This is such a great read I was really impressed with it. Set in a Bavarian Forest in a town called Edenburg we follow a character called Cassie Engel. Cassie lives with her mother who is an Opera singer and her father who is a Taxidermist and her Grandmother who we learn is very ill. They live in an amazing house which i fell in love with especially the library. I thought the story was well written and it took me on such a fantastic adventure which all starts really when a Chereb lands on Carrie's bed during a storm when the windows are blown open and the writing is just so atmospheric it was brilliant. With the help of her friend Raphael they try and decide what to do about this Chereb. The story then takes us on a journey where new creatures are introduced and Cassie is faced with secrets of her families past. I love family history so was so intrigued by these storylines and loved this stunning adventure book which is just perfect for cosy nights under a cosy blanket. I would recommend this story if you enjoy magical adventure stories.

This was such an enjoyable book to read. I wasn’t really sure what to expect beforehand but it turned out to be an interesting book to read. It was fast paced and full of intriguing characters for you to get to know. The writing style was straight forward and easy to read, which was great. It was easy to follow and there weren’t any confusing turns. I found the plot to be really intriguing and I was excited to see where this book would go, and I was not disappointed. There were some interesting twists that I did not see coming, which kept me wanting to read on. The story wrapped up really nicely and everything was explained well. The characters in this book were interesting to read about and I enjoyed getting to learn more about them. I thought that they all worked really well together and it was great to read their interactions. The cover is stunning and perfect for the book. Very eye catching.

This is a Gothic novel for young adults set in Bavaria at the beginning of the 20th century. Cassie and her parents live in what sounds like an eyrie in the mountains. The house has a steampunk feel about it which is always entertaining. And then a cherub flies through the window, as cherubs will, and we understand that the book will be about the reason for her visit. Cassie’ s only friend, Raphael is her sole confidante. The blurb indicates that he is not what he seems, and his name offers a none-too-subtle clue as to what he might be. I am not the target audience for this book so it’s not surprising that the novel didn’t entirely grab my attention - although I enjoyed the echoes of Neil Gaiman and a touch of Mervin Peake. Echoes only I am afraid as the writing is not as accomplished. There’s a sort of twist and it’s all a bit mawkish really. Not quite fantastical enough and not quite gothic enough. I received a copy of this book from Readers First in exchange for an honest review

Cassie Engel lives with her parents in a peculiar house on the top of a rock, at the edge of the Bratvian Forest. Her mother Gabriele spends her days up in her tower music room, singing to the heavens in practice for her next role at the opera. Cassie’s father who has never been the same since the war spends his days doing shoddy taxidermy, and his nights deep in a bottle of schnapps. When a strange angelic creature is blown in Cassie’s window during a storm, suddenly everything is about to change. The only person she can trust is her best friend Raphael, but even he seems to be hiding something. Will she be able to figure out what’s going on before it’s too late? When I found out this book was a supernatural, gothic tale set on the edge of a German forest, I snatched it up immediately. I was excited by the odd idea of a cherub being blown in your window by a storm, and was intrigued about where this story was going to go - and anyone who knows me knows that I am a sucker for anything even vaguely Gothic. One thing I would have really benefited from realising before diving into this book is that it’s actually a kid’s book, aimed at ages 9+, where I had somehow gotten the impression that it was aimed at young adults. I had the distinct feeling through the first half of playing make-believe as a kid. The storytelling was so simple and straightforward, dot-to-dot-to-dot. The story is absurd and strange, but it’s so plainly told, It felt like a story my 5 year old niece might tell me – “an angel flew in my window, so I sent a message to my best friend on a secret code machine, and we went to the library to find out how to take care of it. We immediately found a book about angels (of course) but there were scary pictures of big storm-birds so we stopped looking. Also there were a lot of stuffed owls.” This is truly a very strange book, which is not necessarily a bad thing. It felt like the Addams family (although the Addams family is somehow far more functional) meets a steampunk fairytale. I think it would make a fun cartoon. The writing style was not my absolute favourite, it was rather simplistic and had a vibe I didn’t quite get on with. However I really rate the imagination involved, and the wild plot points that came out of nowhere. It’s been a while since I read something so peculiar, so this book gets kudos for that. I would recommend this book for imaginative kids who love stories like the Series of Unfortunate Events, Artemis Fowl and fairytales. I am not sure if I would recommend this to a nine year old, I may say it was more suitable for 11 or 12 years and up. There are frequent references to alcohol abuse, as well as some fantasy violence which involves blood, and there is a featured disfunctional marriage.