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Serafina and the Black Cloak (Serafina, #1)

Robert Beatty

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Sep 05, 2015 Jessica rated it really liked it

Shelves: mysteries, historical-fiction, fantasy

A strange and gothic tale set at the very real Biltmore Mansion. Serafina is an uncanny child, with many secrets, but she's not the only one. I was a little freaked out by some of the secrets, to be honest, but it was definitely an exciting and very unusual book! ...more

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Aug 15, 2016 Wealhtheow rated it did not like it

Shelves: fantasy

Serafina lives in the basement of the Bilmore House, unseen by any but her pa. They've lived there secretly since the house was built, and her pa has always cautioned her never to be seen. So Serafina scuttles around the house at night, taking joy in catching any rat she comes across. (That she catches them and then throws them outside the Houses's walls is my first annoyance--it seems so anachronistic and against (view spoiler).) Then ...more

10 likes · Like · see review

Jan 31, 2015 Laura rated it really liked it

Shelves: mt-bookpile-2011-2015, old-reads

Serafina lives in the basement of the Biltmore Estate, hidden from the rest of the inhabitants by her father; one day she ventures upstairs and into the life of Braeden Vanderbilt, "son" of the house (nephew of the owners, who act as his guardians) and seemingly unflappable in the face of disappearances and mysteries. The two strike up a friendship and that partnership leads to Serafina's eventually finding who has been causing the disappearances of several of the Biltmore's visitors, in additio ...more

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Aug 29, 2018 Thomas rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: 2018, horror, e-book, juvenile, fantasy

I lived in and around Asheville, NC for several years in my twenties, so when I first heard about Serafina and the Black Cloak, I figured it would be a matter of time before I read it. Set at the Biltmore Estate during the turn of the century and having a supernatural angle, the story seemed like it would hit all of my interests, and I was surprised it took me a few years to get to it. I think I could have waited a lot longer and it wouldn't have bothered me.

The book isn't bad, necessarily -- it I lived in and around Asheville, NC for several years in my twenties, so when I first heard about Serafina and the Black Cloak, I figured it would be a matter of time before I read it. Set at the Biltmore Estate during the turn of the century and having a supernatural angle, the story seemed like it would hit all of my interests, and I was surprised it took me a few years to get to it. I think I could have waited a lot longer and it wouldn't have bothered me.

The book isn't bad, necessarily -- it flows well, and has compelling characters -- but it feels clunky. It's clearly a juvenile book, since it lacks some subtlety in its storytelling. The characters and themes are drawn with broad strokes, and the plot feels more like it's just loping along from one point to another instead of feeling developed and fleshed out. Plus, the big secret about Serafina becomes obvious at about the quarter-length point of the book, but Beatty doesn't come out and tell us directly about it until near the end. I've heard "But it's a kids' book" as a defense, but it's hard to claim that anymore, when the Harry Potter series raised the bar for how complex and subtle a juvenile book can be.

Beatty's narrative is also a bit awkward in places, particularly in his similes. When he goes with the story and lets the plot unfold on its own, it's fine, but then he throws in something like "Her corset felt like Satan's bony hand...", and the whole thing falls apart. I think authors are trying so hard not to write cliches that they come up with something so ridiculous that it doesn't make sense, and pulls the reader right out of the story. Nick Cutter's The Troop was another story that did that, though admittedly, Black Cloak isn't that bad.

Serafina and the Black Cloak is the first in a trilogy, and while I enjoyed how Beatty wrapped up the characters in this story, I don't feel the need to read the rest of the series. For one, now that Serafina's secret (such as it is) has been revealed, that mystery won't carry the story any more. For another, the story simply doesn't wow me enough to make me want to continue. I'm somewhat curious to see how some of the relationships develop over the series, but I'd be satisfied just to read a summary of the next two books to see how they're resolved. ...more

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