Take a photo of a barcode or cover
celeste57 's review for:
Wundersmith: The Calling of Morrigan Crow
by Jessica Townsend
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Wundersmith: The Calling of Morrigan Crow, is the second installment in the Nevermoor series, and I loved it almost as much as the first. This is a series with a wonderfully lovable and multifaceted main character, a diverse and entertaining supporting cast, a delightfully unique setting that manages to feel both inviting and dangerous, plenty of tension, and strong enough writing and pacing to carry such an original story. I’m only two books in, but I would already feel secure in saying that Nevermoor is a nearly perfect middle grade fantasy series that I would happily, and eagerly, press into the hands of any young (or young-at-heart) reader I know.
In this book, we start to plumb the secret depths of the Wundrous Society as Morrigan and the rest of Unit 919 embark on the first leg of their schooling. We get to see the relationships that develop between Morrigan and her fellow unit members and teachers, and how hard she has to work in order to win anyone over once they find out the truth of her “knack,” the talent that makes her special and worthy of membership into the Wundrous Society. This would have been a miserable first year for Morrigan if not for her best friend, Hawthorne Swift the dragon rider, and Miss Cheery, Unit 919’s Conductor, who acts as a combination of bus driver and homeroom teacher and guidance counselor. Of all the newly introduced characters, she was my favorite. Her closest competition was actually Hawthorne’s parents, who reminded me of the Weasleys from Harry Potter. They were quirky and charming and utterly delightful for the few pages in which they appeared.
Morrigan is a strong, interesting young woman who is far edgier in appearance than she is on the inside, and I find her incredibly easy to cheer on. She has enough flaws to be believable while still being firmly planted on the side of good which, given her talents and situation, is laudable. I have loved seeing her grow and develop over the course of this book and the first, and I can’t wait to see how she changes in the rest of the series. Townsend has done a marvelous job with Morrigan’s voice, maintaining its consistency even as she grows and keeping a balance between her secret hopes and her completely understandable pessimism in light of the life she’s led thus far.
I remain fascinated by the land of Nevermoor in general; it sounds like such a delightfully magical place, and I would place it at the very top of the list of fictional places I would love to visit. I’m also intrigued by the Wundrous Society in particular, and was excited to learn more about them in this book. Unfortunately, I felt that the Society’s decision to hold Morrigan at arm’s length in her education kept me as a reader in the dark, as well, which was frustrating. But that’s really the only complaint I have, and the only reason I deducted a half star from my rating. I was happy that we get to spend so much more time in the Hotel Deucalion, and I loved ever minute Jupiter was present. I, like Morrigan, wished I could pin him down and make him stay longer.
Wundersmith introduced some intriguing magic and compelling new characters, while never neglecting what we had already been given in the first book. This is a world that I fell in love with immediately, and that love only seems to deepen the longer I spend there. I can’t wait to see where Townsend takes Morrigan and her Unit next, and what happens with the Deucalion and the Society and all of the wonderful characters who populate both.
In this book, we start to plumb the secret depths of the Wundrous Society as Morrigan and the rest of Unit 919 embark on the first leg of their schooling. We get to see the relationships that develop between Morrigan and her fellow unit members and teachers, and how hard she has to work in order to win anyone over once they find out the truth of her “knack,” the talent that makes her special and worthy of membership into the Wundrous Society. This would have been a miserable first year for Morrigan if not for her best friend, Hawthorne Swift the dragon rider, and Miss Cheery, Unit 919’s Conductor, who acts as a combination of bus driver and homeroom teacher and guidance counselor. Of all the newly introduced characters, she was my favorite. Her closest competition was actually Hawthorne’s parents, who reminded me of the Weasleys from Harry Potter. They were quirky and charming and utterly delightful for the few pages in which they appeared.
Morrigan is a strong, interesting young woman who is far edgier in appearance than she is on the inside, and I find her incredibly easy to cheer on. She has enough flaws to be believable while still being firmly planted on the side of good which, given her talents and situation, is laudable. I have loved seeing her grow and develop over the course of this book and the first, and I can’t wait to see how she changes in the rest of the series. Townsend has done a marvelous job with Morrigan’s voice, maintaining its consistency even as she grows and keeping a balance between her secret hopes and her completely understandable pessimism in light of the life she’s led thus far.
I remain fascinated by the land of Nevermoor in general; it sounds like such a delightfully magical place, and I would place it at the very top of the list of fictional places I would love to visit. I’m also intrigued by the Wundrous Society in particular, and was excited to learn more about them in this book. Unfortunately, I felt that the Society’s decision to hold Morrigan at arm’s length in her education kept me as a reader in the dark, as well, which was frustrating. But that’s really the only complaint I have, and the only reason I deducted a half star from my rating. I was happy that we get to spend so much more time in the Hotel Deucalion, and I loved ever minute Jupiter was present. I, like Morrigan, wished I could pin him down and make him stay longer.
Wundersmith introduced some intriguing magic and compelling new characters, while never neglecting what we had already been given in the first book. This is a world that I fell in love with immediately, and that love only seems to deepen the longer I spend there. I can’t wait to see where Townsend takes Morrigan and her Unit next, and what happens with the Deucalion and the Society and all of the wonderful characters who populate both.