#26 The Crowfield Curse by Pat Walsh
This review has spoilers for The Crowfield Curse. There are no real spoilers for it’s sequel, The Crowfield Demon.
By rescuing the angel, Will may have broken the curse upon Crowfield Abby but their are darker creatures hidden beneath his home. Under the church lies a demon, and without the presence of the angel to keep it at bay, it’s starting to stir. With the help of noble fae Shadlock, the mischievous hob Brother Walter, and the frail monk Brother Snail , Will and his allies must decide what to do to keep the Abbey safe. But how will they be sure to make the right decisions when the lines between good and evil start to blur?
With The Crowfield Demon, the follow up to The Crowfield Curse, Pat Walsh ups the ante by presenting three foes for our young protagonist: the Dark King of the Unseelie Court, the wicked Dame Alice, and finally, the restless demon beneath the church. Although The Crowfield Demon is filled with plenty of satisfyingly spooky moments, I have to admit that I didn’t enjoy it as much as I did The Crowfield Curse. This may be due to the fact that I felt The Crowfield Demon lacked the strong sense of place that I enjoyed so whole heatedly with The Crowfield Curse. It could also due to by discontent with how women were portrayed. It makes sense, given the Abbey setting, that the cast would be primarily male, but I can’t help but feel disappointed that the books sole female character of importance didn’t rise much beyond the wicked witch stereotype. Or perhaps the primary problems lies with me, as I’ve had hard time on concentrating on most books lately (at least one’s that aren’t graphic novels), because I can’t quite put my finger on why I didn’t find this story to be as engaging as the first.
At the same time, I have to admit that The Crowfield Demon did have plenty of good moments. I really enjoyed the introduction of The Dark King, and Brother Walter is such a fun character. I also felt there were certain moments that were really nail biting, such as the final confrontation with the demon. So even though I may not have enjoyed The Crowfield Demon as consistently as The Crowfield Curse, the book had enough to it to still be considered likable. I am interested to see how things will continue to develop, given how the story ended. If Pat Walsh decides to write a third book, chances are I will read it.
Rating: three and a half stars
Length: 368 pages
Source: Lewiston Public Library
Other books I've read by this author: The Crowfield Curse
Next I will be reviewing Fables 3: Storybook Love by Bill Willingham
xposted to temporaryworlds, bookish, and goodreads
By rescuing the angel, Will may have broken the curse upon Crowfield Abby but their are darker creatures hidden beneath his home. Under the church lies a demon, and without the presence of the angel to keep it at bay, it’s starting to stir. With the help of noble fae Shadlock, the mischievous hob Brother Walter, and the frail monk Brother Snail , Will and his allies must decide what to do to keep the Abbey safe. But how will they be sure to make the right decisions when the lines between good and evil start to blur?
With The Crowfield Demon, the follow up to The Crowfield Curse, Pat Walsh ups the ante by presenting three foes for our young protagonist: the Dark King of the Unseelie Court, the wicked Dame Alice, and finally, the restless demon beneath the church. Although The Crowfield Demon is filled with plenty of satisfyingly spooky moments, I have to admit that I didn’t enjoy it as much as I did The Crowfield Curse. This may be due to the fact that I felt The Crowfield Demon lacked the strong sense of place that I enjoyed so whole heatedly with The Crowfield Curse. It could also due to by discontent with how women were portrayed. It makes sense, given the Abbey setting, that the cast would be primarily male, but I can’t help but feel disappointed that the books sole female character of importance didn’t rise much beyond the wicked witch stereotype. Or perhaps the primary problems lies with me, as I’ve had hard time on concentrating on most books lately (at least one’s that aren’t graphic novels), because I can’t quite put my finger on why I didn’t find this story to be as engaging as the first.
At the same time, I have to admit that The Crowfield Demon did have plenty of good moments. I really enjoyed the introduction of The Dark King, and Brother Walter is such a fun character. I also felt there were certain moments that were really nail biting, such as the final confrontation with the demon. So even though I may not have enjoyed The Crowfield Demon as consistently as The Crowfield Curse, the book had enough to it to still be considered likable. I am interested to see how things will continue to develop, given how the story ended. If Pat Walsh decides to write a third book, chances are I will read it.
Rating: three and a half stars
Length: 368 pages
Source: Lewiston Public Library
Other books I've read by this author: The Crowfield Curse
Next I will be reviewing Fables 3: Storybook Love by Bill Willingham
xposted to temporaryworlds, bookish, and goodreads