The Merchant's Curse (Volume 4) (The Harwood Mysteries)

In The Merchant’s Curse, the storyline centers around Xan’s relationship with his Uncle William, whom we first met in The Haunted Cathedral. Without giving too much away for those who haven’t read book two yet, let’s just say that was a less than ideal situation for Xan. And though William’s dubious dealings with ‘the Master’ – and his financial distress – have supposedly been resolved, it was with more than a little hesitation that I watched Xan leave the abbey to live with William in this fourth book of Antony Barone Kolenc’s award-winning medieval mystery series for middle schoolers.Xan continues to grow up in age as well as maturity, and we have some slightly stronger hints of romance potential tucked away in this book, too. (These feelings are not enough to totally gross out tween/teen boys but this particular subplot is important to decisions that Xan will need to make sooner or later.) His uncle’s business partner also has a nephew as his apprentice, but the differences between Xan and Nigel are like day and night. In fact, Nigel is sort-of the ‘anti-Xan’, allowing readers to see the rippling impact of our individual choices over time. In keeping with the eerier undertone of the Lincoln setting that we experienced in book two, The Merchant’s Curse also deals with the battle between good & evil a bit more overtly than the other books in this series. And I will say that if you or your reader have a sensitive stomach you may want to skim over the parts where two of our characters are violently ill. It’s not unnecessarily graphic but it’s not glossed over either.Bottom Line: The Merchant’s Curse by Antony Barone Kolenc has it all – adventure, mystery, intrigue, friendship, faith, and even a little romance. The author excels at immersing readers in the heart of the story and creating layered characters that we love to read about, and our time spent in the pages of this book is no exception. Parents, if the mention of a witch and curses in other reviews makes you nervous, please don’t worry. All is not what it seems, a la Scooby Doo. Based on the events in this book, I am also very interested to see what Xan, Christina, William, Father Andrew, Father Phillip, and hopefully Lucy are up to next!(I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book which I purchased for my own collection.)

The Merchant's Curse continues Kolenc's series for middle-grade and teen readers with an extra dose of suspense. As Xan and his companions progress through their teen years, the challenges they face—both in their faith and in their struggle to protect themselves and those they love from the very real threats they experience—have ever-higher stakes. In this story, Xan's uncle William, who has provided him with both meaningful work and shelter, comes under threat when his business partner becomes deathly ill. His partner's nephew, Nigel, blames the illness on a curse from a woman reputed to be a witch, but evil also seems to be lurking around William's shop in the form of a group of thugs, and Nigel furthers the danger by befriending an enemy of the king. (Review copy provided by publisher)

I think this is my favorite of the Harwood Mysteries so far—it’s filled with intrigue and some surprises, too. While I solved part of the mystery myself, I didn’t guess just how evil and deceptive some of the characters were. I love the way the story intertwines action and mystery with Xan’s inner journey to understand the Scripture he studies and God’s will for him. I’m looking forward to Book 5 of the series!

I loved the family ties and Biblical lessons woven throughout the book. Since it's the fourth book in the series, it took me a couple chapters to understand who was who, but once I hit chapter 3, I was hooked. There were many twists and turns I hadn't expected. When it wrapped up, I was satisfied with the outcome. I can't wait to go back and read the rest of the series.

I think The Merchant's Curse may be my favorite book in the Harwood Mysteries series thus far. Xan (Alexander) has left the abbey to be a merchant’s apprentice to his Uncle William but is doubting that this move was God’s will for him. A witch has cursed the son of his uncle’s partner and then Xan himself is cursed. (As a result, there’s a lot of retching going on in this novel.) There’s also a minor romantic thread between Xan and Christina, who assists Xan’s uncle.I really didn’t expect the witch’s curse to persist throughout the novel, which I guess I should have, based on the title, but I love that it did. Xan's growing maturity is evident as he gives thought to the best course of action instead of making rash decisions. There's more reflection befitting his growing responsibility.This series does not disappoint!

With a little dash of history and faith Xan sets out on a journey to save his uncle and friends. I loved the way Kolenc wove the history and faith into his story of Xan. This is an excellent edition to the Harwood Mysteries. Kolenc showed Xan' growth in an engaging and mysterious way. The reader will be enthralled as we journey with Xan through murder and mayhem, with a witch thrown in for a little seasoning.

This is the fourth book in a middle-grade/teen Catholic series, The Harwood Mysteries, set in 12th century England and featuring the main character Xan. The whole series has been excellent. In this installment, Xan is working as a merchant's apprentice with his uncle and must figure out whether a witch has cursed his uncle's partner. It also discusses the Biblical book of Ecclesiastes. It is full of action which will keep readers turning pages.

I loved this story and can’t wait to share it with my young teenage son. The tale is full of adventure, problem solving, and the wisdom of the ages. The protagonist is a 13 year old boy named Xan who is trying to advert disaster. He is also a Christ follower and is navigating conflicts in his life while trying to apply the wisdom of the book of Ecclesiastes. I thoroughly enjoyed the story as a stand alone even though I believe it is actually the 4th book in the series.