Absolutely loved the final chapter to this trilogy. I first read this author throgh net galley and each book has not disappointed. Fabulous introduction to gothic genre too.

I love Catherine Fisher from her short stories to this masterful trilogy. A collection of ideas bound in their gothic strangeness mixed with folk tales, this series was enjoyable and dark and stuck the landing exceptionally well.

A little underrated triumph of a set of books.

My daughter loved The Clockwork Crow and The Velvet Fox and couldn't wait for this book to be published. This third book in the trilogy is a satisfying conclusion, although she is very sad that there isn't a book four!

A beautifully written conclusion to an incredible series. Seren fights to return the Crow to his human form, defeat the Tylwyth Teg and decipher what the Jones family has in mind for her future. The series is ideal to read aloud, suspenseful and mysterious, you genuinely care about the fates of Seren and the Crow. Highly recommended for age 8 upwards

Good ending to a really entertaining middle grade series, I liked learning more about the crows origins and I still adore Seren as a main character and more time with Tomas was fab.

I received this book from the publisher via Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

In this final installment we finally get the clockwork crows origin story and it made me so happy! That was a lovely touch. And while the swan part of the story was not my favourite, I did love that Seren was doing it for the crow.

We also see Seren start to worry about being sent back to the orphanage, and the interactions with her adoptive family end up being super cute. Especially her interactions with Tomas, who we get more time with finally.

It really felt like a perfect finale to this cute middle grade series. 4 stars.

The Midnight Swan is the 3rd, and I very much fear, the last in The Clockwork Crow trilogy. Like #1 and 2, this was a pacey, tense read and although all the strands of the stories from the first two books are neatly tied up in this one, I was very worried about the ending. I won't say how, for fear of spoiling the experience for other readers! I have absolutely loved this series. It's different and can't accurately be compared to any other kids' fiction that I've read. It's beautifully unique and the character of the Crow is genius.

I haven't read the previous two books in this trilogy, but despite this, the magical world, the quest element, and the vibrant characters drew me into the story. The main character is courageous and intelligent. The friendship with the crow is believable and the source of humour and poignancy. The story reached a satisfying conclusion for both the characters and the reader.

I received a copy of this book from Firefly Press via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

A fabulous end to the trilogy. I read this in 1 sitting and absolutely adored it. We are reintroduced to Seren, Tomos and the Fair Family as The Clockwork Crow finally reveals how he really became a crow. After more than one tall tale, it was great to hear the true story as Seren and Tomos, and his brother Enoch try to help him regain his human form. There is much less of an involvement of the Fair Family in this final instalment, but the fear of them is still clear. Full of suspense and magic, this is a fast paced story drawing together the mysteries of the previous tales. I will admit, I shed a tear of happiness at the end!
As an adult reader, there were some aspects to the story I guessed along the way however I think they would probably come as a surprise to the target audience.

I fully intend to keep a look out for any further books by Catherine Fisher to add them to our school library...once I've enjoyed them first!

I received an early copy of this book through NetGalley (thank you!) however I had not read the previous two books in the series but, this did not affect my enjoyment of the book.

This will be ideal series for all readers who have not yet found 'the' book to grab their attention. This book is very creatively written and there is a character to love for everyone - mine was the Clockwork Crow who was grumpy and bossy with a short temper but that did not stop Seren and the others wanting to help (a lesson to us all at the moment!)

Catherine Fisher has created a wonderful series and I recommend to all - an absolute delight!

I managed to read this whole series through Netgalley. Thank you! I loved it.

This was a great way to finish of the series. The book itself I enjoyed just slightly less than the second (which absolutely nailed the creepy Faeries). This one focused on the crow, which is what we have been waiting for this whole series and was very satisfying. It did make this book lack a bit in atmosphere for me though.

Seren was amazing in this story (she always is but really shone in this one), and Tomos got plenty of page time as well, showing us their wonderful friendship. We see new parts of the world, are introduced to the Midnight Swan in her garden of singing roses and the Court of Birds.

The ending is just so sweet and lovely, it made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside and I actually teared up a bit. Just the perfect ending to a great series.

The third part of a trilogy that started with The Clockwork Crow, and continued with The Velvet Fox, The Midnight Swan ties everything up beautifully and in a very satisfying way.

One of the things I really love about this trilogy is the feeling of dark, creepy fae magic. The Folk may be charming but their also definitely scary, and this enchanting darkness comes across so well. The tension between the attraction and the fear is increased for the final part of the trilogy, creating some incredible haunting and powerful scenes.

There's a lot of humour too, which helps lighten the mood and keeps the book very readable. Most of it is at the expense of the poor clockwork crow, the children's tutor, trapped in the raggedy form of a crow.

The story introduces a new mystery, a box that Seren finds in a delightfully mysterious market, and new creatures of power who can help her. The idea of a quest to seek a favour is such a fairy story classic, and it works so well here. Catherine Fisher is clearly very familiar with the older source material, and how to twist it into her own stories to create beautiful new patterns and pictures.

There's additional tension as the narrative deals headlong with the fact that Seren is an orphan, and a ward of the family, and what this might mean for her future. Watching her fret and worry about this, as she snoops around the house, really helped raise the already high emotional stakes and the novel delivers a suitably powerful emotional ending.

Midsummer, and a visit to the local fair is a much anticipated treat for Tomos and Seren. When she is drawn to a stall down a hidden alley where everything is one penny, Seren buys a little box with an inscription on the lid that could be the answer to restoring her friend the Clockwork Crow to his human form. Hearing the faded markings represent a swan with a diamond collar, the Crow finally reveals how he came to be enchanted.
Meanwhile, plans are in full flow to hold a summer ball at Plas y Fran, which Denzil fears will attract the Fair Folk and place Tomos in danger for a third time, and Seren has concerns of her own about her future.
Mystery and magic are at the core of this engrossing novel, as Seren, Tomos and the Clockwork Crow attempt to resolve the Crow’s dilemma and guard against the devious machinations of the self-absorbed Fair Folk. Seren needs all her willpower and strength of character to navigate her way through the perilous magical land to save her friends, and indeed, herself.
This is the final episode of an enchanting trilogy that blends folklore with a celebration of friendship and family in a historical setting. All three are highly recommended.

What a great and delightful story! I loved every moment and enjoyed the this well written and highly entertaining novel.
Great characters and world building, excellent storytelling.
I can't wait to read other stories by this author, this one is excellent.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

I love Catherine Fishers books and this one did not disappoint.

It was magic and I loved it. It was just what you wanted to read on a cold Sunday, wrapped up.

Dark, mysterious with an element of magic.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and firefly press for the earc to read and review.

What an incredible way to finish off this incredible series. I loved both the two prior books in the series but I think I actually loved this one the most.

As always the story is so well thought out and so creatively written, with this story comes closure, one final adventure to the dark fae world and our truthful answers for the clockwork crow.

Seren was utterly brave in this one, each book she is brave and has things to overcome but this one she is even more fiercely brave and determined, this time to help break the crows curse once and for all but with it may come a huge sacrifice and a test of her hearts dearest desire.

This story took us to the midnight swan an evil black swan darkened in her heart for something They did to her many centuries before. Tomos, Seren and The Crow have to pass her tests if they want to reach her and it won’t be so easy as They are always lurking.

I’m so glad to have completed the story and this series and I totally cried in that last chapter not going to lie. This is a new favourite series that I will gladly read over and over. So creatively thought out, incredible adventures, mystery, intrigue and fear whilst reading and characters that you cannot help but connect with.

With this book being the third book i had to read the first two before i could get to this. I found this such an easy read, finishing each book an hour or two after starting it. The Midnight Swan could be read as a standalone however i do recommend reading the first two books - The Clockwork Crow and The Velvet Fox first so you get the full story of Seren, Tomas and The Crow. This was a fantastic end to the trilogy and is definitely recommended for younger readers. It will keep them hooked from beginning to end.

It’s the Summer Fair! At first, Seren is distracted by the worries of her dear friend, the Crow, but she and Tomos are soon completely enthralled by all of the amazing sights, sounds and smells that fill their senses. They want to see and do everything – except try the wooden roundabout with horses gently rising up and down. It reminds them too much of the magical carousel in book two! As Seren explores the fair, she comes across a small, dark alleyway. There she finds a stall laden with wonderful objects. She can’t help but pick up an unusual box with a picture of a black swan wearing a diamond necklace and the mysterious words, “If you can open My closed lid, Your heart’s desire Inside is hid.” It will be the perfect gift for the Clockwork Crow so Seren decides to purchase the box. At that moment, everything changes.

The Midnight Swan is a story full of powerful magic, daring quests, great sacrifice and true friendship. The truth about the Clockwork Crow is finally revealed leaving Seren and Tomos with an incredible task. Will they be able to solve the puzzles and face their fears in order to protect their home and each other? All the while, They are trying to find a way into the house and steal what they most desire: the Tylwyth Teg, Welsh fairy folk, want nothing more than a human child and treasure. They will do anything to capture one of the children and take them into their own world.

Seren’s life is full of questions: Will the Crow ever become human again? What does her future hold? Will she be able to stay at Plas-y-fran or will she be sent away? Will They come for the children again? Is she safe? What does she truly desire? This determined, clever girl pushes all concern for herself aside as she uses her cunning to help those most dear to her. Her loyalty and strength make her a fantastic heroine.

The Midnight Swan is an incredibly satisfying, layered conclusion to an outstanding trilogy of magic and folklore. With a pen that writes itself, a magical Midsummer Ball, birds who speak in riddles and the ultimate sacrifice in friendship, this is a story of suspense and wonder. Readers will be glued to its pages as they journey with Seren, Tomos and the Clockwork Crow right to the very end.

Thank you to Firefly Press for this wonderful book!

The Midnight Swan is the final part in this utterly enchanting trilogy and follows The Clockwork Crow and The Velvet Fox, both just as mesmerising as this book.

Seren and Tomos are enjoying the excitement of exploring the Summer Fair when Seren is drawn into a dark alley with an unmanned stall from which she acquires a small metal casket painted with the face of a black swan and the enticing message: If you can open my closed lid, your heart’s desire inside is hid. She takes this home to her tutor, who is trapped in the body of a Clockwork Crow, in the hope that opening it may help him find his human form again.

As soon as the Crow sees the box, he knows it is the work of the Tylwyth Teg who are intent on causing dark mischief amongst humans, but also knows that it may provide the key to breaking the enchantment which has been cast over him. He finally tells Seren and Tomos the truth of how he became enchanted, and it is worth having waited three books for!

So begins a dangerous journey by the children and the Crow to break the enchantment, a journey which sees Seren making a terrifying bargain, and which sees the Crow unleashing his own magic as they journey into an enchanted land to enter the Garden of the Midnight Swan, but will any of them have their heart’s desire met, or will the renowned trickery of the Fair Folk thwart them?

This story is beautifully atmospheric and lyrical, perfectly capturing the allure and danger of the Tylwyth Teg as they gate-crash Lady Mair’s Midsummer Ball and offer enticing, but perilous, bargains. The underlying sense of danger and urgency is palpable as Seren, Tomos and the Crow are drawn inexorably towards the Midnight Swan.

I adored the characters in this book. Seren is a wonderfully kind-hearted and courageous girl who is prepared to make selfless sacrifices for those she loves. She is desperate to belong in a family, and has doubts as to whether she is still welcome in Plas-y-Fran. The Crow is absolutely brilliant! He is cantankerous, rather rude and boastful yet also endearing as he is hiding behind a façade, feeling fearful, but trying not to show it.

The Midnight Swan transported me into a magical world of enchantment, excitement and danger, and completely enthralled me with its evocative atmosphere, heart-warming relationships and sense of other-worldly mystery.

The Midnight Swan is the third (and possibly the final) instalment in the Clockwork Crow series. Think Tom's Midnight Garden blended with The Chronicles of Narnia a dash of Alice in Wonderland and a sprinkle of a well-known fairy-tale and you will only be close to imagining the enchantment you about to be delighted with. Full of faery magic and folk-lore, The Midnight Swan is every bit as good as the previous two books and then some.

I was thrilled to be reunited with the much-loved characters of Seren, Denzil, Mrs Villiers and of course, the cantankerous crow who is on form once again and is as irritable, demanding and bad-tempered as ever!

Returning to Plas-Y Fran felt like coming home. All is calm in the Welsh countryside and there has been no sign of 'Them' the infamous faery folk, the Tylworth Teg since our last visit. Summer has arrived and Seren Rhys is enjoying long, hot days spent playing in the sprawling gardens of the Victorian mansion with Master Tomos. It seems that orphan Seren has really become part of the family and Lady Mair treats the children to a trip to the Summer Fair. An afternoon of sherbert dabs, toffee apples and coconut stalls awaits, but just a few pages into the book, this idylic setting becomes the scene of a mysterious discovery.

Seren finds an exquisitely crafted box, and beautifully painted on the lid is the face of a black swan wearing a collar of diamonds; The box of the Midnight Swan. Catherine Fisher's clever rhyming couplets at the opening of each chapter make a return and the box is inscribed with the words:

"If you can open My closed lid
Your heart's desire Inside is hid"

Could this be what the crow has been looking for all this time? We finally get to hear the much-awaited tale of how the crow really came to be in his current state and Seren and Thomas must accompany him on his quest to solve the riddle and lift the spell. But somehow, someone or something invites 'Them' back into Plas-Y Fran. The treacherous Tylworth Teg are at large once more. in search of a human child and bargains are made at a serious cost. It would seem that the faery folk aren't the only threat to Seren's charming new life, Captain Jones is acting strangely, a letter arrives from her Aunt's solicitor and whispered conversations are happening all around her. Seren fears the family have grown tired of her and she is about to be sent away.

Wishes, curses, a secret garden, enchanted objects and talking animals are the perfect ingredients for a deliciously spell-binding fairy-tale adventure. The plot comes to comes to a nail-biting climax on Midsummer Night when our protagonist Seren is tested to the limit when faced with an impossible choice.

But it would seem all good things must come to an end and what can I say,.. although I felt bereft that this was possibly the last time I would get to step into the world of Seren Rhys and her crow, it's the perfect end to the perfect trilogy.

I read each book in The Clockwork Crow series, back to back and in one sitting, completely and utterly enchanted by Catherine Fisher's magic. The three stories really lend themselves to being adapted for television and each would make a fantastic children's mini-series.

I absolutely adore this trilogy and each book's shorter length and ease of reading make it perfect for pupils to enjoy in Lower Key Stage 2.