Seraphina knows she is not like other children. Living in the basement of the Biltmore Estate, Sera’s father tells her to stay hidden. While Serafina enjoys prowling around the estate at night as the ‘chief rat catcher,’ she dreams of making a friend. Out of obedience to her father, Sera stays hidden and also stays out of the forest. However, when children start disappearing from Biltmore, Serafina breaks both of those rules. She reaches out to Braeden Vanderbilt, nephew of the Estate owners. Together, the two young people work to defeat the evil lurking at Biltmore.
In Serafina and the Black Cloak, alternate history meets fantasy as Serafina works to save the children at Biltmore. Sera is a unique and plucky heroine with her catlike qualities and pure sincerity. I enjoyed her story and look forward to her future adventures. I listened to this book and the reader is excellent. It would also make a fun family read aloud for fans of Harry Potter and Artemis Fowl.
Recommended ages--10 and up