Seren is an orphan. She learns that her godfather has agreed to take her in. On the trip there, she is given a mysterious package at the train station. Once she gets to her new home, she will try to figure out how to get it back to its owner. She is so excited for her new life. She's heard that the family lives in a mansion and are quite rich. She'll be there just in time to have a wonderful Christmas.
But when she arrives, the place is dark and cold. The disappearance of the young boy named Tomos has left a black cloud over the mansion. It's as if all the happiness disappeared with him. Seren decides to find him and make everything right again.

This is a great story. I love Seren. She is fearless. I look forward to the rest of the series.

Thank you to Net Galley and Candlewick Press for a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Couldn't put this book down, especially when we got to the golden stairs! A quick read and I'm excited to read more in the series. This is a great example of an ideal younger middle grades fantasy series.

As a note for teachers, I think the book provides some great writing extension activities such as writing a story from the perspective inside a snow globe!

I flew through this book, once I started I could not put it down. I think this is such an amazing book for young readers! I thought it was extremely cute while also very spooky at times. Seren and the crow were a perfect duo and I want more of them, more of this world.

A sweet, entertaining and engrossing story that made me smile and kept me hooked.
I loved the good world building and the sweet MC. My favorite character was the crow. The plot is well crafted and enjoyable.
I think can be appreciated by both adult and children.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

Read this book to my 11, 12, and 13 year old daughters. They enjoyed the book. The crow was their favorite character. It was a short read. We are interested in reading the rest of this series.

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

I received this book from the publisher through Netgalley for review and all thoughts and opinions are my own.
This is a fine example of a middle grade fantasy novel series. Set during Christmas, a young orphaned girl is delivered to a remote Welsh country home to live; accepted by her godfather after her aged aunt passed away. In the station while she waned for the train, a package was thrust into her reluctant arms. This would prove to be the beginning of a grand and fantastical adventure.
Highly recommend for younger middle grade children. It has some suspenseful moments and some blindness from the start of the house but no foul language. It's a fine introduction to steampunk and fae/fairy tales.

This was a cute middle grade book. I think a lot of children will enjoy it. I recommend reading it around Christmas.

Cute winter tale of persistence and magic. I think it’s a good choice for elementary students. They will enjoy the crotchety crow.

Living in an orphanage after her aunt’s death, Seren is excited to get a letter from her godfather, Captain Arthur Jones, will take her in. Dreaming about what it will be like living in the bustling, Jones manor, Plas-Y Fran, in Wales. When she gets there, she encounters a mysterious man with his mysterious, eponymous, mechanical bird leaves Seren reeling. Soon the mysteries of the manor begin to multiply. The manor is largely deserted except for the servants. The captain and his wife are away and there is no sign of their son, Thomas. What happened to the trio? What is the real story behind the Plas-Y Fran? The atmosphere of the book is rich and well-developed. The plot is intriguing and draws the readers into the story. The secondary characters are not well presented, but the main character is engaging and easy to relate too. Fans of fantasy, mystery, and orphan stories will like reading this story.

The Clockwork Crow is an absolutely magical book. Seren has been passed around from parents, now deceased, to an orphanage to a great aunt, now deceased, until now she is finally going to the grand home of a friend of her father’s in Wales. But while waiting for the train, a thin man with a newspaper-wrapped package says that They are searching for him, and he must see if They followed him. Would she please watch the package and not let Them get it. And if he doesn’t come back, she is not to leave the package. When her train comes, she has no choice but to take the mysterious package with her. What follows is a delightfully gothic story of a missing child, secret passages, and a clockwork crow who claims to be a cursed prince.

This was a fantastic book. I sped through it because I was so eager to find out what happened, and I’m looking forward to reading it again and savoring it this time. The descriptions are rich, the story wonderfully layered, and I was locked into this world the whole time. Seren and Tomos are similar to Mary Lennox and Colin Craven in The Secret Garden, and this story is at once familiar and new all at the same time. I highly recommend this book to all ages!

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I received an electronic ARC from Candlewick Press through NetGalley.
Fisher spins a tale where fantasy connects with the real world of a young orphan who leaving the orphanage to live with her godfather's family. Seren meets an unusual man in the train station as she waits for the train. He leaves a package and asks her to take care of it until he returns. She brings it with her. The manor is nothing like she expected; the only ones there are two servants. Being curious, she assembles the crow and discovers it can talk and is alive. She also learns that her godparents' young son disappeared a year ago. The people in the village all believe he was taken by the Fae. She slowly learns what happened from others. She also finds his diary and reads about the strange staircase and glow in the basement. Together, the crow and Seren save Tomos from the fairy kingdom.
Plenty of adventure with enough suspense for upper elementary level readers. The characters come to life through their descriptions and actions. Middle grade readers will appreciate subtle humor as well.

I was instantly enchanted by the cover of The Clockwork Crow. The snowy feel of the mansion at Christmas time, a little curious about the snowglobe in the boy's hand, and the blue snowglobe shape in the bottom half of the cover. I also adore stories set in old mansions, envisioning exploring all the nooks and crannies. The premise of a boy stolen by fairies was also very intriguing and reminded me of The Spindlers by Lauren Oliver. Both stories take the main character underground on a rescue mission, with the current story having Seren descend a golden staircase to travel to the palace of ice.

I was looking for some wintery magic when I picked up this book and couldn't pass up the steampunk aspects of the clockwork crow. He's quite something, a little full of himself, surly, demanding, you know the crotchety type who thinks you're at their whim. Still, he's also quite humorous so I'll let his neediness slide. Now the interesting, unexpected and slightly creepy part of this book was the fey. I'm kinda used to the tiny creatures flitting about with gossamer wings spreading their magic. Seren's fairies are of the darker variety, meant to entrap you with their lulling voice and who's frail snowy like hands grasp at your hair refusing to let you leave. Despite not expecting the creepiness, I did quite enjoy the story. There's a nice blend of mystery and spookiness and I like the classic fairytale-like quality of this book, with the added bonus of a sarcastic clockwork crow for comedic relief. And the rhyming lines at the beginning of each chapter were really lovely. There are two more planned books in the series with The Velvet Fox being released in October 2020.

When beginning The Clockwork Crow, the reader will undoubtedly recognize parallels to The Secret Garden (orphan girl, formerly from India, escorted to large, cold house full of mystery, etc.). I was grateful, however, that the author threw in a curveball in the very first chapter as Seren becomes entrusted with a mysterious package by a stranger before boarding a train. The way that single action redefines her life is part of the magic and mystery of the rest of the book.

On her way to Wales, just prior to Christmas, Seren builds castlles in her mind about her loving guardians and their son--who she can't wait to meet! Anything would be better than the orphanage with the mean girls, cold conditions, and lousy food--at least that's what Seren thinks. Her new reality is much bleaker than she had imagined. From the moment she arrives, Seren senses a coldness about the house. Her guardians are not even in residence when she arrives. Escorted by the austere housekeeper, to her room by one solitary candle (and then left in the dark for the night), definitely sets an ominous tone to the book.

In spite of the less than friendly welcome, Seren is fascinated by her new home and desperate to explore (even those areas that she has been strictly forbidden to go). Our of sheer boredom, she opens the parcel she received from the stranger and decides to assemble the curious contents (also against the expressly stated note that says NOT to do so).

The son of her guardians, Tomos is of particular interest to Seren. But all of her questions about him are left unanswered and she is not even allowed to play with his toys. Seren's curiosity gets the better of her and when she sees the housekeeper bringing a food try upstairs, she is convinced that Tomas must be a prisoner in the house.

Readers will thrill at the mystery and suspense of the story. The Clockwork Crow plays an important part in the story and serves as mentor and guide to Serena on her quest to solve the mystery of Tomos's disappearance. I highly recommend this myster and suggest it be read aloud as a family. I can't wait for the sequel!

Disclaimer: I received a free digital copy of The Clockwork Crow from NetGalley for the purpose of review. No other compensation was received.

Orphan Seren Rees is being sent to a new home. Her father’s oldest friend and his family has offered to keep her and now all she needed was to board the train. But while at the train station she meets a man who gets a little nervous when he hears a strange noise. Before he goes to check it out he makes her promise to watch over a package. But then he never comes back. To keep her promise she takes the package with her to her new home.

When she arrives the family who had promised to keep her is no where in sight. She’s allowed to stay in their home with the caretakers, but they give her no information about when the family will be back or why they aren’t there. All alone she decides to open the package from the stranger and discovers it is a mechanical crow….who can talk.

The intrigue of the story surrounds the crow, the missing family, and a secret room no one can enter. The servants refuse to talk about the family, especially the boy and it’s up to Seren to figure things out.

Overall, I felt the story was ok, but it doesn’t really bring anything new to the genre. The story has a Victorian era setting, which gives it a classic feel especially since the location is a very large house surrounded by mystery. The only aspect that gave me pause when reading was the big reveal of who/what the crow is. Since this is a book for children, I was a little surprised and I wonder how kids will respond.

Rating: 3 stars

Thanks to Netgalley and Candlewick Press for the advanced reader copy and the opportunity to provide an honest review.

A wonderful adventure with a sassy heroine that I loved! Imaginative world-building, suspenseful plot, and satisfying ending. Can't wait to read the next in the series!

Recommended for middle-grade readers and fans of Narnia, Tim Burton movies, or The Golden Compass.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy!

Short and sweet mystery filled with intrigue and curiosity! This one will be loved by many students in my school and many kids in grades 3-5. The magic is enchanting! The bravery of the characters is contagious! An adventure that will beg readers to come along for the rest of the ride.

This is a very cute and charming little story that almost feels traditional. Seren finds herself living in an empty mansion, 'adopted' by an absent family. There is a locked nursery, a missing boy, a strange bell in the night, and of course a clockwork crow. And all of this is set in the week before Christmas with a big snow storm raging outside. The atmosphere is spot on.

I liked Seren. She is brave and curious. Growing up as an orphan has made her humble and grateful, not luckily not overly so that she doesn't dare speak her mind if something isn't to her liking. I wished we got to learn a bit more about her background, but maybe this happens later in the series.

And that is my only problem with this book, it is a bit too simple. What there is is great, but I wanted more. And there was definitely space for that, as my version of this story was only 180 pages long. Especially the rescue mission could have been a lot longer, with some more about 'The Family'. 

This is a great setup for the series, but can also easily be read as a standalone. I am very curious where the second book is going to take us, but I am sure it will be magical once again.

This book was fast paced and mysterious with a little dash of adventure. I loved the setting of Wales and the snow gave a wonderful winter ambience. Seren, the main character, reminded my a little of a young Jane Eyre and I love me a young, sullen character. I also think this has one of the most visceral and memorable opening scenes I’ve read in a long time. It was tense and exciting and perfectly aided the beginning of the plot. I can’t wait to read what’s next in this series!

The Clockwork Crow by Catherine Fisher is a beautiful children's book aimed at the Middle Grade age group and reminiscent of classics like The Secret Garden or The Chronicles of Narnia. It follows the adventures of Seren, a young orphan girl who is sent to live in a lonely old house in Wales. On the way there she encounters a strange man carrying a newspaper wrapped parcel , which winds up in Seren's hands. Opening the parcel to discover the parts of a clockwork crow, Seren is intrigued, but the air of mystery and sorrow that envelops her new home soon preoccupies her. When she learns about the mysterious disappearance of the family's young son, she becomes determined to figure out a way to find him, and the adventures begin.
Drawing on traditional fairy stories and with a heavy dose of nostalgia, this is a charming and enjoyable read, and I believe the start of an ongoing series. I liked the Victorian setting and the atmosphere the author created, this would be the perfect book for a cold winter night.
I read and reviewed a copy supplied by NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

The Clockwork Crow by Catherine Fisher Reviewed June 16, 2020
Story is posted for middle school reader but some stories are for the young at heart.

This tale is set in the Victorian era at Christmas time with a touch of magic and a grumpy crow.
Orphan Seren leaves the orphanage to live with her Godfather in Wales. However finds out that her hopes of living with a happy family are spoiled as their son Tomas is missing.
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This nice, sweet, quick read is Book #1 in the Clockwork Crow series. "The Velvet Fox" Book #2 in the series is available ~ now! You will want to read how this story continues!!

Want to thank Net Galley and Candlewick Publishers for this ARC release granted to me in exchange for an honest professional review. Opinions expressed in this review are my own.
Publishing release date was October 4, 2018 however Paperback Released Date is scheduled for September 8, 2020