This is the second book in the Clockwork Crow series. After she has rescued Tomas from the Fae Folk, Serene is content to live happily ever after at Plas-y-Fran and enjoy the summer. Things are going great until Tomas and Serene are alone for a while and a mysterious governess comes to the house. Along with her, she brings a carousel that is not like any ordinary carousel. It is magic and seems to have bewitched the whole family except for Serene. It is up to her and the crow to save the whole family and banish the strange happenings from the house for good. I would recommend this for anyone who has read the first book in the series. You can read them independently, but it would be better to start with the first book in the series. ( )

Seren Rhys is settling happily into her new life with her adopted family at Plas-y-Fran, Wales, when Tomos makes the mistake of openly defying the Fair Family. The unexpected arrival of a new governess brings nothing but trouble, turning the family and the servants against Seren as she is blamed for everything that goes wrong. Even worse is the gift of a sinister toy carousel, which seems to hold some strange power over Tomos.

This is an excellent sequel to The Clockwork Crow, full of adventure and magic. Seren is a strong-willed character who is motivated by her desire to protect those she loves. The Clockwork Crow, who makes a reappearance in this book, is as charmingly cantankerous as ever. We get to see a bit more of the Fair Family in this book, and they are suitably sinister and inhuman. I would have liked to have seen some more of both Tomos and Gwyn, though. Poor Tomos seems to spend most of his time in these books under a faery spell and we don't get to see much of his actual character! The autumnal Welsh landscape full of swirling leaves makes the perfect (and slightly creepy) setting, and I also enjoyed the occasional Welsh words sprinkled throughout the book. ( )

In book two, Seren has a few new folks to call friends...until she doesn’t. It seems the house, let alone the household, has come under the influence of some mighty strange goings on...and if things aren’t sorted soon, not only will she be out of a home, but those that have become dear to her may be lost forever. Much magic abounds, but the true messages at heart are of the strength of the family ties we choose, as well as the love for others over simply ourselves.


***ARC received for review; opinions are my own ( )

The Velvet Fox is the second book in Catherine Fisher's Clockwork Crow fantasy series. I won it through the LibraryThing Early Reviewers Program. I had not read the first book, but it wasn't hard to follow what was happening. Seren Rhys, the orphaned girl who was taken in by the Jones family, is quite happy to live at the large Welsh house of Plas-y-Fran instead of St. Mary's Orphanage. Tomas, Captain Jones and Lady Mair's son, is going to have his birthday soon. He gives Seren a bracelet he made. After all, she saved him from the Fairy Family, the fairies who kidnapped him in the first book. Unfortunately, Tomas makes the mistake of loudly proclaiming that he's safe from the Fair Family forever. Challenge accepted.

I received this as an early review. It was better than the first as the characters and setting were already established. Seren, the main character is a strong, likable character. A fun read. ( )