Shandi Sturgill

 Serafina knows she is different. She lives in the basement of the Biltmore Estate with her father, who does electrical work on the property. One night Serafina sees a figure in a black cloak abduct a young girl who is visiting the estate. However, she is not the first child who has disappeared from the elaborate home. Serafina joins with Braeden, the nephew of George Vanderbilt, to discover who is behind the cloak.

Beatty does a good job at weaving two mysteries together. Like Serafina, readers are left not only wanting to know who the person in the black cloak is, but also about who Serafina’s biological parents are. However, one of these mysteries is handled better than the other. From the moment she is introduced, it is blatantly shown that Serafina is not fully human. At times, it felt like Beatty was being a bit heavy handed with clues to the fact that she was more cat-like than human. In regard to who dons the Black Cloak Beatty is much more subtle. There is a pivotal clue that is disguised as a bit of insight.

This book is incredibly fast paced and engrossing; Beatty throws readers right into the action within the first chapter. The moral conflict in the story is very interesting. Serafina finds herself contemplating if those who do bad things view themselves as villains, or if they believe they are doing what they need to in order to survive and thrive. It would add to the novel’s strengths if some of the characters were developed more, in particular Serafina’s father. Their relationship is shown at the beginning of the book, but he is mostly absent for the rest of the story. The relationship between Serafina and Braeden was well crafted. Their friendship, based on their mutual differences, was refreshing to see.

This book is marketed as being a book “for all ages’, and I would agree that it is. Serafina may be in her early teens, but her bravery and desire to know who she is will draw in readers of any age. If you enjoy fantasy and mystery, you should defiantly pick up a copy.