The Crowfield Demon

About this book

In THE CROWFIELD CURSE, young monks' apprentice Will learned he was gifted with the Sight: able to see beyond this mortal coil into the spirit realms of Old Magic. Protected by the warrior fay Shadlok -- and befriended by the wry, wary hobgoblin called Brother Walter -- the boy is just coming into his strange powers.

But now, from its very foundations, Crowfield Abbey has begun to crumble. As Will slaves to salvage the chapel, he discovers something truly terrifying. A heathen creature from a pagan past is creeping up through the rubble -- avowed to unleash havoc on holy ground!

Reviews

PRAISE FOR THE CROWFIELD CURSE

*"A wondrous mystery. Walsh described the environment with calm sensory detail, giving readers a palpably damp, frigid winter. Understatedly tender and mystical yet solid." -- Kirkus, starred review

*"Suspenseful and spooky. With fascinating attention to detail and an edgy battle between evil and good, Walsh sweeps readers almost effortlessly into another time and place. By the close of the novel, readers are hoping for more, and the ending suggests that more is to come. " -- School Library Journal, starred review

"Walsh writes with a sure and steady hand, deftly blending the historical details of medieval monastery life with the magical elements of the mythical supernatural creatures. The hob, with his unintentional wit and well-timed comic relief, is the true standout of the cast. The growing tension will compel young readers toward the climactic battle in the woods and its terrifying conclusion." -- Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

"Dotted with evil curses, dead angels, and dark places. Walsh expertly mixes the fantastical with the humdrum necessities of medieval life." -- Booklist

*Includes a timetable of daily life in the abbey and a glossary of monastic terms

*Plus a sneak peek at the sequel THE CROWFIELD DEMON!

A 2011 USBBY Outstanding International Book

New York Public Library's "100 Titles for Reading and Sharing"

Kirkus "Best Book of the Year"

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*THE CROWFIELD CURSE
Author: Walsh, Pat
In 1347 at a country monastery, a wondrous mystery unfolds. Collecting firewood in a frozen forest, William finds an unfamiliar cat-sized creature wounded in an animal trap. It moans but also talks, so despite his neck hairs hackling at this incomprehensible being, William brings the hob home to the single sympathetic monk at Crowfield Abbey. As a servant, William's treated badly there, but he makes do, and Brother Snail is kind. The dignified but privately vulnerable hob is only the first new thing in William's world. A wealthy leper, a cold fay warrior and rumors of a dead angel pull William into grave danger-danger he witnesses in a bloody slaughter of woodland animals. Some evil is overt while some is difficult to identify, but William has a careful mind and a gentle core that serve him well. Walsh describes the environment with calm sensory detail, giving readers a palpably damp, frigid winter. Understatedly tender and mystical yet solid; it ends in temporary peace, with sequel potential. (daily abbey schedule, glossary) (Historical fantasy. 9-12) -- Kirkus, starred review

School Library Journal - September 2010
*WALSH, Pat. The Crowfield Curse. 336p. glossary. Scholastic/Chicken House. Sept. 2010. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-545-22922-7. LC number unavailable.
Gr 5-8-Set in England in the winter of 1347, this suspenseful and spooky story will thrill readers who loved Joseph Delaney's "The Last Apprentice" series (HarperCollins). Fourteen-year-old William, whose family perished in a fire 18 months earlier, works as a servant at the local monastery in exchange for his room and board, meager as it is. While gathering firewood, he discovers a creature caught in a trap and saves its life. The hobgoblin tells him that he can only be seen by those with the Sight, a gift the boy did not know he possessed. As the hob recovers from his wounds, Will encounters a mystery that shakes him to his core. There is an angel secretly buried in the nearby woodlands, and a visitor to the abbey, a leper, is determined to find it. For reasons unclear to the boy, Mr. Bone insists that Will help accomplish this goal. With fascinating attention to detail and an edgy battle between evil and good, Walsh sweeps readers almost effortlessly into another time and place. By the close of the novel, they are hoping for more, and the ending suggests that more is to come. A time table of daily life in the abbey and a glossary of monastic terms are included. -- School Library Journal, starred review

"Walsh writes with a sure and steady hand, deftly blending the historical details of medieval monastery life with the magical elements of the mythical supernatural creatures. The easy prose keeps the characterizations simple while focusing most of the attention on the developing plot. Will is the typical ordinary boy thrust into extraordinary circumstances, but the hob is the true standout of the cast with his unintentional wit and well-timed comic relief. Though the story starts somewhat slowly, the growing tension will compel young readers toward the climactic battle in the woods and its terrifying conclusion." -- Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

"Dotted with evil curses, dead angels, and dark places. What sets this apart is how Walsh expertly mixes the fantastical with the humdrum necessities of medieval life." -- Booklist