I received a free audio copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I didn't know what to expect of this book. I never heard of it or the author before. I absolutely loved it! It was a cute and fun listen! At the end of the book, there was a mention of a sequel, which I'm very excited for! I can't wait to learn more about the characters!

As I was listening to this book, I could very easily see it being made into a movie! This would be a nice movie for families to enjoy!

I really enjoyed listening to the narrator and would happily listen to books narrated by this person again.

Verdict: A thrilling adventure across England of all places!

Our story begins in Weatherly Orphanage, Yorkshire, a dingy place with strict rule and cruel staff. It quickly turns into an adventure to Oxford, London, Southampton - all across England in a hot air balloon as orphan Tom tries to discover the dangerous truth behind his real name.

The story doesn't waste time getting started, with Tom and his friend Sarah getting into all sort of trouble, discovering secrets and initiating plans within the first couple of chapters. It has a old classic feel without that old classic pace, and I think I would have enjoyed this story a lot as a child.

It often reminded me of books read aloud by teachers on a Friday afternoon, so I wasn't surprised to find that's exactly what it is. It's has a good paced too, sneaking in snippets of history, literature, and architecture in a ways that's engaging. It's full of famous landmarks and classic descriptions from across the country, which makes it the perfect story to recommend to teachers.

I need to critique a couple of small things. The use of awkward phrases like 'whispered loudly' probably should have been edited out. I could also tell it was written by an American from the use of 'sophomore', 'soda', 'pants', and the descriptions of culture e.g. the whimsy of tea drinking! How quaint, indeed. It's a strange editorial choice for a book set in Britain with British characters who essentially talk and think like Americans, and it took me out of the story. Perhaps what gave it away the most was beautiful and striking descriptions of each location. It's tempting to say a Brit would never describe England with the same passion, given our humour.

Joking aside, I think the book starts strong but has a predictable resolution, so by the end I was waiting for it to round off, which is why I've knocked a star off.

All in all, this is a great novel that I would recommend for children. It offers a fun adventure and the opportunity to fall in love with Britain. Who wouldn't want that?

Source: With thanks to the publisher via Netgalley. I received the audio version of this one, and I can say the reading was excellent!

Britfield and the Lost Crown by C.R. Stewart was a fun middle grade mystery and adventure novel.

Tom and Sara are orphans who go to find out more about Tom’s past. They escape the orphanage and are chased all over England by law enforcement. I thought the friendship in this story was super strong. I had a hard time focusing at the beginning. I just could not get into it. I flew through the second half of the story. I found it much more exciting and entertaining, as the book went.

The narration by Ian Russell was the strongest part of this story and kept me listening even when I was not quite into the story. His voices were all super distinct and well planned out. He did several accents as well. He conveyed emotions well too. I would easily listen to something by him again.

If I had to recommend reading or listening to this story, I would definitely suggest the audio. While it was not a favourite of mine I can understand why so many kids like it.

I received an advanced audiobook copy from Independent Book Publishers Association through NetGalley. All opinions are 100% my own.

Title Britfield and the Lost Crown
Author C.R. Stewart
Narrator Ian Russell
5 star ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Audiobook 🎧

This needs making into a film!

The story begins in an orphanage and although set in a beautiful castle type building the place inside is horrible for the children.

Tom finds out his parents are still alive and, along with Sarah, they plan their escape to find them!

Love the adventures around England as the children escape from one place to the next

Excellent narration, really brought the story to life!

Britfield & the lost crown was filled with adventure, great escapes and mystery. I thought the narrator was excellent. It was almost like I was listening to a movie. Very well done. I loved Tom and Sarah. There were castles, hot air balloons.
I highly recommend this book for a younger audience.

Thank you NETGALLEY and the publisher for this ARC audiobook, in exchange for my honest review