A fun continuation of the series, reminiscent of Avi's early 2000's medieval mysteries. Writing is solid, if a bit reliant on telling over showing for our tastes.

Apparently, this book is the second in a series which I did not realize when I first requested it. As intriguing as it appears, I don't like to read in the middle of the series because it gets confusing. So I am still waiting to find a copy of the first book at my library, and then I will read this and review.

I really enjoyed reading this book, it was a fun read and had a great spooky atmosphere. The characters were really well done and I enjoyed going on this adventure.

The Haunted Cathedral flows so easily as Xan, Lucy, and some new friends work to uncover the ghost behind the seeming haunting of Lincoln Cathedral. At the heart of the story is Xan's struggle to forgive the wicked bandit responsible for his parents' death. His journey from seeking retribution to forgiveness is a slow struggle, making it all the more real. No easy solutions, just gentle prodding from Brother Andrew, the sterling example of Lucy, and God's slow work in his heart.

As Xan moves toward manhood and decisions about his future, Harwood Mysteries is proving to be a great series for young teens with just the right recipe of spookiness, mystery, history, camaraderie, and moral edification to make it a story readers will return to.

Orphan Xan must travel to Lincoln with Brother Andrew and the dangerous prisoner who killed his parents. He struggles to forgive or trust the prisoner who holds Brother Andrew's life in his hands. It's not until he faces the ghost of the cathedral that he learns the true value of forgiveness.
I liked the faith and element of this story. The author also includes the theme of forgiveness and acceptance.
There is a bit of mystery, but it's not the main part of the book.
The romance was a bit cheesy.
While it's the second in a series, the author does a good job of sharing enough backstory that I wasn't confused.

This is the second book in a series for kids (up to teens, but I think upper elementary and middle school is the prime audience.)

Xan is back.
He's still living with the monks, but now he discovers that he is not free from being a serf until someone can pay the price on his head.

An uncle is the only family he has, so he travels to the far-off city of Lincoln to see if he can help.

Another mystery awaits him as the cathedral there appears to be haunted. So now he wonders if the spirit at Lincoln Cathedral can get a message from his parents about what he should do.

Overall, a decent mystery for kids to read with the historical twist that can also help show how life was during that time in England.

What I really found interesting is the history behind Lincoln Cathedral as shared in the appendix.

The Haunted Cathedral, by Antony Barone Kolenc, is the second in a trilogy – the Harwood Mysteries. It is a historical novel set in twelfth century England, following the adventures of 13-year-old Xan, an orphan whose parents were killed by bandits and who is living in a rural abbey. A serf, Xan has little if any control over his own life. He is sent to his uncle in Lincoln in the company of his mentor, Brother Andrew and Carlo, the bandit who murdered Xan’s parents. While waiting for his uncle to decide his fate, some local children show Xan the city, particularly Lincoln Cathedral, rumored to be haunted. The book follows Xan as he attempts to plumb the depths of the mystery of the cathedral and prove that it is not actually haunted.

I definitely enjoyed the setting of the book; I’m a sucker for historical mysteries and for anything set in England. However, I did not expect there to be so much focus on Christianity, especially for a Y/A – I think this book is as much an “inspirational” novel as it is a mystery. There was a lot of focus on forgiveness and Christian love, particularly Brother Andrew’s teachings of course. I think that this would be an enjoyable read for some young readers but others might be put off by the religious elements of the story.

I received a free e-copy of this book from NetGalley.

ARC provided by Netgalley.

This is my first time reading children/early teen historical fiction. Xan's story took place in Medieval England, A.D. 1185. I love Xan's character and how he handled the situation. The plot is well thought and setting desc is lovely. Will read more from this series in the future!

This is a hard one to review. I found it on the Read Now part of Netgalley, and couldn't resist giving it a try. I'm always looking for new books for the youngsters in my life. As a child, I loved mysteries and the paranormal, so I'm a bit biased in that direction. This checks those boxes. And I'm also Catholic (as are some of the aforementioned young folks), so this seemed like it could tick off the religious ed box, as well. But the thing is, I am overly critical of religious fiction, be it for adults or children. It is very hard to get the tone right, to strike a balance between theology and entertainment, and to do so in a way that isn't heavy-handed or overly... preachy.
This? It was interesting. It would definitely appeal to a very specific type of reader. It's written in a sort of Old English, with "tis" and "twas" and "Aye!" Ox groaned. "Now help me with this cursed quarrel, ye simpkin."
Some kids are up for that, some are not. I appreciate that it doesn't talk down to the reader, although the style might take a little bit ot getting used to for some.
It also dealt with intense themes and some seriously meaty theology, but in a way that felt natural. The setting (the 1100s, I believe?) helped- the Church was a central part of the community and of people's lives, so talking about religion and the nature of one's beliefs wasn't weird or incongruous.
The setting also allowed for the story to get dark. In the first chapter, the protagonist, a 13 year old orphan, has his best friend move away, and then his faithful dog is killed. Seriously! Beloved pet death right off the bat. Xan, the protagonist, is going through a lot, and is, understandably, questioning aspects of his faith, particularly forgiveness, being good to those who persecute you, and turning the other cheek. He also expresses his frustration with the concept of God's will, which, at the start of the novel, gives him a sense of futility. His parents were murdered. Was that God's will? He struggles to understand. It's not light stuff, but it sure is relatable.
The story starts off slow, and I did find it a bit hard to get into (I have not read the first book, so I was missing information) but by the half way point, I couldn't put it down. The story goes from a sort of dark emotional exploration to a mysterious adventure, and somehow it works. It provides the clarity the protagonist needs to understand abd make peace with the things he is grappling with at the start of the story.
And it really did have a satisfying conclusion- both the mystery part and the bildungsroman part.

Oh, also, I appreciated the way the author handled the concept of ghosts- theologically sound but also easy for young readers to understand.

At first I wasn't sure, but by the end, the book won me over.

Interesting mystery novel book 2. I am looking forward to book 1. The story lines are too solid and nice historical fiction. Its rather than ghost or thriller. The mystery inside the cathedral is great to investigate with the main protagonist Xan. Xan and friends adventure all through this novel is very interesting to read. I must thanks to net gallery and the author and publisher who let me download and read it. I hadn't read book 1. But book 2 now that I read, I can imagine how the book 1 was.

Captivating historic fiction

This review contains spoilers for the first book in the series!

"The Haunted Cathedral" is the second book in the harwood mysteries series. I hadn't read the first book, yet I had no problem following the story which takes place months after the first book.
Xan lives in a monastary in during the middle ages. He goes on a physical journey to meet his uncle while he lives through a spritual journey to find forgiveness for the man who was responsible for his parents' murders. Both jouneys are difficult and there are often parallels between the two.
Acceptance, forgiveness and good choices are the topcis that are on Xan's mind most of the time. The book is written from the third perspective but the reader can tell what Xan is thinking and understand the reasoning behind his decisions.

The mystery aspect did not fall short for me. It appeared in the later half of the book and was in my opinion the perfect way to tie all parts of the story together.

I found myself captivated by this book and read the whole thing in one afternoon. The writing style is good and easy to read, even though the language sometimes feels a little foreign (which is done purposefully as part of the medival atmosphere).

I would reccomend this book to anyone over the age of twelve who is interested in sprituality and history.