I really enjoyed this third book in the series by Catherine Fisher because it was full of magic and adventure. Seren and the others are here, as well as new characters. Their mission, to save the clockwork crow and return him to his human form means that teamwork, magic and good planning are imperative. Seren meets a new family and is reunited with her godfather, and is adopted by her, ending a long string of personal tragedies. A great book, to be recommended to 8-11 year olds. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ And a half stars!
Thanks so much to #NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ahead of publication in exchange for an honest review.

What a truly delightful children's Book, full of Folk law ,Magic, adventures, wholesome friendships & what that means , trust ,love, & even the addition of learning some Welsh too. This will be being added to the list of Books I'm going to buy & send to my grandchildren in Japan. As this story will enhance their English,teach them some words in Welsh which is also another language from their mixed ancestry.

I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is the third (and I'm assuming from the ending, final) book in the Clockwork Crow series following on from The Clockwork Crow and The Velvet Fox. You do need to read the other books in this series first or this book won't make a lot of sense to you.

These books are beautifully written with detailed descriptions that make it easy to envisage a country manor house in Wales 100 or so years ago. You can tell that the author knows a lot about the myths and legends from this area and as always the Fair Folk and their magic seems beautiful but with an uncurrent of cruelty and fear.

I actually enjoyed this book more than the other two installments. My issues with both of the books prior to this one was I felt that Seren solved the problems she was facing too easily and the solution wasn't something that I, the reader, couldn't have worked out from what I was told. This book was much better in this respect and I felt as a whole the story was an interesting magical adventure.

There was definitely some character growth for both the Crow and Seren and the ending was well done. Several of the other characters (Captain Jones, Denzil and Lady Mair) haven't changed much and do still feel rather two-dimensional.

Overall, I would recommend this book to readers aged 8+ who enjoy magical stories and historical fiction.

Quite simply... The Midnight Swan is the perfect end to the perfect trilogy. Each book is as deliciously dark and utterly spelling-binding as its prequel and Catherine Fisher enchants her reader from beginning to end.

I must admit, I began The Midnight Swan with trepidation. The first two books in the series had captivated me. They were a work of art. Vibrant, almost visceral and all-consuming, I was part of Seren’s world. And so I was nervous...There were so many loose ends to tie together, so many ways that I could be disappointed as a reader. Would this be the classic case of a final book just not quite living up to expectations?

I am delighted to report that The Midnight Swan is the perfect swan song. It was everything I hoped it would be, and more! From the opening couplet to the final sentence, I was hooked. I devoured it, hungry to find out where the writer was leading me. Like its prequels, it cast a spell over me, and dropped me straight back into the world of Plas-y-Fran.

Seren is the perfect protagonist: headstrong, loyal and courageous. Greeting her for the third time was like meeting an old friend. The Crow has retained all of his wit and charm and the relationship between these two characters is a thing of beauty.

The Midnight Swan is everything you could wish for in a children’s book. At its heart it’s an adventure story, steeped in mystery and suspense. Magic runs through each and every page and it’s rich in folklore. It’s historical fiction and it even has some comedy thrown in for good measure. It’s a truly fantastic book and a fitting end to a spell-binding trilogy.

The Midnight Swan is a great end to such a charming series. It has its own intriguing plot to hook you in, as well as a wonderfully satisfying ending to wrap up the trilogy. Magic, adventure and friendship. What more could you want?

I definitely recommend this series to young and old readers alike. It has an enchanting fairytale quality about it, with a great pace, lots of excitement and really likeable characters.

This is the third instalment of a series with the same characters, so it didn’t get the build up of characterisation but went right into the action. It’s a creative story and would have been better with a bit more characterisation. I really liked the story and it’s path.

I enjoyed the previous two books in this series (The Clockwork Crow and The Velvet Fox), so I was expecting to enjoy this one. It exceeded my expectations!

I absolutely loved this story. I loved all the usual elements, the Fae, the magic, the Crow, the couplets at the start of each chapter, but this one had so much more. I really enjoyed the fact that Tomos got to take a more active part in this book, rather than just being enchanted by the Fae, as he was in the previous two. I can’t say too much without spoilers, but the ending was wonderful, with love and happiness for all. I sincerely hope this won’t be the last book in the series, but this feels very much like all the threads have been wrapped up. If so, I’ll be looking out for Catherine Fisher’s next book with great eagerness.

On another note, the covers of all three of the books in this series are enchantingly beautiful. I especially loved the cover of The Velvet Fox.

If you’re looking for an easy to read, enchantingly magical adventure story, look no further than this book, indeed this series! I really recommend it.

I was given a free copy of this book, my opinions are my own.

What a fabulous ending, I couldn’t put it down. Teaching in a school in Wales, I am constantly looking for Welsh authors or, an even rarer find ,books with a Welsh theme. This series ticks all the boxes and I know my class will love it! I can wait to use Catherine Fisher and her books as an author study in my class.

My nine year old daughter has loved this series, and The Midnight Swan was no different. Catherine Fisher is clearly a gifted writer with the ability to imagine the unimaginable, and make the impossible real. Continuing to follow Seren and the crow, The Midnight Swan gives us more insight into the crow and it’s life and desires. A magical quest ensues. Brilliant.

What a wonderful magical series. It took me back to classic children’s books of 40+ years ago. Set in Wales, this lovely adventure features orphan Seren who has to save her friends and her new home from Them, the Fair Family who will stop at nothing to regain the land they see as Theirs. Headstrong and fearless Seren draws on the investigative techniques of Sherlock Holmes and is assisted by the Clockwork Crow who just happens to be either a prince/professor/school teacher (depending on his fib of the day) who has been transformed against his will into bird form. Together, with a little help from their friends, they take on the mighty Tylwyth Teg. Highly recommended.

It has been a while since I have been in the world of Seren and the Clockwork Crow so it was with great excitement that I re-read the first two books after being approved via NetGalley for an ARC of The Midnight Swan. Yes, this can be read as a stand-alone, but to really appreciate the story and how the tales of Seren, Tomos and the Clockwork Crow unfold it is well worth taking the time to enjoy the Clockwork Crow and the Velvet Fox before The Midnight Swan.

After twice rescuing Tomos from the Tylwth Teg all is well at Plas-Y-Fran. The house is calm and Seren, Tomos and the rest of the residents are living happily surrounded by Denzil’s protective charms to keep out ‘Them’. They have even taken the time to celebrate together at the Summer Fair. But the Tylwyth Teg are never far away and Seren finds herself drawn to a box emblazoned with a swan and a message that could be the answer to the Crow’s problems.

When a green fountain pen that Tomos finds turns out to be cursed they realise too late and the pen has invited in the very people that they are so desperately trying to keep out. With everyone in danger and Seren fearing that she may be sent back to the orphanage she makes the bravest decision of all…

Catherine Fisher has turned out yet another magical mystery that will keep readers guessing right until the end. The Midnight Swan is well-paced and will keep readers in that uncomfortable yet exciting place, shrouded in mystery and suspense and with just the right amount of spooky.

As soon as I began reading, I was once again swept away by Fisher’s delightful prose and I immediately felt like I was back with old friends. Like the two previous books, The Midnight Swan is full of magical objects, mysterious beings and folklore. I love the two lines rhymes at the start of each chapter that give a taste of what is to come.

With characters facing constant peril, the reader is always wondering will they, won’t they make it. There are plenty of twists, turns and troubling truths. I have been desperate to know the truth about the Crow, and Fisher has unveiled this beautifully. The Crow has lost none of his irritable demeanour and is back at his bossy and demanding best. Seren is a plucky heroine who is loyal to those she cares about. Her loyalty is tested to the absolute limits this time around as she has to decide whether to sacrifice herself to save someone else.

Woven within the tale are strong messages about friendship, family, belonging, empathy and resilience. Many of these messages come out through the actions of Seren and the choices that she makes.

This is a genuine page-turner. Fisher’s writing keeps you on tenterhooks and I read the book in one siting. It was unputdownable. I love this trilogy and recommend it to readers of 8+.

This is the third book in Catherine Fisher’s Clockwork Crow trilogy and, while they do make sense as short, magical adventures read on their own, I’d recommend starting with book one and reading them in order, especially to get the most out of Seren and Crow’s stories.

Bearing that in mind, this review presumes knowledge of the first two.

If you’ve read the first two, you’ll be pleased to see both of their tales reach satisfying conclusions here, but not before another encounter with the Tylwyth Teg, who are back to cause mischief again.

However, this time they’re not the only magical beings at play as we finally hear the true account of what happened to Crow and meet The Midnight Swan.

I won’t say too much about the plot, as like the previous books it’s short – small but perfectly formed as they say – and I don’t want to give anything away.

Suffice to say, with a magic mirror and a thicket of thorns; vanishing places and changing paths; enchanted objects and a secret garden; bargains, promises and curses; wishes, courage and gifts this has absolutely everything fans of folklore and fairytale could wish for. And more.

There’s symbolism and reference to other tales in abundance and a gloriously Wonderland-like feel to the whole book. And the parliament of birds was just inspired. I loved it.

Squeezing an exciting midnight quest (complete with river rapids, pursuit and capture) into such a short book alongside all of this is skilled indeed and made for thoroughly gripping reading.

Magical, immersive and steeped in folklore, I absolutely LOVED this and can’t recommend this trilogy enough. Yes it is short, but that makes it even easier to read back to back and I promise that’s exactly what you’ll want to do once you’ve begun!

Really enjoyed this book. It was a fantastic end to the series.. The characters are all very dynamic and life-like. The perfect book to show family bonds and friendship. I have loved every book in this series. I hope there is a new book from Catherine soon!

Seren, Tomos and the Clockwork Crow are back in the third mysterious instalment of adventure against The Fair family, also known as Tylwyth Teg.
When I was approved to read this book, I decided to go back to read The Clockwork Crow and The Velvet Fox, and I am so glad I did for though there are plenty of references to previous encounters with the legendary folk, there is something thrilling about reading a trilogy within a smaller timeframe.

The Fair Family still lurk within the grounds of Plas-Y-Fran, and the children have been warned to be ever alert to their tricks. When Seren brings home a box with a black swan, she has no idea as to the danger she has brought home. The Clockwork Crow knows more than he is letting on so Tomas and Seren must coax it out of him. It turns out it was a black swan who first cursed the crow and he was set a task but it has taken nearly 200 years and still incomplete.

Seren, in her immense bravery, sets out to find the item needed to break the curse holding the crow. Making a promise she hopes to never have to keep, she takes away the item and on the Midsummer Night, she, Tomos and the Crow travel to return the item in the hopes of breaking the curse.

Seren is an incredible character, full of worry over her current situation, hopeful she can stay at Plas-Y-Fran but certain she needs to help The Clockwork Crow. She is willing to make huge sacrifices to save him, proving her kindness and courage time and time again.

This trilogy brings alive the magic of Welsh legends and Seren becomes a character of legendary value. With setting descriptions bringing alive the Welsh countryside, there is little doubt to the talents of Catherine Fisher. I adored this trilogy and though I feel closure, I would welcome Seren back in future books!

Brilliant! I loved this book, the third in the Clockwork Crow series, but is it the last in the series?

This is the continuation of Seren's story, the mysterious Clockwork Crow, and the Tylwyth Teg (fairy folk) of Plas-y-Fran, and we also finally find out the Clockwork Crow's true story. The descriptions are so vivid, that you the reader, feel that you are there with them, taking part in their adventures.

However, if this is the last in the series, then I felt it was perhaps too happy an ending for all of the characters, with all the problems being resolved very quickly. Perhaps I'm just wishing for another book.