Fablehouse is a middle grade adventure story about fighting the Fae and human prejudice simultaneously.

The story follows Heather as she tries to find her place in another in a string of homes for unwanted children – this one specialising in taking the ‘Brown Babies’ that resulted from wartime liaisons. Heather is extremely relatable in her prickly defensiveness, righteous anger and lonely isolation, and in her distress at finally finding a family group of her own at Fablehouse, only to have it threatened by outside forces.

The adults in the story aren’t particularly helpful – either falling to fae magic or moaning about their situation (I’m looking at you there, Pal!) – but the children really shine, bringing their own individual talents to the fore, battling their personal weaknesses and insecurities, and sticking together to support each other above all else.

There is a great overall theme of choosing oneself rather than waiting around for a Chosen One to turn up and save you, and a really good exploration of how both prejudice and self-doubt can attack your sense of identity.

This book was a little slow to get started but once it got fully underway it was a fun and easy read and I can recommend it to middle grade readers who fancy a modern-day Arthurian adventure!

A must read. I love all of the themes in this book: being unique, being accepted, unity, friendship and many more. The mixture of Arthurian legend and the time period it is set in gives the reader a magical setting. The fae and fae underworld creates vivid images in the reader’s head. I would highly recommend this book and would use it in PSHE lessons.

I really enjoyed reading this book and would recommend it to the children in my school. It reminds me of other books that I have read which means links can be made to deepen the discussion around books. The plot is engaging and a good example of a quest story.

What an amazing story. the plot is based on the bad, but very real treatment that was meted out to mothers of mixed race children during and after the war. The children were often taken away and sent to homes, where the treatment was variable. This story mixes the lives of the children who live in the 'Fablehouse' and the legends of King Arthur and the magical world. the children are put to the test as they try to save their home and also the lives of children who have gone missing.

Heather's new home is Fablehouse, an old mansion surrounded by forest and a mystery to people in the nearby villages in the years after the second world war. It is a home for mixed race children like her, but Heather's heart is bruised by her experience of previous homes and she has no wish to fit in, despite the efforts of the kindly Miss Isolde and her caring staff. However, a mysterious book, the appearance of a stranger who seems strangely ignorant of modern life, and the weird behaviour of some of the other children quickly reveal that their world is being infiltrated by the fae, who are replacing humans with changelings. With the help of an Arthurian knight, Heather and a few brave friends set out on a quest to rescue the stolen children and save their home...
An action packed, warm-hearted adventure story, with feisty, resilient characters and a chillingly menacing foe result in a satisfying page-turner. I will certainly be looking out for the next in the series.

Fablehouse by E.L Norry tackles some very big issues - friendship, identity, and race - these are all discussed sensitively and thoroughly throughout the pages.
Heather lives at Fablehouse, with other mixed children whose parents gave them up. The children are lovingly cared for by the staff and they have the freedom of the countryside to wander and investigate.
Whilst exploring the countryside, Heather and her friends come across a tower that feels different - magical.
They encounter a knight from King Arthur's court who has been protecting the world from the danger lurking beneath their feet. The children set off on a quest to save Fablehouse and its occupants by working together and using their inner strength and qualities.
A lovely, heart-warming novel.

A fun MG with dark, dangerous fae and nods to Arthurian Legend. I enjoyed reading this and I'm looking forward to starting over with my eight year old. Heather and her friends formed such a lovely, tight-knit band, and I loved this book's exploration of what it means to be a 'chosen one'.

A lovely middle grade adventure story, with strong characters and a beautiful setting.

Recommended for ages 10 +

Diverse characters, friendship and Arthurian legends, this book has it all. I devoured it. I loved all the children and their personalities, I loved the sense of danger there was to their adventures and I loved the way they worked together to save Fablehouse.

The thing that touched me most was how strong the message was that even if you're different and feel like you don't fit in (as these children do because of their mixed heritage), you can still find your place in the world and make a difference. These are children who have been swept aside because it inconveniences people to acknowledge their existence and yet they still find each other and with Pal's help go after the fae that are threatening their home and the entire world. It was beautiful.

I don't have much more to say other than just read this book! Buy it for the child in your life! Buy it for yourself! You won't regret it.

The orphaned and abandoned black children of mostly American GIs are well cared for in Fable house away from the prying and unkind eyes of the local judgmental community.
They love to explore the local area, a favourite place being the standing stones.

It is here that they feel secure and happy. It is here where they stumble across and mysterious man. A Knight from KingArthur’s fine who has been protecting our world from another realm.
The children have to help with his mission.
A gripping tale for middle grade readers.

An adventure with historical and mythical elements. A great group of characters, I really liked Heather and finding out about how she developed friendships.

Fablehouse is a stunning story of connection, friendship and belonging set in 1954 and blending history and Arthurian legend which completely captivated me.

Heather has been sent to Fablehouse, a home for the unwanted ‘Brown Babies’ born to relationships between African-American GIs and white British women during the Second World War. When out wandering, she finds a cairn which makes her feel at peace; however, she suffers a racist attack by some of the local village children. She is rescued by three other children who are living at Fablehouse: Arlene, Nat and Lloyd and it is not long before they form a close friendship, despite Heather’s initial reluctance for fear of being hurt. When they find a stranger at the cairn who needs their help, the children bring him to Fablehouse, determined to help him discover who he is and where he has come from …

And so begins the most incredible adventure as the children discover that Pal is none other than Palamedes – the Black Knight from Arthurian legend – who has been tasked with guarding the magical doorway between the fae and human world – a doorway that has been opened, allowing the fae to take children from Fablehouse, and replace them with changelings … Can Heather and her three friends (the Roamers) fulfil their quest to rescue the children, and close the doorway before the fae wreak havoc on the human world?

I really enjoyed this enthralling adventure which is both heart-breaking and heart-warming. I didn’t know of the history of ‘Brown Babies’, but it is clear from the story that many were rejected by society, making it difficult for mothers to keep them, leading to many being sent to homes. I loved the references to Arthurian legend and the fae and how these two exist, and overlap, in two different worlds, bringing a tension between the two. This is a story that builds to an exciting crescendo as Heather and her friends battle a terrible foe intent on dominion over the human and fae world.

Heather and her friends are wonderful characters who form a strong friendship which gives them the strength to face danger and overcome difficulties. My heart ached for these children as they faced hatred and cruelty from others but, despite this, they show incredible resilience, courage and self-belief as they work together to save their friends and home. Whilst Heather has an inner core of anger which she unleashes when she needs to protect her friends, she is also an empathetic young girl who understands what it is to be abandoned, to be treated unfairly and to need a true home.

This is a magical, enchanting story of friendship, self-acceptance and belonging, highly recommended for readers of 9+.

Thank you netgalley and the publishers for letting me read this book. I absolutely loved this book, I read it in one sitting, i know it's a middle grade but it was such a lovely flowing easy read, I really enjoyed it and I can't wait if there is going to be more, the setting, the characters the story all just so beautifully thought out and written. 4.5stars. Highly recommended

Fablehouse is a wonderful historical novel, intertwining 1950s postwar Britain with the mythical legend of King Arthur. I personally wasn’t aware of the history of 1950s ‘brown babies’ in Britain and I have since sought to find out more as a result of reading this novel.

Heather is a wonderful protagonist, feisty and brave, flawed but willing to grow and with her band of ‘roamers’, takes on a force far bigger than herself.

All in all, Fablehouse is a wonderful tale of finding yourself, your tribe and acceptance. It gently introduces the problem of racism whilst also showing that everyone deserves love and we are all so much more than we believe.

Magical, touching and taught me historical facts that I had not been aware of previously. I loved the King Arthur elements to the story and also enjoyed the strength mixed with vulnerability of main protagonist Heather. Powerful themes of being true to yourself, racism and friendship would make Fablehouse an excellent class read for middle grade pupils.

I absolutely loved the voice and setting of this story - it grabbed me from the first page. However, unfortunately, I did find the first half of the adventure quite slow. This was compensated though with a great cast of characters and the love and heart the story is told with. Set in a children's home for 'Brown Babies' in 1954, it speaks to children who feel unwanted by plunging them into a story that exudes love and friendship. I loved that the home was seen as a positive place to be, even through Heather expects it to be as horrible as the others, and she finds a sense of belonging there. The blossoming group of tight knit friends reminded me of traditional children's literature and added a strong sense of nostalgia to the novel. Weaving in an adventure based in Arthurian legend was a clever move and adds that extra hook for readers. I have now bought a physical copy so I can go back and read this again - it feels like a classic in the making, fresh yet traditional at the same time.

I wasn't sure I'd enjoy this when I started reading but I'm so pleased that I stuck with it. The well described characters of Heather, Lloyd, Arlene and Nat affectionately call themselves 'the Roamers' due to their love of exploration and adventure. With a the temptation of the mysterious cairn and the inclusion of Arthurian legend, this is an adventure which will be enjoyed and devoured by anyone interested in these areas. The key message of 'treating everyone with grace, kindness and trust' is revisited throughout the story as the characters discovery the power of togetherness for themselves.
I'm going to be keeping an eye out for book 2.

Fablehouse is an absolutely brilliant novel that blends together 1950s Britain with Arthurian legend in a uniquely set and told story.
The historical context is really important for understanding the characters and it works in being both informative and creating a fantastic story about not letting anyone tell you what you can or can't do.
Heather and the roamers are such strong and vivid characters and the story itself is brilliant. There are themes of found-family and friendship and a moral that shows children you can fight for what's right.
I couldn't put it down and I cannot wait to recommend Fablehouse to everyone.

What a unique retelling of the Arthurian legend!! It is also a perfect account of how social morals have changed since the 1950’s.
Fablehouse is a home for brown babies, those who were the result of wartime liaisons between black USA servicemen and mothers, who were then either forced into giving up their children for adoption directly in hospitals or due to forceful parental pressure at home. These children disappeared into the care system, usually into homes hidden away in the countryside.
Fablehouse rescues these children and gives them a sense of worth , value and a permanent home, but they are confined to their home and grounds. Isolation is the key to their survival. Children will always be judged by their appearance, Miss Isolde, the head of the home, believes it is her duty to to let people see that all children are talented in many ways and they should be part of society.
When Fablehouse comes under the influence of malignant magic, it is Palamedes, the Black Knight from the Arthurian legends that comes to the rescue of both the home and the children. The children fight for the survival of their home and realise that the shared values of bravery, loyalty, friendship and truth will really make this home, their real home.
A wonderful mixture of magic and discovery of self worth. Heather is a true leader, determined and single minded in her sense of injustice and the prejudices she and her friends have experienced in their short lives. This story deals so very poignantly about families being ripped apart through death and abandonment, every child has memories about happier times, which has been lost through no fault of their own.
A real tear jerker! As a child of the 1950’s, it brought back memories of those days, the looks and careless, thoughtless remarks, and the lack of brown children in the countryside where I lived. This should be on bookshelves in school libraries.
My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers Bloomsbury Children’s Books, for my advance digital copy, freely given in exchange for my honest opinion. A five star read. I will leave reviews to Goodreads and Amazon UK.

How do you find your home, when you keep being kicked out of it? Is it possible that you have a true quest in life when you are unwanted, abandoned, or alone? That is the question in the back of the minds of all of the children in Fablehouse, a foster home for the Brown Babies in Britain in the 1950s. The product of Black American GI’s fraternizing with women throughout Britain in WWII, the Brown Babies were often segregated and looked down upon due to the color of their skin.

E.L. Norry’s FABLEHOUSE (Bloomsbury, 2023) features a cast of these Brown Babies in the English countryside. Norry draws on her own experience growing up mixed-race, both Welsh and Jewish, and never quite feeling that she fit in anywhere. She brings her own history and experience and melds them with the Arthurian legend and folkloric tradition of Wales to create a compelling and deeply earnest plot for children as well as the young at heart.


Heather doesn’t believe that she’ll ever find a place she fits in. Ms. Isolde, and the children of Fablehouse, seek to prove her wrong. Everyone there has a story of the tragedy that brought them to the foster home. Lloyd’s grandfather lost custody of him after his dementia began to progress, Arlene still believes her mum will one day return from Hollywood to pick her up, and Nat thinks every man who visits might be his missing father. Maybe the other children aren’t that different to Heather - but it takes a bit of magic for her to realize that.

When a mysterious man shows up at the nearby cairn in the wilderness, there is a single question on all the kid’s minds. Is he, Pal, actually a black knight? The book of Arthurian legends that Heather has been reading certainly makes him seem familiar, but none of the illustrations look quite like him. Yet he talks about the threat that the fairies pose to Fablehouse, and the rest of the world. This ragtag group of children need to band together, with the help of their knight, and save themselves and the place that indeed is their home.

Fablehouse is an incredibly moving book. There’s a lot of power in being able to see yourself in characters, and a surprisingly small amount of children’s literature that deals with mixed-race orphans. The earnest sincerity of the storytelling, and the connection to Arthurian tradition gives the story a timeless feel that will enable it to remain relevant for ages to come. Fablehouse is well worth a read, and I eagerly await its sequel in 2024. Don’t miss this series!