Serafina Serafina and the Twisted Staff-The Serafina Series Book 2, Book 2, (Hardcover)

Serafina's story of the Twisted Staff begins just three weeks after she and Braeden solve the mystery of the Black Cloak and defeats the man behind the disappearances occurring on the Estate. Now a different kind of evil has come to the grounds of Biltmore. Join Serafina again as she makes new friends and enemies, takes on new challenges and tries to find and understand her place in the world. Serafina and the Twisted Staff once again captures the magic, mysteries and history of the Biltmore Estate. As a native of the mountains in North Carolina, I greatly enjoyed seeing the diversity of the characters introduced in this book ranging from the upper class aristocracy to the local mountain folk of the Appalachians. Mr. Beatty's book truly captures the beauty of the lands and forests of the mountains surrounding Biltmore. If you have not yet done so, I recommend reading the first book of the series, Serafina and the Black Cloak, so that you may enjoy this story as well.

Wow! If you thought book #1 was good, book #2 is Amazing! There is so much detail in this book that it would adapt very well to the Movie Screen!! Someone pick up the movies rights, quick!!! It continues the mystery, suspense, history, and thrills, just as book #1. Serafina's character seems simple, but her situations are dynamic and adventurous. As you read into book #2, has the Black Cloak returned or is there a new evil that lurks in the shadows? Regardless, Serafina makes a great protagonist and her cat-like curiosity allows her to discover many secrets. All the while, she continues to search for more answers and asks more questions. Many of chapters in Serafina and the Twisted Staff are like cliffhangers, developing suspense and leaving the reader wondering what will happen next. The author uses the 5 senses very well to create enormous details for the reader to envision the scenes unfolding in their minds. In some ways, we see that several characters, especially Serafina and the animals, using a "6th sense" that allows them to sense evil. Some tragedy has been added to book #2 also. (No Spoilers here, though :) This forces Serafina to soul search and make even more potential life altering decisions. As the plot thickens, will good or evil prevail? And, will everyone (both humans and beasts) make it to the resolution unscathed? I appreciate the author's use of local mountain slang within the book. It is not overdone. For example, Serafina's Pa mentions "Poke Sallet." For those not from the South, you may have to search for that one! Being from these same mountains, I understood all too well the mountain talk being used within the book. It's funny how folks, such as the author, who isn't originally from these mountains, have been able to pick up on such subtleties of the older Southern Appalachian speech. I also really appreciate the author's use of actual wildlife from the area, such as Luna Moths, Peregrine Falcons, Wolves, Mountain Lions, etc. I can tell that the author took great pride in getting the details right of the historical and wildlife details of the area. A++++ for a tremendous plot, full of suspense, thrills, mystery, history, and description!! (I also listened to the first 6 audio chapters on the sampler CD. The narrator is stunning!)