The Midnight Swan
Contents
- Praise
- About the author
- Title Page
- Dedication
- 1. Seren Rhys is hot and bothered
- 2. Some worrying questions
- 3. A small brown photograph
- 4. A difficult story is told
- 5. The green pen
- 6. Ask it politely
- 7. A promise is made
- 8. A warning is given
- 9. A red boat
- 10. Down the well
- 11. Zigzag cracks
- 12. Anything in all the world
- 13. A circle of friends
- 14. Cinders and ash
- Copyright
‘The Midnight Swan is the perfect end to the perfect trilogy. Each book is as deliciously dark and utterly spelling-binding as its prequel and Catherine Fisher enchants her reader from beginning to end.’ Linda Canning
‘Think the joy of The Secret Garden crossed with the magic of Narnia and the dark enchantment of a fairy tale and you get The Midnight Swan. This tale transports you seamlessly from rural Wales to magical lands.’ Francis Hodgkin
‘I enjoyed the previous two books in this series so I was expecting to enjoy this one. It exceeded my expectations! If you’re looking for an easy to read, enchantingly magical adventure story, look no further than this book, indeed this series.’ Roberta Reads
‘This trilogy brings alive the magic of Welsh legends and Seren becomes a character of legendary value. I adored this trilogy and though I feel closure, I would welcome Seren back in future books!’ Erin Hamilton
Catherine Fisher is a poet and children’s author from Newport in South Wales. Her books include the New York Times bestselling Incarceron, the Snow Walker trilogy and the Chronoptika series, and she was the first Wales Young People’s Laureate.
The Clockwork Crow (Firefly 2018) won the Tir na N’og Welsh Children’s Book Award, was shortlisted for the Blue Peter Book Award and the Independent Bookshop Week Book Award, and was nominated for the Carnegie Medal. Its sequel, The Velvet Fox was published in 2019.
The Midnight Swan is the third and final book in the trilogy.
In Memoriam Molly Fisher
1
Seren Rhys is hot and bothered
Buy a sweetbread, buy a ribbon…
Buy a box that will not open.
‘Look! Look at all the stalls! And there are boats on the river!’
Tomos was almost standing up in the pony cart in excitement; Mrs Villiers grabbed hold of him in alarm as the whole thing swayed. ‘Do keep still, Master Tomos, please! You’ll upset us all into the road!’
Denzil, who was driving, gave a snort of agreement and flicked the reins, so that the pony trotted faster. Heat rippled over the fields.
Tomos slid down. ‘Please, Mamma, can we take a ride on a boat?’
Lady Mair was pinning the veil on her hat to keep the dust from her face. ‘We’ll be there very soon, dear, and then we’ll see. Calm down now. Look at Seren. She’s being very sensible.’
Seren, sitting on the warm leather seat, glanced up and blinked. She had been so deep in her own thoughts that she hadn’t even realised they had arrived. Now she scrambled up next to Tomos and excitement swelled inside her.