Crowvus Book Blog

We couldn't do what we do without our readers. Thank you so much for supporting us over the years. In return, we've created this fun little reading challenge which will hopefully help you discover and rediscover some amazing books. All you have to do is use our hashtag #CrowvusReadingChallenge on your reviews of the twelve books listed. You don't have to do them in the order we've put, and you don't have to wait a month between. All you have to do is share them by the end of 2026. Next January, we'll draw one reader at random and reward them with a £30 voucher for their favourite bookshop. Happy Reading!

 I'm sorry I haven't posted a Middle Grade Monday post for a few weeks. The summer holidays have been in full swing and we have been far from idle. At the start of the holiday, I published the sequel to my debut novel. "Taking Wing" came out in July 2019, and it's a great relief to have launched "Doorway to the Sunset" which continues the story. Not only does it feel great that it's finally out there, but it was super to be back with those characters again. The Feather Down series is a story I tried multiple times to write. Slightly different over the years, of course. Each time, I could never get beyond the first couple of chapters. I don't know what about "Taking Wing" made it stick. Perhaps because, by then, I was older and had more writing experience. Perhaps because I was teaching children who were the same age as my ideal audience. Either way, "Taking Wing" continues to be the book of mine that sells the most. Freya, the...

Honey Harvest tells us the story of a little girl who loves honey and goes on a beautifully ordinary adventure to find out how bees make honeycomb and how that is then turned into the runny honey which she loves to eat. It’s a long-running joke in my family that I made my little sister scared of bees. As a child, I was absolutely terrified of them and used to run away every time one came near me. Of course, as Clem got old enough to play outside, I taught her to do the same thing. Oops.  I do love bees though. We don’t keep them ourselves, but we have many wonderful wild species which visit the garden, including some rare and unusual ones. Bees are little furry, buzzy proof that magic exists. Naturally, I really love honey too. Honey on Shredded Wheat… mmm… and, recently, I’ve been reading lots about Alexander the Great so I discovered other fascinating properties of honey (if you don’t know, consider looking it up – very interesting, if slightly grisly). Back to Honey Harvest…...

Hello Reader! I just thought I'd introduce myself, as well as explaining what is happening here on the Crowvus Book Blog every Thursday. My name is Virginia Crow and I've been writing historical fiction for the best part of a decade. History is not just an interest for me, it's a fascination. In the past few years, I've been delighted to discover such a fabulous network of historical fiction writers and I look forward to sharing some of their books and writings with you right here on the Crowvus Book Blog. On the weeks when there is no visiting author, I will be posting my own musings and adventures relating to the realms of historical fiction. You can find all my novels through the Crowvus website , or on my own website . I'm told they make for a great read! So ready yourself for the most amazing time machine in existence: Historical Fiction! Prepare for adventures and enjoy exploring the realms of the past. "You get to recognise a well-researched and written ...

We at Crowvus are delighted to bring our newest story to the market! Honour's Rest is a young adult magical realism, filled with danger and adventure, with a good dollop of self-sacrifice on the side. We were lucky enough to persuade the main character of the book, Pendragon Devon, to come and answer some of our questions. Perhaps, after you've read the book yourself, you have a question for him too. Feel free to write your questions in the comments below. Here's a bit of background on the Rite, for those who are unsure: The Rite is definitely not  magic (but really, it is, just don't tell Napier we said that). There are 2 ways of channelling the Rite, each having their own pros and cons, and it's not so clear-cut as to be good vs bad. But that's enough from us...let's hand over to Pendragon. What is a Rendelf, and why is the job so important? Because there are two different forms of the Rite, I think the Rendelf was set up to make sure peace was kept betwee...

Thank you to the Crowvus team for featuring me on your blog! So excited to be able to showcase my books; after all, the next best thing to reading books is admiring them on a shelf! I try to keep my books in a rough order based on genre, and I also have larger books at the bottom of the bookcase and smaller at the top. Is it just me that does this?? Starting from the bottom shelf, I have my chunky hardbacks (hardbacks… so luxurious…). Juliet Marillier’s Sevenwaters series is a fairly recent discovery; set in ancient Ireland where the gods of the forest still hold sway, this is a beautifully complex family saga which has helped inspire my current work in progress. Families tied together by magic, wicked spirits, and undying love – perfect for any hopeless romantic. Also on this shelf is Hilary Mantel’s Wolf Hall trilogy (useful for picking up medieval details), and the complete Sherlock Holmes – a car-boot find for 50p with lovely, vinyl-like pages. The big black folder at the end is cr...