Robert Beatty (1) (1963–)
Author of Serafina and the Black Cloak
For other authors named Robert Beatty, see the disambiguation page.
Series
Works by Robert Beatty
Serafina and the Seven Stars (The Serafina Series Book 4) (Serafina, 4) (2019) 315 copies, 4 reviews
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Birthdate
- 1963
- Gender
- male
- Occupations
- writer
- Short biography
- Robert Beatty writes imaginative fiction for middle grade and young adult readers. He lives in the forested Blue Ridge Mountains of Asheville, North Carolina with his wife and three daughters (ages 3,12,14) who help create and refine his stories. The Beattys love to explore the beautiful Biltmore Estate, the darkened forest trails, and the creepy old graveyards where his novels take place. In the category of "write what you know," Robert has four cats, four dogs, and four horses; he loves birds and nature, history, fantasy, and period dramas. Robert's Disney-Hyperion novel "Serafina and the Black Cloak" prowls into bookstores in July 2015. In his past lives, Robert was the chairman/CTO of the highly respected literary magazine, Narrative Magazine. He was also one of the early pioneers of Cloud Computing, the co-founder/CEO of Plex Systems, and the co-founder of Beatty Robotics. In 2007, he was named an Entrepreneur of the Year.
- Nationality
- USA
- Places of residence
- Asheville, North Carolina, USA
- Associated Place (for map)
- North Carolina, USA
Members
Reviews
Willa is an underappreciated asset to the Faeran people, skilled in the old ways and in the modern practices that keep her people alive and safe. Homesteaders have been encroaching on her woods in ever-growing numbers, taking whatever they please and leaving destruction in their wake. The padaran, the Faeran leader, has adopted increasingly harsh practices in an attempt to keep up, but at what cost? The world is changing around Willa, but she when she meets one of the dreaded homesteaders, show more she quickly discovers that it's not as simple as us-vs-them. It's time to decide whether to blend in or speak out for what she believes in.
Willa is enormously capable, fending for herself without losing her core values. I found myself rooting for her all the way through, and I was surprised at the depth and complexity of the problems she faced. Kids aren't clueless any more than Willa was about the problems in the world, and I found the messages of hope and courage to be perfectly timed for our modern climate. All in all, this is an excellent, engaging story that treats its readers with the respect they deserve.
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley to read in exchange for an honest review. show less
Willa is enormously capable, fending for herself without losing her core values. I found myself rooting for her all the way through, and I was surprised at the depth and complexity of the problems she faced. Kids aren't clueless any more than Willa was about the problems in the world, and I found the messages of hope and courage to be perfectly timed for our modern climate. All in all, this is an excellent, engaging story that treats its readers with the respect they deserve.
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley to read in exchange for an honest review. show less
With darker images and historical details, this is a thrilling read, which will have kids hiding under their blankets long after bedtime.
Serafina has spent much of her twelve-years, living in the basement of a manor with her father. She's not allowed to let anyone know she exists or her father would lose his job. But she's found her own usefulness and serves the house as the unknown rat catcher...something she's amazingly talented at. When she hears screams in another section of the show more basement, she rushes to save whoever is in danger despite what it means to her own existence. But when she sees a creature in a dark cloak absorb a little girl, she barely escapes with her life. Still, she can't let the horror be ignored and tries to figure out a way to stop whatever evil is at large before more children disappear.
The graphics in these pages take on a darker tone, sticking mostly to the drearier atmosphere...and this works very well. Serafina's world is a darker place as she's spent most of it in the basement and out only at night. The scenes are well placed and keep the tension high, while still allowing the time period and characters to come across nicely. There was a time or two, where the frame order threw me for a moment, but the rest is an easy read. It was easy to get lost into the tale and hard to put the book down until the very last page.
To make sure this hangs closely to the original tale, there seems to be an fairly even divide between dialogue (speech bubbles) and explained plot and thoughts (presented in when text in black rectangles). This mix keeps the events clear and allows the reader to dive deeper into Serafina's head. It's well suited for the middle grade level and will pull even slightly older readers in.
It's a grabbing story with surprising twists and turns. Not only does Serafina find herself up against a dangerous creature, but learns more about herself. So, there is quite a bit of character depth going on as well. It also hits upon friendship and learning to step past the comfort zone. More sensitive readers might be bothered by the creepiness of the creature and a couple more aggressive scenes. Those, who enjoy a touch of fear and shadows, will enjoy this one quite a bit. show less
Serafina has spent much of her twelve-years, living in the basement of a manor with her father. She's not allowed to let anyone know she exists or her father would lose his job. But she's found her own usefulness and serves the house as the unknown rat catcher...something she's amazingly talented at. When she hears screams in another section of the show more basement, she rushes to save whoever is in danger despite what it means to her own existence. But when she sees a creature in a dark cloak absorb a little girl, she barely escapes with her life. Still, she can't let the horror be ignored and tries to figure out a way to stop whatever evil is at large before more children disappear.
The graphics in these pages take on a darker tone, sticking mostly to the drearier atmosphere...and this works very well. Serafina's world is a darker place as she's spent most of it in the basement and out only at night. The scenes are well placed and keep the tension high, while still allowing the time period and characters to come across nicely. There was a time or two, where the frame order threw me for a moment, but the rest is an easy read. It was easy to get lost into the tale and hard to put the book down until the very last page.
To make sure this hangs closely to the original tale, there seems to be an fairly even divide between dialogue (speech bubbles) and explained plot and thoughts (presented in when text in black rectangles). This mix keeps the events clear and allows the reader to dive deeper into Serafina's head. It's well suited for the middle grade level and will pull even slightly older readers in.
It's a grabbing story with surprising twists and turns. Not only does Serafina find herself up against a dangerous creature, but learns more about herself. So, there is quite a bit of character depth going on as well. It also hits upon friendship and learning to step past the comfort zone. More sensitive readers might be bothered by the creepiness of the creature and a couple more aggressive scenes. Those, who enjoy a touch of fear and shadows, will enjoy this one quite a bit. show less
In this story, The Biltmore and its environs (and its history) is a character as real as the plucky heroine with her mysterious past. I would be proud to meet any young reader that sees in Serafina a worthy role model.
I like the flashes of bright metaphor
The supernatural denouement surprised me, but I guess all good lit should surprise, I may be hidebound by my Scooby Doo roots. This work feels like it is sympatico with the readers of J.K. Rowling and Stephenie Meyer.
I picked up Serafina and the Black Cloak because I visited the Biltmore Estate when on vacation in Asheville, North Carolina. When I found out that a young adult novel used the Biltmore Estate as it's setting, I had to have it. Little did I know that it was also a fantasy novel. Could this book be more up my alley?
You certainly don't have to visit Biltmore to read Serafina, but throughout the entire novel I was able to vividly picture every scene. Having visited Biltmore really added to my show more reading experience. My mom wants to read it as well just because of the setting.
As for the storyline, I really enjoyed it. I found aspects of the story to be rather original ideas. I had never heard of a catamount before, and it made for an interesting premise. I also thought the magic behind the cloak was a very clever idea.
It was a good fantasy novel and I can't wait to see what Serafina does in the next book. She is such a unique character, far from perfect, but that's part of what makes her so likable. show less
You certainly don't have to visit Biltmore to read Serafina, but throughout the entire novel I was able to vividly picture every scene. Having visited Biltmore really added to my show more reading experience. My mom wants to read it as well just because of the setting.
As for the storyline, I really enjoyed it. I found aspects of the story to be rather original ideas. I had never heard of a catamount before, and it made for an interesting premise. I also thought the magic behind the cloak was a very clever idea.
It was a good fantasy novel and I can't wait to see what Serafina does in the next book. She is such a unique character, far from perfect, but that's part of what makes her so likable. show less
Lists
Awards
You May Also Like
Associated Authors
Statistics
- Works
- 12
- Members
- 6,258
- Popularity
- #3,918
- Rating
- 3.9
- Reviews
- 111
- ISBNs
- 124
- Languages
- 10
- Favorited
- 1