Serafina Series and Willa of the Wood

Author: 

Robert Beatty

Themes: 

• Good vs. Evil
• Love conquers all
• The Power of Friendship
• Coming of Age

Genres: 

• Fantasy
• Historical Fiction

Recommended Age for Reading: 

Depending on the reading level of the students, I'd recommend this book for upper elementary and middle grades.  There's nothing inappropriate for younger readers in the story, but the series gets a bit dark at times.  Overall the series is enjoyable for kids all the way through adulthood.  It would be a fun series to read as a family. 

Plot:

In "Serafina and the Black Cloak," the reader is introduced to a little girl who lives in the basement with her father.  Her father works as a maintenance man for the Biltomore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina.  At the beginning of the story, all we know about Serafina is that she's a "creature of the night."  No one knows that she and her father are living in the basement, and no one except her father knows that she exists.  Her father feels that he has to hide her to protect her because of her differences.  She passes much of her time by catching rats and her father calls her the "Chief Rat Catcher of the Biltmore Estate."  

I was drawn into the series with the first book because I wanted to know more about Serafina.  I wanted to know what made her so different from everyone else.  Eventually, as the story progresses, Serafina meets Braeden who is living at the Biltmore Estate because his Uncle is George Vanderbilt.  Together, she and Braeden try to discover the mystery behind the strange disappearances that keep occurring at the Biltmore Estate.  

There are three books to the series and there's an adventure involving Serafina and Braeden.  The reader discoveries more and more about Serafina's fascinating and mysterious past.  

This video was what sparked my interest in the series. Video Source 

Review: 

I've visited the Biltmore Estate twice and it's nothing short of an enchanting experience.  I love the history behind this estate.  It's almost mind blowing to learn that the estate was built in 1895 and there's an indoor swimming pool and the estate had electricity.   I'd say Mr. Vanderbilt was way ahead of his time The Biltmore Estate History.

If I have the chance to visit the Biltmore again, I'd go in a heartbeat.  So, reading a story with the setting at the Biltmore Estate at the turn of the century was quite intriguing.  The historical context I felt was spot on to the time period and the history of the estate.  George and Edith Vanderbilt make an appearance a few times in the series.  

The story line of all three books are excellent.  My favorite was the third book in the series probably because I had grown attached to the characters and wanted to find out what happened to them.  

5/5

Willa of the Wood Plot: 

Willa is part of an ancient group of people who live deep in the Smoky Mountains.  Willa has unusual powers that she's forbidden to use by the leader of her people.  She's orphaned and lives with her "Mamaw" at the beginning of the story.  She is forced to steal from the humans who live in the settled areas.  She encounters a human man for the first time and she is surprised by his act of kindness to try to save her life after he shoots her thinking she is someone or something else.  Eventually an unexpected friendship occurs between Willa and then man when she realizes that they are more connected than what she would've ever expected.  

Review: 

It took me awhile to get into this series and I was a bit disappointed because I was expecting more of a character crossover with the characters of the "Serafina" series.  There's some that's implied, but I just wanted more.  I'm sure there will be more as the series progresses, so I will continue to read the stories.  The story did progress and had an excellent message of "love conquers all," which is always so powerful in stories.  I look forward to see what's next for Willa and hopefully Serafina.  

4/5