Review: Serafina and the Black Cloak by Robert Beatty

Genre: Young Adult Historical Fantasy
Series: Serafina #1
Pages: 293
Copyright: 2015
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Buy: Amazon

Summary: from Good Reads
“Never go into the deep parts of the forest, for there are many dangers there, and they will ensnare your soul.”

Serafina has never had a reason to disobey her pa and venture beyond the grounds of the Biltmore estate. There’s plenty to explore in her grand home, although she must take care to never be seen. None of the rich folk upstairs know that Serafina exists; she and her pa, the estate’s maintenance man, have secretly lived in the basement for as long as Serafina can remember.

But when children at the estate start disappearing, only Serafina knows who the culprit is: a terrifying man in a black cloak who stalks Biltmore’s corridors at night. Following her own harrowing escape, Serafina risks everything by joining forces with Braeden Vanderbilt, the young nephew of the Biltmore’s owners. Braeden and Serafina must uncover the Man in the Black Cloak’s true identity . . . before all of the children vanish one by one.

Serafina’s hunt leads her into the very forest that she has been taught to fear. There she discovers a forgotten legacy of magic, one that is bound to her own identity. In order to save the children of Biltmore, Serafina must seek the answers that will unlock the puzzle of her past.

Feelings: 
Mythical creatures prowl the night, and Serafina just might be one of them. In Serafina and the Black Cloak by Robert Beatty, Serafina witnesses the disappearance of a girl and barely escapes. This was an interesting combination of history and fantasy. 

The book started out a bit slow, but it picked up near the end. I like that it included both historical elements about the Biltmore Estate and mythical/magical elements. Part of me wonders if I would have enjoyed the book as much as I did if it wasn't set locally. 

I really enjoyed the character Serafina, which was good because this was limited third person from her point of view. There are plenty of characters in the book but there are only three to five that I would consider well developed characters. Braeden Vanderbilt and Serafina's pa are the most developed of the characters. This is probably because Serafina has been hidden from humans by her father, who is afraid that she is so different she won't fit it. I thought at first I might not like this book because it was from a 12 year-old's perspective but Serafina was not a whiny child but a curious one. That made a big difference in my opinion of her.

Braeden and his dog Gidean make for interesting side kicks for this adventure. Gidean is a typical very loyal dog but he needed to be that in this story.

The man in the black cloak is bad but I never really got a feeling for the character to dislike him. Serafina was scared of him, but she was also curious about him and what the cloak was. Two chapters into the book, I was invested in the story enough to want to learn more.

I will be reading the next book in the series because I'm curious to see what happens with Serafina once she stops hiding.