07/12/2019
Gr 5–7-In this fourth installment of the popular series, Serafina, also known as Guardian of Biltmore Estate, feels that something isn't right in her beloved North Carolina mountain home. Her fears are heightened when she has an encounter with her best friend Braeden, whom she knows was sent away to attend school in New York. She wonders whether she is so heartbroken over his leaving that she is hallucinating. This self-doubt is pervasive throughout the narrative as Serafina's worst fears are realized. Something darker and more evil than ever before has come to kidnap and even kill those she loves most at Biltmore. As the death toll rises, Serafina struggles to protect them. Beatty deftly illustrates that Serafina has learned many lessons along the way and the emotional toll that they have taken on her. Deaths of humans and animals are hard to swallow but are a necessary evolution of the evil that inhabits Serafina's story. The action is nonstop, and there are many edge-of-your-seat moments that will keep readers up at night. Fans of the series will applaud Serafina's bravery, purity of heart, and role as champion of all creatures. It is recommended that readers start the series from the beginning. VERDICT A strong addition to an addictive series that features a brave heroine who triumphs over the evil forces that threaten to destroy her home.-Julie Shatterly, W. A. Bess Elementary School, Gastonia, NC
