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186 reviews for:
Serafina Y El Bastón Maligno / Serafina and the Twisted Staff (Serafina, Book 2)
Robert Beatty
4.03 AVERAGE
186 reviews for:
Serafina Y El Bastón Maligno / Serafina and the Twisted Staff (Serafina, Book 2)
Robert Beatty
4.03 AVERAGE
This was a solid second edition to this trilogy. I felt like the first book was better, but the storyline was fast paced and engaging. We learned more about Serafina and Braeden, plus we had a bunch of all new characters! I would recommend this book and I can't wait to read the third one and finish off the trilogy. 4.5 out of 5 stars.
This is a fabulous series! The recommended ages are from 9-12, but I think anyone over age nine would enjoy this. There is something for everyone in this. If you love animals, fantasy, shape shifters, friendship, a hint of romance, good role models, evil villains, magic, a mysterious house with lots of hidden passages, mystery, historical fiction, and especially great story telling, this is for you! I listened to the audiobook version of this book and loved it. The narrator really made the characters and this story come alive. Looking forward to the third book!
I'm really sad to finish this book so fast but also happy that I own it! All thanks to my best friend who gave me such a wonderful present of both Serafina series books. I really enjoyed it and heard my heart beating faster on some scenes in the book. I have been fallen in love with this book and there's no way I'll ever forget it. I have very few favorites and Serafina will be a new member of my favorites society
Was good to read but there were times where it was a little slow plotwise, but really good for teenagers.
This is a fine second book in the series. Doom, bravery, new friends, magic. I didn't love the scarred nemesis trope, or the way land ownership is discussed with no mention of the Indigenous people on whose land the story takes place. There's also some benevolent paternalism from the wealthy land owner that made me gag a little. Good discussion of cooperation and overcoming first impressions. Being willing to change your mind given evidence. Compassion for people you don't understand. Lots of good stuff here. Not my favorite tho.
medium-paced
A small step up from the first book.
Full review at: https://skybookcorner.blogspot.com/2022/12/book-review-serafina-and-twisted-staff.html
Full review at: https://skybookcorner.blogspot.com/2022/12/book-review-serafina-and-twisted-staff.html
Stunning book, beautiful writing and the amazing ability to bring history to life.
Check out my blog, One Man Book Club
The Value of a Star: Ratings Explained
My 11-year-old has a new all time favorite series!
Serafina hit all the right notes for my kiddo. She plowed through all 4 books faster than she's ever read anything--so huge win for Serafina! I didn't love the first one enough to have read the rest of the series back in 2017. Of course she wanted me to read it with her so she could talk about it, and you can't really say no to that.
So...
I re-read book one, then forced myself to keep going. The things we do for our kids!
Unfortunately, I didn't love book 1 the second time any more than I did the first time. I stuck with it because of the kid AND because I often settle into a series after a first-book let down as I get used to the author's style and get invested in the characters. Sadly, no luck this time. I struggled with books 2, 3, and 4 in the same ways I struggled with book 1.
The MC's "mountain girl" voice was grating and SO hard to read, and the narrative voice wasn't consistent either. The problems aren't plausible with the story, and the solutions are overly simplistic. The bad guys are truly creepy, and there is an unexpected intensity to the violence that made me cringe. If it hadn't been for my solemn Dad word of honor, I likely would have bailed sometime around book 2.
But...
The fact that my young reader was SO gripped by the story and characters cannot be ignored. She loved the mystery, the relationships, the magic, and she loved the historical elements, too. The setting is the Biltmore Mansion in its turn-of-the-century glory, and that does add some fun fuel for the imagination. There's definitely something there, and my grown-up-boy-dad opinion shouldn't discourage other young readers who would enjoy an imaginative magical mystery trip into history like my young reader did.
No grown up stuff to be concerned about here, but parents should know these books are dark and scary. The bad guys are creepy, and there are some pretty intense animal attacks throughout--stuff that made me cringe. My daughter and I talked about the scary stuff, but she wasn't deterred. Your sensitive reader might be.
I give the series three stars. She gives it 5. So we're going to meet in the middle with 4.
Happy Reading!
The Value of a Star: Ratings Explained
My 11-year-old has a new all time favorite series!
Serafina hit all the right notes for my kiddo. She plowed through all 4 books faster than she's ever read anything--so huge win for Serafina! I didn't love the first one enough to have read the rest of the series back in 2017. Of course she wanted me to read it with her so she could talk about it, and you can't really say no to that.
So...
I re-read book one, then forced myself to keep going. The things we do for our kids!
Unfortunately, I didn't love book 1 the second time any more than I did the first time. I stuck with it because of the kid AND because I often settle into a series after a first-book let down as I get used to the author's style and get invested in the characters. Sadly, no luck this time. I struggled with books 2, 3, and 4 in the same ways I struggled with book 1.
The MC's "mountain girl" voice was grating and SO hard to read, and the narrative voice wasn't consistent either. The problems aren't plausible with the story, and the solutions are overly simplistic. The bad guys are truly creepy, and there is an unexpected intensity to the violence that made me cringe. If it hadn't been for my solemn Dad word of honor, I likely would have bailed sometime around book 2.
But...
The fact that my young reader was SO gripped by the story and characters cannot be ignored. She loved the mystery, the relationships, the magic, and she loved the historical elements, too. The setting is the Biltmore Mansion in its turn-of-the-century glory, and that does add some fun fuel for the imagination. There's definitely something there, and my grown-up-boy-dad opinion shouldn't discourage other young readers who would enjoy an imaginative magical mystery trip into history like my young reader did.
No grown up stuff to be concerned about here, but parents should know these books are dark and scary. The bad guys are creepy, and there are some pretty intense animal attacks throughout--stuff that made me cringe. My daughter and I talked about the scary stuff, but she wasn't deterred. Your sensitive reader might be.
I give the series three stars. She gives it 5. So we're going to meet in the middle with 4.
Happy Reading!
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
3.75 stars! Cute story that basically expanded on all the things I loved from the first book. Seraphina grew to know more of her true self made new friends and strengthened her relationship with existing ones. This book is about believing in yourself and knowing you can be anything you wish to be. Great middle grade read.