Serafina and the Black Cloak by Robert Beatty

Serafina is the strange, courageous heroine of this dark and mysterious fantasy novel. She knows very little about how she came to live in the basement of the grand Biltmore Estate (a real historic gilded-age building in North Carolina) with her Pa, but when children begin to disappear she becomes determined to uncover the secrets of the house and the dark creepy forest surrounding it.

Her curiosity leads her to some frightening situations and dangerous battles, but she also discovers the delights of true friendship for the first time, and eventually also realises the power that comes with finding, and embracing, one’s own unique identity.

Biltmore Estate is a great setting for a book and I particularly loved Serafina’s peculiar talents and the brave, adventurous way she approached uncertainty. This is a dark, gothic read for kids aged 10 and up who enjoy a good fantasy or historical mystery, especially if they don’t mind when things get very scary!


Kim Gruschow