clare_braganza's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this book. All the plot points that were set up in the first were developed in this sequel, particularly William and Shadlock's curse and Dame Alys's past. As always, all the characters had depth and were well-portrayed, but my favourite is still William. He has such a tragic past and is mistreated by most of the monks, but he never complains. I felt that he was much braver in this book, particularly at the climax. The pace was quick and once again there were plenty of plot twists, so it wasn't predictable in the slightest. Overall this was an enjoyable read, with prose that is simple but still challenging enough to interest children of 9+. My only complaint is that there wasn't more of the Dark King. It would have been very interesting if William had to face both the demon and the Dark King, but maybe Pat Walsh is saving that for the next book!
elysianbud's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
Great sequel to Crowfield Curse! Fantastic characters and fun and intriguing plot that keeps you reading.
millie_yule's review against another edition
5.0
I was scared reading this and I’m an adult! The dramatic tension is written very well and I very much enjoyed
readingthroughthelists's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
The Crowfield Demon improves on The Crowfield Curse in many ways. Gone is the laborious writing and meandering plot of Curse; instead the tension, gloom, and terror which built slowly throughout the first book have been ratcheted up to 11. Walsh is not afraid to make her characters suffer, and suffer they do, right up until the end (and possibly into the nonexistent third book as well).
Still, some elements could have been better.Sir Robert of Weforde was a wasted character--I expected him to at least be in league with Dame Alys and her demon but instead he appears for two seconds, does nothing, and is out for the rest of the book.
Dame Alys, the demons, and the angels still remain an enigma to me. All the characters, Fay and human, acknowledge a “Creator” whose servants are the angels and demons. But only the monks of the abbey actually appear to be Catholic/religious. William feels almost agnostic--he believes in God but we never see him participate in the religious life of the abbey. He never attends mass, never prays, doesn’t even cross himself when in the presence of a literal demon (that’s like Catholic 101). And yet the book clearly operates with a Christian(ish) worldview, since the demon and its keeper, Dame Alys, are presented as cruel and villainous while virtuous William and his comrades fight for light and the truth, on the side of the angels.
This last was a bit of a stumbling point for me. Multiple times in The Crowfield Demon we are told what a bright light William is, how his heart is so pure that it actually draws evil to him in an attempt to stomp it out. But…is it? William is a perfectly pleasant protagonist but, like…he’s just a guy. And the more the book tried to convince me how special William was, the less I was actually convinced.
Now here’s hoping for that long-awaited third book.
Still, some elements could have been better.
Dame Alys, the demons, and the angels still remain an enigma to me. All the characters, Fay and human, acknowledge a “Creator” whose servants are the angels and demons. But only the monks of the abbey actually appear to be Catholic/religious. William feels almost agnostic--he believes in God but we never see him participate in the religious life of the abbey. He never attends mass, never prays, doesn’t even cross himself when in the presence of a literal demon (that’s like Catholic 101). And yet the book clearly operates with a Christian(ish) worldview, since the demon and its keeper, Dame Alys, are presented as cruel and villainous while virtuous William and his comrades fight for light and the truth, on the side of the angels.
This last was a bit of a stumbling point for me. Multiple times in The Crowfield Demon we are told what a bright light William is, how his heart is so pure that it actually draws evil to him in an attempt to stomp it out. But…is it? William is a perfectly pleasant protagonist but, like…he’s just a guy. And the more the book tried to convince me how special William was, the less I was actually convinced.
Now here’s hoping for that long-awaited third book.
mackle13's review
3.0
I liked this story better than the first, so I'm glad I decided to continue after a sort of middling feeling about it.
The strength of this story was the characterizations of our heroes - William, the hob, Shadlock and Brother Snail. Most of the other brothers are either insufferable or useless or both, except for poor Peter. (The hob, in particular, is a favorite.) I felt the characterizations were kind of flat in the first book - so it's a definitely improvement there, but the secondary characters are still pretty interchangeable and largely forgettable, and I do think Dame Alys' portrayal actually became more cliche and cartoony.
The story also maintains the strong atmospheric tone, which was a strength of the first book.
It was a bit slow in places, and I got annoyed at the Prior and most of the brothers being so small minded, and I did think the end battle was, perhaps, a bit too easy - but it was still pretty cool, for all that.
I had thought this was a duology, but the story leaves much open for another story - the king is still a problem, after all, and the heroes are warned of a coming darkness.
I might have been annoyed before learning there was a third (and final) in the works. When deciding whether to continue after the first book, the fact that there was only one more pushed me into the yes camp.
But after reading this one, I'm actually glad there will be another.
The strength of this story was the characterizations of our heroes - William, the hob, Shadlock and Brother Snail. Most of the other brothers are either insufferable or useless or both, except for poor Peter. (The hob, in particular, is a favorite.) I felt the characterizations were kind of flat in the first book - so it's a definitely improvement there, but the secondary characters are still pretty interchangeable and largely forgettable, and I do think Dame Alys' portrayal actually became more cliche and cartoony.
The story also maintains the strong atmospheric tone, which was a strength of the first book.
It was a bit slow in places, and I got annoyed at the Prior and most of the brothers being so small minded, and I did think the end battle was, perhaps, a bit too easy - but it was still pretty cool, for all that.
I had thought this was a duology, but the story leaves much open for another story - the king is still a problem, after all, and the heroes are warned of a coming darkness.
I might have been annoyed before learning there was a third (and final) in the works. When deciding whether to continue after the first book, the fact that there was only one more pushed me into the yes camp.
But after reading this one, I'm actually glad there will be another.
lobo1tomia's review against another edition
3.0
Meg kell hagyni, a sok esőzés miatt talán, ez a rész jóval sötétebb volt, mint az előző. Na meg mert ott egy angyal itt meg eleve démon körül forgott a történet, s ezzel bizony nem egy véres és ijesztő jelenet párosult. Még a borító is láthatóan sötétebbre sikeredett. Viszont kis enyhítésnek ott volt az imádni való hob, akinek sikerült rendszeresen nem csak William de az olvasó arcára is mosolyt fakasztani.
Tovább: http://olvasonaplo.net/olvasonaplo/2011/07/20/pat_walsh_crowfield_demona/
Tovább: http://olvasonaplo.net/olvasonaplo/2011/07/20/pat_walsh_crowfield_demona/
kiwi_fruit's review
2.0
I didn’t enjoy this book as much as I did the first novel in this series. In [b:The Crowfield Curse|6870698|The Crowfield Curse (Crowfield Abbey, #1)|Pat Walsh|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1355618041s/6870698.jpg|7086752] the medieval theme was much stronger than the supernatural, the opposite is true in this sequel.
trusselltales's review
4.0
This didn't have as strong a sense of time and place as I expected, given the wonderfully atmospheric nature of The Crowfield Curse, but it was a good read for all that. Some vivid scenes and the menacing threat of the demon of the title was powerfully portrayed, but the characters had potential for more development than was shown, particularly the hob.
viktorreads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death