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Our guest reviewer for A Clock of Stars: The Shadow Moth is CheeryBaconHead, a nine-year-old writer who loves A Series of Unfortunate Events and Harry Potter.
The Shadow Moth is author Francesca Gibbons’ first book and the first book in the A Clock of Stars series. It is filled to the brim with complex characters and unexpected twists. It’s a dark, imaginative book with lots of rich descriptions accompanied by Chris Riddell’s astonishing illustrations.
What it’s about
Marie and Imogen are sisters who run away while on an outing with their mother. They follow a moth to a door in a tree which leads them to the mysterious world of Yaroslav, a fantastical land.
There, they meet the mysterious Prince Miro and his father and retrieve Lofkinye Lolo from the dungeons to help them on their difficult quest to get back home.
What I liked best about The Shadow Moth
- The descriptions of the different settings. I enjoyed reading about the various locations in the story. The author uses such rich language that you have to read the pages very slowly to get the full enjoyment.
- The twists and turns. The book is very dark and villainous and you can never know for sure who is about to betray who. There is lots of uncertainty about who is a villain and who is a hero.
- The development of the characters. The book contains complex characters who change over time. For example, Imogen is a headstrong girl who gets very annoyed at her little sister, Marie (which does happen in sister relationships) and Marie is a shy and quiet girl. I was particularly interested in her change and development throughout the book. Certain other characters are very sure of themselves in a slightly dangerous way, and I enjoyed reading about the consequences of this.
Who would like The Shadow Moth?
If you like Harry Potter then you would probably like The Shadow Moth. They have a lot of similarities, for example they both have lots of magical creatures and interesting characters.
Some parts of the book are quite dark, dealing with themes such as murder and betrayal, so I think this is most appropriate for children aged 9–12.
In summary
A Clock of Stars: The Shadow Moth is a great book and is good for people who like villains. It’s great for being able to imagine a world unlike Earth. The Shadow Moth is the first book in the series and I look forward to seeing what comes next.