and his Fey servant Shadlok. It is their entrance in the story that propels the plot forward. Up until this point, I felt the plot was slow as it centred upon the daily routines of the monks which in nature are highly repetitive. William is fearful of both men and perhaps rightly so. Shadlok's magic disturbs William because it alters his understanding of the world and he feels powerless against it. There is a darker atmosphere to the book once these two characters arrive at Crowfield Abbey and the author did an excellent job of creating a sense of foreboding.
Overall, I enjoyed reading The Crowfield Curse. The author uses description beautifully to evoke the fear of the Whistling Hollow and to portray the beauty of nature. William is a character who I pitied and yet related to enough to hope that he would get his heart's desire. I think this book would appeal to boys 10+ who have a particular love of historical facts. The detail of the historical setting was of the highest quality. I also recommend The Crowfield Curse to fans of historical fantasies in general.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I was hooked on this book right from the start! Set in a little monestery, the main characters, Will, is a lovely character, and really made me enjoy this story, but what really got me was the way that, throughout the first third of the book, there are little creepy things carefully hidden, the forest where we find Will at the start of the book is very creepy, and it has a dark secret.
In the forest is buried an angel, a creature no one thought could die. it has been hidden for years, and no one knows where it is. But along comes a man, infected with lepresy, who along with his servant, wants to hunt down the body of this angel to use for their own purposes. However, the angel's body is also being hunted by the Dark King, one of the rulers of the Fay world, which overlaps with the human world, and it is believed that it was the Dark King himself who killed the angel many many years ago.
This book was highly addictive, so much so that I ordered the 2nd book as soon as I finished the first. as you read, things become much more clear but also start to pose so many questions, and the ending just had me on the edge of my seat! I can't wait to read the next book!
In the forest is buried an angel, a creature no one thought could die. it has been hidden for years, and no one knows where it is. But along comes a man, infected with lepresy, who along with his servant, wants to hunt down the body of this angel to use for their own purposes. However, the angel's body is also being hunted by the Dark King, one of the rulers of the Fay world, which overlaps with the human world, and it is believed that it was the Dark King himself who killed the angel many many years ago.
This book was highly addictive, so much so that I ordered the 2nd book as soon as I finished the first. as you read, things become much more clear but also start to pose so many questions, and the ending just had me on the edge of my seat! I can't wait to read the next book!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Courtesy of Teens Read Too
William Paynel is not like other people. Not only did he survive a fire that killed his whole family, but he has the Sight, a gift that allows him to see the fay world that is... Read more
Published 9 months ago by TeensReadToo
Great to see something different
I read this book on the strength of the cover. I thought it looked interesting and right up my street - and it was! Read more
Published 12 months ago by BDMist
Good Medieval Thriller for Teens
I thoroughly enjoyed this Medieval supernatural thriller. It is written for teenagers, but don't let this put you off in the slightest. Read more
Published 14 months ago by Mrs. K. A. Wheatley
Junior Name of the Rose?
Targetted at the 9-12 age group, this is a very engaging read suitable for all ages. It is 1347 and our narrator, 15 year old William, is taken in by the monks at Crowfield Abbey... Read more
Published 20 months ago by Lovely Treez
Not up to our expectations
Although we were taken with the idea of this story I found this book somewhat disappointing and lacking in depth. The plot was predictable and the writing a little stilted. Read more
Published 22 months ago by Jack M
Bleakly atmospheric
Admittedly, I only bought this book because it was one of my Amazon recommendations, and because I loved the front cover, but I'm glad I did. Read more
Published on 3 May 2010 by J. Ward
A really good mix of history and magic
I wanted to read this book because it was set in the 1300's. This isn't a time I know anything about. Read more
Published on 31 Mar 2010
Wonderful and thought provoking
Other reviewers have said everything you need to make a decision. But a book this good can't be ignored by me, so my comment is that it has left me with lots to think about. Read more
Published on 31 Mar 2010 by Eleanor
Beguiling historical fantasy
It's 1347 and William is an orphan boy who lives in Crowfield Abbey and works for the monks. While collecting firewood in the nearby woods, he finds a hob (a kind of faerie)... Read more
Published on 27 Mar 2010 by quippe
Dip into another world
A wonderful story, full of mysteries. Deeply rooted in it's time - you can almost feel the details of the Abbey - it's also a great dark fantasy. Read more
Published on 25 Mar 2010 by Elizabeth Westray
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