This wintry tale is set at Crowfield Abbey in 1347, when a young William Paynel—orphaned by a fire that mysteriously didn’t harm him and now working for the few monks who toil in the cold halls—stumbles into an unexpected world of supernatural creatures. First, he frees a “hob” from a hunter’s trap, after which he learns that he has a special ability to see fay folk. Soon, he’s noticing all manner of odd goings-on, including visits from a white raven, some secretive guests at the abbey, and the bloody and unexplained deaths of various woodland creatures. Paynel ultimately finds himself figuring out who to trust in an ancient battle of magic.
With The Crowfield Curse, Pat Walsh brings to life a snowy, haunted England—just the way I like it. Fans of Susan Cooper’s “The Dark is Rising” series will like this one, as it also taps into Old Magic and the sometimes inscrutable beings who practice it. The setting is suitably intimate in scope. This is not an epic, though it certainly has roots in a much larger struggle than plays out in the story. Look for the sequel, The Crowfield Demon, which carries the cast of characters into 1348.
“What Kids Are Reading” is a regular feature in the Sun, highlighting children’s books available for young readers in Santa Maria. This week’s recommendation was made by Executive Editor Ryan Miller.
This article appears in Jan 12-19, 2012.