January Book of the Month

The Clockwork Crow is a mysterious Gothic Christmas tale by Catherine Fisher, set in a frost-bound Victorian country mansion.

When orphaned Seren Rhys is given a newspaper parcel by a stranger late at night in a freezing Victorian train station, she has no idea what trouble it contains. She is heading for a new life in the remote country house of Plas-y-Fran. But when she gets there, the happy Christmas she hoped for turns out to be an illusion. Armed with a talking bird who might not be telling the truth, a magical snow globe and bags of courage, Seren sets off on a perilous midnight journey into an enchanted world of snow and stars to bring happiness back to Plas-y-Fran.

This engaging, well-written fantasy, with likeable main characters and suitably creepy villains, makes for a fast paced magical read. Suitable for 8-12 year olds. Great for fans of the Cogheart series by Peter Bunzl and Tin by Padraig Kenny. Not just a Christmas read!