Tom has spent most of his life locked behind the cruel walls of Weatherly Orphanage, but when he learns that his parents might still be alive, Tom knows he must do what he can to find them. He can’t leave Weatherly without his best friend Sarah, so armed with a single clue to his past, the word Britfield, the two make a daring escape by commandeering a hot air balloon. Now they’re on the run from a famous Scotland Yard detective and what looks like half the police officers in England. Tom and Sarah’s journey takes them from Oxford University to Windsor Castle, through London, and finally to Canterbury. Along the way, they discover that Tom may be the true heir to the British throne, but even with the help of two brilliant professors, it looks like Tom and Sarah will be captured and sent back to the orphanage before they have a chance to solve Tom’s Royal mystery.
Reading Britfield and the Lost Crown is a bit like Oliver Twist meets White Collar: it begins with a sometimes-cheesy orphanage escape and ends with the main characters trying to right a wrong going far back in history, with gunfights, attempted murder, and more keeping the action level high.
At times the writing felt forced to me, especially in the earlier chapters. The orphanage scenes, while clearly setting up the reader to understand how atrocious life in there was, felt contrived and cliched. I didn’t enjoy reading those parts, though they are critical to the rest of the story.
After Tom and Sarah left Weatherly, the action picked up considerably, and the writing felt more realistic. There were still times when the action rang of middle-grade impossibilities, but given that it’s a middle-grade book … that’s okay. I wouldn’t want it to be too dark, given where the author is taking the series, and removing those impossibilities might toe that line. As it was, there were a few quick gunfights, discussions of attempted murder, and other high-action scenes that had potentially devastating consequences (but never did). This kept the targeted age firmly in the middle-grade range for me, and I like it there, because …
As the action quickens, the plot deepens. The author clearly knows his European history, and that shows, as he intertwines his fictional story around real events. As a lover of historical fiction, I really enjoyed this aspect of the book. It helped gloss over some of those other issues and kept me turning pages quickly.
As I read, I found myself reading faster and faster; I really enjoyed the main characters. You’re supposed to like Tom, as the male lead, and he’s full of mystery, and I appreciate his good character. Honestly, though, I liked Sarah a bit more; she was tough, rarely complained, and showed spunk. I also liked that, while discovering Tom’s background was the point of the story, Sarah’s remained mysterious, as well. She shared just enough at crucial times to keep you guessing about the rest.
The absolute best aspect of this story, however, was the setting. Tom and Sarah see many tourist attractions and other historical sites around England, and the author’s descriptions are colorful and full of life. Again, it’s obvious that he knows his stuff and is comfortable in England.
The book ends in a cliffhanger-like way, which is always both exciting (because, yay! I can’t wait for more!), and disappointing (because now I have to wait for more!). I’m looking forward to the next installment – I really want to know what happens to Tom and Sarah!
Britfield and the Lost Crown is an excellent middle-grade read for kids who want the action and suspense of an adult-style mystery but aren’t ready for the potential violence and suspense that come with it. It’s a hefty story that reads easily and smoothly, and many kids are going to enjoy traveling England with Tom.
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This book doesn’t release until August, but the website is shaping up to be a great one. Go here to check it out and be fully informed of all things Britfield before the release date.
I received a copy of this book from FrontGate Media. All opinions are my own.
